Happy Trails

Can’t say I really get the point of this one.

Apparently I listened to this at some point because I have Mona saved in my liked songs on Spotify. Or more likely I just heard that song randomly and liked it. I'm not a huge fan of jam bands but I do like long songs with multiple movements so we'll see how this goes.
Yeah so this is not that, this is definitely jam band and not well thought out and executed compositions. The first side drags a little and really falls off towards the end before picking back up a bit. But still, you can only hear the same people play the same phrases and pentatonic scales for so long before you're bored of it. Side two is pretty much just a continuation of side one. Nothing new is introduced and there is a ton of dead space. You could condense this whole album down to a 7 minute song and it would be a better use of time. I suppose this is on the list because it's representative of psychedelic jam bands from the 60s but I don't think I would listen to this one again. 2.25/5

This disappears up its own arse fairly quickly and doesn't manage to sustain my attention consistently enough. Shame as there are some very capable musicians making up this band.

Oh, great, a 60s band that I haven't heard of. And the entire first half is songs whose titles ending in "Love". Fantastic! Naturally, it's basically just a meandering rock album with no sense of direction whatsoever. The songs are generic and overlong, with generic vocals and generic sounds. There's nothing interesting about this album and nothing that gives it a case for being on the list.

It's pretty underwhelming from the off, with lots of generic noodling rather than properly defined songs. It's the kind of noodling and jamming that doesn't seem to have much purpose or overall form. It's kind of weak and meandering with no proper connective tissue.

The second half seemed to start with some promise of doing something a bit more cohesive, and then almost straight away turned to pretentious wank. It's the type of music that takes itself way too seriously.

I'll concede... some moments have some real atmosphere to them (like sections of 'Cavalry') and I have to credit the musicianship at times. But let's be honest, this is mostly shit.

The album cover couldn't be further removed from the content on here, apart from the last track, which is jarring. Weird.

1.5 rounded up.

This really isn't what I thought it was. I was expecting a solid country album, but I got an *extremely* solid epic, jamming rock album. Happy Trails is largely instrumental, and while it doesn't reflect the country aesthetic of the band's name or the album's artwork much, it *does* manage to conjure the sparse majesty of the high plains with epic guitars, sprawling songs, and dynamic ideas. I had to do a lot of Midwest highway driving today, which may as well be what this thing was made for. I am very pleased.

I will always rate fun highly! :)

Interesting, and had some good moments, but ultimately not what I'm interested in.

I fucked my own ass one time, ya know.

Decent jam rock record, mostly meandering and forgettable.

"There is some confusion as to the real origins of the group. According to John Cipollina:

It was Valenti who organized the group. I can remember everything Dino said. "We were all going to have wireless guitars. We were going to have leather jackets made with hooks that we could hook these wireless instruments right into. And we were gonna have these chicks, backup rhythm sections that were gonna dress like American Indians with real short little dresses on and they were gonna have tambourines and the clappers in the tambourines were going to be silver coins." And I'm sitting there going, 'This guy is gonna happen and we're gonna set the world on its ear.'[9]

The next day, Valenti was arrested for possession of marijuana and spent the better part of the next two years in jail."

This was nice, especially when I was expecting country / folk over the psychedelic rock I actually got. Sadly, while I wouldn't say it was boring, it was still too aimless for my tastes. Live jam sessions aren't something I go out of my way to look for, and there are more "deserving" (however subjective a term that is) albums that could've been included over this one. For example, why aren’t Deftones anywhere on the list?!

Psych blues rock which I do very much enjoy. But a genre that feels like it's has plenty of (better) representation on this list already.

Enjoyable, will not make a beeline for again.

I find it hilarious that some of the reviews for this album are like angry at it. Like it’s a middle of the road 60s blues/psychedelic rock record. It’s fine but nothing here to elicit such a strong response

What an odd little album.

So, judging a book by its cover, you'd think this would be a chill country record, right? Nope! It's a total trip, a full on, acid fueled, San Fran psychedelic rock explosion from the late 60s. Recorded live, the whole first side is a 25 minute jam session based on a Bo Diddley song. They go all in, exploring every single detail, asking "Who", "When", "Where", "How", and "Which"... but never "Why"? It's amazing guitar work with awesome feedback and a super tight beat.

Whether you dig extended instrumentals or not will determine if you love it or hate it. The second side has a mellow "Mona" cover, but then it kicks back in with heavy tracks like "Maiden Of The Cancer Moon" and the awesome "Calvary". It's a wild, experimental ride that's a cool piece of history, even if the last song is kind of a bust.

I had no preconceptions about this record - all I remembered about Quicksilver was that they were somehow connected to the Airplane. When I saw it, I thought “ok, another 60s album, I’ll probably give it a 3.” But instead….

Remember when I whined about The Beau Brummels being called “psychedelic”? THIS is what I mean by psychedelic music. Endless unfocused weird noodly jams that cause you to sit staring at the floral sofa upholstery for a half hour and whisper to yourself “Are those flowers alive?”

Kind of a mushy live recording, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Loose, exploratory and atmospheric, but purposeful. Another gem of a new discovery from this project.

Cool jam record, yep it does kinda go nowhere but it's about the journey not the destination

This is a fun jam album. It does drag quite a bit through "Calvary", and "Happy Trails" is not a well executed finale, but overall this was enjoyable.

3.0/5.0: Good