Happy Trails (album)

Happy Trails is widely considered to be the seminal album from Quicksilver Messenger Service. In the tradition of the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver were seen as one of the Bay Area's highest-flying psychedelic rock acts.

Related Topics:
Quicksilver Messenger Service - Grateful Dead - Bay Area - Psychedelic rock

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"Happy Trails" consists mainly of a performance cover of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?" spread out over nearly 20 minutes. The song was divided into several parts ("What Do You Love," "How Do You Love," "Where Do You Love," etc.) in order to recoup a greater share of royalty payments.

Related Topics:
Cover - Bo Diddley - Who Do You Love? - Song

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A heavy beat, extended instrumental section and the spiralling guitar work of John Cipollina drive the album to greatness, as the jam quiets, is reduced to drums and sound effects, then explodes into the finale.

Related Topics:
Guitar - John Cipollina

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The second half of the album is comprised of an almost continuous suite. Beginning with another Bo Diddley song ("Mona"), guitarist Gary Duncan's Maiden of the Cancer Moon follows and the album closes with the atmospheric Calvary, which manifested itself during a studio acid trip. As a coda, the band sing the theme tune to cowboy TV show Roy Rogers, which lends its title to the album. Fans of rock trivia may be interested to note that this whimsical tune also appears on Van Halen's Diver Down.

Related Topics:
Bo Diddley - Mona - Gary Duncan - Roy Rogers - Van Halen - Diver Down

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