• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

December 2024

• After Lapse: Pathways
• Illusion Force: Halfana
• Powell-Payne: Voilá

November 2024

• Sunstorm: Restless Fight
• Storace: Crossfire
• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Quicksilver Messenger Service: Live at the Old Mill Tavern March 29 1970

Blues Rock

4.0/5.0

Website
Purple Pyramid Records / Cleopatra Records
by Craig Hartranft,  09.04.2013

I'll apologize at the start if this review resembles a press release. Cleopatra Records, for a second time this year, reaches back in time to offer another vintage live recording of Quicksilver Messenger Service, the iconic California psychedelic blues band. This session was recorded in 1970 at the Old Mill Tavern in Mill Valley, California, the band's own stomping ground.

Quicksilver Messenger Service: circa 1968.

If anything QSM were known for their live performances. While not having the greatest of album sales, they were constantly doing shows much like familiar cohorts the Grateful Dead. It was their bread and butter, and where they shined. This Old Mill Tavern recording is simply another example of their controlled jam band frenzy of blues and psychedelic rock.

Three things make this album worthy of a classic rock lover or historian. First, for it's time, it's a very good recording: it sounds fresh and lively. Second, while all the tracks find QSM jamming heavy, the real corkers are the two Blues Jams at the end that feature harmonica great James Cotton (who also had a phenomenal blues band back in the day). Finally, rock historian and author Dave Thompson writes the liner notes which are insightful, giving you a glimpse of the band at time and the music on record. If you're a fan of the band and liked the Fillmore recording from earlier this year, you'll certainly want to snag this one.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

If you're a fan of the band and liked the Fillmore recording from earlier this year, you'll certainly want to snag this one.

Alphabetical Index

The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]