Psychedelic rock pioneers Quicksilver Messenger Service stood out in the Bay Area counterculture scene with their drawn-out improvisational jams and bluesy, folk-infused sound, a blend of old and new.
QMS spent the late spring and early summer of 1970 in Hawaii.
The mellow Hawaiian climate facilitated a shift in balance with the return of Dino Valenti, resulting in two albums: “Just for Love” (August 1970) and “What About Me” (December 1970).
This
now-legendary Hawaii performance, born during this period, differed significantly from their March 1970 performance at The Old Mill Tavern.
The band’s repertoire, which consisted of only one song, “Pride of Man,” was expanded with new material, including “Mojo,” which waited two years to be recorded in a studio, and “Warm Red Wine,” which appears to have never been properly recorded.
Furthermore, the sound quality is said to be superb, thanks to the recordings made using Grateful Dead’s mobile device.
This legendary performance, rumored to be the “best live album by QMS,” is a must-have for the band, whose free and experimental musical approach influenced many subsequent jam bands.
It also includes a
28-page A4 booklet featuring previously unpublished photos from the Gary Duncan archives.
