Quicksilver Messenger Service – Just For Love

IMHO this is an absolute failure. This band has been ruined when Dino VALENTI joined it and considered the other members as his backing band which led the talented guitar player John CIPOLLINA to leave them... Nobody in rock music has been more narcissistic than VALENTI-VALENTE-ORIS FARROWS-POWERS. In fact, what was his real name?

Is this the Dark Green label you speak of realdealfineaudio?

just recently met this group and flew away just fine. but only until 1970 further on weaker

Compared to my original first pressing, this version sounds much more alive, less 'tinny' and 'thin', especially on 'Cobra' and 'The Hat'. The vinyl itself is medium weight, approx 120 grams, quite respectable even compared to today's staple market where everything is pressed at 180 grams or more. The songs maintain that quaint 60's feel but don't sound like they were recorded with primitive equipment the way the original does. The trademark Capitol "split channel" mastering is in effect, the way many of the Beatles US LP's were recorded, Vocals and guitars left channel, drums, bass and piano right channel. I'm dying to try an original Mono pressing that isn't a stereo version folded down to mono. In spite of the somewhat annoying 'split', the music is clear, warm and detailed with excellent separation. If you have a cartridge capable of digging deep into the grooves, something in a Line Contact or Shibata stylus, this recording works a treat a competent system. I'm using a HOMC Sumiko Blackbird connected to a modified Technics SL1200 and the combination is absolute magic. No sibilance is anywhere on this reissue, the vinyl is very quiet with little surface noise , tics or pops, other than the lead in/ dead wax areas. I located this copy still sealed so I was the first person to play it.

Take it from me, even still sealed records can benefit from a deep wet clean using a vacuum or Ultrasonic record cleaning machine. Dirt, mold, mold release compound are in the grooves, I never play a new acquisition sealed or otherwise without doing a 3 steep wet deep clean. You can see the mold release compound liquify and bubble up like soap when scrubbing a new LP. Before the vinyl looks dull and hazy, spotted with dust and dirt. A good cleaning reveals that deep shiny CLEAN vinyl surface. With tons of pressure on the stylus tip, you don't want to play a new record uncleaned,.., all the garbage on the surface gets ground deep into the grooves from the stylus pressure, in many cases permanently damaging the surface causing noise no amount of cleaning will remove.

A classic album as great as Just For Love is, you will want to be able to crank it up to wall shaking levels and not hear any annoying clicks pops or surface noise, especially between tracks. Cobra and Fresh Air are excellent staples of late 60's / early 70's songwriting that deserve to be cranked up when played. If you get lucky and come across this pressing of Just For Love, snatch it up.

I paid 4.50$ for my still sealed copy and love it. It sounds so much better than my 70's original pressing. Not just because it's so much quieter, but because Jeff LeMay over at Capitol records did such an excellent job remastering the entire album. That alone is worth the price of admission to hear this classic staple of psychedelic rock. It just doesn't get any better unless you have the key to the Capitol's master tape vaults. Until someone does a modern remaster on heavyweight vinyl, (are you listening Capitol Records?) this US Stereo pressing is the one to own. I rate this title conservatively an 8 out of 10.