David Freiberg

chroma601 · #1 09-12-2008, 08:55 AM

This morning my Walkman dug up Quicksilver's "The Fool", and I just wanted to put out a good word for David's excellent bass playing. He's had quite an illustrious career since that album and is still active. He is rarely mentioned on these forums so I wanted to give him a mention.

chroma601 · #2 09-14-2008, 08:33 PM

Apparently no one else wants to mention him! Ah, the joys of being an old hippie.

MR PC · #3 09-15-2008, 08:51 PM

Saw him early on with QMS. He played some viola as well. As I recall he was using a Fender Telecaster Bass. Not really a remarkable bassist, as much as a "can do" sort of musician. I'll need to revisit the the old albums and see if my opinion has changed. Jefferson Starship did suck though. Crotch PoP Maximus. I think David has been hiding out since that unfortunate musical passing of gas occurred. Too bad, he is a good musician.

doktorfeelgood · #4 09-15-2008, 09:09 PM

I only have one Quicksilver Messenger Service cd and it's the first record they did. I bought it on vinyl when it first came out. David Freiberg's playing has always amazed me on that disc. The whole band was stellar and I still love listening to that disc. I used to do a lot of tripping and "The Fool" takes on a whole new dimension when you're tripping. Goose-bump city. )-(

MR PC · #5 09-16-2008, 02:03 AM

Yup, that album was really something at the time...." trippin".....hmmm.

As long a you've opened that can of worms, here are a couple observations I've made after living through the SF scene.

You should count yourself lucky to have "tripped" to the music, and still be here to tell. Because alot of folks who did the same are no longer with us as a result of "tripping".

I doubt that the record would have been nearly as good without the influence of John Cippolina and Nick Gravenites. DF was there mostly for his free grass and providing easy *ss. And every band benefits from having a clown on stage.

The drugs always turn out to be an unfortunate side track. That's why they are always made readily available when art that's influential is about to noticed in big way in our societies. And it's easy money for anyone who's willing to middleman it around for a few extra dollars.

"God Damn the Pusher Man" -Hoyt Axton

IMHO

jerry · #6 09-16-2008, 08:17 PM

I dug early Quicksilver when I was a kid, they were a FM staple in NYC back then too. I remember going to Quicksilver shows and thinking Freiberg stage persona of low slung P-bass and cigarette danging from his mouth looked cool[I was young and stupid].
They were also a band I saw live a few times where even at that young age I noticed being destroyed by the massive ego of Dino Valenti.

doktorfeelgood · #7 09-16-2008, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR PC

Yup, that album was really something at the time...." trippin".....hmmm.

As long a you've opened that can of worms, here are a couple observations I've made after living through the SF scene.

You should count yourself lucky to have "tripped" to the music, and still be here to tell. Because alot of folks who did the same are no longer with us as a result of "tripping".

I doubt that the record would have been nearly as good without the influence of John Cippolina and Nick Gravenites. DF was there mostly for his free grass and providing easy *ss. And every band benefits from having a clown on stage.

The drugs always turn out to be an unfortunate side track. That's why they are always made readily available when art that's influential is about to noticed in big way in our societies. And it's easy money for anyone who's willing to middleman it around for a few extra dollars.

"God Damn the Pusher Man" -Hoyt Axton

IMHO

I couldn't agree with you more about John Cippolina and Nick Gravenites. John Cippolina was such a unique talent with a sound all his own that IMHO made that band what it was. But all of the other guys in the band helped to make the band sound unique. I think that Gary Duncan's playing is excellent and way underated... but that's just my opinion. And Nick's writing was always top shelf.
I DO count myself lucky to have survived that era for many reasons...not the least of which being the drugs...but as far as the rest of what you say, not sure I agree with it but it does make for intersting reading. )-(

Sneckumhaw · #8 09-17-2008, 12:05 AM

He was great, but out of that whole scene, give me Bob Mosley from Moby Grape.

jerry · #9 09-17-2008, 12:07 AM

The albums they did with Nicky Hopkins were my favorite, that guy was special!

MR PC · #10 09-17-2008, 12:50 AM

[quote=jerry;62They were also a band I saw live a few times where even at that young age I noticed being destroyed by the massive ego of Dino Valenti.[/QUOTE]

Yes, that was a bad scene when Dino came on board with QM. Who could know that the same man that wrote a tune as transcendental as "Get Together" while spending time in a Mexican jail cell in the '60's could turn into aspiring crotch rock star by the '70's. " OOOO-OOOO Have Another Hit"...... hmmmm. Why did that happen?

MR PC · #11 09-17-2008, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doktorfeelgood

I DO count myself lucky to have survived that era for many reasons...not the least of which being the drugs...but as far as the rest of what you say, not sure I agree with it but it does make for intersting reading. )-(

Yes, it's good to remember the fun parts of the past. Young and free! But if you could do it again, would do it the same way, or would the wisdom you've gained with age change your behaviour?

doktorfeelgood · #12 09-18-2008, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR PC

Yes, it's good to remember the fun parts of the past. Young and free! But if you could do it again, would do it the same way, or would the wisdom you've gained with age change your behaviour?

Well....hindsight is always 20/20, as they say, but to answer your question in a word....Nope Not knowing what I know now about the state of mankind.
I was dang lucky to have survived living on the street in Greenwich Village and The Lower East Side in the late summer of 1967. Not to mention the neighborhoods of 78th St. and Columbus Ave. where I crashed from time to time.
But the most drugs that I did was when I got back home in the fall of that year because they were everywhere. All my beer-drinking friends..."beeries" as we used to call them, had somehow, "tuned in, turned on, and dropped out"...while I was gone out to the West Coast and NYC lol
Obviously there's a WHOLE lot between the lines that I'm omitting, but you can get the drift.
I don't do anything recreational now....not even drink. But that's another long boring story.
)-(

guitfiddle0409 · #13 09-18-2008, 09:09 PM

"The Fool" is probably the best "hippie psychedelic simulated acid trip" song ever. And I've never done acid either.

doktorfeelgood · #14 09-18-2008, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sneckumhaw

He was great, but out of that whole scene, give me Bob Mosley from Moby Grape.

+100

MR PC · #15 09-18-2008, 10:51 PM

This is morphing into a Bob Mosley appreciation thread, I can feel it coming on!