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Shady Grove is a 1969 album by Quicksilver Messenger Service.

Nicky Hopkins, the English journeyman pianist who appears on albums by The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Beatles and Steve Miller, joined the group for this album. This album is somewhat dominated by him, and has a different flavor. David Freiberg's presence is strong and the Quicksilver sound is still apparent.

Hopkins re-recorded the album closer "Edward" for his solo album The Tin Man Was a Dreamer, featuring members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. "Joseph's Coat", co-written by John Cipollina and Nick Gravenites, also appears on Big Brother and the Holding Company's album Be a Brother, which featured Gravenites on vocals.

The third long-player from San Francisco psychedelic icons Quicksilver Messenger Service (QMS) is a direct contrast from their previous discs. Shady Grove (1969) is comprised mostly of shorter and self-contained pieces as opposed to the long and extended jams that were so prevalent on their self-titled debut (1967) and Happy Trails (1969). Ironically, the one stretched-out instrumental is courtesy of their latest acquisition — Brit recording session guru Nicky Hopkins (keyboards). Another possible reason for the shift in style as well as personnel is the conspicuous absence of Gary Duncan (guitar) — who is rumored to have been a "guest" of Bay Area law enforcement at the time. The band incorporate a number of different styles on the album.

Kicking off the disc is an up-tempo rocking version of the traditional Appalachian folk song "Shady Grove." The QMS reading is highlighted by John Cipollina's trademark fluid fretwork and a familiar "Bo Diddley" backbeat — reminiscent of both "Who Do You Love" and "Mona" from the live ensemble LP Happy Trails. The slow and dark "Flute Song" is a trippy minor chord masterpiece that is augmented by the shimmering effect of Hopkins' airy piano lines which mingle throughout the light orchestration. Additionally, QMS try their hand at the same country & western-flavored sound that was making the rounds with their San Fran contemporaries the Jefferson Airplane ("The Farm") and the Grateful Dead ("Dire Wolf"). However, the down-home cowboy waltz "Word's Can't Say" never gets out of the stable, unfortunately. This somewhat uneven effort would sadly foreshadow QMS's journey from psychedelia and into a much more pop-oriented sound on their follow-up, Just for Love (1970). However, enthusiasts of those albums will find much more to revisit on Shady Grove than those who favored the first two records.

01."Shady Grove" (P. O. Wands)
02."Flute Song" (Denise Jewkes)
03."Three or Four Feet from Home" (Cipollina)
04."Too Far" (Freiberg)
05."Holy Moly" (Gravenites)
06."Joseph's Coat" (Cipollina/Gravenites)
07."Flashing Lonesome" (Freiberg/Gravenites)
08."Words Can't Say" (Freiberg/Jewkes)
09."Edward, the Mad Shirt Grinder" (Hopkins)