Mountain’s imposing, statuesque lead guitarist Leslie West is often mentioned as a key early influencer by musicians, many of whom went on to have much more commercial success, longevity, and ultimately left more of a musical legacy than Leslie himself. Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre, for one, has singled Leslie West’s guitar playing out many times in interviews. This boxset, containing seven CDs in all, five studio albums and two live recordings, tells the story of how Mountain broke through into the mainstream, but in doing so, also provides a few clues as to why West and the band only got to enjoy their 15 minutes of fame whilst the bands that rode on their coat tails in the early seventies fared much better. The boxed set of CDs comes with a booklet featuring biography and commentary from Mike Mettler, photographs and selected hand-written lyrics and accompanying sketches from the Mountain songbook. It’s another classy release from Esoteric Recordings on the Cherry Red label.
Despite the many times that I have come across Mountain in the music press, by way of their links to Cream, Woodstock, or even via Brian Waldron of ‘Weekend World’ fame, this is the first time I have had a proper delve into the band’s discography. Timing is the not-so-secret ingredient to success in many walks of life, and getting to know the band’s history it seems to me that for Leslie West and Mountain, timing was the most critical influence on both their rise into the limelight and also how they faded back into the shadows, unable to capitalise on early momentum.
The story begins with CD1 and Leslie West’s solo album from 1969. Leslie’s partnership with Felix Pappalardi, the producer and collaborator for the aforementioned Cream, had begun a few years earlier when West was involved with his first band, The Vagrants. Their mutual admiration for Cream bought them together and when that band broke up in 1968, Felix turned his attention to producing, helping out with song-writing, and playing bass for West’s solo project, an album that turned out to be called Mountain, released on Felix’s own Windfall label. With the addition of N.D. Smart on drums, the pair were no doubt hoping to score similar success with a US-based blues-rock power trio, emulating their UK forerunners.
The album tapped into the zeitgeist of the time, 1969 arguably being the year that heavy rock took off commercially. The Cream era was now followed by the debut of Led Zeppelin, and classic hard-hitting albums by MC5, The Who, Neil Young and, of course, King Crimson. Mountain isn’t fully-formed heavy rock as the style is anchored in the blues, but the songs have riffs-a-plenty and a thundering, relentless quality to them, combined with West’s deep growling vocals. It’s a credit to West and Papparlardi that on this debut release all bar one of the songs are originals, and the set as a whole stands up pretty well after all these years. Genuinely, a very decent debut album, but an album lacking in any stand out ‘bangers’, and this will become a theme as this listening experience develops.
It was certainly a successful enough release to earn the band an invite onto the bill for the Woodstock Festival, to perform live, now named officially as Mountain, playing live on stage for just the third time in their existence. They had a desirable evening slot on the Saturday night playing just before Grateful Dead, and a major bonus of this boxset is that CD2 presents a recording of the full set. Since Mountain didn’t make the cut for the original Woodstock film and are only marginally featured in the various subsequent releases of festival recordings, this is a big draw for fans and interested musos.
This recording confirms that the band could really play, and that they revelled in the opportunity to replicate the power and energy of their music on the biggest stage. Leslie West was indeed a mountain of a man (yes, the band was pretty much named after him) and with his vocal capacity matching his impressive guitar tones performing to an audience of around 100,000 people didn’t faze him in any way. It’s an impressive set and its obvious from the rowdy, excited reactions of the crowd that they went down particularly well, making the most of the opportunity to forge a fanbase.
CD3 is 1970’s official debut album, Climbing!, and the band, now with Corky Laing on the drums and Steve Knight on keyboards, immediately hit the spot with the opening track Mississippi Queen. The hit single propelled the album as high as number 17 in the Billboard chart, eventually getting ‘Gold’ status after staying in the charts for 39 weeks. Climbing also features Theme for an Imaginary Western, written by Jack Bruce & Pete Brown and sung this time by Felix Pappalardi, and For Yasgur’s Farm, inspired by Woodstock. To My Friend is a solo acoustic guitar track and provides a pleasant and unexpected interlude. Once again, it is a set full of interest, but one where the initial sparks of intent don’t quite catch fire.
Commercially-speaking Nantucket Sleighride, the follow up album and CD4 in this release, did equally as well. However, critical reaction was a bit cooler this time, as the set showed a similar level of inconsistency to Climbing!. It all kicks off in energetic and relentless fashion with Don’t Look Around and the title track is impressively arranged and remains a high point for the band. Tired Angels (to J.M.H), a tribute to Jimi Hendrix is great fun and probably the proggiest track heard so far, but there is also a lot of filler considering the rather truncated 37 minutes running time. West was starting to feel like the axis of the band had shifted towards Pappalardi and his co-writing wife Gail Collins and the cracks were starting to appear.
However, they had developed into a fine live band, and on CD5, the next album Flowers of Evil, side one contains original studio songs and side two has live tracks recorded in concert at New York in June 1971. The songs on side one are not at all bad, but the comparison with the energy of the live material on side two is so stark that I have to wonder how the production process in the studio failed so badly to project the spontaneous power and originality of the band, who just come alive on stage. We get Mississippi Queen of course, but also the 24-minute epic Dream Sequence medley, the one that absolutely blew me away. It starts off with Leslie West toying with the audience with some improvised guitar work before the band launches into a rip-roaring Roll Over Beethoven. The musicianship on show for the rest of the track is just awe-inspiring. The arrangement is spectacular, the band seamlessly moving from heavy rock through melodic sections, soloing, and softer interludes. As live performances go this is up there with the very best.
The bonus tracks on CD5 are more live tracks from the same concert, firstly Crossroader and then a 17-minute version of Nantucket Sleighride (these being released at the time on the Live: The Road Goes Ever On album). Nantucket Sleighride is a faithful reproduction of the recorded version with a, some might say indulgent and over-long, extended instrumental bridge section. Not me though, because variations in the main melody are explored by all the members of the band and the continuity that the melody provides ensures the piece as a whole works, despite the obvious risk of overkill. Well, that and the immaculate showmanship from the band. Clearly the audience were also blown away, the ecstatic reaction of the crowd says it all, really.
Unfortunately, this was to be the last output from this line up. Mountain was disbanded after touring Europe, in Spring 1972. Papparlardi had a heroin problem that he needed to tackle, and his departure meant a long-term break was inevitable. West and Laing teamed up with Jack Bruce but after a successful tour the new super-group found that their own drug problems would affect long and drawn-out recording sessions. Two studio albums and a live album were delivered as contractual obligations, but any early promise was swiftly extinguished.
West was re-united with Papparlardi in 1973 and the pair agreed to tour again as Mountain. Laing and Knight made themselves unavailable and so Alan Schwartberg and Bob Mann were recruited as replacements. The subsequent live release Twin Peaks makes up CD6, recorded in Osaka, Japan. The old chemistry is missing, along with any exciting interplay between the band, and as a result, it’s a pretty drab listen. This time Nantucket Sleighride is extended to 31 minutes and it sounds like they are attempting the midnight jazz club version. Leslie West takes some of his frustrations out on a thunderous Mississippi Queen and this version rocks, as they say, but that one highlight is not a great return from a double album.
When the band returned to the studio, Corky Laing had returned and David Perry came in on rhythm guitar. The ironically named Avalanche (it’s all downhill from here) was the result, an all-sorts of an album with the Leslie West penned songs faring a lot better than those credited to Pappalardi/Collins.
From the outside, listening to his super-charged guitar and arena-filling vocals it looks strange that Leslie West’s career peaked for such a short time. His drug addictions and health problems no doubt had a negative impact on his own ambitions, and the fact that he was unsuccessful in joining up as guitarist with Lynryd Skynyrd in 1976 hints at how potential employers may have seen the risk of having him back in a band set up. Over the years, there were a few notable collaborations with the likes of Mick Jagger, Ian Gillan, Joe Bonamassa and Ozzy Osbourne, and an appearance at the Woodstock 40th anniversary concert in 2009, performing as Mountain, and also getting married on stage in front of 15,000 onlookers, but his health continued to deteriorate until his death in 2020.
The back story emphasises the importance of recognising his legacy with this boxset. He was a pioneer in the development of heavy rock guitar styles who inspired all the great rock guitarists that followed and he had the charisma and presence to fill the biggest stages, arguably the godfather of arena rock. Mountain may not have been the most consistent song-writers, but their greatest hits are iconic and for a few years they were undoubtedly one of the hottest live bands in the world. Mountain is an integral part of rock music history and this release is a superb way to preserve the legacy.
TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE: Leslie West – Mountain
01. Blood Of The Sun (2:35)
02. Long Red (3:14)
03. Better Watch Out (2:47)
04. Blind Man (3:50)
05. Baby, I’m Down (3:58)
06. Dreams Of Milk & Honey (3:32)
07. Storyteller Man (3:04)
08. This Wheel’s On Fire (3:18)
09. Look To The Wind (2:43)
10. Southbound Train (2:57)
11. Because You Are My Friend (3:10)
MUSICIANS
Leslie West – Guitar, Vocals
Felix Papparladi – Bass, Keyboards
N.D. Smart II – Drums
Norman Landsberg – Organ (2,7 & 10)
DISC TWO: Mountain Live at the Woodstock Music & Arts Fair, Bethel, New York
01. Blood Of The Sun (3:00)
02. Stormy Monday (7:18)
03. Theme For An Imaginary Western (5:13)
04. Long Red (5:45)
05. Who Am I But You And The Sun (For Yasgur’s Farm) (3:47)
06. Besides The Sea (3:32)
07. Waiting To Take You Away (4:50)
08. Dreams Of Milk And Honey (16:11)
09. Southbound Train (6:16)
MUSICIANS
Leslie West – Guitar, Vocals
Felix Papparladi – Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
N.D. Smart II – Drums
Steve Knight – Keyboards
DISC THREE: Climbing!
01. Mississippi Queen (2:30)
02. Theme For An Imaginary Western (5:10)
03. Never In My Life (4:50)
04. Silver Paper (3:17)
05. For Yasgur’s Farm (3:20)
06. To My Friend (3:38)
07. The Laird (4:35)
08. Sittin’ On A Rainbow (2:20)
09. Boys In The Band (3:35)
~ Bonus tracks:
10. For Yasgur’s Farm (live) (4:19)
11. Stormy Monday Blues (live)
MUSICIANS
Leslie West – Guitar, Vocals
Felix Pappalardi – Bass (1-5 & 9-11), Piano (1,2& 9), Rhythm Guitar (7), Vocals
Steve Knight – Organ (2-5), Mellotron (2 & 9), Handbells (4)
Corky Laing – Drums (1-5 & 9-11), Percussion (7 & 9)
DISC FOUR: Nantucket Sleighride
01. Don’t Look Around (3:42)
02. Taunta (Sammy’s Tune) (1:00)
03. Nantucket Sleighride (For Owen Coffin) (5:49)
04. You Can’t Get Away (3:23)
05. Tired Angels (For J.M.H.) (4:39)
06. The Animal Trainer And The Toad (3:24)
07. My Lady (4:31)
08. Travelin’ In The Dark (For E.M.P.) (4:21)
09. The Great Train Robbery (5:43)
~ Bonus track:
10. Travelin’ In The Dark (to E.M.P.) (live) (5:14)
MUSICIANS
Leslie West – Guitar, Vocals
Felix Pappalardi – Bass, Piano, Recorder, Vocals
Steve Knight – Organ, Piano, Keyboards
Corky Laing – Drums, Percussion
DISC FIVE: Flowers Of Evil
01. Flowers Of Evil (4:53)
02. King’s Chorale (1:04)
03. One Last Cold Kiss (3:45)
04. Crossroader (4:47)
05. Pride And Passion (7:05)
06. Dream Sequence (24:27)
– Guitar Solo
– Roll Over Beethoven
– Dreams Of Milk And Honey
– Variations
– Swan Theme
07. Mississippi Queen (3:53)
~ Bonus tracks: taken from the album Live: The Road Goes Ever On – released in April 1972
08. Crossroader (live) (6:20)
09. Nantucket Sleighride (live) (17:38)
MUSICIANS
Leslie West – Guitar, Vocals
Felix Pappalardi – Bass, Piano, Recorder, Vocals
Steve Knight – Organ, Piano, Keyboards
Corky Laing – Drums, Percussion
DISC SIX: Twin Peaks
01. Never In My Life (4:15)
02. Theme For An Imaginary Western (4:59)
03. Blood Of The Sun (3:05)
04. Guitar Solo (5:43)
05. Nantucket Sleigh Ride (Part 1) (16:19)
06. Nantucket Sleigh Ride (Conclusion) (16:14)
07. Crossroader (5:58)
08. Mississippi Queen (4:15)
09. Silver Paper (6:15)
10. Roll Over Beethoven (2:25)
MUSICIANS
Leslie West – Guitar, Vocals
Felix Pappalardi – Bass, Vocals
Bob Mann – Keyboards, Guitar
Alan Schwartberg – Drums
DISC SEVEN: Avalanche
01. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (5:05)
02. Sister Justice (3:58)
03. Alisan (4:41)
04. Swamp Boy (2:54)
05. Satisfaction (5:14)
06. Thumbsucker (3:20)
07. You Better Believe It (5:47)
08. I Love To See You Fly (3:46)
09. Back Where I Belong (2:56)
10. Last Of The Sunshine Days (3:47)
MUSICIANS
Leslie West – Guitars, Vocals
Felix Pappalardi – Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
David Perry – Rhythm Guitar
Corky Laing – Drums, Percussion
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: US
Date of Release: 27th February 2026
LINKS
Mountain – Boxset info at Cherry Red Records
