Mountain (Leslie West album)
Introduction '''''Mountain''''' is the debut album by American rock guitarist and vocalist Leslie West, released in July 1969 by Windfall Records.
Background ''Mountain'' is West's first solo album, after several years as a member of the Vagrants. It was recorded with bassist and producer Felix Pappalardi. Soon after its release, West and Pappalardi formed the band Mountain (named after the album). At least five of the album's tracks were played live by Mountain, which has given it the mistaken reputation of being the band's first album.
Release and reception The album was released on LP in July 1969 by Windfall Records and in the UK on Bell Records. Reviewing for ''The Village Voice'' in September of that year, Robert Christgau wrote: "With Felix Pappalardi singing and playing bass regularly this could be New York's third supergroup. (The Rascals and the Spoonful got there first.) The visual possibilities alone—with West, the enormous ex-Vagrant guitarist, set against the hyperactive Pappalardi, are fantastic. West plays good guitar and is a good roarer, and Pappalardi is not only first-rate on several instruments but has a wonderful singing voice, sweet and mellow. Unfortunately, he hadn't decided to join the group when this was recorded, and so participates only as bassist and producer. West alone can't quite carry it. More like early Cream than Blind Faith. "On April 16, 1996, Columbia/Legacy reissued ''Mountain'' on CD. In a retrospective review, AllMusic's William Ruhlmann regarded it as a rock album "dominated by West's throaty roar of a voice and inventive blues-rock guitar playing", as well as "an auspicious debut, instantly establishing him as a guitar hero and setting the style of Mountain's subsequent recordings."
Track listing # "Blood of the Sun" (Leslie West, Felix Pappalardi, Gail Collins) – 2:35# "Long Red" (West, Pappalardi, John Ventura, Norman Landsberg) – 3:14# "Better Watch Out" (Pappalardi, Collins) – 2:47# "Blind Man" (Collins, Pappalardi, West, Ventura) – 3:50# "Baby, I'm Down" (Pappalardi, Collins) – 3:58# "Dreams of Milk and Honey" (West, Pappalardi, Ventura, Landsberg) – 3:22# "Storyteller Man" (West, Pappalardi, Ventura, Landsberg) – 3:04# "This Wheel's on Fire" (Bob Dylan, Rick Danko) – 3:18# "Look to the Wind" (West, Pappalardi, Ventura) – 2:43# "Southbound Train" (West, Ventura, Landsberg) – 2:57# "Because You Are My Friend" (West) – 3:10
Personnel *Leslie West – guitars, vocals*Felix Pappalardi – bass, keyboards, production*N.D. Smart – drumswith:*Norman Landsberg – Hammond organ on "Long Red", "Storyteller Man" and "Southbound Train";Additional personnel* Bob D'Orleans – recording engineer* Beverly Weinstein – art direction* The Graffiteria/David Krieger – design* Joel Brodsky – photography
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