Mountain -

Mountain was an American hard-rock band from New York that grew from an album of the same name by guitarist Leslie West. As a proper band, they released four studio albums and two live sets between 1970 and 1974 on Windfall Records. They are best known for their performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival and the 1970 riff-rocker “Mississippi Queen.”

Members: Leslie West (guitar, bass, vocals), Felix Pappalardi (bass, piano, guitar, keyboards, vocals, 1969-74), N.D. Smart II [aka N.D., Norman Smart] (drums, 1969), Steve Knight (keyboards, percussion, 1969-72), Corky Laing (drums, percussion, 1969-72, 1973-present), David Perry (guitar, 1973-74), Allan Schwartzberg (drums, 1973), Bob Mann (keyboards, 1973), Mark Clarke (bass, 1985-96)

Background

Mountain sprung from the 1969 album Mountain by guitarist Leslie West. It features a power-trio lineup rounded by bassist Felix Pappalardi and drummer N.D. Smart. That summer, they toured the album with keyboardist Steve Knight. Corky Laing replaced Smart and Mountain released its first proper album, Climbing!, in 1970.

West (1945–2020), a native of Long Island, first led garage-rockers The Vagrants, which scored regional hits with the singles “I Can’t Make a Friend” and the Otis Redding/Aretha Franklin cover “Respect.” Their producer, Felix Pappalardi, also produced the album Disraeli Gears by Cream, a band that inspired West.

Pappalardi (1939–1983), a classically trained musician from the Bronx, attended NYC’s High School of Music & Art and the University of Michigan. He first performed and toured as part of Max Morath’s Original Rag Quartet (ORQ). As an arranger, he worked on albums by Tom Paxton, Vince Martin, Fred Neil, and The Devil’s Anvil. He then went into production, handling albums by The Youngbloods, Joan Baez, and Cream, plus the Vagrants singles.

At West’s suggestion, Pappalardi took up bass and they recorded Mountain with drummer N.D. Smart, a late-period member of Boston garage-rockers The Remains (“Don’t Look Back”).

Mountain

Leslie West released his debut solo album, Mountain, in July 1969 on Windfall.

Despite being a solo effort, Mountain served as the precursor to the eponymous band West soon formed with producer–bassist Felix Pappalardi, who helms this album’s production and contributes bass, keyboards, and co-writing across multiple tracks.

Mountain contains eleven tracks that blend hard rock, blues, and psychedelic soul. Key cuts include the rugged opener “Blood of the Sun,” the anthemic “Long Red” (later famously sampled by numerous hip hop artists), and the fuzz-driven “Dreams of Milk & Honey.”

Pappalardi’s songwriting partner Gail Collins co-wrote five numbers, including the ballad “Baby, I’m Down” and the brooding “Blind Man.” The album also includes a cover of the Dylan–Danko classic “This Wheel’s On Fire,” recently popularized in the UK by Julie Driscoll with Brian Auger & Trinity.

A1. “Blood of the Sun” (2:35)
A2. “Long Red” (3:14)
A3. “Better Watch Out” (2:47)
A4. “Blind Man” (3:50)
A5. “Baby, I’m Down” (3:58)

B1. “Dreams of Milk & Honey” (3:32)
B2. “Storyteller Man” (3:04)
B3. “This Wheel’s On Fire” (3:18)
B4. “Look to the Wind” (2:43)
B5. “Southbound Train” (2:57)
B6. “Because You Are My Friend” (3:10)

Sessions took place at Gotham Recording Studios with engineer Bob d’Orleans. Drums were handled by N.D. Smart II and Norman Landsberg played Hammond organ on three tracks. The cover art was photographed by Joel Brodsky, with design by David Krieger and art direction by Beverly Weinstein.

Though released under West’s name, Mountain is retrospectively viewed as a proto–band album. Five of its tracks became staples in the setlist of Mountain, formed shortly after with West, Pappalardi, Smart, and keyboardist Steve Knight. The album reached No. 72 on the Billboard 200.

Woodstock Appearance

Mountain made their first high-profile live appearance at the Woodstock Festival on Saturday, August 16, 1969, performing during the evening slot from 9:00–10:00 pm (between sets by Canned Heat and the Grateful Dead). This marked only their third performance as a band. The lineup featured Leslie West (guitar, vocals), Felix Pappalardi (bass, vocals), N.D. Smart II (drums), and Steve Knight (keyboards).

Their set included both unreleased originals and blues standards, showcasing their thunderous brand of proto-metal. They performed “Blood of the Sun,” “Long Red,” “Dreams of Milk and Honey,” and “Theme for an Imaginary Western,” along with the T-Bone Walker classic “Stormy Monday.” They closed the set with “Southbound Train” from West’s solo album Mountain, which inspired the band’s name. One track from the set, “Theme for an Imaginary Western,” appeared on the Woodstock Two LP released in 1971.

Climbing!

Mountain released their first album, Climbing!, on March 7, 1970, on Windfall.

“Mississippi Queen,” opens Climbing! with a monster riff that helped define proto-metal. Deep cuts include “Never in My Life,” the Woodstock-referencing “For Yasgur’s Farm,” and the Jack Bruce/Pete Brown composition “Theme for an Imaginary Western.”

This is the first of three studio albums by the classic Mountain quartet of Leslie West, Felix Pappalardi, ex-Wings keyboardist Steve Knight, and French-Canadian drummer Laurence Gordon “Corky” Laing, a onetime Ink Spots backing musician.

Pappalardi shares vocals with West and multi-tasks on piano and Mellotron. Felix’s wife, Gail Collins, penned lyrics for the band. The couple co-wrote two songs (“The Laird,” “Boys in the Band”) and group-wrote “Sittin’ on a Rainbow” with West, who composed the instrumental “To My Friend.” Mountain group-wrote the album’s balance.

A1. “Mississippi Queen” (2:31)
A2. “Theme for an Imaginary Western” (5:06) originated on Jack Bruce’s 1969 release Songs for a Tailor, the ex-Cream bassist’s debut solo album. (Bruce’s ex-GBO bandmate Dick-Heckstall Smith also covered the song on Daughters of Time, the 1970 third album by his supergroup, Colosseum.)
A3. “Never in My Life” (3:51)
A4. “Silver Paper” (3:19)

B1. “For Yasgur’s Farm” (3:23)
B2. “To My Friend” (3:38)
B3. “The Laird” (4:39)
B4. “Sittin’ on a Rainbow” (2:23)
B5. “Boys in the Band” (3:33)

Pappalardi produced Climbing! in the autumn/winter of 1969/70 at the Record Plant in New York, where Candid Records veteran Bob D’Orleans engineered the album between titles by the Canadian bands Kensington Market and Syrinx. Climbing! appeared in a gatefold with monochrome member pics and an illustrated cover by Gail Collins.

“Mississippi Queen” reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Mountain’s signature hit. Climbing! peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold in August 1970.

Nantucket Sleighride

Mountain released their second album, Nantucket Sleighride, in January 1971 on Windfall.

The title track references a whaling term for the chaotic drag of a small boat by a wounded whale. Dedicated “to Owen Coffin,” the song recounts the harrowing fate of a sailor aboard the doomed Essex, later dramatized in Moby-Dick and In the Heart of the Sea. “Nantucket Sleighride” closes with a somber refrain based on the Scottish ballad “The Parting Glass” and later became the theme song for ITV’s Weekend World (1972–88).

Mountain composed the album’s balance across various combinations of Felix Pappalardi, Leslie West, Gail Collins, and drummer Corky Laing, with additional credits to lyricist Sue Palmer. Pappalardi wrote “Taunta (Sammy’s Tune)” as a brief, baroque tribute to his poodle, and honored his mother with “Travelin’ in the Dark (For E.M.P).” The Hendrix memorial “Tired Angels (For J.M.H.)” showcases the band’s lyrical sense of reverence.

A1. “Don’t Look Around” (3:42)
A2. “Taunta (Sammy’s Tune)” (1:00)
A3. “Nantucket Sleighride (For Owen Coffin)” (5:49)
A4. “You Can’t Get Away” (3:23)
A5. “Tired Angels (For J.M.H.)” (4:39)

B1. “The Animal Trainer and the Toad” (3:24)
B2. “My Lady” (4:31)
B3. “Travelin’ in the Dark (For E.M.P.)” (4:21)
B4. “The Great Train Robbery” (5:43)

Pappalardi produced Nantucket Sleighride at the Record Plant, NYC, with returning engineer Bob D’Orleans and mastering by Bob Ludwig and Lee Hulko. Gail Collins served as Windfall’s visual director, supplying the cover painting, photography, and interior design. The gatefold came with a 14-page booklet of lyrics and sketches by Mick Brigden and Roy Bailey.

Nantucket Sleighride reached No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and charted in the UK (No. 43), Canada (No. 17), and Australia (No. 38).

Flowers of Evil

Mountain released their third album, Flowers of Evil, in November 1971 on Windfall.

Side One contains five studio tracks recorded that September at the Record Plant, NYC. The title track, “Flowers of Evil,” co-written with David Rea, tackles drug addiction among American troops in Vietnam. Other studio highlights include the sorrowful ballad “One Last Cold Kiss” and the urgent “Crossroader,” both co-written by Felix Pappalardi and lyricist Gail Collins. “Pride and Passion,” a cinematic slow-burner, closes the side with sweeping grandeur. Pappalardi also composed the brief “King’s Chorale” and produced the entire album.

Side Two captures Mountain live at the Fillmore East on June 27, 1971. The band stretches out with “Dream Sequence,” a 24-minute medley that begins with a Leslie West guitar solo, segues through Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven,” and touches on prior Mountain cuts “Dreams of Milk and Honey” and the melodic “Swan Theme.” They cap the performance with a thunderous rendition of “Mississippi Queen.”

A1. “Flowers of Evil” (4:53)
A2. “King’s Chorale” (1:04)
A3. “One Last Cold Kiss” (3:45)
A4. “Crossroader” (4:47)
A5. “Pride and Passion” (7:05)

B1. “Dream Sequence” (24:27)
a. Guitar Solo
b. Roll Over Beethoven
c. Dreams of Milk and Honey
d. Variations
e. Swan Theme
B2. “Mississippi Queen” (3:53)

Felix Pappalardi produced Flowers of Evil with returning engineer Bob D’Orleans and assistant Judy Szekely. Gail Collins provided the cover artwork, visual direction, and lyrics on multiple tracks. She formed the name MOUNTAIN with illustrated angels, serpents, butterflies, and garlands.

This was Mountain’s only album to chart in Norway (No. 17) and also placed in Canada (No. 23) and the U.S. (No. 31).

Live – The Road Goes Ever On

On April 24, 1972, Mountain released Live – The Road Goes Ever On, their first of two consecutive full-live albums. The title derived from The Hobbit, a 1937 children’s fantasy novel by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien.

The album compiles performances from three shows, beginning with two Woodstock cuts: the anthemic “Long Red” and the melodic “Waiting to Take You Away,” both recorded on August 16, 1969, with original drummer N.D. Smart.

“Long Red,” later one of the most sampled drum intros in hip hop, had yet to feature Corky Laing, who joined shortly after the festival. “Crossroader,” recorded at London’s Rainbow Theatre on January 29, 1972, showcases Mountain’s raw mid-tempo swagger with Laing’s hard-driving beat.

Side Two features a 17-minute version of “Nantucket Sleighride,” captured at NYC’s Academy of Music on December 14, 1971, where the classic quartet stretches the track’s orchestral coda and dramatic dynamics.

A1. “Long Red” (5:50)
A2. “Waiting to Take You Away” (4:40)
A3. “Crossroader” (6:20)
B1. “Nantucket Sleighride” (17:38)

Felix Pappalardi produced the album, with engineering by Bob D’Orleans and artwork by Mountain lyricist Gail Collins.

Live: The Road Goes Ever On reached No. 63 on the Billboard 200 and No. 21 in the UK—Mountain’s highest chart placement there.

Twin Peaks

In February 1974, Mountain released Twin Peaks, their third live album.

Recorded on August 30, 1973, at Koseinenkin Hall in Osaka, Japan, Twin Peaks captures the short-lived post-hiatus lineup of guitarist–vocalist Leslie West, bassist–producer Felix Pappalardi, journeyman drummer Allan Schwartzberg, and guitarist–keyboardist Bob Mann.

Twin Peaks includes revamps of “Blood of the Sun,” “Silver Paper,” “Mississippi Queen,” and “Crossroader,” along with a 31-minute “Nantucket Sleighride” split across Sides C and D. West shreds an extended “Guitar Solo” that segues into a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven.”

A1. “Never in My Life” (4:06)
A2. “Theme for an Imaginary Western” (4:49)
A3. “Blood of the Sun” (2:52)
A4. “Guitar Solo” (5:33)

B1. “Crossroader” (5:52)
B2. “Mississippi Queen” (4:09)
B3. “Silver Paper” (6:15)
B4. “Roll Over Beethoven” (2:16)

C. “Nantucket Sleighride (Part 1)” (16:20)

D. “Nantucket Sleighride (Conclusion)” (16:06)

Felix Pappalardi produced Twin Peaks with engineering by Tomoo Suzuki and artwork by Gail Collins. US copies have a shuffled tracklist with “Nantucket Sleighride” split across Sides B and C.

Shortly after its release, Corky Laing rejoined Mountain, and Bob Mann and Schwartzberg exited.

Avalanche

Mountain released their fourth studio album, Avalanche, in July 1974 on Windfall.

Avalanche welcomed back drummer Corky Laing and introduced second guitarist David Perry. The album blends heavy blues rock with rootsy, riff-driven cuts, including covers of Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”

Leslie West takes the spotlight with the soaring instrumental “Alisan,” while Felix Pappalardi sings the wistful “Swamp Boy” and co-wrote six numbers with lyricist Gail Collins. Key cuts include the propulsive “You Better Believe It,” the laid-back boogie of “Back Where I Belong,” and the haunting closer “Last of the Sunshine Days.”

A1. “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (5:05)
A2. “Sister Justice” (3:58)
A3. “Alisan” (4:41)
A4. “Swamp Boy” (2:54)
A5. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (5:14)

B1. “Thumbsucker” (3:20)
B2. “You Better Believe It” (5:47)
B3. “I Love to See You Fly” (3:46)
B4. “Back Where I Belong” (2:56)
B5. “Last of the Sunshine Days” (3:47)

Pappalardi produced Avalanche and played bass, keyboards, and shared vocals with West. Bob D’Orleans engineered the sessions, held in early 1974. Mountain supported Avalanche with a summer tour before folding once more. The album reached No. 102 on the Billboard 200.

Discography: