Cherry Red/Esoteric [Release date : 27.02.26]

CD1: Leslie West – Mountain (1969)
CD2: Mountain Live At Woodstock (1969)
CD3: Climbing (1970) 2 bonus tracks
CD4: Nantucket Sleighride (1971)
CD5: Flowers Of Evil (1971) 2 bonus tracks
CD6: Twin Peaks (1974)
CD7: Avalanche (1974)

Rooted in 19th century maritime history, ‘Nantucket Sleighride’ is one of the most haunting whaling stories ever documented, recording events that inspired Herman Melville to write the novel “Moby Dick”.

The song, written a century later by producer, Felix Pappalardi, would have been the pinnacle of Mountain’s recorded works, had it not been for the ritualistic stomp of the band’s cowbell driven anthem, ‘Mississippi Queen’ edging it out. More on that later.

Nantucket Sleighride, the album, charted in North America, as did their other studio albums, Climbing, Flowers Of Evil, Avalanche and live album Twin Peaks.

Guitarist Leslie West, bass man/producer Felix Pappalardi and drummer Corky Laing stamped their own distinctive bluesrock signature on these albums.
And each recording has its own defining moment.

‘Long Red’, on West’s debut solo album, Mountain, (and perhaps moreso the live version from CD2, Live At Woodstock) is credited as opening with “one of the greatest break beats of all time”, and being “one of the most sampled in the history of hip hop music.”
The full burn ferocity of West’s axework in front of a bolted to the floor rhythm section set the crowd alight. His adulation of Cream shines through.

If we hadn’t already realised, the band’s 1st studio album, Climbing (now remastered), showed us that you do nothing for show and everything for effect.

Opener ‘Mississippi Queen’ is an immortal hard rock song, a calling card that every rock band must envy. The story of its almost accidental inception is the stuff of legend.

Pappalardi had a wonderful singing voice, sweet and mellow. He doesn’t often get the credit he deserved…his vocals soar on ‘Theme From An Imaginary Western’ (written by Cream lyricist, Pete Brown).

Flowers Of Evil set something of a precedent, with one side studio recorded and other a live set (recorded at New York’s Fillmore East 31st December 1974).

The more subdued studio sound on side 1 stands in direct contrast with Side 2’s powerful presentation, most notably the 25 minute version of ‘Dream Sequence’. Yes, there are a few bumps and bruises, but that’s what live is.

West’s blistering blues rock axework set the theatre alight that night, but then, almost next day, the first of 1972, Mountain disbanded.

They reformed in 1973, joined by seasoned session musicians, Robert Mann and Allan Schwartzberg.

This augmented line-up toured Japan and recorded the mighty Twin Peaks live album in August 1973.
All the usual suspects are there. And they are there for good reason. ‘Mississippi Queen’, ‘Theme From An Imaginary Western’ and ‘Blood Of The Sun’ are blues rock at its most moving and memorable.

At 36 minutes duration we might have expected this live version of ‘Nantucket Sleighride’ to create audience fatigue. But no, they lapped it up. That’s why they were there. The experience. A night to remember.

Mountain’s final studio offering of the seventies was the album, Avalanche which saw Corky Laing return to the band before they disbanded again, in late 1974.

Once again the trio locked and rocked together as one. Their bass heavy riffs creating an unstoppable rolling momentum, perhaps not as consistently as they once did, but the self penned ‘You Better Believe It” and a cover of the Stones’ ‘Satisfaction’ frequently reached the fever pitch of intensity that we expect from this band.

We lost West in 2020 after he suffered a cardiac arrest at home in Florida. Pappalardi was shot and killed by his wife in 1983. Corky Laing is alive and well. ****1/2

Review by Brian McGowan

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Power Plays w/c 16 February 2026

THE ANCIENT UNKNOWN Separated (indie)
LIZZIE REID Sweet Relief (indie)
THE HARBOURS Wide Awake (indie)
ARGOVIA Ebb & Flow (Presagio Records)
XO SOUNDTRACK Talk About Me (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 9 February 2026

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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