Mountain - The Best Of Mountain

Year of Release: 2003
Label: Sony/Legacy
Catalog Number: 61574
Format: CD
Total Time: 53:23:00

Remarkably, after only four years of recording together Mountain released a Best Of compilation. In that short period, they took the world by storm with their fiery brand of rock-blues. Leslie West, the powerful lead guitar player and vocalist was the focal point of the group, while studio genius and bass player/vocalist/musical director Felix Pappalardi added his experience and steady firm hand to give the band an advantage that many did not have. Corky Laing's role as the drummer was certainly as crucial as Pappalardi and West, and Steve Knight was the unsung hero in the background that did a superb job on the keyboards adding the necessary layers of music that helped to perfect the Mountain sound when Pappalardi was delivering his smooth vocal style.

This remastered version will give you a newfound appreciation for what Mountain accomplished in the studio, as well as four bonus tracks. One thing I have never understood is the track sequence on this disc; why not kick things off with the signature song ?Mississippi Queen?? It comes in at number seven for some reason. Every track is killer on the compilation so I guess it really does not matter. ?Nantucket Sleighride? is one of the most incredible rock songs I have ever heard and it never gets old for me. Two of the bonus tracks, ?Long Red? and ?Dreams of Milk & Honey,? are off the first Mountain album, which actually was a Leslie West solo album, and that is the reason most folks consider Climbing as the bands first album featuring the classic lineup that cut all of these great songs.

This is great stuff; now I can get rid of my older copy of this album; nothing beats a remastered album with bonus tracks, especially if it rocks loud and hard as Mountain always did. Remember TO PLAY IT LOUD.

First released in 1973 by Columbia (CQ-32079); most recently released by Sony Japan in 2008 (SICP1783) (without the bonus tracks)

Tracklisting:
Never In My Life (3:53) / Taunta (Sammy's Tune) (1:00) / Nantucket Sleighride (To Owen Coffin) (5:52) / Roll Over Beethoven (2:58) / For Yasgur's Farm (3:23) / The Animal Trainer And The Toad (3:27) / Mississippi Queen (2:32) / King's Chorale (1:04) / Boys In The Band (3:39) / Don't Look Around (3:44) / Theme For An Imaginary Western (5:08) / Crossroader (4:50) / Bonus Tracks: Long Red (3:17) / Dreams Of Milk & Honey (3:36) / Silver Paper (3:19) / Travelin' In The Dark (To E.M.P.) (4:25)

Musicians:
Corky Laing - percussion, drums
Steve Knight - organ, handbells
Felix Pappalardi - bass, guitars, piano, vocals
Leslie West - guitar, vocals

Discography:
Climbing (1970/2003*)
Nantucket Sleighride (1971/2003*)
Flowers Of Evil (1971)
Mountain Live (Road Goes On Forever) (1972)
The Best Of Mountain (1973/2003*)
Twin Peaks (1974)
Avalanche (1974)
On Top (1974)
Go For Your Life (1985)
Over The Top (1995)
Man's World (1996)
Mystic Fire (2002)
King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents: Mountain (2003)
From The Front Row Live (2003)
Roll Over Beethoven (2003)
Eruption (2004)

Sea Of Fire (2003) (DVD)

Genre: Rock

Origin US

Added: June 15th 2003
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck
Score:
Artist website: www.mountaintheband.com
Hits: 2183
Language: english