EER-MUSIC.com HOME PAGE
Google Adsense Secrets
Earn Cash Easy!
I can help you.
Artist: Mountain Title: Eruption (2 CD) Genre: Rock Label: Fuel 2000-http://www.fuel2000.com Website: http://www.mountaintheband.com Classic Rock is as popular as it ever was. For this listener, it never lost its appeal. Mountain was always one of those bands that were hard to forget with songs like "Mississippi Queen" and "Nantucket Sleighride" maintaining their popularity forever. Leslie West, Corky Laing and the late Felix Pappalardi, their great producer and bass player, were a trio comparable to Cream. Eruption maintains the recognizable time- period band colors and album cover artistry, while presenting several live sets from two different eras. Disc 1 is dedicated to 1985 performances at The Ritz and L' Amour, while disc two is in Europe (unspecified location) in 2003.Listen to samples & Buy CDs/DVDs here
HOW TO GET YOUR CD LAUNCHED RIGHT!I did not hear a big difference in the way the band sounded between the two timeframes, however West plays a smokin' incredibly inspired powerful guitar on all the songs from the 2003 recording, particularly on the track that closes out the set, "Land of Milk and Honey." You can hear all the Cream and blues influence in Leslie's playing style to this day and he is as strong and determined as he ever was to get on stage to give his paying customers a show they never will forget. As great as this music always is to hear, these performances did not have the sound mix to support the energy and efforts the band was putting out. At times Leslie's guitar and vocals fade away, as if he was walking away from the mike while singing and playing. This happens enough to certainly make mention of, but its not disturbing enough to deter your enjoyment of this 2 CD set; it was not a crucial factor to me listening several times I can tell you that for certain. I am glad to see the Mountain remasters are sparking more interest in the band and West and Laing decided to go out back on tour. Rock 'n' roll keeps you forever young, just ask these gents, they know. (c) Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck- http://www.muzikreviews.com August 4, 2004 CD1 1. Hard Times 2. Never In My Life 3. Spark 4. Theme For An Imaginary Western 5. Nantucket Sleighride 6. Mississippi Queen 7. Rocky Mountain Way Credits: Leslie West-Guitars/Vocals Corky Laing-Drums/Vocals Mark Clarke-Bass/Vocals The Ritz (6/5/85) & L' Amour (4/12/85) CD2 1. Why Dontcha 2. For Yasgur's Farm 3. Crossroads 4. The Sea 5. Nantucket Slieghride ( To Owen Coffin) 6. House of The Rising Sun 7. Dreams of Milk and Honey Credits: Leslie West-Guitar/Vocals Corky Laing-Drums/Vocals Ritchie Scarlet-Bass/Vocals Location: Europe 2003
CD/DVD Shopping Quick Links |
Artist: Mountain Title: Climbing
(1970/2003) Genre: Rock Format: 24-Bit
Remastered CD Label:
Sony/Legacy-www.legacyrecordings.com Website: www.mountaintheband.com My oh my does this music sound gooood! If you think about it,
“Mississippi Queen” always did sound great, all cranked up full blast blaring
out of your speakers. It is about time that the Mountain
catalog got the remaster treatment. Not only is their music classic so are the
album covers. I am sure that you would find this and other covers from this
band’s catalog in any good book dedicated to LP art. Although Climbing is the first album that people associate with the band Mountain (with Felix Pappalardi), it is actually the second album, which was released in 1970. With a mountain of a man named Leslie West on guitar (he was in a band previously called the Vagrants with his brother) the band played blues influenced power chords and West sang like a hungry lion, man could he growl to answer that big fat loud sound of his guitar. Before the band got together he saw Cream and Eric Clapton at the Fillmore in NYC, he was changed forever. It came as no surprise that the comparisons to Clapton’s group began right from the start for this band. In the liner notes, West
mentions that he got a chance to jam with Jimi Hendrix on one opportune
afternoon, and Hendrix played bass while the amazed star struck West played
lead. I can only imagine what an experience that must have been for him, not to
mention inspirational. Corky Laing also adds some informative liner notes recalling
what happened behind the music. West and his cohorts,
established producer Felix Pappalardi (Bass,
Guitar, Piano, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals, Producer, Musical Director) Corky
Laing (Percussion, Drums, Liner Notes) and
Steve Knight (Organ, Handbells) were a
good fit for the stout West and his heavy metal sound. In case you did not
know, West was to find out later in life that he had diabetes and then lost a
lot of weight. When Pappalardi sang lead, he sounded like Jack Bruce and there
was no coincidence that they covered “Theme from an Imaginary Western” on their
first release. As fate would have it, Bruce would later join what was left of
the group, Laing and West, to form a power trio super group West,
Bruce & Laing for three albums then they disbanded. “Never in My Life” seemed to
pick up where “Mississippi Queen” left off with rowdy guitar and powerful
strident vocals provided by West. “To My Friend” would show a softer side of
the group featuring delicate acoustic guitar, making it known to their audience
that they could do more than just rock. “For Yasgur's Farm” (which is also
included as a bonus live track) was another classic with the multi-talented
Felix on lead vocals. I think what made this band so engaging is the fact that
they could switch back and forth effectively with the lead vocal position, offering
a variety of more tasteful music that many hard rock bands could not afford
their listeners. You could enjoy hard rockin’ with Leslie or hear Felix’s
smooth voice accompanied by the more textured organ oriented sound. It worked
well both ways. This music sounds fantastic remastered and I am sure anyone
that has collected the band’s catalog will want to have these discs now. Just
as it says on the back of this CD…“THIS RECORD WAS MEANT TO BE PLAYED LOUD.”
What more can I say, this was killer rock music in 33 years ago and it still
is. ©"Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck May 20, 2003 1. Mississippi Queen - 2:32 2. Theme from an Imaginary Western - 5:07 3. Never in My Life - 3:53 4. Silver Paper - 3:18 5. For Yasgur's Farm - 3:23 6. To My Friend - 3:38 7. The Laird - 4:39 8. Sittin' on a Rainbow - 2:22 9. Boys in the Band - 3:43 10. For Yagur's Farm - 4:18 *Live Bonus Track Rating- Mountain Was: Corky Laing -
Percussion, Drums, Liner Notes Steve Knight -
Organ, Handbells Felix Pappalardi -
Bass, Guitar, Piano, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals, Producer, Musical Director
Leslie West -
Guitar, Vocals, Liner Notes, Tray Photo CD/DVD Shopping Quick Links
Artist: Title: Genre: Rock Format: 24-Bit Remastered CD Label: Sony/Legacy-www.legacyrecordings.com Website: With Climbing already gold Mountain jumped right back into the studio the following year in an attempt to duplicate their previous success. Nantucket Sleighride (1971) was a masterful production with Felix Pappalardi at the helm once again. The opening track kicks things off with Leslie West belting out "Don't Look Around," The title track was the centerpiece for the album and it was about old tales told by whale hunters. The men would harpoon the whale and then the creature would go under the sea then crash to the surface and pull the boat until it died of exhaustion and constant harpooning. I know it sounds cruel, and it is, but this was a reality for men that made their living from whales, and unfortunately for the hunted. The reason this song came to life is that Felix bought a house in Nantucket, Massachusetts at the time and was inspired to write about local lore. How do I know this? I read the liner notes provided by West and Corky Laing. Once again, the two surviving members provide amusing color commentary to the music. As much as I enjoyed this album, it was not as poignant as Climbing. It was a long time ago when this album was released (1971) and now in 2003 the music of Mountain is experiencing a rebirth that is worthy of their work. Their music remains relevant and pleasing to the ears of this rock music lover and that it is fact. May 20, 2003 ©"Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck 1. Don't Look Around - 3:47 2. Taunta (Sammy's Tune) - 1:00 3. Nantucket Sleighride - 5:55 4. You Can't Get Away! - 3:28 5. Tired Angels (To J.M.H.) - 4:42 6. The Animal Trainer and the Toad - 3:29 7. My Lady - 4:35 8. Travellin' in the Dark (To E.M.P.) - 4:26 9. The Great Train Robbery - 5:50 10. Travellin' in the Dark (To E.M.P.) *Bonus Live Track - 5:09 Rating- Mountain Was: Corky Laing - Drums, Liner Notes, Supervisor Steve Knight - Keyboards Felix Pappalardi - Bass, Vocals, Producer, Musical Direction Leslie West - Guitar, Vocals, Liner Notes, Supervisor CD/DVD Shopping Quick Links
CD/DVD Shopping Quick Links
CD/DVD Shopping Quick Links
CLICK ON ARTIST'S NAME ABOVE OR . . .
Listen to samples & Buy CDs/DVDs here
Artist: Mountain
Title: The Best (1973/2003)
Genre: Rock-Blues
Format: 24-Bit Remastered CD
Label: Sony/Legacy-www.legacyrecordings.com
Website: www.mountaintheband.com
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.
©"Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
June 1, 2003
1. Never in My Life - 3:53
2. Taunta (Sammy's Tune) - 1:00
3. Nantucket Sleighride (To Owen Coffin) - 5:52
4. Roll Over Beethoven - 2:58
5. For Yasgur's Farm - 3:23
6. The Animal Trainer and the Toad - 3:27
7. Mississippi Queen - 2:32
8. King's Chorale - 1:04
9. Boys in the Band - 3:39
10. Don't Look Around - 3:44
11. Theme for an Imaginary Western- 5:08
12. Crossroader - 4:50
13. Long Red * - 3:17
14. Dreams of Milk & Honey *- 3:36
15. Silver Paper *- 3:19
16. Travelin' in the Dark (To E.M.P.) *- 4:25
* Bonus Track
Rating- 5 STARS!!!
Mountain Was:
Corky Laing - Percussion, Drums
Steve Knight - Organ, Handbells
Felix Pappalardi - Bass, Guitar, Piano, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals, Producer, Musical Director
Leslie West - Guitar, Vocals
Listen to samples & Buy CDs/DVDs here
Artist: Mountain
Title: Sea of Fire
Genre: Rock-Blues
Format: DVD
Label: Lightyear- www.lightyear.com
Website: www.mountaintheband.com
When I found out that Mountain was back together I wanted to immediately know what music was
available. I found out that there was a CD and DVD recently released by visiting their website while I was
covering the remastered series of releases from their back catalog on Columbia/Legacy. The CD “Mystic Fire,”
was actually released in 2002 and the DVD “Sea of Fire” coincided that release in March of this year. The DVD
has some tracks from the latest recording such as “Mutant X” and “The Sea,” as well as many of the classic
tracks that the band built their following on such as their signature song “Mississippi Queen,” as well as other
fan favorites “Nantucket Sleighride,” “Yasgur’s Farm” and “Theme from an Imaginary Western.”
There are two surviving members left, Leslie West and Corky Laing; Felix Pappalardi lost his life tragically as
his wife shot him to death in the early ‘80s. The new bass player is Richie Scarlet, who seems to be doing just
fine blending in with the old timers West and Laing.
West has lost some of his edge on vocals, the power and bite is not there as it used to be. That kind of break
down is only natural over the years, particularly with someone that sings like West, he belts out a song with
every ounce of his energy right from his toes. He can still play the guitar better than most of his contemporaries
and the crowd on hand readily acknowledges his artisanship with his axe. His voice is hardened and raspy now,
sounding like he has been smoking Marlboro’s for the past 30 years. West has some fun with his guitar(s)
during the course of the concert, he frequently gets some distortion cranking out that the crowd seems to love.
At end of the show, he takes out what looks to be a special vintage one for the encore “Mississippi Queen.”
In the interview segment of the DVD, West and Laing reminisce about the old days with colorful stories. Laing
commented-”We weren’t pretty, Leslie was 350 pounds and Felix was like a moustache with ears.” When the
fans get their opportunity to speak there are nothing but accolades for West as being one the greatest rock-
blues players of all time. One man commented that West was better than most of the big name stars of the day.
For certain, West has his own distinct sound and tone that nobody else has and he has been able to maintain
that over the years.
The Hall of Fame section is a treat as well showing rare footage of the band playing classic tunes. In its entirety
this is a well-packaged DVD that hits on all the points of interest for Mountain fans. Technically, this is
spot on for viewers looking for different angles, literally. The quad screen split feature is very cool, allowing
music fans to see four different views of the concert footage at one time. If you have a big screen TV, you will
be in heaven. There is a lot to be excited about if you are a classic rock fan, and with Leslie and Corky back full
steam ahead, it is time to rock!
©"Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
May 25, 2003
Track Selection
1. Blood of the Sun-:30
2. Yasgur's Farm -1:56
3. Crossroads - 1:56
4. The Sea - 6:29
5. Never in My Life - 6:29
6. Mutant X -8:38
7. Theme From An Imaginary Western - 8:38
8. Nantucket Sleighride - 7:34
9. Mississippi Queen - 7:34
10. Credits - 7:07
Format: DTS
Original release date: n/a
Video/DVD Release Date: 3/18/2003
LIGHTYEAR
Menu
Live At the Mystic Theatre
Song Selection
Special Features
Multi-Camera View
Multi-Camera
Full-Screen
Hall of Fame
Scrapbook
The Fans Speak
Web Links
www.mountaintheband.com
www.corkylaing.com
www.richiescarlet.com
www.lightyear.com
Audio Setup
Dolby 5.1
DTS
Rating- 4 of 5 stars
Mountain Is:
Leslie West-Guitar, Lead Vocals
Corky Laing-Drums
Richie Scarlet-Bass
Listen to samples & Buy CDs/DVDs here
RETURN TO:
To purchase this recording and get more info, soundclips, etc.
Please try my brand spankin' new EER-MUSIC.com and AMAZON.com QUIK-LINKs
buyer's guide to recommended music.
OR ...
go to my LINKS page and find the vendors' section.
Happy hunting!
Observe how the word
wheel reverses direction
if you try and read words.
