Over The Top

Mountain was the legendary American rock band led by Leslie West. The band was formed by West and Felix Pappalardi in 1969 playing one of it's early dates at the equally legendary Woodstock Festival in August 1969. In September 1969 Corky Laing joined Mountain replacing original drummer Norman Smart. They became a major live draw, following hard on the heels of Cream and Jimi Hendrix and the band's improvisational approach really took off in a concert setting. The combination of Leslie West's peerless guitar pyrotechnics, the crunch and drive of the Felix Pappalardi/ Corky Laing rhythm section, and the melodic frosting of Steve Knight's keyboards made for a memorable live experience. This 2CD set is a comprehensive Mountain compilation, with all the classics and many of the underrated gems in their catalogue. These include "Blood Of The Sun", "Dreams Of Milk And Honey, and "One Last Cold Kiss". The classics are "Mississippi Queen", "Theme From An Imaginary Western", and "Nantucket Sleighride" among others. If you don't own any Mountain, this would be a good place to start.