ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 267 MOUNTAIN - CLIMBING! (45TH ANNIVERSARY - 1970)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: Mountain

Genre: Rock/Blues Rock

Nationality: American

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: No

Album: Climbing!

Producer: Felix Pappalardi

Release Date: March 7, 1970

Running Time: 32:38

RIAA Certification: Gold 

Peak Billboard Chart Position: 17

Singles: Mississippi Queen (#21)/For Yasgur's Farm (#107)

 

Disclaimer: All info that does not reside in my brain is gathered from wikipedia.com (mostly because Jon can't stand it). 

Undoubtedly, I missed posting an anniversary album last week, so I'll make up for it this week.  Mountain released their first album (sort of) in 1970.  It's called Climbing! There was an album before that, but it was titled Mountain and credited to Leslie West. Anyway, since I was only four years old when this was released, and I only purchased it a couple of months ago for the first time, I'll take a blurb about the album from Wikipedia:

Climbing!, also known as Mountain Climbing!, is the official debut studio album by American blues rock band Mountain. Released on March 7, 1970, the album featured the 'classic' Mountain lineup of Leslie West (guitar, vocals), Felix Pappalardi (bass, piano) andCorky Laing (drums, percussion), and followed the West solo album Mountain featuring Pappalardi and drummer Norman Smart, released in 1969 and often credited to the band. Produced by Pappalardi, the album reached number 17 on the American Billboard200 albums chart and featured the band's best-known song, "Mississippi Queen". "For Yasgur's Farm" was actually performed at theWoodstock Festival in August 1969 with a different title. It was retitled for the album.

Other than that, I don't have much info for you.  I will tell you that you can pick up a brand new copy of this from Amazon for a cool five dollar bill (minus a penny), just like I did.  What are you waiting for?

1. Mississippi Queen

2. Theme From An Imaginary Western

3. Never In My Life

4. Silver Paper

5. For Yasgur's Farm

6. To My Friend

7. The Laird

8. Sittin' On A Rainboy

9. Boys In The Band

 

[Jon]

I don't have this album, but I have "Twin Peaks". Just noticed that this album and that album have titles that have something to do with mountains! See, you can climb a mountain, plus there's mountain with two (or twin) peaks! Wonder if anyone has noticed that before. 

This is quite the nice album. I've heard a lot of these songs before but don't know how. Maybe they're on the greatest hits disc. Maybe I owned this album in a previous life. I just don't know. 

Really isn't a bad cut on here at all, the heavy stuff and light stuff meld together quite nicely. The only problem I had was with track #8, it seemed to end too quickly. Maybe I really liked to riff and wanted it to go on longer?

Yeah, I'll probably pick this up. I think it might have been in the $5 Wally bin, but that bin is long gone.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Luckily it's in the $4.99 bin at Amazon.

[Scott]

Of course I've heard Mississippi Queen, I know of no one who hasn't.  The rest?  Nadda thing!  But its not bad at first listen.  The guitar work is clearly ahead of its time, that tone and the technical playing sounds a few years ahead to me.  Its definitely got that Woodstock feel though, so its a cool balance...

Track 8 definitely ended way to fast. Probably my favorite one here too...

Probably not a purchase for me but a valuable listen none-the-less...

[Niels (Mod)]

Another interesting AOTW!!

I only know Mountain from the Woodstock-movie, and I know, I've thought about checking them out, since what I saw from Woodstock was not bad at all.

And now, I've also heard a Mountain-album:

The first track has a very nice heavy-blues sound, and the sound of late-60's/start 70's, that I love, especially at the moment. I think, that Nazareth was inspired by this band.

Second track sounds a bit like Cream (as does other songs on the album). Nice guitar-solo on this one.

No. 3 has got a killer-riff, and now I can hear, that KISS also took some of their early sound from Mountain.

Then comes a few tracks, that aren't as good as the first three, but not bad.

"To my friend" is a very nice accustic instrumental track. didn't they play this at Woodstock?

"The Laird" sounds like it could had been on a Grunge-album in the start of the 90's. Good stuff.

"Sittin' on a rainbow" (not rainboy :-)) again has that "KISS-sound", especially the drums, or KISS apparently had a Mountin-sound on the HTH or DTK-albums.

I really, really enjoy AOTW lately, because the albums are from my favorite periode of time in "the History Of Rock", and most of the albums/bands, I haven't really heard before, even though I've thought about it at some time.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Thanks Niels.  It has been a blast moving through the early 70's.  Most of these albums I've had to buy, and I've enjoyed that as well.  Nice to know you're enjoying it well.