Mountain is a remarkable group. In selected parts they are the Cream, Stones and Beatles all at the same time, but of a new time. A comparison with Cream is close at hand, since Mountain’s bass player and singer Felix Pappalardi once was the producer of Cream, and musically he reminds of Jack Bruce. And Mountain’s guitar player Leslie West has also a great likeness to Eric Clapton. There are few rock guitar players in the world who can match these two.

West has an outstanding groove in his guitar playing. The album “Flowers of Evil” has one side recorded live, the other one is a studio recording. On the live side West makes an unforgetable cover version of Chuck Berry’s classic tune “Roll over Beethoven.” It sounds as if there are three Eric Clapton playing at the same time.

Reports from USA talks about enthusiastic audiences at every performance by Mountain. This is music that talks directly to both the feet and the heart. The interplay between Pappalardi and West functions as if they are twins. They both have said that it is only once in a lifetime that one meets a musician that one has so much in common with.

The latest record by Mountain shows both their sides: one that is basic to rock music, enthusiasm and excitement, and one that deals with emotional musical considerations. The latter can, for example, be heard on the song “Pride and Passion”, which sounds as a mini rock symphony. A piece of art for a modern time, which is neither better nor worse than the classic composers, only different.

-Henrik S

Mountain Verified

The supergroup Mountain is now disolved, and two of its members are now playing in West, Bruce and Laing – where Bruce stands for the former Cream bass player Jack Bruce. Mountain is the primary predecessor of heavy rock, long before other “quasi-heavy” groups, such as Black Sabbath and Grand Funk.

Mountain’s previous record “Flowers of Evil” (which was their last but one) was a masterpiece. This one is a live recording with a heavy groove, since Mountain foremost was a live band. It is a nice record, but it doesn’t add on to the picture of Mountain. Instead, it confirms what is already known: that the guitar player Leslie West and the bass player Felix Pappalardi are a tight ensemble with no comparison at all. And that West’s guitar playing and bluesy rough vocal is the best in the genre, and that Corky Laing is a heavy drummer.

The second track on side one is new, but it is the extended version of “Nantucket Sleighride” that draws the main attention on this record. It occupies the second side and is best at the beginning and at the end, which in a way means that it is at least ten minutes too long. But at the same time this version shows the masterful improvisation skills of Leslie West, which gives the song its rightful existence on the record.

For a study of Leslie West one has to instead recommend the live side on the album “Flowers of Evil.” Here he shows that he is the most outstanding guitar player of all times. His version of “Roll over Beethoven” played at maximum level still knocks me out after listening to it more than forty times.