By Request: LESLIE WEST – MOUNTAIN – 1969 (US) hard rock

Frequently classified as the first album by the group Mountain, which was named after it, Leslie West's initial solo album featured bass/keyboard player Felix Pappalardi, who also produced it and co-wrote eight of its 11 songs, and drummer N.D. Smart II. (This trio did, indeed, tour under the name Mountain shortly after the album's release, even performing at Woodstock, though Smart was replaced by Corky Laing and Steve Knight was added as keyboard player for the formal recording debut of the group, Mountain Climbing!, released in February 1970.) Pappalardi had been Cream's producer, and that power trio, as well as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, were the models for this rock set, which was dominated by West's throaty roar of a voice and inventive blues-rock guitar playing. Though West had led the Vagrants for years and cut a handful of singles with them, this was his first album release, and it made for an auspicious debut, instantly establishing him as a guitar hero and setting the style of Mountain's subsequent recordings.
1 Blood of the Sun 2:36
2 Long Red 3:16
3 Better Watch Out 2:49
4 Blind Man 3:54
5 Baby, I'm Down 4:03
6 Dreams of Milk & Honey 3:34
7 Storyteller Man 3:07
8 This Wheel's on Fire 3:19
9 Look to the Wind 2:43
10 Southbound Train 2:59
11 Because You Are My Friend 3:08

A very accomplished album of guitar-based hard rock from a then-unknown guitarist. Very similar in style to Eric Clapton's Cream, this album features a number of excellent songs with "Blood of the Sun" and "Baby, I'm Down" in particular standing out. This was technically a Leslie West solo album, but the band that would later become known as Mountain after their performance at the 1969 Woodstock festival was already present as Leslie West's backup musicians. This one is just as good as the Mountain album Climbing and almost as good as their 1971 followup, Nantucket Sleighride. Mountain fans and fans of good guitar rock, be sure not to overlook this one.

Highly recommended!
Rip from CD 256@ (full artwork included)
Download link
http://link-protector.com/245894/