RecentMusic - Mountain New Releases

Mountain

Mountain, an American hard rock band, is most prominently known for their thunderous music that roared into the late 1960s and early 1970s. Co-founded by the immensely talented guitarist Leslie West, bassist Felix Pappalardi, drummer N.D. Smart, and later, keyboardist Steve Knight, the band captured the heft of blues-rock and fused it with a vigor that paralleled the era's burgeoning heavy metal scene. Mountain's music was characterized by the pioneering, overdriven guitar sound of West and the skillful production and songwriting of Pappalardi. With a massive presence at the 1969 Woodstock Festival, thanks to their explosive performance, they cemented their place in rock history early on. Their most famous single, "Mississippi Queen," from their debut album 'Climbing!', remains a quintessential rock track.

Throughout their career, Mountain experienced multiple revivals and lineup changes, with West and Pappalardi being the consistent core until Pappalardi's death in 1983. Despite the changes, they maintained the integrity of their definitive sound across various live performances and recordings. The band's later albums, many of which are captured in the Official Live Bootleg Series, give fans a deep dive into the group's powerful stage presence and relentless energy through the years. These live recordings from the '70s, as well as the numerous bootlegs released, including "Live at Woodstock" and performances like "Live In Melle," showcase the band's ability to captivate audiences with their raw, unadulterated synergy. Mountain's legacy today is upheld by these nostalgic performances, reminding the rock community of the band's significant contribution to the genre's development.

Genres