Mountain-Climbing! (1970)


Artist: Mountain

Title: Climbing!

Label: Windfall Records

Format: LP

Cat #: WINDFALL 4501

Year of Release: 1970

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US 1970, Beltway Pressing, Unipak Sleeve

Listed Condition: VG/VG

Sell Date: 12/25/20

Sell Price: $4.99

Discogs Last Sold: 12/6/20 VG+/VG $7.99

Low: $0.97 G+/F

Median: $8.16

High:  $18.00 VG+/VG+

Current low price: $3.00 G/G, $5.75 VG/VG

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 13

Have/Want: 737/174

Where Sold:  Oxford, MS

Time it took to sell: 4 years

Where and When Bought: Worcester, That's Entertainment early 80's used $2.49 range

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: A-

Sad To See It Go: No

With this weeks passing of Leslie West this copy of Climbing sold right away to a buyer in Mississippi.  "Mississippi Queen" was of course the beyond rock canon hit of the bands entire output.  I always held Mountain in high regard,  to the point of paying specifically to see them open for Triumph on the Thunder Seven tour in 1985 on their "comeback” that returned West with Lang. 

Listening today to Climbing! I am reminded how I probably haven't given this a listen start to finish since I bought it in the early 80's, played it once and filed it away.  Once thing that stands out for me is just how heavy the Cream influence is.  That West Bruce and Lang emerged from this seems inevitable. 

It is often forgotten that Felix Pappalardi was just as important, producing Mountain.  He previously produced Disraeli Gears and Wheels of Fire, as well as Jack Bruce's Songs For A Tailor.   He was with Mountain through 1974, but didn't make the reformation, producing acts as disparate as the Dead Boys (!) and Hot Tuna in the later 70’s. He sat out West and Lang's 1981 Mountain reformation and was shot dead by his wife in 1983.

"Theme From An Imaginary Western" of course is the other standard,  as is "For Yasgur's Farm” and “Silver Paper.”  You also get an instrumental "To My Friend" that has a feel of "Black Mountain Slide."  Mountain knew their audience and gave them what they wanted.

Plaudits are coming in left and right for Leslie West, as they should.  Gone at 75 years young,  but kept active even when diabetes took his leg.  He looms large in guitar sound, persona, and name.

Guitarists like this just can't be replaced.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Various Artists-Mojo Presents The Roots of Bob Dylan (2006)

Image
Artist: Various Artists (Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Julia Lee, Lightnin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Karen Dalton, Richie Havens, Josh White, Hank Williams, The Country Gentlemen, Cisco Houston, Charlie Poole with The North, Carolina Ramblers, The Staple Singers, The Highway Q.C.'s, Big Bill Broonzy, Thelonious Monk) Title: Mojo Presents The Roots of Bob Dylan 1 Sonny Terry And Brownie McGhee – You'd Better Mind Written-By –  McGhee ,  Terry Written-By –  McGhee * ,  Terry * 2:07 2 Julia Lee – Mama Don't Allow It Written-By –  'Cow Cow' Davenport Written-By –  'Cow Cow' Davenport * 2:53 3 Lightnin' Hopkins – Baby Please Don't Go Written-By –  Williams Written-By –  Williams * 2:48 4 Muddy Waters – Rollin' Stone Written-By –  McKinley Morganfield Written-By –  McKinley Morganfield 3:04 5 Karen Dalton – How Did The Feeling Feel To You Written-By –  Tim Hardin Written-By –  Tim Hardin 2:50 6 Richie Havens – High Flying Bird Written-By –  Billy
Read more

Deep Purple-Stormbringer (1974)

Image
  Artist: Deep Purple Title: Stormbringer Label: Warner Bros./Purple Format: LP Cat: PR 2832 Year of Release: 1974 Country and Year of Edition: US 1974 Date of Sale: 8/23/23 Sell Price: $9.94 Condition: VG+/VG+ Discogs Last Sold: 7/8/23 NM/NM $23.31 Low:  5/18/21 VG/VG+ $2.56 Median: $9.47 Average: $9.55 High:  $23.31 Current low price: $4.00 G+/G+, $10.00 VG/VG Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 10 Have/Want: 234/108 Where Sold: Matthews, NC Time It Took To Sell:  2  years Where and When Bought: internet lot Gwiz-gau Letter Grade:  B+ Sad To See It Go: No Mach 3 for Deep Purple Blackmore/Lord/Paice brought in David Coverdale on vocals and Glenn Hughes from Trapeze on bass and more vocals to replace the Superstar Ian Gillan.   Coincidentally, I witness Mr. Hughes live opening for Yngwie Malmsteen last week at the Times Square Palladium doing an all Deep Purple opening set. I have to admit that I ignored everything after Burn until Perfect Strangers brought back Gillan, but listening t
Read more

The Bob Seger System-Ramblin' Gamblin' Man (1968)

Image
  Artist: The Bob Seger System Title:  Ramblin' Gamblin' Man Label: Capitol Format: LP Cat:  SM-172 Year of Release: 1968 Country and Year of Edition: US 1975 yellow capitol Jacksonville Pressing Date of Sale: 7/31/23 Sell Price: $9.94 Condition: VG+/VG+ Discogs Last Sold: 6/8/23 VG+/VG+ $16.46 Low: $7.00 VG+/VG+ Median: $9.97 Average: $11.46 High:  $18.99 NM/VG+ Current low price: $9.00 NM/VG Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 11 Have/Want: 262/61 Where Sold: Salamanca, NY Time It Took To Sell:  8 years Where and When Bought: Worcester That's Entertainment mid 80's $2.99 sticker still on it Gwiz-gau Letter Grade:  B+ Sad To See It Go: No Bob Seger's "good" era was a pretty long stretch for Capitol some of it disavowed by Bob himself.   The change came around the 1976 double Live Bullet before Night Moves made him BOB SEGER. This is the debut of the 3 albums from 1968-1970 coming out of his band The Last Heard the 2 years prior.  This was a time where he’
Read more