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.

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