Mountain
Climbing!

THE REVIEW

Mountain – Climbing! (1970)

Blues. We talk about blues when thinking of this album, but it's a gritty, defiant, poisonous blues. After the disbandment of Cream, their producer Felix Pappalardi decided to create a new band, ideally positioned as the continuation of Cream themselves. He brought into the studio the gigantic singer/guitarist Leslie West, drummer N.D. Smart, and organist Steve Knight, and recorded some demos with himself as bassist and second vocalist. It's 1969, and the Woodstock festival is approaching. What better opportunity for a band that's been together for just two weeks? Apparently, thanks to Pappalardi's connections, the group participated in Woodstock and devastated the ether with a set of heavy and almost toxic electric blues. Back in the studio, the drummer was replaced by the legendary Corky Laing, and at this point, the lineup was at its peak. Rock, blues, melancholic and almost cinematic atmospheres, as well as an acoustic track ("To My Friend") in which West showcases all his often underestimated talent. A standout track is undoubtedly "Sitting On A Rainbow," one of the lesser-known songs of the combo but also the only one on the album that can be considered slightly heavy metal. Obviously, the legendary "Mississippi Queen" always plays a certain role in our hearts, especially thanks to West's roaring guitar, and in "Silver Paper," the guitarist pleads with us to open our hearts and let positive energy in without doubting ourselves. "Never In My Life," on the other hand, is a declaration of love. This excellent album, "Climbing!," will never be matched in terms of quality by the band. It should also be noted that just a month before the album's release, in England, a group named Black Sabbath released their debut album, forever changing the DNA of music history. Heavy metal was born, and everyone would have to relate to the new musical course of the 20th century, including Mountain, who led a career with highs and lows until the untimely death of the legendary bassist (and also producer, arranger, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, let's remember) Felix Pappalardi, killed by his wife Gail Collins within the domestic walls with a gunshot in 1983.