•
Rating: The New Yorkers Mountain of the great (in every sense) guitarist Leslie West were interpreters, as illustrious as they are little known, of that early 70s rock which, drawing inspiration from electric blues and the hallucinatory jams of the previous decade (those of the Cream and the old Jimi in particular), was giving rise to the hard-rock genre. This was a route followed by many bands at the time: Some of them would be destined for fame, glory, and success (Grand Funk, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath...) many others only to the cult of enthusiasts of d'antan rock (for example, Blue Cheer, Leaf Hound and, indeed, Mountain). Founded in 1969 by singer-guitarist West, bassist Felix Pappalardi (already producer of the Cream), drummer N.D Smart (soon replaced by Corky Laing) and keyboardist Steve Knight, this "power trio + keyboards" participated in the Woodstock festival (not just any gig) and seemed to take off thanks to the success of the single "Mississippi Queen," contained in their official debut album, "Climbing!" (1970).
"Nantucket Sleighride," released in 1971, is the second official album of the band. Compared to the first record, which was almost entirely focused on aggressive and distorted blues-rock in the Cream style, this one contains longer and more complex tracks, with greater use of keyboards, probably influenced by the progressive-rock which was becoming the sensation of the time. Although when listened to today the album sounds a bit more dated compared to the debut (is that a good or bad thing?), the aggression does not abate: even though the pace changes more often, the sounds move away from blues and Steve Knight's organ sounds more psychedelic than usual, Leslie West's hoarse voice, along with the typical warm and nasal tone of his guitar and Felix Pappalardi's booming bass, unmistakably confirm that it is still hard-rock: the proof is in the full-volume organ-guitar cross-attacks of "Don't Look Around", the acid slide of "The Great Train Robbery", the cascading power-chords of the title track, as well as the presence of more compact pieces in the classic hard-blues style ("Animal Trainer And The Toad", "You Can't Get Away").
The album's flaw was probably the lack of a catchy single like "Mississippi Queen", which might have allowed the band to break through. In doubt, there's nothing left but to grab the headphones, turn up the bass, pop the copied CD (I challenge you to find the original) into the stereo, and turn up the volume. And to hell with the doubts.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Don't Look Around (03:46)
Don't look around 'cause I'm never comin' back.
It's High time, you saw the last of me.
You know I was a wand'rer, I'd forgotten where to go,
I had no place to lay my head or rest my heavy load.
Don't look around 'cause I'm never comin' back.
It's High time, you saw the last of me.
-(4X)-
Lord, how she changed my mind.
Lord she changed my life.
Workin' all day long, singin' for my food,
Baby, you know that I've got everything I need.
I've given all I can, the rest belongs to me,
Time was it didn't matter just who I had to be.
Don't look around 'cause I'm never comin' back.
It's High time, you saw the last of me.
-(4X)-
Lord, how she changed my mind.
You know she changed my life.
2X "A" ........ Changes to "E"
--- Guitar Lead/Jam ---
Workin' all day long, singin' for my food,
Baby, you know that I've got everything I need.
I've given all I can, the rest belongs to me,
Time was it didn't matter just who I had to be.
Don't look around 'cause I'm never comin' back.
It's High time, you saw the last of me. Yaaaa!
Lord, how she changed my mind.
You know she changed my life.
03 Nantucket Sleighride (05:53)
Goodbye, little Robin-Marie
Don't try following me
Don't cry, little Robin-Marie
'Cause you know I'm coming home soon
My ships' leaving on a three-year tour
The next tide will take us from shore
Windlaced, gather in sail and spray
On a search for the mighty sperm whale
Fly your willow branches
Wrap your body round my soul
Lay down your reeds and drums on my soft sheets
There are years behind us reaching
To the place where hearts are beating
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet
Starbuck's sharpening his harpoon
The black man is playing his tune
An old salt's sleeping his watch away
He'll be drunk again before noon
Three years sailing on bended knee
We found no whales in the sea
Don't cry, little Robin-Marie
'Cause we'll be in sight of land soon
Fly your willow branches
Wrap your body round my soul
Lay down your reeds and drums on my soft sheets
There are years behind us reaching
To the place where hearts are beating
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet
06 The Animal Trainer and the Toad (03:28)
For many a year, I was so confused,
(An') Didn't know what to play.
But then I met a man, who picked up his horn,
An' showed us just what, to say.
He was skinny an' lean, an' he kept his nose clean,
An' he knew, how to write, them tunes,
Then came a day, we started to play,
An' then we con-quered the moon.
I'm in a band.... a rock an' roll band....
I'm in a band, yeah, yeah.
We called him Beethoven, an' then we showed 'im,
Exactly where we wanted to go,
So we started a band, and toured all the land,
A-rackin' in all, that dough.
We smoked a few cigs, an' played a few gigs,
An' never did delayed a one,
We covered the states, an' (we) hit the great lakes,
An' boy did we have us, some fun.
I'm in a band.... a rock an' roll band....
I'm in a band, yeah, yeah.
--- Honky-Tonkish Piano ---
I'm in a band.... a rock an' roll band....
I'm in a band, yeah, yeah.
We had an idea, so we put in in gear,
An' soon we were out on the road.
We did it to play, they started to say,
The animal trainer and the toad.
I'm in a band.... a rock an' roll band....
I'm in a band, yeah, yeah.
07 My Lady (04:34)
I see her sailing on her silver wings,
With hands that move like little trees.
Alive and bending in my raging storm,
To a heartbeat, my lady lives for me.
To a heartbeat, my lady lives for me.
Out of the country to my city life,
All wrapped in dreams she wears like pearls,
She dances to the music that I play for her,
And my lady is the softness in my world.
And my lady is the softness in my world.
Comin'... back...... from the Moun-tain,
My Lady waits for me.... My Lady waits for me.
In paint and ribbons and her coloured shells,
All she imagines for my days,
And weaves a life that is feeling good for me,
And my lady, hears every note I play.
And my lady, hears every note I play.
My rooms are filled with all she's made by hand,
My songs are filled with all her rhymes,
My heart is filled with the work that we've been doin'
And the children we'll be havin' all in good time.
And the children we'll be havin' all in good time.
Comin'... back...... from the Moun-tain,
My Lady waits for me.... My Lady waits for me.
Loading comments slowly
