Mountain - Nantucket Sleighride (1971)
Info
Artist: Mountain
Title: Nantucket Sleighride
Original Release Date: 1971
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Columbia
Catalog Number: 47362
Tracks
1 Don't Look Around - Collins, Palmer, Papalardi ... 3:42
2 Taunta (Sammy's Tune) - Pappalardi 1:00
3 Nantucket Sleighride - Collins, Pappalardi 5:50
4 You Can't Get Away! - Collins, Laing, West 3:24
5 Tired Angels - Collins, Pappalardi 4:39
6 The Animal Trainer and the Toad - Palmer, West 3:27
7 My Lady - Collins, Laing, Pappalardi 4:32
8 Travelin' in the Dark (To E.M.P.) - Collins, Pappalardi 4:23
9 The Great Train Robbery - Collins, Laing, Pappalardi ... 5:43
Credits
Tommy Caccetta Assistant Engineer
Gail Collins Artwork, Design
Bob d'Orleans Engineer
Steve Knight Percussion, Keyboards
Corky Laing Drums
Felix Pappalardi Bass, Director, Vocals, Producer
Bud Prager Producer
Dave Ragno Assistant Engineer
Leslie West Guitar, Vocals
Bio/Review
Biography by Steve Huey - AMG
Hard rock band Mountain was formed in 1969 by guitarist Leslie West and bassist and former Cream producer Felix Pappalardi. The two met while West was a member of Long Island R&B band the Vagrants, local heroes who never broke nationally; when West left to record the solo album Mountain, Pappalardi produced it for him. The results were satisfying enough for the two to form a partnership, and Mountain's first lineup included drummer N.D. Smart and keyboardist Steve Knight. The group played its fourth live performance ever at Woodstock, after which Smart was replaced by Corky Laing. Their debut album, 1970's Mountain Climbing!, went gold, thanks in part to the hard rock classic "Mississippi Queen." Nantucket Sleighride was equally successful, but the group failed to progress with its next album, and after Mountain Live in 1972, the group broke up.
Pappalardi, whose hearing had been damaged by Mountain's excessive in-concert volume, returned to production, while West and Laing teamed up with ex-Cream bassist Jack Bruce under the name West, Bruce & Laing. A brief reunion featuring West and Pappalardi from the group's original lineup took place in 1974. In subsequent years, West and Laing revived the group for live shows, sometimes joined by Pappalardi; West also performed with his own Leslie West Band. Pappalardi was shot and killed by his wife in 1983. Two years later, West and Laing regrouped with Mark Clarke on bass and recorded an album before once again calling it quits. Laing served as PolyGram's A&R vice president in Canada between 1989 and 1995. In 1996, he reunited with West and Clarke for a new Mountain album, Man's World. West and Laing teamed up again in 2002 for another album as Mountain, Mystic Fire.
Review by James Chrispell
Following the success of Climbing and appearances at Woodstock and other outdoor festivals of the day, Mountain recorded more of the same for Nantucket Sleighride. The title track is a nice mixture of classical leaning intertwined with moderate rock; both "Don't Look Away" and "The Animal Trainer & the Toad" continue on the hard rock path so well worn by this band. Not groundbreaking, but it is well worth listening to.
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