WHY This Man Is a LEGEND. The STORY Of Mississippi Queen | Leslie West | Mountain
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- Опубликовано: 17 июн 2022
- Leslie West- Catapulted to fame with the super heavy, and also very soulful Mississippi Queen. The lead guitarist and lead singer from the band "Mountain" is a huge inspiration to many of our modern guitar heroes.
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IN MY OPINION.....MISSISSIPPI QUEEN IS ONE OF THE BEST AND PUREST EXAMPLES OF A TRUE ROCK N ROLL RIFF. Swampy and full of feel and aggression. Truly iconic tune from the golden age of riff rock!
And it even had cowbell!
@@jakollee that's because Corky Laing had written it years before he joined Mountain!
@@seanmurphy26 I didn’t know that! Cool story! (Though it seems Leslie West came up with the riff and chords.) thanks!
@@jakollee Corky Laing had the words and the melody with his band prior. He was having a show with his prior band, and the power went out at the venue. So Corky Laing himself kept the show going just with his drums and vocals, improvising about some attractive Southern looking chick dancing in the front row.
@@seanmurphy26 yes, I just read the story! Poor Corky permanently damaged his vocal chords, singing without a mic over the sound of his drums!
I'm 77 y/o and still have this original album I purchased when it first came out! Still sounds great on my vintage Klipsch La Schalla's. Such memories......
I have never owned s set, but, know them when I hear them !
Damn u old as hell. God bless you.
I'm 72. I bought "Climbing" when it came out. One thing I remember about this record is how much we could hear the tape hiss coming and going as overdubs were being laid on. That being said, it's a fantastic album. (I first played it on my Sony STR 6055 with the Large Advents and then with JBL L-100's, the speakers which I still have today!)
@@avlisk I really liked my advents.
@@davidhamm5626 I liked mine, too. But when I heard the JBLs, I had to get them. I didn't need both.
Thanks Tim ! It’s about time someone gives Leslie West the credit he is due 💥💥💥
Heard Leslie West on an interview say he always believed you should be able to "sing the lead guitar part" on his songs...
his solos totally sound like his voice
💯
He wasn't wrong - another good example of this kind of guitar work is the solo from 'We Don't Need No Education'.
I was a huge fan of Mountain when I was 16 years old in 1971. I am presently learning how to play Mississippi Queen right now.
Leslie became a legend with one song. That's how genius it was. Of course, he wrote lots of great music.
for me that one song was
Kentucky Sleighride ...
@@glynnsmith4560 Nantucket Sleighride
I'm pretty sure that Corky Laing had song years before he joined mountain!
@@squeakywheel4109 lol 😝 bewdy tune BTW
@@seanmurphy26 If that's true (he's not the only writer) Mountain made it famous. Great drummer!!
I read a Guitar Player interview with Leslie West where he admitted he was not really a technically proficent 'guitarist,' just a player. Said most of what he did melodically was played only with his first 2 or 3 fingers and there was no theory to it, just habitual riffs. His rhythm playing was very tasty and emotional. Shows how much we can do with stripped-back simplicity.
I think he used to say this to be a bit self-effacing. I saw him live a few times and think he could play fast and technically but chose most of the time to simply play for the song and use the call and response and look for a sublime "tone". Sometimes knowing when to leave space is the hardest, most difficult thing.
@@colinpatton4416 Agree with everything you wrote. Leslie was surely humble and did what was right for the song, never really showing off, very much a call-and-response style. Small-world trivia: When I was a kid in Poughkeepsie my neighbor two doors down who was a drummer jammed sometimes with Leslie in local garage bands.
One of the greatest tunes of all time. Leslie West carved his name in the history books with this one. I have listened to this song hundreds of times and it remains on my playlist to date. I know you spoke of the simplicity of the song on all counts, but I believe that’s what makes it so great. That’s the meal that Leslie West cooked in the studio the day he recorded it, and it’s seasoned just right. Isn’t that why we all keep coming back for seconds? There’s a groove to that song, and those guitar licks, drums, and tiny pieces of piano work compliment it perfectly. And just WOW! 👈🏻Those drums. I loved your video. It was packed with tid bits of history that I never knew. Thanks.
If "André the Giant" had a little brother; Leslie West could have been him. It amazes me how extremely Leslie's appearance changes thru different periods of his career. Of today's drummers, only Deen Castronovo hits them as hard as Corky Lainge did. But Deen sings while he does it.
Mr. West showed how devilishly difficult it is to play the minimum number of notes, and how glorious it sounds. The man was a master of the pithy lick.
I'd put David Gilmour on the short list.
If you check out his performance at Woodstock, it's striking how fully developed his playing was. There was a fluidity to his phrasing that eclipsed that of his peers.
Southbound Train 👍
Absolutely The master, Jeff Beck said West was the ultimate player for phrase & feel. After his solo on Dear Prudence(the Leslie West Band. album) Which is nothing like Beatles original, I can't disagree, using very little overdrive but plenty harmonic squeels not fast just vibrato & soul.
I recently listened to his performance of Beyond The Sea at Woodstock. Blown away If you have never listened to it do yourself a favor and pull it up on RUclips Great song by a great guitar player ! Plays with tremendous feeling A MASTER
@@ronsalerno7122 agree, totally sublime..& if Jeff Beck found west inspirational surely all guitarists should check him out. There's -West Bruce & Laing ..3 albums worth looking out for.
I think a lot of that had to do with where he wore his guitar too. Really low slung, and if you've ever played a LP Junior of that era you know those necks were like baseball bats. Wide and thick. Seen these guys 10+ times back in Syracuse in the early 70s and they always brought it. Cactus, Humble Pie, Mountain, and of course, Lou Reed!
Mountain is one of the most incredible bands of all time. The years with Felix Pappalardi are legendary. So heavy
Mississippi Queen and Never In My Life, two songs I still listen to, and play regularly while practicing. 40 years plus. So much fun...still.
Leslie West tone is absolutely GREAT. Tone and tasteful, simple licks = Beautiful music.
I was a regular at a Manhattan club called the Rolling Stone about 1965. The Vagrants was
the house bank. Leslie was the lead guitar his brother Larry on bass.
I saw them play maybe 50 times. Leslie would often come to me table when on break.
He was always great and a nice guy.
Too cool! I saw Mountain at Woodstock.
Brings back some great memories for me. Went to a "Leslie West & Friends" concert in San Antonio in late '75. Some great musicians were there, Edgar Winter for one. Some poor, very cute young lass sitting near our group was clearly over-trashed and barely hanging on. When the band lit into Edgar's signature "Frankenstein" they had cranked the intro volume up so high that we felt it down to our spinal columns. Right on cue our lady friend erupted in projectile fashion as the opening synth scream blasted down the scale. She hit everyone except us, like a vomit flame thrower. The only lights on right then were massive strobes flashing away. She looked like some kind of alien creature spewing her lunch in that stroboscopic surrealism. We applauded her performance, many of her other neighbors did not.
Ah yeah, the 70's baby!
Only in the 70's man ! 🤯 It's so TrUe 🤣
🤣🤤 what a great description I could literally see it happen.
Good times, good times....
Ahhh, good times!!!LOL 👍
@@surroundedbyjaggoffs - see, in the Sixties it would have been acid, weed, or where I'm from (Rochester NY) it would have been hash smuggled in from Toronto. Saw Quicksilver, Jethro Tull, Steppenwolf, Cactus (club), Vanilla Fudge (club), Moody Blues, and a couple others. Saw the Who in San Diego (no hash, sadly), and back in the hometown, Led Zep. Pipes of hash were being passed all around the War Memorial. Lots of smoke in the air. Likely the band was stoned, too. Ah, the Sixties!
Thank you for this informative pod cast...
I'm 70... and remember the week this Mountain Masterpiece came out.
It changed everything..
Leslie and Felix... bless them where ever they're at.
Thanks Tim.... REALLY!
This song deserves it.
🤔😍
I opened for Leslie a few times in the early 2000’s. Despite his public persona he is a sweet guy. We sat and talked gear for a bit. At the time I had a LP jr and LP special. He told me the special was a better guitar but had too many pickups and my big Marshall I used was still only half an amp (50 watts), I used the Marshall lead and bass 20 for smaller places back then as well but was too embarrassed to show him after he said that. He talked about the old days of gear he used with the vagrants I believe the band was called before his solo album and before Mountain, 2 Sam ash fuzz boxes in line. Ahhh fuzzy memories.
I still have my '59 Jr. Bought to emulate the man. But I had a special b4 that. The biggest issue was the neck flex'd too much. The Jr's didn't.
Was that when he had Richie Scarlet playing bass?
Yes,it was The Vagrants .Seen them ,knew their Drummer . Opened for some great shows, back then .All from L.I.
@@dynasticlight8706 I also became a Richie Scarlet fan after seeing him with the Bonnie Parker Band when they used to play around in the South Jersey area in the mid 70's. I know Corky Laing also did some work with Bonnie and Denny Colt from their band Tang, and that Richie was also working with Corky with his Corky Laing's Mountain project.
@@jonljacobi baseball bats flee when confronted by a Jr neck.
When I was a wee little kid - around 6 years old, I realized that my late-hippie era, acid-rock parents were no longer into music, which meant the vinyl was all mine and the excellent analog stereo was always free. And I will never forget hearing this song for the first time, and I've been a huge fan of Leslie West and Mountain ever since. One of my earliest total inspiration moments.
That whole album is extremely underrated in my opinion. Mississippi queen is great and all but the other tracks on the record arent talked about enough
When I saw Mountain at The Fillmore East , both Leslie and Felix were using Sunn tube heads . If he didn't have the Les Paul Junior , it might have been a Melody Maker . I can also be heard from the audience on the Live Album screaming LOUDER !
Cool!
He also used sometimes a Flying V as far as i can remember.
That's so cool! Thanks for sharing
Sunn colosseum PA heads were his amp of choice. Crank the fucker and let er rip
The Fillmore East..., Yeah.., TURN IT UP BABY! LOUDER!
I, as a kid just learning guitar, randomly found a cassette tape of Mountain at the Alaska State fair in the late 70s at a little booth where a guy was selling tapes & records, posters ect. I think it had some live recordings mixed with studio cuts. West's use of melody & space was mind blowing & educational. Thanks Tim for bringing back awesome memories.
Leslie West is oe of my all time favorites. People forget what a consummate guitarist he was...some do. He did a tune "To My Friend" off the "Flowers of Evil" album which is an ethereal acoustic piece. I always loved this tune. Best Wishes from Virginia, Cork
LW was a major influence on Randy Rhoads. Two personalities that couldn't be further apart. Also two of the best guitar players to ever walk this planet. I Saw Randy with Ozzy twice in 1981 and Leslie West a few years later at a very small club..it was like he was playing in my living room.
big influence on steve morse too, and also 2 guitarists who couldnt be more further apart.
When i first heard Mississippi Queen on the radio i was blown away by the heaviness of the song and the great guitar playing by Leslie West. The song had just been released as a single. As a rhythm guitarist i knew that i had to learn this song. I use a Gibson Les Paul Custom through a 100 watt 1972 Marshall full stack and (2) 760 Leslie Speakers and an assortment of effects. Playing rhythm guitar on this song with my rig sounds so incredible. It is kind of like Peter Frampton meets Mountain. Wished that i had learned to play lead guitar all of those years ago. I have been playing guitar since i was 10 years old ( i am 66 now) and have been playing music since i was 7 years old (i can play some 30+ instruments... mostly string instruments and drums/percussion and some keyboards).
Thanks for this Tim. Leslie West’s performance on this tune is as badass as it gets. His solo is one of my all time favorites, along with Jimmy Page on Whole lotta Love.
Oh yes!
Nantucket Sleigh ride is just freaking awesome! Leslie West is a legend.
Leslie West was a man who knew how to phrase, work his gear and create awesome music, Legendary !!!
Growing up in this period I saw Mountain more than a dozen times and later played on the same bill with Leslie as a solo artist. He is one of my favorites and always an inspiration. After seeing him so many times I can say that he was very dependent on his tone. Nights when the amp was working with him it was truly magic. Early-on he plugged directly into the amp with no pedals and volume was LOUD. Without the feedback and harmonics he was frustrated so the amp performance was critical. Like Hendrix, he could make magic otherwise unattainable with “safe” tone.
The success of SUNN was thanks exclusively to brilliant marketing fellow named Buck Munger who composed those great ads “Ever Felt The Sound Of The Jimi Hendrix Experience?” and placed the amps with Beach Boys, The Who, Hendrix… When Hendrix moved to Marshall he gave the endorsement gear to Felix Papalardi. There are some vintage stage shots floating around the web that show “JH EXP” stenciled on the back of the enclosures Mountain was using.
Leslie was one of my idols when I started to play guitar in the 70s. His feeling and tone were unique, he is definitely a Legend of Hard/Blues Rock.
One of the most underrated guitarist of all time. And simply, easily one of the best beast beat jam masterpieces of all time. 👍❤️😝
I graduated HS in ‘71, yet I’ve not been acquainted with Leslie West until just now. I’m definitely going to find out more about Leslie and Mountain.
Thank you for the skillful renditions and insights. Truly minimalist and essential rock.
The Power is this tune is the Vocal Tone, so unique, with such an equally unique matching guitar sound. The Combo is perfect. The Metaphorical Love Story is also compelling.
Started listening to Leslie West in '73. His guitar sound is so unique it only takes a couple of notes to know it's him. Wonderful musician. RIP, you did it well.
Seeing “Mountain” at the Santa Monica Civic play this song was epic!
I saw West Bruce and Lang in concert. They were fantastic.
Had a Tom Scholz Power Soak back in the 80's, hooked it up to a Sunn Coliseum Lead (300watts solid state). Had a Gibson SG with P90's to a DOD Studio Pre amp pedal cranked! It was the sweetest sound for about a week. It roasted that power soak. Was so bummed. I didn't realize the soak was intended for 100watt tube heads. You live and you learn. I was just a kid then.
Tim Pierce is a class of it’s own. Your playing is so tasteful. The one fast part blew me away. Thank you so much.
As I watch this I keep realizing the smile on my face! And I don’t even play. I have loved this song from the beginning and never get tired of it. So fun to listen to this! Thanks.
Surely one of the greatest Riffs ever. It has the driving under current that is absolutely unique
Leslie’s playing at Woodstock in particular “ Blood of the Sun” incredible!
The first 20 seconds of this song may be my favorite moment in music.
It’s hard to stop jammin with this ain’t it?! It’s the gift that keeps giving… Thank you Leslie..
Leslie's lead playing on this reminds me of BB King's style - simple, well placed, and it "speaks". 👽✌️
Leslie West, Billy Gibbons, Jimi, Dave Gilmour…I could go on and on…these are players I could recognise from the sound of one note and their finger vibrato! In other words, they had FEEL!!
I'm still trying, but I ain't there yet!🎸🎶🎵👍😎
Lol
I agree. I think Jimi was digging Billy’s playing, because he was really taking the blues and revving it up, like himself. It’s hey all had great fretting vibrato, as well as Jimi and Gilmour being masters of the vibrato bar of their guitars as well.
And, Jimi was using the vibrato, on a Uni Vibe, a lot in 69’ and 70’. Everyone uses the chorus effect; as Jimi did as well, for many later Hendrix songs, but some of his signature Uni Vibe tones, such as Hey Baby(the live studio version), and Dolly Dagger, were two that he used the Vibrato setting on. Killer tone.
@@deecee9735
Tim sounds great, but it’s such a clean distortion, that it could be anyone playing.
I like my effects into the front of an amp, and I like it to be a little dirty. Even the clean tone, I want some crunch and breakup.
Probably why I gravitate towards the Fuzz Face, Mkii Tone Bender and Ram’s Head Muffs. I like very Rats as well, but I only use OD pedals for a volume boost, and/or a mid push, for leads.
The ODS circuit, just sounds like it’s compressed a bit too much, unless I’m covering something that I need that tone for.
Mark Knopfler
The tone in the intro is amazing!! Really nailed the whole soul of Mississippi Queen. Such a banger!!
I saw Leslie play live. He was very impressive.
Great guitar player great singer
Leslie’s guitar tone was huge! I love his solo album “Guitarded” as well.
wicked guitahded if you're from Mass
@@hdr3553 wicked smaht comment
Love Leslie West and Mississippi Queen. He should have been even more well known than he was. That was when rock ROCKED!
The solo from Theme From an Imaginary Western has always been one of my favorites. The play and follow you do is awesome!!
Thanks Tim, Leslie doesn't get enough love.
I got to see Lesie West twice - 1st time w/ Mountain, 2nd time the short lived West, Bruce and Lang. I've always rated his solo in "Theme From a Imagiary Western" as one of the top 10 all time greats.
Back in the day, after the Grande closed, the Eastown Theatre in Detroit booked all the bands, and I was there every weekend. Mountain played there multiple times. Things I remember: when Leslie came out with that Les Paul jr. strapped on- he was so big and the guitar was so small, it looked like a ukulele . But the sound was just incredible. And the vocals of Felix was so pure. Hanging around after the show in the lobby, he happened to pop out and I got a chance to say hello.
7:49 he was a bloody big fucker that's for sure! He certainly made Les Pauls look like little bloody things on him. I saw a photo where he just had burgers all around him in a room. The man loved his burgers. 17:38 that's cool.
Cool - thanks! I came across this right after we lost him ( but lost the source) "The Sunn amplifiers that West used were of the late 1960s era and were not factory stock. The four-channel amplifier heads' preamps were wired as cascading preamps to channel one, out to the amp's power section. This is what produced the long compressed sustain and distorted overdrive of the great Mountain sound that he is well known for."
Tim! I LOVE Mississippi Queen! A gazillion years ago in high school, my crew and I ran the then brand-new auditorium (built in 1969), and we’d play this tune in there (when the place was empty!) through the main speaker cluster. To give you a clue about how HUGE this building is, it has a 70-foot wide proscenium arch (for the uninitiated, that’s the width of the opening at the front of the stage - so if you were doing a play in there, it didn’t matter how much furniture you used on the set - it STILL looked empty!). I forget now how many rows of seats it has, but the building originally seated 1,492 people. It’s a bit less than that now, because about five or so years ago, they finally took out some of the seats to make a center aisle. Originally, it only had two aisles, one down each side. When they made that center aisle, they had to break a hole in the back wall of the “house” and put in a set of double doors. The inside of the building was so big, before they installed the air conditioning, IT HAD ITS OWN WEATHER! It actually rained in there a couple of times. Good thing the seats hadn’t been put in yet. The sound system was a MONSTER! It was driven by a pair of 300 watt Crown tube amps, with a 16 ohm output @ 70 volts EACH! The speakers were BIGGER than the venerable Altec “Voice Of The Theatre” speakers. The building was made of reinforced concrete (the walls were poured on-site, then stood up with cranes and attached to one another with bolts and super heavy-duty construction adhesive!). We’d put on this song, crank it up, and you could hear it OUTSIDE!! After the first time we did that, the school administration limited us to AFTER SCHOOL HOURS for this sort of thing…
Proof less is more...The man...the tone...the vibrato...the feel...the legend...
That keyboard trill is a nice touch too.
Leslie's leads were very melodic, especially on songs like "Theme for an Imaginary Western, Silver Paper, One Last Cold Kiss, Never in my Life, The Swan Theme and many others on those wonderful early first four albums. Thanks for your breakdown and RIP and Memory Eternal, Leslie West.
My ALL TIME #2 Favorite song. I was 11 years old when it was released. It simply hammered with Rock-n-Roll. #1 for me is Sweet Emotion.
RIP Leslie, you could always know his licks even if he was not signing, great band also.
Yes sir great song,and you know all the nuances of every guitar and pedals and amps,you are a encyclopedia of musical wealth,great job on the videos,thank you sir!
I recall seeing an interview with Ritchie Blackmore. He mentioned he was walking down the street going to a pub in the late 60's and heard a guitar playing and was blown away by it. He thought "that's a sound I'm looking for"....who did he hear playing?...Leslie West.
N.S. Really?
Love it. Leslie West and Mountain will always be one of my fav's. Thanks Tim.
Tim thank you for yet another outstanding video. You hit the nail right on the head in that, It is the silence between the notes that makes the music.
Leslie is the best, the solo from "Theme for an Imaginary Western" is the first solo I learned to play and I still got it to this day! I mean it sounds like shit in comparison but I can play it and it feels as good every time!
I relate; I finally learned the chords to that song with a friend the other day and when I went for the solo (which I thought I knew by heart from listening to it) I was just embarrassingly NOT spot-on. Gonna try to make that the ONE solo I actually learn note for note, especially that final pinched harmonic is so stunning.
@@homeworldmusic I just sat down again to work on it after watching this video, I never seem to get the pinch harmonic to work when I need it to lol
Definitely one of my favorite songs!
A song written by Jack Bruce, the influence of Cream on Leslie West cannot be overstated, his brain was melted by attending a Cream concert, it changed the man forever and resulted in the player we know and love, Cream were incredible, just amazing musicians.
@@Deliquescentinsight The way Pappalardi sings it reminds me of Bruce too, maybe its intentional? I think Pappalardi produced some Cream records too if I recall correctly.
Thank you for this Tim. This song was such an eye opener (ear opener I should say) when I was a kid. I ran out and got the album the first time I heard it on the radio. Fortunately in Canada it was played regularly during the day. I wore that record out and it is one of the most fun songs I've ever played. So attainable for young players. It was great hearing your details on the history of the tone and strings. Great info on single pickup guitars too. What an iconic song.
Tim Thanks so much for doing this special on Leslie and Mountain. You are a Blessing and a Gift to the Guitar players of the World.
What an absolute amazing video. Thanks Tim.
Thanks for that shot of Leslie West Tim. I remember the first time I heard that tune in 1971 or so. My friend’s older sister put that album on the record player. My 9-year old brain was instantly melted by that massive guitar sound. Love it!!
Leslie West is the reason I started playing guitar in 1972. He was such an influence on me in those years. His music is still as fresh today as it was when it came out. Thanks Tim!!!
Thanks so much
@timpierceguitar Tim, how the fuck, was the Woodstock version of Southbound train not included in the Woodstock movie? But they included 2 performances from Sha Na Na. Are you shittin me?
Tim, you are one of my favorite guitarists ever. Thanks for these videos. Discovered during Covid. Helped get me through. RIP Leslie.
You don't realize how much I enjoyed this ! Focusing on one song, and learning the licks is important to me. I hope you continue with a format like this. History, rhythm, licks !
Right, Leslie is a legend. A song I love from his "West Bruce & Laing" band: "Why dontcha". 👍
The man Hendrix himself called his favorite guitar player. I've heard this song most of my life and always thought it was pretty cool. But never until watching this video did I notice the SERIOUS riffage going on in this song that never hit before just hearing it on the radio. VERY impressive! RIP Leslie, he was one bad dude.
It's too bad Hendrix didn't record Purple Haze through Leslie's rig. That iconic, signature riff would have sounded three times as heavy.
He said that about Terry kath
He said that about Billy Gibbons as well
Aparently he said that about Terry Kath as well
I have been noodling around with this song for a few weeks. I can't get it out of my head. I saw Mountain playing during the Flowers Of Evil tour at The Academy Of Music in NYC. Of course they played Mississippi Queen. Seeing that big mountain of a man playing that little Les Paul Junior and getting those incredible tones out of it was one of the high spots in my life.
On a related note, I was given a mid to late 1960's Acoustic Amplification Co. 150 watt guitar amp that had been dragged around from one place to another by a friend of mine who does not play for the last 45 years. It had paint splatter all over it and the grill cloth was torn a bit. But it worked! These are the same amps you can see at Woodstock '69 during the Santana set. They were solid state amps with the reputation of being the loudest, cleanest amps you can get. While I was cleaning it up, I pulled one of the speakers out to see what they were. I'll be damned if that little 4x12 cab didn't have SUNN speakers in it. After installing a grounded power cord on it, I dimed my Les Paul Junior and the amp to see how some of my favorite riffs sounded. Ten minutes later, the cops came and told me to lower it or stop annoying the neighborhood. I put it up for sale and it sold the next day. These are not the "Acoustic" amp that guitar center sells. There is a huge following for these amps with a forum online that has information and guys looking for small parts like the aluminum control knobs and the interchangeable cards that are designed to be changed on the fly by a tech. Very interesting.
Thanks for making this and showing some love for Leslie West! I used to play this song at high school dances way back in the day. Saw Mountain live twice, West was a really impressive guitarist!
I was fortunate to see him when he was in the Vagrants with his brother at My Father's Place in Roslyn, NY back in the 60's. This was with a Fender Twin cranked ALL THE WAY UP, sounded magnificent! They did a fabulous version of "Respect", which started to chart in NYC. It was a tiny club where the likes of the Young Rascals, the Hassles (Billy Joel), and Richie Havens first got their debuts in the NYC area. Oh the memories...
Just a quick hallo roger MANSOUR FORMER VAGRANTS DRUMMER
MISSIONARY TO HAITI
Thank you for putting Leslie West in the spotlight. Mrs Sippi Queen ;-) got Mountain out of the shadows of Cream, supported by Felix Pappalardi.
Anyone remember West Bruce and Laing? Their greatest live hit was The Doctor.
Funny enough I like his first ever solo album called Mountain the most, because there is more room for different styles and Felix Pappalardi's keyboard contributions.
Right after that album Mountain as a band was established and all hell broke loose!
One of my favourites from more recent years of his career is I'm Ready (2003 Blues To Die For). It shows perfectly what a great vocalist he was as well!
And no frills.
I got to see Mountain a few times. They were always riveting!
And, I got to see West, Bruce, and Laing at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston and that was one of the best shows I've ever been to. They were so tight, and the sound was huge!
✌💙💪
Been catching your videos for awhile, but realized I was subbed until recently. Always love your knowledge on everything music, Tim!
that is great. leslie west is one of my favorites. thanks for the tech info
I saw Leslie West in my home town when I was in Jr High, early 70's. He had that Sunn amp and the Les Paul Jr. it was at a place called the Houston County Farm Center. It was a parabolic shaped building with only flat surfaces being the front and back of the building, no seats the floor was part dirt and part concrete. What a sound that place could produce. Local legend has it that was the first venue that Roy Orbison first wore his sun glasses on stage when he left his regular lensed one's in the airplane.
So good! Love to see Tim play this stuff! For Yasgur's Farm is probably my favorite tune from the album. It always amazes me how beautiful yet heavy one song can be. Top notch musicianship!
Incredible playing Tim , how could I have missed this amazing artist. Thanks 🙏
The solo on Theme From An Imaginary Western is the very definition of 'rock guitar'.
A song that starts as so down to earth to be a steady stream of clanks on a cowbell and then go into a heavy handed guitar with simplistic blues. Man what a song.
BEST VIDEO EVER. Leslie West was a God when I was a kid. I worked in a music store (we were a SUNN dealer) and after we closed 8PM I'd crank up stuff and just enjoy myself. IMHO the key to the West/Mountain tone is not only a Junior and a Sunn amp but cheap EMINENCE speakers in a closed back cab. There was a very nerdy SUNN collector who did a long YOUTube video on Leslie's tone and the speakers are a major part. Yes the 100 watt PA head is the real deal but just about any 85-100 watt SUNN tube amp will get real, real close. I'd love to see Tim Pierce , Bonamassa or Phil X RECREATE THE RECORD. Which means - 2 guitars playing at the same time - cowbell and drums way way up in the mix - and why no live bands EVER get this song right -- the tinny almost bar room piano riff very low in the mix is a major part of the soul of the tune. Also the guitar work in that first album - "Theme For An Imaginary Western' , 'Crossroader', etc...what a great soulful player West was!
I saw them live when MQ was a hit. Leslie played the little piano riff on guitar. I recall a looong drum/cowbell intro to MQ.
Nice to see Phil X get a mention amongst these legends. I just love the guy he makes playing a guitar appear so easy that when I am feeling low about how bad my guitar playing is becoming due to my failing memory I just go onto his RUclips channel and get a real buzz from his amazing super positive personality. I can pick up my guitar and play badly for hours and just enjoy the good bits that I do remember. The guy is better than any anti depressant pill he is just a complete buzz, touring with Phil must be great, he epitomises positivity.
The very first time that I hears this song, I was 15 years old and I knew that I HAD TO HAVE A LES PAUL so in 1969 I purchased a Gibson Les Paul Custom. Of course I still have that axe and play it today. I have been offered ridiculous amounts of money for it. Tim, how did you ever become such a fine guitar player? Why aren't you rich and famous? I'm one of your biggest fans. Thanks this video on Leslie.
Thank you Tim. I had never heard this song until noe. I will definitely look it up.
Great guitar and great playing.
Following. Tim, you look like you’re having so much fun taking your viewers through these songs- you are truly infectious.
I saw Mountain at Woodstaock. Just massive! The left side of the stage lost power for about 5-10 minutes, so Leslie went off by himself with a wonderful blown out guitar solo. Had to be there. The guy was fantastic.
The 2nd rock show I saw as a teen was Mountain. I've always loved West's playing and sound. Nobody sounded like that before. My favorite solo by him is on the studio recording of "Theme From and Imaginary Western."
Thanks Tim! One of my all time favorites.
Another brilliant video Tim and you are right a true legend .
I hadn't thought much about Leslie West for decades, but Mississippi Queen was on heavy replay in my late teen years. His tone was phenomenal, and the gaps make it a great platform for you to demonstrate his economical guitar work. He also had a great hard rock voice.
You are not wrong. Big fan myself. I will play this today :)
I always loved Leslie's music. Unfortunately I never got to see Mountain live. I did however see West Bruce and Laing in December of 72 at the Spectrum in Phila. and Leslie did a show at the Cumberland County Fair Grounds in Millville, NJ sometime in the late 70's. I remember the outdoor show because Leslie played House of The Rising Sun and he announced it was the first song he learned on guitar. It was my first song also. Great memories.
Shout out to Cumberland County Fairgrounds, spent most of my late teens in Carmel NJ, right down the road. Spectrum had all the best shows but the echos in that stadium especially suck. Saw the Stones there when Keith still played, Allman Bros, a few others.
Man you nailed this completely. I knew you were good but this is beautiful and informing. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story and playing.
One of the best music lessons I have ever had. And I was in band for 5 years. Thanks for the class. 👍
Before Mississippi Queen . He played a blues progression called Blind Man. VERY Heavy BLUES. take a listen sometimes.
1 pickup guitar - longer lasting sustain - well that reminds me of the single pickup les paul of Billy Gibbons from ZZTOP- this sound here is so typical late 60ies beginning of the 70ies. Has a bit of Free. Love it! Great entertainment here! Thanks Tim for sharing this to us! You always have anecdots of the olden times with so much background infos! Cheers DimiZ
Fantastic channel man, keep it up and thanks!
I sat in the audience, pretty close to the stage at the Center Stage theater in Atlanta force Mountain show and it was amazing. Corky never gets enough credit on the drums and very much reminds me if Bonham in the raw, crushing way he played. He would have a stick holster full of sticks and at different points, start launching sticks into the audience off of his snare, one right after the other and never miss a beat through the whole show.
And lots of cowbell... 😉