Climbing!
| Climbing! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio albumby | ||||
| Released | March 7, 1970 | |||
| Recorded | 1969–1970 | |||
| Studio | Record Plant,New York City | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 32:38 | |||
| Label | Windfall | |||
| Producer | Felix Pappalardi | |||
| Mountainchronology | ||||
| ||||
| SinglesfromClimbing! | ||||
| ||||
Climbing!(also known asMountain Climbing!) is the debut studio album by Americanhard rockbandMountain.It was released on March 7, 1970, byWindfall Records.
Background
[edit]In 1969,Leslie Westrecorded his debut solo album, titledMountain,withFelix Pappalardion bass and drummer Norman Smart.[1]Smart was replaced byCorky Laingon drums and percussion, and keyboardistSteve Knightwas added to form the classic Mountain lineup, with Pappalardi as producer.
Windfall RecordsreleasedClimbing!on March 7, 1970,[2]and it reached number 17 on the AmericanBillboardTop Albumschart.[1]It included the group's best-known song, "Mississippi Queen",which became a hit, and" Never in My Life ", which was regularly aired on contemporary FM radio.[3]Both were sung by West, while Pappalardi supplied the vocal on another radio favorite, "Theme for an Imaginary Western".[1]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[4] |
Matthew Greenwald, in a review forAllMusic,gave the album four and a half out of five stars. InChristgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies(1981),Robert Christgauwrote:
We all know they're the originalCremora—what this makes clearer is that they'reJack Bruce's third of the jar. On "For Yasgur's Farm" Felix Pappalardi emulates JB's self-dramatizing vocal propriety as well as his bass lines, but when Leslie West runs an acoustic guitar solo fromragatoflamencowithout ever touching thebluesyou know he's not doing anEric Claptontribute. Can't fit the humongous "Mississippi Queen" into this theory, but I can tell you who wrote "Theme for an Imaginary Western": Jack Bruce andPete Brown.[4]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocal(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mississippi Queen" | Leslie West,Corky Laing,Felix Pappalardi,David Rea | West | 2:31 |
| 2. | "Theme for an Imaginary Western" | Pete Brown,Jack Bruce | Pappalardi | 5:06 |
| 3. | "Never in My Life" | West, Laing, Pappalardi,Gail Collins | West | 3:51 |
| 4. | "Silver Paper" | West, Collins, Laing, Pappalardi,Steve Knight,George Gardos | Pappalardi, West | 3:19 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocal(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "ForYasgur's Farm " | Collins, Gardos, Laing, Pappalardi, Rea, Gary Ship | Pappalardi, West | 3:23 |
| 2. | "To My Friend" | West | Instrumental | 3:38 |
| 3. | "The Laird" | Collins, Pappalardi | Pappalardi | 4:39 |
| 4. | "Sittin' on a Rainbow" | West, Collins, Laing | West | 2:23 |
| 5. | "Boys in the Band" | Collins, Pappalardi | Pappalardi, West | 3:33 |
| Total length: | 32:38 | |||
On the 2003Legacy RecordingsCD,a live version of "For Yasgur's Farm" was added as a bonus track.
Personnel
[edit]Band
- Leslie West– guitars on all tracks, vocals
- Felix Pappalardi– bass guitar on all tracks except 6 and 7; piano on tracks 1, 2 and 9; rhythm guitar on track 7, vocals;production
- Steve Knight– organ on tracks 2, 3, 4 and 5;Mellotronon tracks 2 and 9;handbellson track 4
- Corky Laing– drums on all tracks except 6 and 7;percussionon tracks 7 and 9
Additional personnel
- Bud Prager –executive production
- Bob d'Orleans –engineering
- Lillian Douma – engineering assistance
- Beverly Weinstein –art direction
- Gail Collins–cover artwork,photography
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[5] | 19 |
| USBillboard200[6] | 17 |
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[7] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ^abcEder, Bruce."Mountain – Biography".AllMusic.RetrievedMay 10,2021.
- ^ Harkins, Thomas E. (2019).Woodstock FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Fabled.Lanham, Maryland:Backbeat Books.p. 134.ISBN978-1-61713-666-5.
- ^abGreenwald, Matthew."Mountain:Climbing!– Review ".AllMusic.RetrievedMay 10,2021.
- ^abChristgau, Robert(1981)."Consumer Guide '70s: M".Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies.Ticknor & Fields.ISBN089919026X.RetrievedMarch 8,2019– via robertchristgau.
- ^"Top RPM Albums: Issue 5373".RPM.Library and Archives Canada.Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^"Mountain Chart History (Billboard200) ".Billboard.Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^"American album certifications – Mountain – Climbing".Recording Industry Association of America.
