Mountain

“Nantucket Sleighride”

In January of 1971 Mountain released their second album, “Nantucket Sleighride”. It was an album that would in some respects define the band to some of its fans, and conversely would disappoint others. It is a personal favourite of mine, although it is easy to see why it wasn’t what many fans of the band expected. Prior to the release of their second album, the band was known more for its heavy sound, featuring searing lead guitar and thunderous vocals. "Nantucket Sleighride" eschewed this approach, and presented a more nuanced and musically complex version of Mountain. While the album received a (mostly) positive critical response from the music press, not all of the band's fans would welcome the change.

Mountain was a classic American rock band. They were established in 1969 after their lead guitarist and singer Leslie West had released a solo album (named, ironically, “Mountain”) that was produced by noted producer and multi-instrumentalist Felix Pappalardi. After the release of the album, Leslie suggested touring, with Felix assuming the role of the band’s bassist (he had played bass on Leslie’s solo album). They were fortunate enough to be added to the itinerary of bands performing at the famous “Woodstock Music Festival” (it was allegedly their fourth gig), and followed that up with a monster hit single in 1970. That song was “Mississippi Queen”, a classic rock song with an instantly recognizable introduction. The song begins with the drummer establishing the song’s rhythm with a cow bell, followed by a snarling guitar riff. As hooks go, this one is a classic, and it is easy to see why the song was such a hit. The story goes that the cow bell was only added at the producer’s request as a measure to help the band keep time. As with many other seemingly innocuous aspects of a hit song, it was that cow bell introduction that identified the song and became it’s signature. With the band’s visibility established by being part of Woodstock, and their popularity established by a hit single, Mountain suddenly found themselves with a recording contract, a heavy touring schedule and commercial success. 

It is considered a truism in the music business that a group’s first record is usually the basis for their success (or lack thereof), and that the second is generally a “let down”. The story goes that a group has had their whole life to do their first album, and then if they are fortunate enough to be give the opportunity to record a second, they get a few weeks between touring and other commercial requirements to get it done (and therefore it isn’t going to be as “good” as the first). It would be easy to assume this about “Nantucket Sleighride”, but it would be also be wrong. Mountain's first album "Climbing" established that there was plenty of talented musical ability in the band in the band, but it was their second album "Nantucket Sleighride" that showed what the musicians as a group were capable of.

Mountain was an interesting combination of raw talent, polished musicianship, energy and vision. Felix Pappalardi was not an obvious choice as a band member, but his inclusion certainly worked, albeit for only a couple of years. Felix was a classically trained musician whose work prior to Mountain had been mainly as a producer and arranger. His decision to work with Leslie West was something fans of the group can be very thankful for. Like many musical partnerships, there were creative tensions and disputes. However, those differences are often the spark for creation of something unique and special. This would be the case in “Nantucket Sleighride”. 

The album features a more sophisticated approach than their first album “Climbing”, which primarily focused on Leslie West’s guitar prowess and powerful vocals. “Nantucket Sleighride” would have more of Felix’s influence. The songs are more challenging from a musical perspective, with (in my opinion) a greater emphasis on a group sound and performance. Felix Pappalardi handled more of the vocals, and Leslie West’s singing was more restrained. Keyboards also played played a much more prominent role on this record. 

The standout song from the album is the title track, with its emphasis on intricate musical textures and Corky Laing’s exuberant drumming. The song itself is a ballad, but with almost a waltz feel with the sixteenth note patterns Corky Laing plays on the “hi hat” cymbal portion of his drum kit. At the end of the vocal portion of the chorus, the band goes into a double time feel to provide a contrast to the ballad tempo, and then returns to the regular tempo after the musical figures in the double time section of the song have been completed. According to the musicians in the band, the song was very challenging and frustrating to record, but the finished product exceeded all expectations.  

The visual aspects of the record were also stunning. Gail Collins, Felix Pappalardi's wife,  completed all of the cover art. The album also came with a number of inserts comprising of pictures, photos and other band related paraphernalia, (something, I might add, that was much appreciated part of buying a record back in the days of the vinyl record album).

The band Mountain as it was composed at the time of this record would only last a few more months, but the hard work, dedication and inspired performance on their record “Nantucket Sleighride” would provide this group’s fans with many years of listening pleasure. The band's  fans who just wanted more "Mississippi Queen" type material would be disappointed, but the fans who wanted to see what the unique combination of musical talents in Mountain were capable of welcomed this album. 

For collectors, the original pressing is well worth seeking out, especially a copy with all of the inserts intact. It was released on the Windfall label, "Windfall 5500". It has been re-released by Sony on CD as part the "Legacy" series, well re-mastered with additional liner notes and one extra track.