Climbing! Explained

Climbing!
Type:studio
Artist:Mountain
Cover:Mountainclimbing1970.jpg
Recorded:1969–1970
Studio:Record Plant, New York City
Length:32:38
Label:Windfall
Producer:Felix Pappalardi
Next Title:Nantucket Sleighride
Next Year:1971

Climbing! (also known as Mountain Climbing!) is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Mountain. The album was released on March 7, 1970, by Windfall Records.[1] [2] It peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 chart,[3] and spent 39 weeks on the chart.[4]

The album 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. Both were sung by West, while Pappalardi supplied the vocal on another radio favorite, "Theme for an Imaginary Western".[5]

The album was recorded at the Record Plant in New York City. Felix Pappalardi produced the album, while Bob d'Orleans engineered it.[6]

Background

In 1969, Leslie West recorded his debut solo album, titled Mountain, with Felix Pappalardi on bass and drummer Norman Smart. Smart was replaced by Corky Laing on drums and percussion, and keyboardist Steve Knight was added to form the classic Mountain lineup, with Pappalardi as producer.

Release

Windfall Records released Climbing! on March 7, 1970. The album debuted at No. 186,[7] and peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)[8] on August 28, 1970.[9]

"Mississippi Queen" was the band's debut single, released in February 1970.[10] The single peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[11] "For Yasgur's Farm" was released as a single in September 1970.[12] It peaked at No. 107 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[13]

The album artwork was painted by Gail Collins.[14]

Critical reception

Matthew Greenwald, in a review for AllMusic, gave the album four and a half out of five stars. In (1981), Robert Christgau wrote:

Track listing

On the 2003 Legacy Recordings CD, a live version of "For Yasgur's Farm" was added as a bonus track.

Personnel

Band

Additional personnel

Notes and References

  1. Book: Harkins, Thomas E. . Woodstock FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Fabled . . 2019 . 978-1-61713-666-5 . Lanham, Maryland . 134.
  2. Web site: Rivadavia . Eduardo . March 7, 2016 . How Mountain’s First Album Deftly Straddled Two Decades . Ultimate Classic Rock.
  3. Web site: May 2, 1970 . Billboard 200 - Week of May 2, 1970 . Billboard.
  4. Web site: December 5, 1970 . Billboard 200 - Week of December 5, 1970 . Billboard.
  5. Web site: Eder . Bruce . MountainBiography . May 10, 2021 . AllMusic.
  6. March 7, 1970 . Bob d'Orleans To Record Plant . . 39 . World Radio History.
  7. Web site: March 14, 1970 . Billboard 200 - Week of March 14, 1970 . Billboard.
  8. October 10, 1970 . Record World - October 10, 1970 . . 37 . World Radio History.
  9. Web site: Gold & Platinum - RIAA . RIAA.
  10. February 21, 1970 . Record World Single Reviews . . 10 . World Radio History.
  11. Web site: Mountain - Awards . https://web.archive.org/web/20130806155217/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mountain-mn0000503913/awards . August 6, 2013 . November 5, 2022 . AllMusic.
  12. September 5, 1970 . Record World Single Reviews . . 8 . World Radio History.
  13. Web site: US Hot 100 Bubbling Under . Top40weekly.
  14. Web site: Kielty . Martin . January 12, 2021 . 50 Years Ago: Mountain Take a ‘Nantucket Sleighride’ . Ultimate Classic Rock.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Climbing!".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.