# Climbing!

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***Climbing!*** (also known as ***Mountain Climbing!***) is the debut studio album by American [hard rock](/source/Hard_rock) band [Mountain](/source/Mountain_(band)). The album was released on March 7, 1970, by [Windfall Records](/source/Windfall_Records).[1][2] It peaked at No. 17 on the [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200) chart,[3] and spent 39 weeks on the chart.[4]

The album included the group's best-known song, "[Mississippi Queen](/source/Mississippi_Queen)", which became a hit, and "Never in My Life", which was regularly aired on contemporary FM radio.[5] Both were sung by West, while Pappalardi supplied the vocal on another radio favorite, "[Theme for an Imaginary Western](/source/Theme_for_an_Imaginary_Western)".[6]

The album was recorded at the [Record Plant](/source/Record_Plant) in [New York City](/source/New_York_City). Felix Pappalardi produced the album, while Bob d'Orleans engineered it.[7]

## Background and release

In 1969, [Leslie West](/source/Leslie_West) recorded his debut solo album, titled *[Mountain](/source/Mountain_(Leslie_West_album))*, with [Felix Pappalardi](/source/Felix_Pappalardi) on bass and drummer [Norman Smart](/source/N._D._Smart). Smart was replaced by [Corky Laing](/source/Corky_Laing) on drums and percussion, and keyboardist [Steve Knight](/source/Steve_Knight_(musician)) was added to form the classic Mountain lineup, with Pappalardi as producer.[6]

[Windfall Records](/source/Windfall_Records) released *Climbing!* on March 7, 1970.[1][2] The album debuted at No. 186,[8] and peaked at No. 17 on the [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200) chart.[3] The album was certified [gold](/source/RIAA_certification) by the [Recording Industry Association of America](/source/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America) (RIAA)[9] on August 28, 1970.[10]

"[Mississippi Queen](/source/Mississippi_Queen)" was the band's debut single, released in February 1970.[11] The single peaked at No. 21 on the [*Billboard* Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) chart.[12] "[For Yasgur's Farm](/source/For_Yasgur's_Farm_(song))" was released as a single in August 1970.[13] It peaked at No. 107 on the [*Billboard* Bubbling Under Hot 100](/source/Bubbling_Under_Hot_100) chart.[14] "Silver Paper" was also released as a single in 1971,[15] but it failed to chart.

## Music

*[Classic Rock Magazine](/source/Classic_Rock_(magazine))* said: "Its organic, hard-driving [blues rock](/source/Blues_rock) owed a significant debt to [Cream](/source/Cream_(band)), who were produced by Mountain bassist/vocalist [Felix Pappalardi](/source/Felix_Pappalardi)."[16]

## Artwork

The album artwork was painted by [Gail Collins](/source/Gail_Collins_Pappalardi). It depicts Collins standing in front of a mountain.[17]

## Critical reception and legacy

Matthew Greenwald, in a review for [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic), gave the album four and a half out of five stars. In *[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies](/source/Christgau's_Record_Guide:_Rock_Albums_of_the_Seventies)* (1981), [Robert Christgau](/source/Robert_Christgau) wrote:

We all know they're the original [Cremora](/source/Non-dairy_creamer)—what this makes clearer is that they're [Jack Bruce](/source/Jack_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 from [raga](/source/Raga) to [flamenco](/source/Flamenco) without ever touching the [blues](/source/Blues) you know he's not doing an [Eric Clapton](/source/Eric_Clapton) tribute. Can't fit the humongous "Mississippi Queen" into this theory, but I can tell you who wrote "Theme for an Imaginary Western": Jack Bruce and [Pete Brown](/source/Pete_Brown).[18]

The album's opening track, "[Mississippi Queen](/source/Mississippi_Queen)," has been covered by artists such as [Ozzy Osbourne](/source/Ozzy_Osbourne), [Bachman-Turner Overdrive](/source/Bachman%E2%80%93Turner_Overdrive), [Ted Nugent](/source/Ted_Nugent) and [W.A.S.P.](/source/W.A.S.P._(band))[16]

## Track listing

On the 2003 [Legacy Recordings](/source/Legacy_Recordings) [CD](/source/Compact_disc), a live version of "For Yasgur's Farm" was added as a bonus track.

## Personnel

*adapted from the albums liner notes*[19], except noted

**Mountain**

- [Leslie West](/source/Leslie_West) – guitars; vocals (tracks 1, 3-5, 8, 9)
- [Felix Pappalardi](/source/Felix_Pappalardi) - bass guitar (tracks 1-5, 8, 9), piano (tracks 1, 2, 9), vocals (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 9), guitars (tracks 7, 9); [Producer](/source/Record_producer), [musical director](/source/Music_director)
- [Corky Laing](/source/Corky_Laing) - Drums (tracks 1-5, 8, 9), Percussion (tracks 7, 9), [Cowbell](/source/Cowbell_(instrument)) (tracks 1, 3, 8)[20]
- [Steve Knight](/source/Steve_Knight_(musician)) - Organ (tracks 2-5), [mellotron](/source/Mellotron) (tracks 2, 9), [handbells](/source/Handbell) (track 4)

**Technical**

- Bob d’Orleans - [Engineer](/source/Engineer)
- Llyllianne Douma - assistant Engineer
- Bud Prager – [executive production](/source/Executive_producer)
- [Gail Collins](/source/Gail_Collins_Pappalardi) – [cover artwork](/source/Album_cover), photography
- Beverly Weinstein – [art direction](/source/Art_director)
- Mick Brigden - [equipment](/source/Musical_equipment)
- Sheldon Rosen - equipment

## Charts

Chart (1970) Peak position

## References

1. Harkins, Thomas E. (2019). *Woodstock FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Fabled*. Lanham, Maryland: [Backbeat Books](/source/Backbeat_Books). p. 134. ISBN 978-1-61713-666-5.

1. Rivadavia, Eduardo (March 7, 2016). ["How Mountain’s First Album Deftly Straddled Two Decades"](https://ultimateclassicrock.com/mountain-band-climbing/). *Ultimate Classic Rock*

1. ["Billboard 200 - Week of May 2, 1970"](https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1970-05-02/). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. May 2, 1970.

1. ["Billboard 200 - Week of December 5, 1970"](https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1970-12-05/). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. December 5, 1970.

1. Greenwald, Matthew. ["Mountain: *Climbing!* – Review"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/climbing%21-mw0000613865). *[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)*. Retrieved May 10, 2021.

1. Eder, Bruce. ["Mountain – Biography"](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mountain-mn0000503913/biography). *[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)*. Retrieved May 10, 2021.

1. ["Bob d'Orleans To Record Plant"](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/70/RW-1970-03-07.pdf). *[Record World](/source/Record_World)*. March 7, 1970. p. 39. – via World Radio History.

1. ["Billboard 200 - Week of March 14, 1970"](https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1970-03-14/). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. March 14, 1970.

1. ["Record World - October 10, 1970"](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/70/RW-1970-10-10.pdf). *[Record World](/source/Record_World)*. October 10, 1970. p. 37. – via World Radio History.

1. ["Gold & Platinum - RIAA"](https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Mountain&ti=Climbing&lab=&genre=&format=&date_option=release&from=&to=&award=&type=&category=&adv=SEARCH#search_section). *RIAA*

1. ["Record World Single Reviews"](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/70/RW-1970-02-21.pdf). *[Record World](/source/Record_World)*. February 21, 1970. p. 10. – via World Radio History.

1. ["Mountain - Awards"](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mountain-mn0000503913/awards). AllMusic. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130806155217/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mountain-mn0000503913/awards) August 6, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 5, 2022.

1. ["Cash Box / Singles Reviews"](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1970/CB-1970-08-29.pdf). *[Cash Box](/source/Cash_Box_(magazine))*. August 29, 1970. p. 28. – via World Radio History.

1. ["US Hot 100 Bubbling Under"](https://top40weekly.com/bubbling-under/). *Top40weekly*

1. ["Picks Of The Week"](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1971/Cash-Box-1971-08-07.pdf). *[Cash Box](/source/Cashbox_(magazine))*. August 7, 1971. p. 22. – via World Radio History.

1. Dome, Malcolm; Ling, Dave; Ewing, Jerry; Barton, Geoff (2020-03-30). ["The 30 albums that built heavy metal"](https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-30-albums-that-built-heavy-metal). *Louder*. Retrieved 2025-06-14.

1. Kielty, Martin (January 12, 2021). ["50 Years Ago: Mountain Take a ‘Nantucket Sleighride’"](https://ultimateclassicrock.com/mountain-nantucket-sleighride/). *Ultimate Classic Rock*

1. Christgau, Robert (1981). ["Consumer Guide '70s: M"](https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=M&bk=70). *[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies](/source/Christgau's_Record_Guide:_Rock_Albums_of_the_Seventies)*. [Ticknor & Fields](/source/Ticknor_%26_Fields). ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 8, 2019. – via robertchristgau.com.

1. ["Mountain - Climbing!"](https://www.discogs.com/release/35552161-Mountain-Climbing), 1970, retrieved 2026-04-18

1. Devoe, Abigail (2025-04-07). ["Mountain – Climbing, 55 Years Later"](https://www.abigaildevoe.com/post/mountain-climbing-55-years-later). *Abigail Devoe*. Retrieved 2026-04-18.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Climbing!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climbing!) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climbing!?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.