Corky Laing’s Mountain - Live in Belgium 2019 (CD)

Corky Laing, the last member of the original Mountain formation, has been continuing the legacy of one of the first hard rock bands with Corky Laing's Mountain since 2015. Recorded in Belgium in 2019, the live album looks back on the greatest hits of the band Mountain, which was founded 50 years earlier and to which Laing quickly joined. It's a kind of anniversary album in which the band around Laing has once again recorded a greatest hits live album.
Most of the songs come from the band's most successful phase at the beginning of the 70s, whereby the set list is also peppered with songs like "Long Red" from Leslie West's solo album "Mountain" or "Why Dotcha", which West, Bruce & Laing released , after Mountain split for the first time in just a few years.
With Mark Mikel, Laing has brought a bassist into the band, who also takes on the lead vocals in most songs and, vocally and in terms of bass playing, is a worthy heir to Felix Pappalardi, who was taken from his life early on. Richie Scarlet also shows on the guitar that he is an expert in his field and shines with sometimes brute style of play but also with ballad-like pieces such as "Theme From An Imaginary Western", which was written by Jack Bruce, with a soulful and warm style of play.
What has remained hidden for a long time is that Laing is not only an excellent hard rock drummer, he can also sing and contributes the lead vocals on some songs. The Dylan cover "Like A Rollin' Stone" is humorous, where he almost only accompanies himself with the drums.
The power trio shows that Mountain was rightly called one of the first hard rock bands, especially with the two hits "Mississippi Queen" with the introductory cowbells and "Never In My Life", which makes the hearts of rock fans beat faster and also the timelessness of many of Mountain's songs, including the lyrically rather somber "Nantucket Sleighride", for which Laing compares whalers and musicians who wanted too much and were torn down or disappeared into nothingness.
With this album, which is also technically well produced, Laing shows that Mountain's music has not disappeared into obscurity, but is kept alive by the band. One can quote a line from Laing's compatriot, Neil Young, in this regard: "Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die".

01 Dreams Of Milk And Honey / Blood Of The Sun
02 Travellin’ The Dark
03 Long Red
04 Beautiful Flies
05 Theme From An Imaginary Western
06 Why Dontcha
07 Mississippi Queen
08 Never In My Life
09 Nantucket Sleighride
10 Like A Rollin’ Stone
11 For Yasgur’s Farm
12 Sitting On A Rainbow
13 Going Home
14 Silver Paper