Sixty Minutes With

2007's Sixty Minutes with Mountain is described as a compilation that is "drawn from a number of sources and different eras." Wow, thanks so much for that exhaustive source info! As many longtime Mountain/Leslie West fans can attest, there has been an absolute mountain of Mountain live sets and compilations issued over the years, and this set isn't all that different from any handful of the oodles already out there. As expected, the set includes amped up versions of such Mountain classics as "Never in My Life" and "Mississippi Queen," but there are also a few pleasant surprises. Tops would be a stripped down, bluesy version of the gorgeous ballad "Theme for an Imaginary Western," and an early reading of "Animal Trainer and the Toad" -- from back in the day when few other bands (besides Zeppelin and Sabbath) could match the mighty Mountain for sheer riff superpower. Not the greatest live Mountain release, but certainly not the worst, either. ~ Greg Prato|