Mountain Founded by guitarist Leslie West and bassist Felix Pappalardi in 1969, Mountain was an influential yet short-lived hard rock band with a sound somewhere between early rockers Cream and the funk-influenced '70s rock of Grand Funk Railroad. Known for West's signature guitar sound, the band made a quick name for itself with an early appearance at Woodstock and went on to find success with its most famous song, "Mississippi Queen," which remains a classic rock radio staple to this day. Mountain's debut album, Climbing!, remains its best and most popular release, and two years and two albums after releasing it, the band broke up. After a brief reunion in 1974, the group members permanently left the band for other projects, while occasionally reuniting for tours and little-noticed albums ever since, minus Pappalardi, who was shot and killed by his wife in 1983. Mountain had a short period in the sun, but remain a great listen for that classic '70s stoner rock sound. Built on Leslie West's instantly recognizable guitar, Mountain's sound is classic rock with a hint of proto-metal riffs and a nice dose of white boy funk. The band is the sound of dudes hanging out in vans ala the movie Dazed and Confused, from guitar store hero wail-fests like "Mississippi Queen" to mellow chill-out tracks like "The Laird." Not to be overlooked is West's soulful voice, which calls to mind Cream's Jack Bruce. The comparisons to Cream make sense of course, since West's bandmate was the legendary trio's producer. Outside of "Mississippi Queen" Mountain tends to slip between the cracks, but those early albums are worth a listen for any fans of classic rock.