It seems that some of the Blown-Eyeds, are posting videos of 70’s Rockers. It also seems that the developing tune theme has to do with “Mountain”. Having actually been a 70’s Rocker, Ms. Brooklyn Smartass, (“Hairboy,“ indeed!), I figure I’ll play along.

With that, I give you Mountain’s Mississippi Queen, recorded in 1970.

I think it was about fifteen years ago I was at a concert at the Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey (I think it was a Clapton concert), and I was happy to learn that Leslie West and Mountain would be the opening act. Frankly, I was surprised to learn that ol’ Leslie West had managed to survive all the booze and pharmaceuticals.

Anyway, out they came, and, I surmise to remind everyone in the audience who they were, they opened with “Mississippi Queen”. The song began with the familiar power chords, and we all waited for Leslie to play the screaming lick that would signal the real beginning of the song.

When the audience was brought to an appropriate level of excitement, it was time for Leslie to play the lick he had probably played thousands of times before. Here it comes! ………….. ACK! WTF? His guitar was out of tune! Leslie West was on stage playing a guitar that was out of tune. The song was damned near half over by the time he realized the little problemo and fixed it, proving, I suppose, that maybe he only half survived the booze and pharmaceuticals.

As the video below demonstrates (it was shot in 2006 in Lakewood, New Jersey – not exactly the Meadowlands), Leslie West is still, well, … ambulatory.