Mountain – Live In Paris (7/8 – 9/1985)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C+     Extras: D     Concert: C+

 

 

Mountain is one of those one-hit-wonder bands whose hit Mississippi Queen has endured even beyond the rise and fall of Classic Rock radio, including their only hit album at the time of that single in 1970.  Nevertheless, that was enough street cred for the band to move on, even after a co-founder was shot and killed in 1983.  Mountain – Live In Paris retains Leslie West and was captured in a German TV concert as they were touring with Deep Purple.  Now on DVD, the concert includes:

 

1)     Why Dontcha

2)     Never In My Life

3)     Theme For An Imaginary Western

4)     Spark

5)     Nantucket Sleighride

6)     Mississippi Queen

 

 

Despite Felix Pappalardi’s absence, the band is in good form here in this short but decent performance.  Fans weary of latter-day performances will not be too disappointed as the new line up (including Corky Lange and Mark Clarke) delivers and shows well into the 1980s, the band had as much heart and soul as Deep Purple, The Moody Blues and other such Blues/Rock outfits no matter where they went later.

 

The 1.33 x 1 image is in fairly good shape for its age, but on the soft side, with some color consistency and clarity as shot in the analog PAL format.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is somewhere between stereo and mono, but well recorded just the same.  There are no extras.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo