Quad LP/Tape Poll Mountain: Best Of Mountain [SQ/Q8]

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Rate "Best Of Mountain"

  • 9

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 6

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1: Bad Sound, Bad Mix, Bad Content

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    10

EMB

2K Club - QQ Super Nova
Since 2002/2003
Joined
Feb 8, 2004
Messages
4,101
Location
The Top 40 Radio of My Mind
Columbia/Windfall CQ 32079, from 1973.

Side 1:

1. Never In My Life
2. Taunta(Sammy's Tune)/
Nantucket Sleighride
3. Roll Over Beethoven
4. For Yasgur's Farm
5. The Animal Trainer And The Toad

Side 2:

1. Mississippi Queen
2. King's Chorale/
Boys In The Band
3. Don't Look Around
4. Theme From An Imaginary Western
5. Crossroader

ED :)
 
Has anyone ever actually seen this title on a Columbia Q8? I'd be interested to see one. It's listed in the Quad discography as being released on Columbia Q8. All I've ever seen (and own) are the GRT Q8 with the whacko channel layout.

Having said that, the mix is OK. Not really imaginative, pretty limited sonically, horrible sound quality. Let's run the master tape through a mud puddle, then play it back. Mmmm, sounds great. Pretty disappointed with this one.
 
First of all, this is a classic 'it is what it is'...which isn't optimum, but knowing the old Windfall/Bell Lp's as I do, the limited dynamic range was very intentional, so there was likely no way to make it sound *better* except to mix to 4-channel.

A few curiosities:

"Mississippi Queen" has an added piano part that I swear I can't detect on the old mono(45)and stereo(Lp)master, though it might well just be buried by the rest of the mix. The other thing is that, on the stereo Lp, it lists six tracks per side, which is not correct, since only five are banded. The quad Lp has the track listing right, with the Track 2 songs on each side listed together.

And, as was the case with some Columbia quad's, where the stereo Lp had a gatefold cover, the quad edition does not.

ED :)
 
I have a Q8 transfer of this and gave it a listen the other day. Not half bad. Considering it came from 8 track, it wasn't particularly that muddy. Keyboard parts were definitely added to several tracks to flesh out the mix that are not present in the stereo version. Keyboard bits are somewhat overbearing on a few tracks like "Never in My Life" but overall not an unpleasant listen.

Rick
 
If the keyboard portions were added--and not on the multitracks--it makes you wonder how many tracks were available for some of these songs. If you have to flesh out a 4-channel mix with extra parts, then one must assume that, at best, a few of them were 3 or 4-track, tops. After all, if you have an 8-track multi, it has to be assumed there shouldn't be a need to add anything, since it should all be there.

ED :)
 
The Piano part is definitely in the mix on Mississippi Queen, it's just buried down low. You hear it at the end of the song.

One thing I detect again is at the quiet parts of the last few seconds of the song, I hear an alternate vocal bit that is either a previous take that got wiped or some tape print through.

I can hear a very faint "aaaaaaaallll right!" or "awwwwww yeah!" during the tinkling piano part before the last four final notes.
 
LOVE the mixes on this one. A solid 10 from me. All very different than the stereo versions. I wish there were more Mountain QUADs other than this and Avalanche.
 
Saw Mountain twice, and once in Syracuse we went around back to "doobie" and the band showed up in a limo, and could not get in the aud. didn't meet them, but they all gave us the "nod" and smile.
 
7. Mississippi Queen and Jack Bruce's Theme from an Imaginary Western are superb. To me, much of the rest is far from bad, but forgettable. I have an SQ, Q8 & CD of this one.

At least in the US, this was NEVER on a Columbia Q8, just GRT. The SQ LP was, of course, Columbia.

$T2eC16NHJH8E9qSEU6!eBRdUM,cBlQ~~60_35.JPG
mtXe50FLWxBFuZ15FpO4zRA.jpg
 
Felix Pappalardi's deals with labels must have been complex. This we know: Windfall was originally distributed by Bell (and the albums and singles in Canada used the silver Bell design, but same serial numbers as US Lp's). At first Ampex, which manufactured Amy/Mala/Bell tapes in the late '60s, put out Windfall too, since Leslie West's MOUNTAIN Lp was issued on tape by Ampex. But IIRC, while the vinyl was subsequently still put out through Bell, the tapes were made beginning in 1970 by GRT, and that deal apparently continued after Windfall connected with Columbia (or it was a deal for a certain number of years, regardless of who put out the vinyl editions, which didn't fall under GRT's jurisdiction).

ED :)
 
My FOE is a 2 tape set, volume A and B. But I have heard there may be a one tape version, but I have not seen one.

vinylguy4

It is a two tape set. The Q8 Pictured is side 1 of the LP, the studio recording. The other tape is the live recording side 2 of the LP. The Q8 is nothing but double stereo unfortunately maybe with some EQ difference. Also available in a blue cartridge if I remember correctly.
 
From what I remember of the Q8, there was *some* separation--like drums moving from front to back, or an isolated guitar lick here and there--but it was never much of a quad mix, even with that, though the live performances very good and Leslie West, of course, a skilled (if not brilliant) axeman.

ED :)
 
I have a DVD-a transfer of this, and I love the mixes as well... It's pretty interesting how the placement of instrumentation changes wildly from one song to the next. If I remember correctly, "Never in My Life" isolates Felix's pummelling fuzz bass in the right rear, which sounds incredible, while "Missisippi Queen" isolates Steve Knight's fumbling piano playing in the same speaker...not so good. Still, I think the separation is pretty good and the mixes different enough from the familiar versions to keep my attention.
 
I have a DVD-a transfer of this, and I love the mixes as well... It's pretty interesting how the placement of instrumentation changes wildly from one song to the next. If I remember correctly, "Never in My Life" isolates Felix's pummelling fuzz bass in the right rear, which sounds incredible, while "Missisippi Queen" isolates Steve Knight's fumbling piano playing in the same speaker...not so good. Still, I think the separation is pretty good and the mixes different enough from the familiar versions to keep my attention.

This is true. I love it!
 
Listened to this one again last night. Other than the really loud keyboard part in the right rear in TFAAW this one totally rules. The cymbals, especially the hi-hat in the right rear on Nantucket are totally awesome and spread out real nice. a 10 all the way!
 
The piano on "Mississippi Queen" is buried in the original mono and stereo mixes of what would be the group's only hit single. In quad, the piano (understandably) was finally brought out prominently, which proved what I always thought: rudimentary (to say the least!) and really not necessary because of producer/member Felix Pappalardi's dense mono/stereo mixes which accent the guitar and drums quite well, making it one of those better remembered hard rock hits of 1970. That said, it was a joy to hear it well separated, allowing one to hear with detail a little of what the session tape would have offered.

ED :)
 
Like someone else said. It Is what it is. I like muddy metal and muddy proto-metal-bluesrock. One of my fav quads is Paranoid, so you know I'm going to like this. I want to give it an 8 but I'm going to give it a 7. The mix is not quite 8 material. There are parts that shine though. I m quite fond of the mix/performance of Roll Over Beethoven. Doing a Chuck Berry cover really shows if you have the chops to rock out and jam. They did.
 
Back
Top