leslie west soundcheck brave words bloody

“Prior to going into the studio to record Aqualung, I met Leslie, whose playing I absolutely loved,” Barre reveals. And that’s how In Rock came about.”įor Martin Barre, meeting Leslie in 1970 served to inspire the writing and playing on Jethro Tull’s most successful album in the band’s history, Aqualung. At the time, we were trying to find our way as a band, some sort of ‘category.’ Jon was into the classical stuff, and, although I love classical music, I wanted to follow up the Deep Purple album, the last one with the original line-up, with something much heavier, out-and-out rock. Hearing Mountain directly influenced the direction of the Purple, and you can hear that influence on what was to become our next record,, In Rock. Paice and I heard, ‘Mississippi Queen,’ and we both went white! We were thinking, ‘Who the hell is that?!’ It had such a big sound! For three guys, it was incredibly heavy. In those days, you could go to a club and listen to the new records in their entirety that had just come out. “I remember being in a place in Germany, and Ian and I were out drinking together.

'I’ve always really loved Leslie West’s playing,” says Blackmore. Blackmore has stated that Leslie’s phenomenal playing on “Mississippi Queen” served to redirect the course of Deep Purple’s music in an instant, ultimately resulting in the brutal hard rock intensity displayed on Deep Purple In Rock. Included among Leslie’s many fans and disciples are six-string luminaries such as Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, John McLaughlin, Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre, Warren Haynes, and Richie Blackmore of Deep Purple. Along with the hugely influential Top Ten hit “Mississippi Queen,” his brilliant guitar work serves as the driving force behind the Mountain classics, “Nantucket Sleighride,” “Never In My Life,” “Don’t Look Around,” “Blood of the Sun,” “Dreams of Milk and Honey,” and the incredible Jack Bruce composition, “Theme For an Imaginary Western.” That one-of-a-kind signature guitar sound propels Soundcheck throughout, evidenced by such powerful tracks as, “Left By The Roadside to Die,” “Here For the Party,” “Empty Promises-Nothing Sacred,” “Going Down,” “Spoonful,” “A Stern Warning” and five other stellar songs. West’s wholly unique sound, distinguished by beautifully melodic phrasing, his slow, wide vibrato, and a crushing guitar tone set the standard in the late sixties and early seventies for blues/rock guitar playing of the highest order. Leslie West (born Leslie Weinstein, October 22nd, 1945) first gained worldwide recognition in 1969 as the guitarist and singer in the groundbreaking rock band Mountain. Soundcheck is co-produced and engineered by West's collaborator Mike 'Metal' Goldberg, who he shared, 'helped me get my sound down on 'Tape' as they used to say, and did an amazing job as he always does.' For this new release, West lays down some of his most inspired musical magic to date with the assistance of true rock royalty: the renown British guitarists Peter Frampton and Brian May, ex-Jeff Beck keyboard virtuoso Max Middleton, vocalist extraordinaire Bonnie Bramlett and the late great Cream bassist and longtime friend of Leslie’s, Jack Bruce.īack in 1972, Leslie made musical history with Jack when they joined forces to form the super group West, Bruce and Laing.

Leslie west soundcheck brave words bloody