Leslie Abel West (born Weinstein; October 22, 1945 – December 23, 2020) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the co‑founder, guitarist and co‑lead vocalist of the rock band Mountain. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked him No. 245 on its list of the greatest guitarists of all time. West was born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, on October 22, 1945, to Jewish parents. He grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey, and later in East Meadow, Forest Hills, and Lawrence, New York. After his parents divorced, he changed his surname to West. His musical career began with The Vagrants, an R&B/blue‑eyed soul‑rock band influenced by groups such as the Rascals. They were one of the few teenage garage‑rock acts to emerge from the New York metropolitan area, as opposed to the Greenwich Village scene associated with artists, poets and Beat Generation affiliates. The Vagrants had two minor regional hits: “I Can’t Make a Friend” (1966) and a cover of Otis Redding’s “Respect” (1967). Some of the Vagrants’ recordings were produced by Felix Pappalardi, who was also working with Cream on their album Disraeli Gears. In 1969, West and Pappalardi formed the pioneering hard‑rock band Mountain, which shared its name with West’s debut solo album. Rolling Stone described Mountain as a “louder version of Cream.” With Steve Knight on keyboards and original drummer N.D. Smart, the band performed on the second day of the Woodstock Festival, on August 16, 1969, beginning an 11‑song set at 9 p.m.
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Theme For An Imaginary Western
Dont Burn Me
Setting Sun
The Twister
Dear Prudence
House Of The Rising Sun
By The River
We Gotta Get Out Of This place
Blue Me
Get It Up
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