Nantucket Sleighride (album)

Nantucket Sleighride is the second studio album by American hard rock band Mountain, released in January 1971 by Windfall Records in the US and by Island in the UK.

Nantucket Sleighride
Studio album by
Mountain
ReleasedJanuary 1971
Recordedlate 1970
StudioThe Record Plant, New York City, New York
GenreHard rock
Length35:12
LabelWindfall (US)
Island (UK)
ProducerFelix Pappalardi
Mountain chronology
Climbing!
(1970)		 Nantucket Sleighride
(1971)		 Flowers of Evil
(1971)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Songs

The song and album title is a reference to the experience of being towed along in a boat by a harpooned whale (see Nantucket sleighride). Owen Coffin, to whom the song is dedicated, was a young seaman on the Nantucket whaler Essex, which was rammed and sunk by a sperm whale in 1820. In the aftermath of the wreck, Coffin was shot and eaten by his shipmates. The story of the Essex was recorded by its First Mate Owen Chase, one of eight survivors, in his 1821 Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex.[2]

The instrumental break in the second half of the track uses the melody of the traditional Scottish song "The Parting Glass". The closing section of "Nantucket Sleighride" was used as the theme to the long-running British political television show Weekend World (1972-1988).

A cover version was recorded by British heavy metal band Quartz in 1980.

The song "Tired Angels" was dedicated to Jimi Hendrix, and "Travellin' In The Dark" was for Pappalardi's mother, Elia.[3] "Taunta (Sammy's Tune)" was named after Pappalardi's pet poodle.[4]

"Don't Look Around" was featured on the soundtrack of Pineapple Express (2008).

The album itself reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 200 Album Chart in 1971.[5]

Bonus tracks

The bonus tracks on the 2004 edition include the Chuck Berry cover "Roll Over Beethoven" and the original song "Crossroader", which were released as the A- and B-sides of a promotional single in 1971. The latter was later released on Flowers of Evil (1971). Live versions of both tracks appeared on subsequent live releases, such as Mountain Live: The Road Goes Ever On (1972) and Twin Peaks (1974).

Track listing
Original Album
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Don't Look Around"Leslie West, Sue Palmer, Felix Pappalardi, Gail Collins Pappalardi3:42
2."Taunta (Sammy's Tune)"Pappalardi1:00
3."Nantucket Sleighride (to Owen Coffin)"Pappalardi, Collins5:49
4."You Can't Get Away"West, Collins, Corky Laing3:23
5."Tired Angels (to J.M.H.)"Pappalardi, Collins4:39
6."The Animal Trainer and the Toad"West, Palmer3:24
7."My Lady"Laing, Pappalardi, Collins4:31
8."Travellin' in the Dark (To E.M.P.)"Pappalardi, Collins4:21
9."The Great Train Robbery"West, Laing, Pappalardi, Collins5:43
2004 CD release bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Roll Over Beethoven"Chuck Berry2:59
11."Crossroader"Pappalardi, Collins4:50
12."Travellin' in the Dark (to E.M.P.)" (live)Pappalardi, Collins5:14

Personnel
Additional personnel
  • Bud Prager – executive producer
  • Bob d'Orleans – recording engineer
  • Tom Cachetta – assistant engineer
  • Dave Ragno – assistant engineer
  • Beverly Weinstein – art direction
  • Gail Collins – cover design, painting, photography, visual director, calligraphy
  • Mick Brigden – calligraphy

Charts
Chart (1971) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[6] 38
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[7] 17
UK Albums (OCC)[8] 43
US Billboard 200[9] 16

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[10] Gold 7,500^
United States (RIAA)[11] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Mountain - Nantucket Sleighride (1971) album review by James Chrispell at AllMusic
  2. Chase, Owen (1821). Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex. New York: W. B. Gilley. ISBN 9780819562449. OCLC 12217894. Also in Heffernan, Thomas Farel, Stove by a whale: Owen Chase and the Essex, Middletown, Conn. : Wesleyan University Press ; [New York] : distributed by Columbia University Press, 1981.
  3. ZigZag Magazine, Issue 20 - May 1971
  4. Record Mirror, December 4, 1971
  5. "Mountain - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on 2016-11-25.
  6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5212". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  8. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  9. "Mountain Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  10. "Mountain: Leslie West "Natucket Sleighride" New Zealand "Gold" Record Award". 20 December 2020.
  11. "American album certifications – Mountain – Nantucket Sleighride". Recording Industry Association of America.
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