Mountain Does Dylan on 'Masters Of War'

The legendary Mountain, featuring guitar hero Leslie West, has returned with “Masters of War,” a ground-breaking new album made up entirely of Bob Dylan cover songs.

“When I was in Belgium three years ago on tour I heard Neil Young did a Celtic version of ‘Blowin’ in the Wind,” West said. “I started singing it to myself every day and worked out an acoustic and electric version.  His lyrics were so great and still stood up.  I thought, ‘Why not find other Dylan songs to arrange the way I could sing them?’ I first did a Dylan song on my first solo album in 1969, Leslie West ‘Mountain.’”

The world’s current climate lends a special timeliness to a record of Dylan songs, most of which were written during previous war-torn years, which is also reflected in the album’s cover art.

“The guy that did it came up with the ideas,” West said.  “It happened so fast.  We had the title and the words are so what is happening now with the war, and it was his vision.  He even scanned toy soldiers that he bought and used them on the package.  It’s definitely Iraq .  I was thinking of the people in the White House when I was singing the freakin’ song.”

To help the group out, Government Mule leader Warren Haynes and none other than Ozzy Osbourne were enlisted to lend their special talents to a couple tracks.

“When Leslie told me Mountain was doing a CD of all Dylan songs, frankly, I was a little scared,” said Warren Haynes.  “Then I heard the stuff and I thought, ‘Oh my God, what a great take on these classic tunes.’  He's playing as good as ever and his vocal on ‘The Times They Are A' Changing’ shows what a great soulful singer he's always been.”

Leslie West has always been a favorite singer of mine,” said Ozzy Osbourne. “When he asked me to sing on the track ‘Masters of War’ on his new album and I was honored.  The album is great!"

West’s connection to Dylan reaches far back to when both played Woodstock in 1969.  “The guys in the band were my friends in Woodstock , N.Y. ,” he said.  “I bought a house there after the festival and almost bought Dylan’s house.  I realized it was Dylan’s house when the broker told me it belonged to a famous songwriter/singer.  I thought, ‘Okay, maybe Tim Hardin of “If I Were a Carpenter” fame, When I drove up to the house I still had no idea whose house it was, then in the living room I saw the big Nashville skyline picture, like a mural on the wall.  I got scared, left, and bought another house.”

“Masters of War” was just released by the band’s own label, Big Rack Records.  “We were offered the label through Megaforce Records (distributed by RED) and felt it was better than being stuck on a big label and buried,” said West.

Mountain just completed a 20+ city tour headlining Hippiefest, where they performed several songs from “Masters of War,” as well as beloved Mountain classics.

After 5 to 6 years on a recent worldwide Mountain tour, we were asked to record a new CD. During the touring Leslie heard Neil Young’s rendition of Blowin in the Wind and decided to perform it acoustically at our shows. The reaction was clearly overwhelming leaving Les and I to a serious look, again, at the musical and political significance of Bob Dylan’s repertoire. I personally felt that Leslie’s vocal power would match the power in Dylan’s lyrics. The melodies simple and direct would match Leslie’s lyrical guitar expressions. The drum feels were spontaneous and most of the basic tracks were first takes in the studio. Personally, I just tried to punctuate the hell out of the song. It took about 3 years to contemplate exactly what Dylan material we would decide to record Mountain style. The final result is Mountain CD MASTERS OF WAR. Corky Laing

1. Masters Of War(featuring Ozzy Osbourne)
2. Serve somebody
3. Blowin' In The Wind [heavy]
4. Everything Is Broken
5. Highway 61 Revisited
6. This Heart Of Mine
7. Subterranean Homesick Blues
8. The Times They Are A-changin'
9. Seven Days
10. Mr. Tambourine Man
11. Like A Rolling Stone
12. Blowin' In The Wind [acoustic]

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