When you feel the blues, when you want to hear the blues, it’s gotta resonate. Leslie West, with his hard, metallic guitar playing and raspy voice does the trick. And, with his lead of the hard rock band Mountain, you’re gonna get a heapin’ dish of message, cleanly delivered. This was the driving force behind “Mississippi Queen,” after all. In their new CD, “Masters of War,” there’s no mistaking the point or lyrics, for that matter, of songs like “Serve Somebody” or “Blowing in the Wind”. By the way, this ain’t no whiny version of the song, either. In “Everything is Broken,” you understand and still rock out. But somehow, the messages and the arrangements still retain some hope and aren’t screech-anger fests, either. The musicality shines through. The guitar work is gorgeous, articulated and with the expert production values, you don’t feel like you’re in the audience – you feel like you’re sitting on stage with them. And by the way, I want to find out how Leslie West has made his voice better than ever… he can still hit all the notes, has a silky timber and still has good power.
Mountain got a couple of super heavy hitters to guest on this CD: Ozzie Osbourne in the title track and Warren Haynes. This CD’s gonna make you want to be alone, blasting up the stereo in your house or in your car on one of those days.
Not everybody is aware that Leslie West had a role in the Tom Hanks movie, “The Money Pit” or that he lent his voice to the animated series, “Beast Wars Transformers”.
I called Leslie West as he was lounging poolside at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Tell me about your latest projects?
I just put out the new Masters of War CD, with Ozzie and Warren Haynes doing some vocals. I took an idea I had from listening to a bootleg copy of Neil Young doing Dylan, with Celtic choir and strings. Ever since 1969, I wanted to do Dylan, but I never thought Mountain would be able to do it. I wanted it to not sound like Dylan. It was two years in the making!
I had bladder cancer, from smoking. I was lucky; I had a 40-minute operation and it took care of it. Most of my friends are dead! I went out to see Ozzie, he was doing Mississippi Queen. I wanted him to do Masters of War… I emailed him, “Before I die!” He thought I was kidding. When he found out I had cancer, he said, “If that happened to me, I’d take the biggest shot of something and you wouldn’t know a fucking thing that happened!”. Then, he sent the biggest basket of fruit.
You are known as being very particular about sound equipment and placement. Tell me about that.
I was never a guitarist who could play fast. So, I used two fingers. So, it became all about tone. I now have a model with Dean Guitars. I told them they needed volume knobs that go to 11… and they do!
I use only one pickup. In the studio, I have amps in a room and 5 or 6 room mics. If you put a mic in front of a cabinet, there’s no air in between and sound is in the air.
Then, I mix the CD. It’s tough to mix by email!
How did you get into acting?
MTV’s Martha Quinn got a call from Steven Spielberg, looking for a larger than life character. It was gonna be Meatloaf or me. I auditioned and they used me for the Money Pit. I also did the voice for the Transformer Beast Wars. My nephew loved it! I said to him, “This is me, Max,” and I did the voice.
Do you come from a musical family?
No. But my family was involved in show business. My uncle was a Broadway writer and his nephew wrote for Jackie Gleason and Sammy Davis, Jr. When I was 8, I went to see Jackie Gleason in New York. As the show was starting, they announced that Tommy Dorsey was going to be substituting. I cried and cried – and it was a live show! Then, he had a guest…Elvis! It was the first time he was on tv. I decided I would be a guitarist right there and then. They started me off on a ukulele, then a bigger guitar. I had the first ’78 Elvis put out.
Tell me about playing at Woodstock.
The first time or this year? The first time, it was scary… it was only our third show! Jimmy Hendrix’s agent was our agent. We weren’t in the movie, they lost the film. But they’ve found it and they’re putting it in a new DVD. This year, we played at the new ampitheater. You can see the old site from the stage.
What was your relationship with Felix Pappalardi?
Felix produced my first group, The Vagrants. He said, “If you guys break up, let me know.” We broke up and he called 3 days later. Drugs entered into it, though. I thought he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I didn’t realize he produced Cream. I asked my brother, “How come we don’t sound like Cream?” He said we didn’t practice! Felix got shot by his wife, I’m sure drugs were involved. Never give your wife a gun! Give ‘em a Porsche, a Miracle Bra, but no gun.
Most bands active in the 1970’s were heavy into drugs. Most who are still playing today aren’t. What are your thoughts?
I stopped taking drugs in 1978. That’s why my voice still sounds the way it does. I went to a good clinic in Milwaukee, got straightened out. I was on heroin. After I got out, I didn’t want to play guitar for two years. I went to see Journey play in Milwaukee and Eddie Van Halen opened for them. It changed my life! I stopped smoking. I couldn’t take the patch, because I’m diabetic. I am on medicine, and I was told it was “expensive,” that it costs $150 a month. I was spending $500 a month on cigarettes. It blocks the receptors in the brain…the thrill is gone.
What musician out there would you like to play with?
Eric Clapton. I would love to, even for a minute.
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