Hear the album's first single – Wylde's loving, tough-as-nails interpretation of Mountain's Blood Of The Sun – now
(Image credit: Stephen J. Boitano/LightRocket/Getty Images)
Though not as much of a household name as the likes of Hendrix or Jimmy Page, Leslie West was a towering figure in hard-rock guitar.
His death last December provoked an outpouring of tributes from guitarists across the musical spectrum, a testament to the enormous influence of West's work with 70s hard-rock titans Mountain.
Another testament to West's enduring influence is Legacy, a newly-announced tribute to the guitarist with one of the greatest tribute album lineups we've ever seen.
You can check out a preview of the album, a rabble-rousing cover of Mountain's Blood Of The Sun by Zakk Wylde, below.
About that lineup, though. Aside from Wylde, Legacy features contributions from: Dee Snider, Slash, Randy and Tal Bachman, Martin Barre, Joe Lynn Turner, Charlie Starr, Elliot Easton, Robby Krieger, George Lynch, Marty Friedman, Steve Morse, Eddie Ojeda, Marc Labelle, Yngwie Malmsteen, Mike Portnoy, Bobby Rondinelli, and Rev Jones.
The album is set for a March 25release via Provogue / Mascot Label Group, and can be preordered via Leslie West's website.
You can examine the album's cover art and tracklist below.
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“Nobody in this world has ever made me feel loved as much as Leslie, and I feel so honored and grateful that I could give him this gift," said West's widow, Jenni, in a statement. “He would often say, ‘If it doesn’t make my balls rumble, it’s not right.’ And I think there’s some balls-rumbling tones on this record.
"When you’re listening to it, you might even think it’s Leslie playing – and that’s a good thing. He really believed that adage of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. Even when some of the players do their own twists on the music, they’re still doing it in a way that’s authentic and respectful, and Leslie would have appreciated that.”
(Image credit: Provogue/Mascot Label Group)
Legacy: A Tribute to Leslie West
1. Blood of the Sun (feat. Zakk Wylde)
2. Nantucket Sleighride(To Owen Coffin) (feat. Joe Lynn Turner, Marty Friedman)
3. Theme for an Imaginary Western (feat. Dee Snider, Mike Portnoy)
4. For Yasgur's Farm (feat. Joe Lynn Turner, Martin Barre)
5. Why Dontcha (feat. Steve Morse, Ronnie Romero)
6. Sittin' On a Rainbow (feat. Elliot Easton, Ronnie Romero)
7. Never in My Life (feat. Dee Snider, George Lynch)
8. The Doctor (feat. Robby Krieger, Ronnie Romero)
9. Silver Paper (feat. Charlie Starr)
10. Money (Whatcha Gonna Do)/By the River – medley (feat. Randy Bachman & Tal Bachman)
11. Long Red (feat. Yngwie Malmsteen & Teddy Rondinelli)
12. Mississippi Queen (feat. Slash, Marc Labelle)
Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.
