Leslie West
One of the first to exploit the Junior’s aggressive sound was Leslie West, whose burly tone was as big as the man himself. A New York City native, West first made a name for himself with the Vagrants, a showy Long Island R&B band, before going solo. Filled with grinding riffs and soaring solos, his 1969 debut Mountain is cherished by hard-rock connoisseurs as a precursor to American metal. West formed a quartet—also called Mountain, an apparent reference to his girth—and was soon playing such top venues as the Fillmore and Boston Tea Party. After performing at Woodstock, Mountain released a string of albums, including Climbing! and Nantucket Sleighride, both of which went gold. In West’s hands, the Les Paul Junior looked like a toy, but thundered like a herd of buffalo. West is a master of squawking riffage—“Never in My Life” and “Mississippi Queen” are two of his best—but his ability to craft melodic solos is what sets him apart from other lead guitarists of the day. Listen to his solo on “Theme for an Imaginary Western” (a five-minute opus written by Jack Bruce and Pete Brown for Cream) to hear how a Les Paul Junior can soar like a violin on steroids.