"Nantucket Sleighride" is the second studio album by American hard rock band Mountain. It was released in January 1971 by Windfall Records. This album includes the band's most known song "Mississippi Queen."
The exciting title track, "Nantucket Sleighride (To Owen Coffin)", was inspired by a real-life event of 19th-century Nantucket whalers where a harpooned whale could drag the whalers' boat along for a risky, exhilarating ride, referred to as a Nantucket Sleighride. This 17-minute long song was titled in remembrance of Owen Coffin, a young seaman aboard the Nantucket whaling ship Essex, which sank after being rammed by a sperm whale in 1820.
Mountain is known for its mix of blues and rock, with occasional experimental sounds. On this album, the band maintains that eclectic approach, exhibited by their soulful blues take on "The Animal Trainer and the Toad," to the softer, more introspective pieces like "My Lady."
"Nantucket Sleighride" was well-received, and decades after its initial release, it continues to be a staple of the band's live shows and cherished by fans.
