When Titans Collide, Rock History Briefly Steps Outside of Time
In 1970, Mountain released “Never In My Life” on their debut album Climbing!, a record that climbed to number 17 on the Billboard 200 while the song itself reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, cementing the band’s place in hard rock history. More than three decades later, the song found an entirely new afterlife in an unreleased 2002 performance at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, where Eddie Van Halen joined Leslie West and Corky Laing for a once-in-a-lifetime jam that remained unseen until now. This footage captures not just a performance, but a rare communion between generations of guitar giants.
The significance of this moment cannot be overstated. “Never In My Life” was already a cornerstone of Mountain’s legacy, a song built on brute-force riffing, blues-drenched swagger, and Leslie West’s unmistakable tone. West played guitar as if every note were carved from stone, heavy yet expressive, never wasted, always felt. For Eddie Van Halen, Leslie West was not merely a peer but a foundational influence, one of the players who showed him that power and feel mattered as much as speed or innovation. Seeing Eddie step into Mountain’s sonic world is less a guest appearance than a gesture of reverence.
Musically, the unreleased performance strips away ego and spectacle. Eddie does not attempt to dominate or reinvent the song. Instead, he listens, responds, and locks in. His phrasing is restrained but purposeful, leaning into rhythm and tone rather than fireworks. The result is a dialogue rather than a duel, with Eddie’s fluid, elastic style weaving around West’s monumental riffing. Corky Laing’s drumming anchors the entire exchange, reminding the listener that Mountain was always a band driven by sheer physical force.
The behind-the-scenes footage deepens the emotional weight of the performance. Conversations between Eddie and Leslie reveal mutual admiration, curiosity, and an almost childlike joy in simply talking about guitars, tone, and music. There is no hierarchy here, no myth-making. Just musicians speaking the same language, shaped by decades of loud amplifiers and louder rooms. Eddie’s presence feels relaxed, generous, and deeply engaged, as if he understands that this moment is about honoring a lineage rather than making a statement.
Lyrically, “Never In My Life” has always carried an undercurrent of obsession and disbelief, the shock of emotional intensity that feels overwhelming and destabilizing. In this 2002 performance, those themes resonate differently. The song becomes a reflection of experience rather than urgency, played by men who have lived long enough to understand the weight behind the words. What once sounded like youthful fixation now feels like acknowledgment, a recognition of how deeply music can bind people across time.
This unreleased jam stands as a quiet monument in rock history. Not polished, not commercial, not staged for legacy building. It exists simply because it happened. A night where one legend stepped into the sound of another, not to conquer it, but to share it. In doing so, Eddie Van Halen and Mountain gave us a fleeting glimpse of rock music at its most honest, when respect, feel, and connection mattered more than anything else.