Raising the Mammoth

Explorers Club, Explorers Club | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 20, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Magna Carta
• ASIN: B00005LAO6
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #283,367 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Raising The Mammoth (part one)

2. Raising The Mammoth 2 (AKA Prog-O-Matic)

3. Gigantipithicus (instrumental)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars several billion albums in one, September 2, 2006

By 

Phil Mackenzie "don't forget to buy a ©2000 a... (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Raising the Mammoth (Audio CD)

When I saw that four songs were divided into fourty-four tracks and that the four songs were supposed to represent one larger song, my first thought was naturally "oh no, this will be Tales From Topographic Oceans on really bad heavy metal poisoning". The four "songs" are a little bit choppy at parts, which really distracts the listener at points, and again, I was thinking "ah, the price of unrealized ambition", but the compositions were strong, and the last "song" Giantiphicus is breathtaking.
Years after forgetting that I owned the album, I thought "well, if this is all one song, then I can just press "shuffle" and get an album of some kind". I think I get the album's point now. This is just one lineup of over a billion possible outcomes (44*43*42*...etc). There will still be "song divisions", owing to the fadeout finish of the "Broad Decay" suite and other obvious starting/finishing points, but the results are incredibly interesting.
I have done this three times, and gotten three completely different albums. Because I already know where parts are "supposed" to be, its also amusing in a way. Unsurprisingly, the results can be choppy, but the moments that flow seemlessly will leave you in progmazement.
I'm not 100% convinced that Trent Gardiner intended the listener to hear the same album each time. And if he did, and had no disire for a "shuffle fest", then he has unintentionally created one of the funnest prog-in-a-box toys ever.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but missing something, March 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Raising the Mammoth (Audio CD)

I had some high expectations from this album after hearing the last one. Left me a bit dissapointed. I'm not sure what the problem was,but after listening to it twice I was already getting tired of it. Still not bad or anything, but I've known these people to come up with music that's way better than anything in this album. Oh and what's the deal with splitting up the tracks into tiny bits anyway??

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raising the Bar, October 4, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Raising the Mammoth (Audio CD)

The second Explorer's Club opus is quite a bit different from the first, Age of Impact. That album featured several artists missing from this album; among them are Steve Howe, Billy Sheehan and D.C. Cooper. That album was good, but this one is great. When Trent Gardner can concoct a melody, it is great stuff, which is the case here. I'm not a musician, so I can't comment on the virtuosity of the playing, as so many prog fans seem to like to do. The bottom line for a lay listener like me: This album is the best progressive rock album I've heard in a long, long time. The keyboards create a spiraling wall of sound (with catch melodies) and the vocals are haunting, elaborate and memorable. It's a shame this album will probably not get the recognition it deserves. In the prog pantheon, it is great stuff. Compared to the rest of what's out there, it's a masterpiece. This one has stayed camped out in my CD player for well over a week, and I don't think it will be leaving anytime soon.