Giant Tracks - A Tribute to Gentle Giant

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Album Information:
Title: Giant Tracks - A Tribute to Gentle Giant
Artist: various artists
Year: 1997
Type: official release
tribute album

Giant Tracks is a 2-CD set featuring new renditions of classic Gentle Giant songs, as performed by over 40 musicians from four countries. It was released on March 15, 1997 and has been out of print for many years.

The album was released on the label HyberNation Music, run by fan John Hagewood (himself a performer on the album).

Track list

Select a track name to see extended liner notes.

Disc 1:

  1. Suit Canon - Fugue of the A&R Staff (Kevin Gilbert)
  2. Spooky Boogie (Phil Beane)
  3. Cogs/Aspirations (Steve Hahn)
  4. No God's a Man (Mike Keneally)
  5. BITB (Advent)
  6. Pantagruel's Nativity (Jeff McClelland)
  7. Heroes (.com)
  8. Talybont (Ian McGrath)
  9. Minnear Medley (Richard Hilton)
  10. Raconteur Troubadour (Alberto and Enrico Minetti)
  11. Funny Ways (John Hagewood)
  12. In Memory of Gentle Giant, Part 1 (Gustavo Matamoros)

Disc 2:

  1. Just the Same (Glass Haus)
  2. I'm Turning Around (Arlo West)
  3. Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It (Alan Wiseman)
  4. Wreck (Pangaea)
  5. River (Rob Rosen)
  6. Thank You (Glen Burg)
  7. Give It Back (Eclipse)
  8. Two Weeks in Spain (Bug Choir)
  9. Number One (Dan Barrett)
  10. In Memory of Gentle Giant, Part 2 (Gustavo Matamoros)

About the album

Two pieces on Giant Tracks are original and previously unreleased. Kevin Gilbert's "Suit Canon - Fugue of the A&R Staff" is a multi-part vocal performance (fugue) in the style of On Reflection. It was later released on Gilbert's posthumous CD, The Shaming of the True. Gustavo Matamoros's "In Memory of Gentle Giant" is a 20th-century classical work based on bits and pieces of Gentle Giant themes.

Credits

  • Conceived by: Rob Rosen
  • Produced by: The individual artists
  • Supervising Producer: John S. Hagewood for Hybernation Music
  • Associate Producer: Michael Applegate
  • Mastered by: Mack Evans at Magnetic Technology, Nashville, TN
  • Legal legwork: Dan Barrett
  • Cover painting: Patricia Deschamps
  • Cover concept: Glen Burg
  • Cover and booklet layout: Phil Beane and Roger Eller
  • Additional artwork: Travis Jiorle (concept), with Tiffany Laine De Mott (photographs)
  • Additional art assistance: Chad Bacho
  • Liner notes: Michael Applegate (essay), Dan Barrett (remainder), Alan Benjamin (copyediting)
  • Web site: Dan Barrett

Special thanks to Tom Dubé, Mike Fink of Chrysalis Songs, The Harry Fox Agency, Geir Hasnes, Kerry & Lesley Minnear of Alucard Music, On-Reflection, Marc Ostrow, Bob Parker, Jon Rubin and the Estate of Kevin Gilbert... and all the members of Gentle Giant.

Mike Keneally appears courtesy of Immune Records.

Dedication

Giant Tracks is dedicated to Kevin Gilbert, who passed away during the making of the album at age 29. The artists are grateful to Kevin's estate for permitting them to include his contribution, Suit Canon, on the album.

Extended liner notes

Extended liner notes from Giant Tracks:

YouTube

A few of the tracks have been uploaded (by persons unknown) on YouTube:

In the news

Keyboard Magazine, January 1998

The article "Online Collaboration: The Making of Giant Tracks" appeared in the January, 1998 issue of Keyboard Magazine. It chronicled the creation of the tribute album Giant Tracks. The article was written by Dan Barrett.

Reviews

  • "Please put a message on the Net to give my heartfelt thanks to all the participants. I am really impressed by everything and all the work everybody's done. It brought a tear to my eye! Please make a special mention about Steve Hahn's piece [Cogs/Aspirations], and also Heroes." - John Weathers, Gentle Giant
  • "Thanks! It's a lot of fun, and played WAY better than we played the songs...!!" - Derek Shulman, Gentle Giant
  • "Thank you so much for your letter and the copy of Giant Tracks. I feel honoured to have received a copy of GT as it represents not only your hard work, but the dedication of the various artists who took part in what must have been an intricate technological project! We've enjoyed the music, with all its various interpretations, and appreciate too the notes you've sent with it, so once more, a big thank-you." - Kerry Minnear, Gentle Giant
  • "I was of course very flattered by it. I particularly liked Suit Canon and was saddened to hear about Kevin Gilbert. I thought his humour was absolutely in sync with the band's. People who saw us live would realise that apart from recording we took very little else that seriously. I also liked Gustavo Matamoros and Jan Williams work." - Ray Shulman, Gentle Giant
  • "Very thoughtful of you and much appreciated. Again thanks for the continued interest in GG." - Phil Shulman, Gentle Giant
  • "I'm astounded at the quality of the performances and sound. This is totally professional quality, way better than most of the other fan-produced tribute collections I've heard. Kevin Gilbert's Fugue of the A&R Staff is THE FUNNIEST thing I've heard in ages." - Lin S.
  • "I received Giant Tracks in the post yesterday! I can't stop listening to this incredible treat! nor can I find the words to properly express my disbelief at the total quality and talent involved. All I can say is Bravo! To all involved my hat is off to you! You have indeed much to be proud of." - Tim M.
  • "Have listened to Giant Tracks 1.5 times. You guys are scary good. Special kudos to Steve Hahn for a breathtaking performance, and to Dan B[arrett] for making Number One stick in my head like GG never did." - Biffy S.
  • "I appreciate that some are true to original and some are reworks. [Phil Beane's] Spooky Boogie may be better than the original. In comparison to the Jethro Tull tribute To Cry You A Song, [Giant Tracks] is much better for content, performance, spirit and value. You can tell that the musicians were into the recording and the band and were not just doing this on a whim." - Martin M.
  • "Stayed up very late last night listening.... I was afraid the CD's would contain amateurish and embarrassing attempts to cover a great band; [but] from the sound and production qualities to the performances, all of you have done a magnificent job! You have produced a genuine tribute. I'm sure the members of GG will be pleased and proud." - Bob H.
  • "Enjoying Giant Tracks muchly. Kevin Gilbert's track was so hilarious and amazing I had to play it again immediately. This is gobs of fun." - Herb H.
  • "A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in the project for making one of the best CD's of this decade! At the moment, my favorites are Thank You; Kevin Gilbert's extraordinary and hilariously funny Suit Canon; the stunning Stick work of Steve Hahn; Keneally's extravaganza; Just The Same; and the 'dreadlock holiday' version of Give It Back. But to be really honest, there isn't a track on both CD's that I don't like. ...the most important qualification to me about records is if I still play them (and enjoy them just as much as after purchasing them) after twenty years or more, and I'm sure I'll still be playing this CD then if I get the chance." - Peter D.
  • "Kudos to everyone involved on the excellent GT tribute! As expected you display the highest creativity and competence. I love it! 5 years ago I would have bet my house against the idea that I'd be walking around in 1997 singing along to a female vocal version of Give It Back on CD. Miracles *do* happen." - Gary C.
  • "I just can't say enough about the talent of all involved. Even the 'worst' track is incredible, and I can't actually say what track would be the 'worst'. Thanks to one and all for the hard work that went into making this a high quality tribute. Kevin Gilbert's track is definitely a highlight." - Toby T.
  • "Got the CD yesterday - thanks for the speedy service. Listening to it, now. Production is fantastic! Gilbert's contribution is brilliant!" - Ken L.
  • "Thanks for GT, my copies turned up today. Congratulations on such a successful project; a real accomplishment. I'm mightily impressed with the whole thing, and quite a few are real stunners. Not least, Number One. Bloody amazing, I say." - Jerry B.
  • "When mine arrived I immediately popped it in the player & listened to both discs back to back. All thru the first disc I was warm & fuzzy, feeling sentimental & very proud of the songs & the artists. My eyes got moist & I had a lump in my throat as I listened intently. Then, on the second disc, I came to [Glen Burg's] rendition of Thank You. It was more than I could take & tears began to stream down my face. "Get a grip!" I thought to myself but it was no use. So I just sat there & cried & enjoyed the disc all the way to the end--me & a box of Kleenex! I had no idea that this was going to be this good. You have all out-Gentled the Giant!" - Nicholas H.
  • "I have listened to Disc 1 so far and I really like it. That's great music and a very interesting tribute album as most songs are rearranged. I hate tributes when people play the originals note by note." - Jean-Luc P.
  • "You have managed the extraordinary feat of producing a refreshingly new GG album, somehow maintaining the styles, rythms and arrangements which were/are unmistakenly 'Gentle Giant'. Nice one." - Jem J.
  • "Just a brief recommendation of Giant Tracks. If you're undecided about buying your own copy, don't hesitate! This is a great album and a wonderful tribute to a truly original and inspirational band. Every track is full of nuance and the unique style of each contributor offers a new take on this incredible music. Congratulations to all who participated!" - Mike
  • "Anyone who enjoys good prog music should want this, not just GG fans! I don't know how you guys pulled this off. Thank You will be going through my head all day now!" - Ray R.
  • "I want to say congratulations to all of you on GT, this is easily the best 15 bucks I've spent on music this year." - Phil
  • "Well after listening to all you rave about the CD mine finally came. I'm listening to it right now and I must say you were right to rave! If anyone on this list hasn't ordered it..... Well what are you waiting for! Kevin Gilbert's piece had me on the floor and in tears. Well done to everyone involved and thank you all for making this possible." - Dan S.
  • "Thank you to all participants for this beautiful CD, and for sharing your love of GG with us all." - Avataq
  • "I've received my copy of Giant Tracks last friday. The last weekend was a very pleasant one for me. Congratulations." - Sidney P.
  • "DON'T BUY IT! That way, there will be plenty of copies left for me to buy for friends, relations, acquaintances, and people passing on the street. Truly a fantastic job by everyone concerned. Congratulations." - David H.
  • "The remakes on Giant Tracks of the sub-par material from the later albums actually _do_ sound better than the originals (shock...gasp....blasphemy (?)) and seem to indicate that much could be salvaged given a 'work of heart' by some dedicated fans and talented musicians." - J. S.
  • "I was hit squarely between the ears with Kevin Gilbert's Suit Canon and let me tell you, with headphones on it is a real trip. I was laughing my ass. Needless to say, I did not fall right to sleep, as one superbly crafted track after another raced through my head.
  • "If you haven't ordered GT yet, don't hesitate. It is NOT your run-of-the-mill fan tribute. This CD is well produced. The tracks are intelligently sequenced. The performances are creative, although at times a tad excessive -- in the style of GG, of course! Standouts include a rocking version of Wreck by Pangaea and Arlo's Turning Around. Mike K[eneally]'s No God's A Man is worth the price alone. Dan Barrett adds some "prog" touches to Number One that turns an above average song into a very enjoyable one. There are a lot of other great tracks on this lengthy 2 CD set. I am overwhelmed by the caliber of musicians.... Glen [Burg] could not have said it better...Thank You!" - Franco V.
  • "Regarding Giant Tracks: WOW! Incredibly Well Done. Complex. Innovative. Creative. Diverse. Emotional. Compelling. A truly worthy tribute to my favorite band ever." - Steve H.
  • "Having just received a copy of Giant Tracks and overdosed on it last evening, I now can't sleep. There's a recommendation for you! If you haven't got it yet, get it. Giant Tracks is a superb collection of tributes, highly accomplshed, witty, creative, lots of musical talent. Higlights for me are Keneally's No God's a Man, BITB, Glen's Thank You (which says it all really), and, of course, Kevin Gilbert's Suit Canon, which is masterly. It was like inviting a very talented bunch of friends round for an evening of musical indulgence." - Paul M.
  • "What a fantastic piece of work it is! I am really enjoying it tremendously. It's too bad that there is so much awesome musical talent out there, and yet it takes a Marilyn Manson or Green Day to hit it big in the industry." - James Y.
  • "Great job. I like the fact that most of the tracks are NOT note-for-note duplicates, but new artrangements. That's what I liked about the Magna Carta Yes & Genesis tributes and didn't like about The Moon Revisited (almost exact copy except for Magellan)." - David K.
  • "Thank you very much for your fast service. I received the record 4 days after your shipping e-mail. The record is great! The tracks I like most is 'no gods a man', 'funny ways','give it back','wreck' and my all time greatest 'just the same.'" - Gottfried W.
  • "The really cool thing about this album is that nobody played it straight! The new arrangements are great to listen to. Now if I could only play Steve Hahn's tracks as wonderfully as he did (and does live!)." - Larry P.
  • "I've been listening to it for two days now, and I must congratulate you and all your friends with a really succesful album. Thank you for your great work and contribution to make people all over the world aware of how GREAT the music of GENTLE GIANT really is." - Geir-Jakob H.
  • "Just today I got Giant Tracks and having immediately listened to them I would like to shout: 'Incredible !.. Fabulous !!. Terrific !!! Gre-e-a-a-at !!!!'" - Vladistav P.
  • "Just received my Giant Tracks yesterday and I'm listening to it at work right now. Bravo - great job. Reaffirms once again just how great that band was. What a great collection of musicians you assembled for this effort." - Robert S.
  • "It is difficult to put into words my gratitude for your efforts in putting together Giant Tracks! I've just finished listening to it for the second time and am speechless! 22 thank's for the 22 songs which brought 22 smiles to my face!!! Absolutely Fantastic!!!" - Nico
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