Beyond the jokes made about the band’s weight, John McCoy and Nicky Moore produced some damn fine music together in Mammoth: one album during their late 80s lifetime, and a second posthumous set coupled with a live show. Add this and you’ve got a bunch of previously unreleased material. Much of it, while clearly of demo quality, is very different to the album versions.
Opener Another White Mammoth On The M1 was recorded when Bernie Torm had joined, and the guitarist has a good bash. Other demos featuring original guitarist Kenny Cox are great, polished hard rock. Internal politics and line-up changes can do many things to a band, which is why these tracks didn’t get past the demo stage. Well worth a listen is Political Animal, without the animal noises and before Cox’s cracking solo was replaced by a saxophone.
It’s of limited appeal, but a good insight – and with excellent packaging a good introduction too. Shame this band weren’t bigger than they were – popularity-wise, of course. Size-wise is nearly impossible.
