Focus vs. Gryphon |
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Logan
Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 33118 |
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Posted: April 25 2020 at 07:15 |
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These were two of my very favourite bands when I was first exploring Prog. In fact, I knew these before I recall knowing the term Prog.
Here are for of my favourite tracks from each band off different albums: |
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My 1960 to 2024 youtube playlist, one track per act and one track per year.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4Jq6bFhyET |
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Cristi
Special Collaborator Crossover / Prog Metal Teams Joined: July 27 2006 Location: wonderland Status: Offline Points: 41771 |
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Focus
I could never get into Gryphon, to put it into kind words.
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Logan
Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 33118 |
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You might not have tried the right albums with Gryphon. Treason, and Raindance, would I think we your best bet. I like all Gryphon albums very much personally. On the other hand, that example might be seen as rather twee (as with other Gryphon stuff). The crumhorn (and bassoon) and certain Gentle Giant like qualities, as well as a Neo-medieval tweeness, or just tweeness in general, would be off-putting to various people. Treason rather reminds me of early Yes in part. Edited by Logan - April 25 2020 at 08:35 |
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My 1960 to 2024 youtube playlist, one track per act and one track per year.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4Jq6bFhyET |
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Mormegil
Forum Senior Member Joined: January 03 2010 Location: NE PA Status: Offline Points: 6547 |
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Going with Gryphon for this one.
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Welcome to the middle of the film.
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dougmcauliffe
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 23 2019 Location: US Status: Offline Points: 3895 |
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I tried Gryphon once and didn't like them but I don't vote off of one listen. Just wanted to comment to show some love for Focus, amazing melodic band!
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The sun has left the sky...
...Now you can close your eyes |
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Cristi
Special Collaborator Crossover / Prog Metal Teams Joined: July 27 2006 Location: wonderland Status: Offline Points: 41771 |
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it's fine, I don't have to get into everything, I bet I can list bands and albums you would never listen to, and it's fine.
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Logan
Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 33118 |
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Agreed, and funnily enough, I wrote something of the same sentiment and then I edited it out. It bothers me nought that people have different tastes, and there's more than enough to listen to and try that one thinks is likely to appeal than digging hard to try to find something that appeals from a band that hasn't appealed. I was thinking those albums might appeal, but then thought, probably not and of course I don't know how much you already have tried of Gryphon. I understand why it wouldn't appeal. I have often been pleasantly surprised in conversations here when people suggested music of bands I thought I didn't like at all, but I'm not very good at recommendations at the best of times. I can totally get why it wouldn't appeal to various tastes, even when it comes to the more rock and mainstream Gryphon. As I often say, to each his or her own tastes, and in tastes there can be no dispute. I appreciated you taking the time to respond and your post gave me something to think about and share. I am interested in what people like and don't like (and why) as I'm interested in people and having a variety of conversations. EDIT 2: "I bet I can list bands and albums you would never listen to". Bet on! Okay, maybe not in full, but I would be be willing to try some tracks. I like to challenge myself and be challenged. If I don't like it, that's fine. I'll give my honest appraisal (I made a topic before for reviewing tracks by bands you think you dislike, and discovered some good stuff there). I'm open to trying any music. I don't like everything, but I like to think I have fairly broad tastes and am reasonably open-minded, and have explored much that wouldn't be in my usual comfort zone. Variety is the spice of life, even if some spices appeal more to me than others. I can't imagine any band that I wouldn't be willing to at least try if someone asked me and I had a link to the music. If it was long and it didn't appeal, I might not listen to the whole thing, mind you. So please do throw one my way, I'd like to try something new and different to me, and I do hope to expand my tastes. I'm genuinely excited to try if you will throw one my way. I've discovered so much music thanks to the forum. In no way is this meant to imply that you should do the same in case it seems that way, by the way, but I like that sort of forum interaction. ____________________________________________________ I wrote this before seeing your response, so this is just a general commentary and not part of that particular conversation. I love both. With Gryhon, I find that it can be a bit too samey at times. I love Red Queen to Gryphon Three, but the album feels overly formulaic to me, like each of the four tracks has the same basic pattern. But then if it's emulating chess in a way, I rather get that. I think Midnight Mushrumps is my favourite as it does have some more variety while being progressive. I like all of the Gryphon albums very much actually. Red Queen is the one that got the most play. I could fancifully liken this poll to the battle between Bond and Scaramanga in The Man with Golden Gun: "A duel between titans... My crumhorn against your flute." On a related note, I once had this as my post quote: Scaramanga: A duel between titans... my third nipple against your Walther PPK. Bond: What, your three nipples against my six bullets? Scaramanga: I only need the third one, Mr. Bond. Bond fans will know that Scaramanga as played by the amazing Christpher Lee had a superfluous mammalian gland, a supernumerary (third) nipple, as well as a very cool golden gun which took only one bullet. Speaking of superfluous... I really do need to learn to Focus more. Edited by Logan - April 25 2020 at 11:11 |
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My 1960 to 2024 youtube playlist, one track per act and one track per year.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4Jq6bFhyET |
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Manuel
Forum Senior Member Joined: March 09 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 12515 |
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This is a hard choice, but I'll go with Gryphon, but just by a hair.
Edited by Manuel - April 25 2020 at 09:05 |
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dwill123
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 19 2006 Status: Offline Points: 4460 |
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Focus
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gr8dane
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 11 2005 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1127 |
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Focus easy.Only like Gryphon's Treason.
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Shake & bake.
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geekfreak
Forum Senior Member Joined: June 21 2013 Location: Musical Garden Status: Offline Points: 9872 |
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This is a hard chose two excellent bands but by a fration Focus
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Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake."
Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
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Lewian
Prog Reviewer Joined: August 09 2015 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 14242 |
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Focus. Haven't heard that much Gryphon but it didn't grab me. Focus at their best are as good as anyone.
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JD
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 07 2009 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 18428 |
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Really tough one. Both bands were early fav's of mine. But each band really had one outstanding album, Focus - Moving Waves and Gryphon - Red Queen to Gryphon Three. So if I stack those two up against each other I'd have to pick Focus - Moving Waves.
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Thank you for supporting independently produced music
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Chaser
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 18 2018 Location: Nottingham Status: Offline Points: 1202 |
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Midnight Mushrumps is proving a wonderful start to my home working days. Beautiful music. Gryphon!
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Songs cast a light on you
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Cosmiclawnmower
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 09 2010 Location: West Country,UK Status: Offline Points: 3082 |
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Ooh you b****r (I mean that affectionately!) what a choice to have to make! I love both for different reasons.. oof.. if ive got to go down on one side it will have to be Focus, if only cos I had a cheap compilation of theirs when I was about 12 which was one of the things which opened up rock (progressive and otherwise) for me! And I cant live without Focus III/ Answers? Questions!- Questions! Answers? from Focus 3. I discovered Gryphon later in my teens and all 4 Transatlantic lps are very dear to my heart!
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Man With Hat
Collaborator Jazz-Rock/Fusion/Canterbury Team Joined: March 12 2005 Location: Neurotica Status: Offline Points: 166178 |
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I suppose Gryphon.
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Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
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irrelevant
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 07 2010 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 13382 |
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Focus are one of my favourites whereas Gryphon never made a big impact on me. I should try out the Treason album though...
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dr wu23
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 20545 |
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Voted Gryphon to even things up... ;)
but actually like them equally.
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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someone_else
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: May 02 2008 Location: Going Bananas Status: Online Points: 24047 |
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Focus. My history with them goes back to 1971. Nevertheless, Gryphon also has some good points (I love Lament and their comeback album has some great tracks as well).
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Logan
Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 33118 |
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^ Thanks for all the responses, I wrote a post addressing each one I hadn't responded to, but then I thought, hmm, that might look over-the-top, and I do over-the-top far too often.
Treason is kind of Gryphon-lite, I might say. It's a nice album on the "Yes" and "Genesis" side of things. It's mostly harmless. I used to like it a lot. I do like "Spring Song" a lot and other songs. It's definitely a departure from earlier Gryphon, gone is that medieval feel, and no crumhorn, to which some might say "I've got a fever and the only prescription is more crumhorn". Treason is a bit of a funny name for it, because that implies a crime (against the state). Some Gryphon fans might have found this to be enough of a departure that they might not forgive the state of this Gryphon album, but it's too sweet and nice to be darkly criminal. If it be Treason, then it be low Treason rather than high Treason. But that's my take on it, and others may disagree. ;) Edited by Logan - April 25 2020 at 16:39 |
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My 1960 to 2024 youtube playlist, one track per act and one track per year.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4Jq6bFhyET |
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