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GRYPHON

Prog Folk • United Kingdom


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Gryphon biography
Founded in 1973 - Disbanded in 1977 - One-off reunion in 2009 - Reformed in 2015

GRYPHON was founded by Richard HARVEY (recorder, keys) and Brian GULLAND (bassoon, krumhorn) after a stint at the Royal Acadamy of Music in 1973. They shared a vision of blending traditional English folk, Baroque instrumentation and Renaissance music in a modern format. The compositions resemble those of Gentle Giant but give greater emphasis to the authentic textures and sounds of the Renaissance period.

Harvey and Gulland were joined in 1973 by Graeme TAYLOR on guitar and singer/percussionist David OBERLE for their all-acoustic first album 'Gryphon'. Bassist Philip NESTOR was added to the line up in 1974 for their second effort 'Midnight Mushrumps', which featured an increased number of original compositions and leanings in a rock direction. Later that year their classic 'Red Queen to Gryphon Three' was released and has become a prog rock staple with its longer, somewhat more symphonic arrangements and courtly instrumental rock. The mid-1970s brought big changes to the band with new bass player Malcom BENNET taking over for Nestor. In 1977, guitarist Graeme Taylor left to be replaced by Bob FOSTER, bassist Jonathan DAVIE replaced Bennett, and Oberle switched to lead voice with Alex BAIRED taking over on drums. Tim SEBASTIAN was also brought in as a lyricist to complete the ever-growing unit. 'Raindance' was released in 1975 and 'Treason' in '77, establishing GRYPHON as a top-notch prog rock act.

With a seamless fusion of British folk and medieval rock, GRYPHON developed a strong sound all their own and a loyal following.


-- Atavachron (David) --

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GRYPHON discography


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GRYPHON top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.39 | 278 ratings
Gryphon
1973
3.75 | 291 ratings
Midnight Mushrumps
1974
4.15 | 737 ratings
Red Queen to Gryphon Three
1974
3.30 | 261 ratings
Raindance
1975
3.34 | 171 ratings
Treason
1977
3.98 | 121 ratings
ReInvention
2018
3.59 | 38 ratings
Get Out of My Father's Car!
2020

GRYPHON Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

1.77 | 13 ratings
Ethelion
1998
3.11 | 27 ratings
About as Curious as It Can Be
2002
3.41 | 23 ratings
Glastonbury Carol
2003
4.83 | 5 ratings
Live - A Sonic Tonic
2024

GRYPHON Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

GRYPHON Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.89 | 8 ratings
The Collection
1992
3.00 | 2 ratings
The Collection II
1995
2.93 | 18 ratings
Gryphon & Midnight Mushrumps
1996
4.23 | 29 ratings
Red Queen to Gryphon Three & Raindance
1997
3.22 | 9 ratings
Crossing the Styles - The Transatlantic Anthology
2004
4.36 | 5 ratings
Raindances: The Transatlantic Recordings 1973-1975
2018

GRYPHON Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 6 ratings
Spring Song
1977

GRYPHON Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Live - A Sonic Tonic by GRYPHON album cover Live, 2024
4.83 | 5 ratings

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Live - A Sonic Tonic
Gryphon Prog Folk

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Prog Reviewer / Special Collaborator

5 stars Given I take so much music I have a strict priority system in that I file the album away with details of when it was sent to me, and then gradually work through my list month by month. That generally works well, except when I am sent something which I know I want to listen to immediately, if not sooner, and the system goes to pieces. That is the case here with the live album from Gryphon which was recorded on their 50th anniversary tour last year which arrived recently ? apparently this is the first live album, although I can see others listed on PA so am not sure if this is their first 'official' or their first since they reformed. I came across the band when they were still active in the Seventies, and then years later I was sent all their albums to review and am still a huge fan (their first three albums are some of the very few which I have loaded on my phone to listen to for pleasure when I feel a need a break from listening to review). Although there are bits of their music which are somewhat reminiscent of Fairport Convention, in reality that it is because they both have similar influences, but whereas Fairport come to music from the tradition and Morris, these guys are somewhat more medieval in their approach. They are also the only band I have ever come across who use two different types of crumhorn in their performances.

Brian Gulland (bassoon, soprano sax, recorders, bass crumhorn, melodica, keyboards, vocals), Dave Oberlé (drums, percussion, vocals) and Graeme Taylor (acoustic & electric guitars, vocals) were there right from the beginning in 1972, and these days they are joined by Andy Findon (flute, piccolo, soprano crumhorn, soprano saxophone, clarinet, sweetheart fife), Rob Levy (bass guitars) and Clare Taylor (violin, keyboards, vocals). It is difficult to pick fault with the setlist, as they go all the way back to the debut album as well as including tracks from their two comeback albums, 'Reinvention' and 'Get Out of my Father's Car!'. Their musical dexterity and togetherness only come from countless hours of practice and rehearsal, and they are as happy providing trad arr. numbers as they are with their own material, mixing and weaving their musical threads to create music, which is simply beautiful, delicate and quite unique. They take us on sonorous journeys which feel like madrigals as well as a wonderful sense of humour, with "The Brief History of a Bassoon" having some of the lowest pure vocal bass one will ever come across.

I already know this is an album to which I will often be returning, as for fans of the band it is simply essential, and for those yet to come across them then this is the perfect introduction. Their musical approach, dexterity and skill is second to none, and while they may never again gain the kudos and wider acclaim they did back in the day, take it from me that this album is an absolute delight and full of joy. I only wish I had been able to see them play, as I am sure they are never going to make it to New Zealand, so I will just keep playing this instead. If you ever wondered what medieval prog sounds like this then give this a whirl, while they themselves describe "Estampie" as 13th Century Slade!

 Gryphon & Midnight Mushrumps by GRYPHON album cover Boxset/Compilation, 1996
2.93 | 18 ratings

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Gryphon & Midnight Mushrumps
Gryphon Prog Folk

Review by Yellow Jack

1 stars Ah, the bad old days of 2-on-1 CDs. Not a terrible idea in theory, get two short-ish albums on a single disc. But the Transatlantic releases were infuriating. If the two albums were too long, they just removed a track to make them fit. The track list above is wrong: Crossing the Stiles was absent. To compound this, there's no indication in the sleeve notes that anything's missing. "Two albums on one CD", it says, giving the buyer no clue that anything was lacking. Almost as annoying as CDs sourced from vinyl, with no acknowledgment of the poor source. Both could make you suspect that record companies didn't care about their customers, only about their money. Surely not?
 Red Queen to Gryphon Three by GRYPHON album cover Studio Album, 1974
4.15 | 737 ratings

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Red Queen to Gryphon Three
Gryphon Prog Folk

Review by CygnusX-1

4 stars Incredible album! By this point, Gryphon maintained the styles of their earlier album but contained better in longer more structured prog songs, without the somewhat silliness of their debut album. Every single song on the album is solid, and it deserves at least 4 stars out of 5, making it an excellent addition to any and all music collections. The instrumentation is very original and unique, and the songwriting is brilliant. Red Queen to Gryphon Three is a great example of classic unique progressive medieval folk. This album should be listened to at least once by anyone who claims to be a progressive rock fan.
 Gryphon by GRYPHON album cover Studio Album, 1973
3.39 | 278 ratings

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Gryphon
Gryphon Prog Folk

Review by Boi_da_boi_124

4 stars Review #118!

'Gryphon'. A superb debut album from a folk band that would eventually settle into prog territory. This record is just a collection of fun, relaxing neo-medieval folk ditties, ranging from simplistic and facile to complex and layered. This album I used to ignore (when I first discovered it I was more interested in 'Red Queen to Gryphon Three' and 'Raindance'), but I quickly realized (and by that I mean just a few listens) that that was unfair on my part and I should have put my prog necessities on hold. And this album is not prog. It is kind of experimental, definitely complicated, but not prog. Yet it is still great. The record starts with 'Kemp's Jig', an instrumental track that shows you everything that is to come in the rest of the album: the great percussion, bassoon, crumhorns, harpsichord, and so much more. Three of the best minutes in Gryphon's entire existence. 'Sir Gavin Grimbold', an acoustic medieval ballad about a young man who left home and will never come back. One of the best songs on this album. 'Touch and Go' is my favorite Gryphon song of all time. It is only a minute and a half long, but I find it so beautiful that the length doesn't matter. 'Three Jolly Butchers' just sounds like an older Irish bar jingle. The vocals are not trying to be great, they are there, apparent, fun, and honestly very cool. These oddities are the things that make Gryphon Gryphon. Two minutes in, the melody makes an interesting, dark transition that returns to the original melody after a minute. 'Pastime with Good Company' is basically a two-minute recorder solo. It is very fun. 'The Unquiet Grave', the most serious song on this album, is another medieval ballad about a widower whose wife rose from the dead after the man's oddly specific request of desert-water, stone-blood, and breast-milk. This is the most progressive song on the album. A bassoon solo interlude adds to this factor. Maybe second to 'Touch and Go' in a ranking of this album's tracks. 'Estampie' is a nice little medieval instrumental, much like 'Kemp's Jig'. There is some very nice percussion and woodwinds here. Close to the end the flute explodes. Truly very fun. 'Crossing the Styles' is a beautiful acoustic guitar piece. Graeme Taylor really shows off his talents on this one. 'The Astrologer' is another vocal track about (guess what?) an astrologer who could tell the fortunes of young women. A fun little track, and one of the best ones on this album. 'Tea Wrecks' is too short to say much about, but it's pretty good. One minute of bassoon's alright with me. 'Juniper Suite' is one of the most progressive tracks on the album, with fast- paced acoustic guitar plucks and layered woodwind sections. A great song. The closing track, 'The Devil and the Farmer's Wife'. There are some great lyrics here. One of my absolute favorite Gryphon songs. Anyways, while not entirely progressive, 'Gryphon' is an excellent album to any prog music collection. Prog (folk) on.

 Raindances: The Transatlantic Recordings 1973-1975 by GRYPHON album cover Boxset/Compilation, 2018
4.36 | 5 ratings

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Raindances: The Transatlantic Recordings 1973-1975
Gryphon Prog Folk

Review by NadirBigChance

5 stars Essential Collection

Collecting records over 45 years I've got nearly a full discography of such an artists as: Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, ELP, Van Der Graaf Generator, Todd Rundgren, Frank Zasppa, Gentle Giant, Gong and a lot more of prog-art and jazz rock fusion. Looking for something by Gryphon and finally got this double CD by Esoteric Recording. A very nice edition - perfectly remastered with detailed and dynamic soundstage. Liner notes include the reproduction of the original album covers and complete information about the personalities and the places where these four albums (based on the majority of reviews Gryphon, Midnight Mushrooms, Red Queen To Gryphon Three and Raindance were undoubtedly the peak of the band's activity) were recorded. Despite the ommited Dubbel Dutch from Midnight Mushrooms you can get a compact collection of Gryphon heritage. When you have a problem where to find a place for another item in your collection, 4 in 1 from a great artist well packaged and deigned with good sound quality is a reasonable choice for you.

 Raindances: The Transatlantic Recordings 1973-1975 by GRYPHON album cover Boxset/Compilation, 2018
4.36 | 5 ratings

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Raindances: The Transatlantic Recordings 1973-1975
Gryphon Prog Folk

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

4 stars This purports, in its accompanying booklet, to contain all the tracks from Gryphon's first four albums. Not so! One track has been trimmed to allow their self-titled debut, Midnight Mushrumps, Red Queen To Gryphon Three, and Raindance to fit onto two CDs, with the tracks arranged in order and with no awkward mid-album break between the two CDs, that being Dubbel Dutch from Midnight Mushrumps.

That said, Dubbel Dutch is probably the least inspired tune on that album - the title track and Ethelion, in particular, absolutely blow it out of the water - so I'd say it's actually improved by that one omission. Certainly, it feels like this set contains everything which was truly essential in these first four albums, though admittedly I may be out of step since I think Midnight Mushrumps is the weakest of the four (it sags a bit in the middle, hence the removal of Dubbel Dutch being helpful), which doesn't seem to be the consensus.

Still, unless Esoteric fancy doing one of those nice clamshell sets they do with the albums in individual cardboard sleeves for Gryphon (perhaps throwing in 1977's Treason, the major release of their original run that this is missing), this will do nicely.

 Raindance by GRYPHON album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.30 | 261 ratings

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Raindance
Gryphon Prog Folk

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Over the four albums they recorded with Transatlantic, Gryphon's sound transformed from neo-medieval folk with touches of classically-inflected progressive rock to classically-inflected progressive rock with touches of neo-medieval folk. Raindance captures the end of that transformation, and finds them exploring a whimsical sound reminiscent of Camel's albums from the mid-to-late 1970s; I don't think many people regard Gryphon as a Canterbury band, but I could imagine them on the same bill as classic Caravan or Camel when Richard Sinclair was with them.

As with Midnight Mushrumps, it's the long track here which is the standout piece; (Ein Klein) Heldenleben is also the place where those medieval folk elements make themselves felt the most, being as it is a journey through every dimension of the band's sound. The album is perhaps a little overlooked compared to Red Queen To Gryphon Three - where Gryphon's blend of prog and medieval folk perhaps found its perfect balance point - but it doesn't deserve that, because it's a perfectly pleasant progressive rock album, albeit not one which progheads will find staggeringly original (though give Heldenleben a good listen and you may pick up on things you miss on a superficial hearing).

 Gryphon by GRYPHON album cover Studio Album, 1973
3.39 | 278 ratings

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Gryphon
Gryphon Prog Folk

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Before they added more prog rock aspects to their sound on Midnight Mushrumps, Gryphon had a fine line in neo-medieval folk music with eccentric takes on classic material, which was expressed in its purest form on this debut album. Not quite as dark or avant-garde as Comus, but still with much more bite than many folk revivalist peers of the era, it's an album which will be incongruous to those who prize the sound they perfected on Red Queen To Gryphon Three, and if you go in expecting something similar you'll probably be confused. However, I actually consider this to be better than Midnight Mushrumps, which was something of a transitional album between the two sounds.
 Red Queen to Gryphon Three by GRYPHON album cover Studio Album, 1974
4.15 | 737 ratings

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Red Queen to Gryphon Three
Gryphon Prog Folk

Review by AJ Junior

4 stars Red Queen to Gryphon Three is Gryphon's magnum opus 3rd album. One of the all-time Folk Prog classics, the album is dominated by the unique medieval/renaissance sounds of Brian Gulland (Bassoon, Crumhorn) and Richard Harvey (Keyboards, Crumhorn, Recorder). The theme of the album is based on a chess game, as is reflected by one of the greatest Progressive Rock album covers of all time.

"Opening Move" opens the album (quite obviously) with a spectacular riff that is built upon throughout the song with different variations from piano to bassoon. The song picks up at around the 3:00 minute mark, with a great distorted guitar hook, with a timpani build-up, that leads into a total medieval jig section.

"Second Spasm" is an awesome tune. It opens with a recorder/guitar lick that leads into by far the most aggressive part of the album. The crumhorn section is the most notorious part of the song and always puts a massive smile on my face whenever I hear it. It is very Gentle Giant-esque. I'd have to say that this one beats "Opening Move" by just a little bit.

"Lament" is my favorite song off the album. What an absolutely beautiful song it is. Filled with classical guitar, recorder, and magnificent bassoon work from folk-rock legend, Brian Gulland, the song is a 10-minute epic. Halfway through the song it takes a completely different direction with a faster-paced tempo. Of course, it being Gryphon, every 30 seconds they switch from a speedy interlude to a folk lick that sounds like the theme of a renaissance fair.

"Checkmate" is the closer of the album and a superb one at that. With a rambunctious opening riff that flows through many ideas and time signatures until arriving on a flute solo over a medieval drum roll. The song comes to a riff that resembles that of "Second Spasm" dominated by flute and bass, which transitions into a melodic section with piano and crumhorn. As with a few tracks on albums such as ELP's debut, it features wonderful musicianship but can feel a bit structureless at times. Nevertheless, I still enjoy this track greatly.

My only takeaway from this album is that the songs can often get lost in wandering instrumentalism. I would say this is a 4.5-star album but I'll round it down to 4 stars. This is Gryphon's best work by leagues and I love the format of 4 long tracks comprising an album. Highly recomended to fans of Rennaisance and Gentle Giant.

 Get Out of My Father's Car! by GRYPHON album cover Studio Album, 2020
3.59 | 38 ratings

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Get Out of My Father's Car!
Gryphon Prog Folk

Review by Dapper~Blueberries
Prog Reviewer

4 stars So after listening to and reviewing their masterpiece of an album ReInvention, I was excited to hear their next album. With such a strange name and cover art for the Gryphon band's more medieval and almost fantastical image, having an album cover depicting a pterodactyl with umbrellas for wings chasing after the band's heads while they fall in a colorful car is quite intriguing, to say the least. Clearly, with the instruments that are falling with the heads, I guess that it'd sound very similar to ReInvention with some tweaks to what the album could entail. What I got instead was some of the most varied and bizarre music that the band has created in their whole career.

The album starts with the title track of the album. This is probably the jazziest Gryphon song they have recorded with a lot more emphasis on horns and improvisational music that sparks memories of the more jazzy progressive rock of the 70s, almost as a sort of tribute to that style of music. I think in all due respects, this song is great and still keeps up with the more original and experimented-minded direction the group followed with ReInvention, but to me, it doesn't feel like Gryphon. It is not to do with Raindance or Treason where it sounded like other bands that weren't Gryphon, but here it doesn't give me those Gryphon vibes. That witty charm in their music has been lost in this song and even if this may be a new direction for the band to take, I think they need a bit more time before fully going into the more jazzy rock sounds that act like Gentle Giant or Peter Hammill refined in the 70s.

Though those remedies are taken away with A Bit Of Music By Me. We get back into those classic folk sounds that Gryphon has a knack for, and all that charm they had on me with their records instantly comes back. How it is all played so elegantly lets this song be a really good defining moment in this album. It has this more renaissance feel to it, almost as if the band is making music for a Da Vinci painting. It is as elegant as it is beautiful.

So we have the more jazzy side of Gryphon with the title track, and the folk side of Gryphon with A Bit Of Music By Me. How can the band combine these two attributes? Well Percy the Defective Perspective Detective may answer that. We get a fun little melody with this one, combining the more medieval folk with the jazzy 70s-styled progressive rock that was very popular in those golden years of progressive music. This one-two punch lets this quick song stand out very well in the sea of songs by Gryphon. It is unique, bouncy, and incredibly colorful.

This mix does switch around a bit with the folk and jazz, and sometimes separated starting with the song A Stranger Kiss. One of the more folk-attributed songs on this album, we get a more melancholic vibe within this song than most of the songs here on this album. With that, we get a sense of the much-needed break away from the more rocking-out tracks we have gotten, or the more witty and intellectually potent folk tunes. It is a good dividing line between those two attributes of sound that I wish Gryphon did more of.

Back to the pattern, we have Suite For '68. Man, what a lovely little tune, a lot of pretty uses of a more baroque style of progressive folk just make me very happy. It is unique in how each moment it changes around and becomes something similar, but completely new. That is how I like my suites, to be honest. Now I will say, I think it is too short to be considered a full suite of music. For me, the perfect amount of time a suit should be is 10 minutes and up. Five minutes is simply too short and I think this song should be able to benefit from a long length. It may become the best song off here if it was 10+ minutes, but sadly it isn't. Still a good song though.

The band does have some comedic routes in their music, and The Brief History of a Bassoon explores that in a funny little tune. It is sort of a tongue-in-cheek song about one of the prominent instruments of Gryphon's whole career, that being the bassoon. The joke here is that there is no bassoon present in this song. Believe me, I went through it over and over again, and still no bassoon. I even looked up videos of what a bassoon sounds like to double-check, and yet no bassoon. I find it kinda hilarious. It is like studying for a math test and instead of getting the equations, you get the answers and only the answers. Rather funny how things work out like that. A fun little tune that ties some knots in the album and experience Gryphon brings.

Krum Dancing also plays into the humor of Gryphon, retaining the folk instrumental factors, but also sort of making this song almost a dance track. I can almost certainly see people dancing to this in pubs of some kind. It is almost funny how when Gryphon does things right, they do them right, but when they try humor, they do it with class that doesn't devolve the music.

While in their last album they had a tiny psychedelic edge, Forth Sahara expands on that with a more space edge to the sound and higher use of keyboards than ever before. It certainly reminds me of the greats of Eloy and Nektar without fully becoming them and ripping them off in sound and focus. You can still tell they are still Gryphon by their sound and focus, but with new stuff added on to make them stand out a bit more from their previous efforts. Certainly a fine song.

In a flip of the coin to one of the first few songs of the album, Christina's Song takes some of the same notes A Stranger Kiss did but sadly doesn't do them as well. I do not get a sense of melancholy with this song, and while I do like the song it never strikes my fancy enough for me to fully LOVE it if that makes sense. It is a neat song, but sadly I cannot say it is really special.

One of the weirder and more proggy songs on this album, Normal Wisdom From the Swamp... (A Sonic Tonic), does something similar to Percy The Defective Perspective Detective where they combine the jazzy progressive rock with their folk sound, however this time elongated and done quite better if I may add. This may be the band's most experimental song yet, combining new techniques into their sound that allows them to stretch their legs more, and create something very special. It is a very fun and enjoyable song, and one that I think will be regarded as a modern-day classic with time and patience.

Ending the album off is Parting Shot, and?My god, what a song to end this whole Gryphon journey. I know the band is still going on, but man once I heard this song I knew this would be one of my favorites off here. It is so emotional, so beautiful, and so rewarding. Even after the mixed reception all of Gryphon's albums have brought, I can still see them as being enjoyable to some capacity, even with Treason. To me, Gryphon is a fun type of progressive folk. Hearing and reviewing them has been incredibly enjoyable, and while some of their songs aren't the best, if they may not strike lightning in the bottle all of the time, they still have a place in my heart with a lot of other bands. Their music is one of the best out there, and they need some more recognition. Parting Shot represents all of that, a beautiful song that closes the curtains for now.

A strange, but an incredibly enjoyable album. While it wasn't as profoundly magical as ReInvention, it is still a great album they released in this century. Hailing back to those fun times in the 70s and truly embracing their image in the scene was a great move they pulled with ReInvention, and they still keep it up with this album. It is an album that slowly but surely became one of my favorites from the group, and I do think it should be recognized as a great release from this group.

Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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