RED QUEEN TO GRYPHON THREE

"Red Queen to Gryphon Three" is Gryphon's finest hour, and a true masterpiece of unique Progressive Rock genius. Each of the album's four instrumental compositions employ a mathematical precision that rivals even the best of Gentle Giant's output. A casual listener might be forgiven for suspecting a Gentle Giant influence. Research reveals, however, that one can independently trace the influences of both bands back to the same Renaissance, Medieval and English Folk roots. Gryphon began when musically educated multi-instrumentalists Richard Harvey and Brian Gulland teamed up to explore elements of historical folk music. It wasn't long, however, before a guitarist (Graeme Taylor) and percussion (Dave Oberle) were added and the band began to blend rock music influences into the mix. Fresh off the heels of the success of their extended album-long suite "Midnight Mushrumps", which had its genesis as music for a Shakespeare production at Britain's National Theatre, "Red Queen to Gryphon" features 4 instrumental compositions of Progressive chamber rock music.

Gryphon got noticed by many progrock fans when they opened for Yes during their North American Tour in 1975. They also performed on Steve Howe's solo album "Beginnings".

Subsequent albums would become increasingly commercial, straying from the instrumentation, arrangements and compositional style that make this album, and the band, so unique and vital.