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Joined: February 09 2010
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 3247
Posted: January 18 2011 at 06:02
The first four albums are all worthy additions to any Prog Rock collection - The first is more traditional folk rock with unusual instrumentation including oboes. They do get more progressive and less folk influenced with each album, but each album is distinctive in its own way (one thing they don't do is repeat themselves). Raindance (4th album) has the brilliant 'Ein Klein Heldenleben' suite which is my favourite Gryphon piece. Red Queen is all instrumental and is their most consistent album and also their most highly regarded. Line up changes affected the quality of their fifth album 'Treason' and I personally find this one very difficult to get into to.
Joined: May 11 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1127
Posted: January 16 2011 at 20:22
pied piper wrote:
Andrea Cortese wrote:
pied piper wrote:
Gryphon has always been one of my favourite bands ever, since I first heard Raindance in 1976, and I've always been amazed by the musicians' skill, to say nothing of writing talents.
I dare say that I love Gryphon's stuff because it's so... empathic with my mind: I recognize the melodic / harmonic / rhytm lines and patterns as they would have written by myself.
Perhaps that's why I got friend with the band members (I met Gulland in 1979) and I was very glad to get an invitation for their reunion concert (and dinner, later) last year.
An amazing night with Harvey, Gulland, Taylor, Oberlé, Jon Davie and Graham Preskett.
wow!!!
I see you come from Italy... tell me more about the meeting with the band... where did you find them?
It's a long story...
I chanced to meet Brian Gulland (and to have a nice chat with) in 1979, in Florence, after a gig he held with the French band Malicorne.
Of course, I've always kept in mind this meeting, not daring to think that he could remember me.
But he did remember! I got his wife's friendship on social network, and the other members' too. So, when Gryphon regrouped for a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, I was suddenly told, so I could book a seat in the first row.
Brian Gulland recognised me (after 30 years!), and told me to remain after the concert. I am a graphic artist (and a spare time musician, too) and I had released a celebrating cartoon mini poster for the evening, which I handled to the group's members (it can be seen on their official website).
Then, after the gig, we had a nice time in the pizzeria near to the theatre, chatting about everything. I was really excited...
Joined: May 11 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1127
Posted: January 16 2011 at 20:17
Lizzy wrote:
Interesting. I've listened to RQTG3, Midnight Mushrumps and the s/t several times, but I could never get into them. Great instrumentalists, but I simply couldn't find the outcome of their work exciting. I suppose I'll have to listen again sometimes.
That's pretty much how I feel.
But I did end up getting Treason after all,and absolutely love it.
Joined: April 05 2006
Location: Vancouver, BC
Status: Offline
Points: 37598
Posted: January 16 2011 at 19:22
Gryphon was one of the first "Prog" bands I got into long ago (starting with Midnight Mushrumps) and got back into much later, but am now not so into. I like all of the studio albums. I do find Red Queen... too formulaic, though. Each piece is too structurally the same for me, and I would like more variation/ variety in the pieces. Gryphon's version of "The Unquiet Grave" (a traditional song) from the debut is a favourite of mine.
About six years ago Gryphon would have been my favourite listed in PA's Prog Folk category, but then I discovered acid folk.
One Gryphon album I wish I hadn't got was Glastonbury Carol.
Joined: May 01 2010
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 470
Posted: January 16 2011 at 18:38
I don't like them much. RQtGT was a huge disappointment. I have forgotten how it sounds - haven't listened to it for years, and I've gotten rid of my copy. The debut was more appealing to me, but increased exposure to more authentic folk music made me think that its renditions are somewhat too silly and too 'perfectionist' and don't communicate the all-important authentic folk vibe at all.
Joined: January 13 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Status: Offline
Points: 124
Posted: January 16 2011 at 11:26
These last few years I spent a bundle replacing my old favorite LPs onto CD and discovering new/old stuff and growing my Prog collection. I've slowed my pace a lot because I'm in a good place now, but oddly this is the last Prog CD I just bought a few days ago. I'd never heard it before, but have been reading about it for years as a classic. Oddly it doesn't rank as high in PA as I thought it would (since so many of the books out there on Prog hail it as a classic). Yeah it gets a good score, but I don't think its in the Top 100 PA albums. Anyway, its terrific and reminds me a bit of the great Harmonium classic.
Joined: March 09 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 13481
Posted: January 15 2011 at 09:33
pied piper wrote:
Andrea Cortese wrote:
pied piper wrote:
Gryphon has always been one of my favourite bands ever, since I first heard Raindance in 1976, and I've always been amazed by the musicians' skill, to say nothing of writing talents.
I dare say that I love Gryphon's stuff because it's so... empathic with my mind: I recognize the melodic / harmonic / rhytm lines and patterns as they would have written by myself.
Perhaps that's why I got friend with the band members (I met Gulland in 1979) and I was very glad to get an invitation for their reunion concert (and dinner, later) last year.
An amazing night with Harvey, Gulland, Taylor, Oberlé, Jon Davie and Graham Preskett.
wow!!!
I see you come from Italy... tell me more about the meeting with the band... where did you find them?
It's a long story...
I chanced to meet Brian Gulland (and to have a nice chat with) in 1979, in Florence, after a gig he held with the French band Malicorne.
Of course, I've always kept in mind this meeting, not daring to think that he could remember me.
But he did remember! I got his wife's friendship on social network, and the other members' too. So, when Gryphon regrouped for a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, I was suddenly told, so I could book a seat in the first row.
Brian Gulland recognised me (after 30 years!), and told me to remain after the concert. I am a graphic artist (and a spare time musician, too) and I had released a celebrating cartoon mini poster for the evening, which I handled to the group's members (it can be seen on their official website).
Then, after the gig, we had a nice time in the pizzeria near to the theatre, chatting about everything. I was really excited...
You can consider yourself a very lucky person. Gryphon's always been one of my favorite bands, but I never had a chance to see them, what to speak of meeting them.
Joined: May 19 2010
Location: Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 94
Posted: January 15 2011 at 05:46
Andrea Cortese wrote:
pied piper wrote:
Gryphon has always been one of my favourite bands ever, since I first heard Raindance in 1976, and I've always been amazed by the musicians' skill, to say nothing of writing talents.
I dare say that I love Gryphon's stuff because it's so... empathic with my mind: I recognize the melodic / harmonic / rhytm lines and patterns as they would have written by myself.
Perhaps that's why I got friend with the band members (I met Gulland in 1979) and I was very glad to get an invitation for their reunion concert (and dinner, later) last year.
An amazing night with Harvey, Gulland, Taylor, Oberlé, Jon Davie and Graham Preskett.
wow!!!
I see you come from Italy... tell me more about the meeting with the band... where did you find them?
It's a long story...
I chanced to meet Brian Gulland (and to have a nice chat with) in 1979, in Florence, after a gig he held with the French band Malicorne.
Of course, I've always kept in mind this meeting, not daring to think that he could remember me.
But he did remember! I got his wife's friendship on social network, and the other members' too. So, when Gryphon regrouped for a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, I was suddenly told, so I could book a seat in the first row.
Brian Gulland recognised me (after 30 years!), and told me to remain after the concert. I am a graphic artist (and a spare time musician, too) and I had released a celebrating cartoon mini poster for the evening, which I handled to the group's members (it can be seen on their official website).
Then, after the gig, we had a nice time in the pizzeria near to the theatre, chatting about everything. I was really excited...
Joined: May 29 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 8368
Posted: January 14 2011 at 21:21
After seeing Red Queen To Gryphon Three praised to high heaven on this sight for a long time, I finally picked up a copy a few months ago. It is very, very good. I do feel that my expectations were rather too high though and it is not the mind blowing masterpiece that many claim it to be. It is however, as I said, very very good.
Joined: October 04 2008
Location: Southwest US
Status: Offline
Points: 1398
Posted: January 14 2011 at 21:16
I've only heard parts of the one mentioned album, and really liked it. When I first became a member of this site, the album was on the top 100 PA list (a couple years ago).
Joined: September 05 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 4411
Posted: December 21 2010 at 16:13
pied piper wrote:
Gryphon has always been one of my favourite bands ever, since I first heard Raindance in 1976, and I've always been amazed by the musicians' skill, to say nothing of writing talents.
I dare say that I love Gryphon's stuff because it's so... empathic with my mind: I recognize the melodic / harmonic / rhytm lines and patterns as they would have written by myself.
Perhaps that's why I got friend with the band members (I met Gulland in 1979) and I was very glad to get an invitation for their reunion concert (and dinner, later) last year.
An amazing night with Harvey, Gulland, Taylor, Oberlé, Jon Davie and Graham Preskett.
wow!!!
I see you come from Italy... tell me more about the meeting with the band... where did you find them?
Joined: May 19 2010
Location: Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 94
Posted: December 21 2010 at 09:19
Gryphon has always been one of my favourite bands ever, since I first heard Raindance in 1976, and I've always been amazed by the musicians' skill, to say nothing of writing talents.
I dare say that I love Gryphon's stuff because it's so... empathic with my mind: I recognize the melodic / harmonic / rhytm lines and patterns as they would have written by myself.
Perhaps that's why I got friend with the band members (I met Gulland in 1979) and I was very glad to get an invitation for their reunion concert (and dinner, later) last year.
An amazing night with Harvey, Gulland, Taylor, Oberlé, Jon Davie and Graham Preskett.
Love the Midnight Mushrump suite....music that accompanied a presentation of the S'speare play the Tempest in the spring 0f '74. One of my favorite of the Bard's plays....must have been one cool production.
The Amazing Blondel and Gryphon are two great bands that put a modernish twist on olde English music.
Their later is stuff is OK.....Red Queen has a lot to recommend but, to me, doesn't come close to the music on the first two albums.
Has anyone heard any of the tapes of the Gryphon portion of the Yes Relayer tour?
I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there.....
Joined: September 05 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 4411
Posted: December 19 2010 at 14:59
^^^
eh eh ehehhe me too.
BTW, if the listener wants them to rock then he has to go with their last three. If he's more into their folky-medieval sound (even adventurous as Midnight Mushrumps) then the first two have to be the choice.
Edited by Andrea Cortese - December 19 2010 at 15:01
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pied piper wrote:
