RAINDANCE

Tough to rate this album by our medival/folky/prog Gryphon boys. They have a couple Gentle Giantish songs, (beatwise, anyway) "Down The Dog", and the beginning of "(Ein Klein) Heldenleben", a few Stackridge/kitchen sink variety ditties, "LeCambrioleur Est Dans Le Mouchoir" and "Ormolu", some popish songs, "Mother Nature's Son" and "Don't Say Go" and then there's tracks only Gryphon can do, "Raindance" and "Fontinental Version". So why is it hard to rate this? Well, when you consider the last track, "(Ein Klein) Heldenleben", you can't believe a band can play this type of mind-blowingly complex and wonderful prog and yet saddle the listener with the popish stuff mentioned previously. Even songs like "Fontinental Version" is very Gentle Giant-like in spots and ROCKS! I guess if you're looking for something with a wide pallate of sounds, then this album would fall under the 4-star umbrella, the last track alone warrants the fourth star. But in reality, it's really 3.5 rounded to 4; uneven but highly enjoyable!