TREASON

Although only recognized by few, this is by far the best Gryphon album. Finally they succeeded in developing a true sound with complete songs. On their previous albums the sound quality was really too poor and the structure of the songs was hardly perceptible, the only truly tangible songs, being medieval or renaissance tunes. In stead of freakish experiments, Treason has to offer us a collection of well-balanced, melodic and warm sounding symphonic folk songs.The genious of Richard Harvey, who would later become so succesful as a writer of television-series tunes is here fully displayed. The singing on the album, both solistic and harmonic, is of excellent quality and the playing is impeccable. Beautiful arranged and recorded crumhorn, recorder and bassoon parts decorate songs like "Round & Round", "Fall Of The Leave" and "Major Disaster". The keyboard sounds are subtle and well placed, while guitarst Bob Foster fits in the band like a glove. Gryphon still haven't lost their sense of humour, as you can observe in songs like "Flash in the Pantry" and the saxophone dominated "Snakes and Ladders". The longest song on the album is the opening piece "Spring Song" a very warm sounding elaborated progressive folk composition, full of tempo and character changes, evoking the blessings of spring. One could only regret the shortness of the album. It's a pity that in the late seventies so many great bands were washed away by the hooligans of punk music. I think this record will please every melodic folk lover and can be considered an essential in the genre, so I will reward it with five stars !

Erik de Beer.