GRYPHON
Back to the main page

Comment using:
[email protected]
(Specify what name or how much of it you want to see appear, specify what you are commenting about)


Albums reviewed:
1974 - Red Queen To Gryphon Three (10-)
1975 - Raindance (8)

Gryphon are obscure among the obscures. Too bad. They had a relatively short career, but still, they DID open for bands like Yes at the Madison Square Garden in New York (and sometimes entertained the crowd more than Yes themselves, which... wasn't quite appreciated!). Gryphon is one of the most medieval progressive rock bands. The band members play many instruments including krumhorn, bassoon, tympani; stuff that just makes it sound plain folk-medieval.

'Red Queen To Gryphon Three' is the third album by the band. I still have to get my hands on their earlier records. This one is usually hailed as the best. It certainly is the transition between their earlier almost purely medieval records, and the following mostly classic prog-rock feeling albums. As the album's and songs' titles and easily interpretable album art suggest, this album follows a game of chess, but it's entirely instrumental. The first three movements are excessively successful at portraying the different steps of the game. Opening Move has all the pomp of marching strategies, and the will to attack and conquer! They use keyboards quite effectively, pairing them with wonderful piccolo, clavinet and whatnot. Consequently, it never becomes a synth fest except in the glorious moments, but even then, it sounds awesome. Second Spasm starts with very well crafted chivalry inspired instrumentation and descends in the twisted rock and beats of what the chess game becomes when the brains overheat trying to figure out what to do. Second Spasm is certainly the weirdest track, going everywhere, but never becoming dissonant. Gryphon are almost never dissonant; melody prevails, and we're happy because it does so with those great folk musical instruments. I love how this album launches in marching uplifting moments that are so simple and still progressive-rock feeling. Gryphon scores by hiding their complexity and making it thoroughly enjoyable and folkish. Lament is the highlight (by how much though?), featuring simply strummed folk guitar chords backed by beautiful wind instruments. It does explore the rock side of things, but it becomes glorious when the melody of the beginning comes back in full swing and synths at the end. Powerful conveying of the "one player is starting to lose (and the other to win)" feeling. I'm just a bit disappointed by the end of the album. Checkmate is not as "victorious" as it should, I feel. It is also merely a mixture of feelings and sounds you had already experienced on the three previous tracks. Maybe it was inevitable that after the first half hour, the whole concept would start to run dry. I don't know. Still, it is very listenable and good by itself, just not as cohesive. This very small problem probably makes 'Red Queen' the album in my collection that is the closest to a full 10 without quite achieve it. Like if it were sitting with St. Peter at the gates of heaven waiting for its visa.

One of the most melodical prog rock I've heard, and it rocks really hard at times. Don't come here looking for deep philosophical surreal stuff though. But that doesn't prevent 'Red Queen To Gryphon Three' from being a damn classic. I first heard this album in the winter of 2001 if I remember well, or... no... late 2000? At the time of the release of the first Lord of the Rings movie (that one was quite good), maybe it's all attached to that wintery feeling and all...

Simon Lac, February 25th 2006

 

Came attached to my 'Red Queen To Gryphon Three' album on a two-albums-on-one CD (they're only available like that! Hate it!). The transition probably hurts 'Raindance' a lot. I mean, there's barely 2 seconds between the end of 'Red Queen' and the beginning of 'Raindance', and even the sound quality drops like hell. Listen to that muffled drum! What the hell?!? WHAT THE HAIIIL?!? Anyhow, the album isn't too bad, but it's certainly less interesting than its predecessor. For one, it's much more traditional and not as imaginative. Down the Dog hits you with a weird beat and great synths, it's fun, but it's... just that. The band goes New Age on you with the title track, instrumental again, but it's beautiful! It's like Brian Eno almost! It's a "raindance", the synth arpeggios sound like rain drops, and then thunder, and whoaaa, very "nature". Maybe there is an underlying concept, when I think of it, 'Red Queen' was about that medieval strategy thing, 'Raindance' feels "nature inspired ditties". Of course, there are lyrics here and there, usually jokes that don't succeed very well or a relatively good cover of the Beatles' Mother Nature's Son (sounds even more "natural", again...). Some of the songs on 'Raindance' however are apparently among the most forgettable Gryphon material, and I, for one, could really do without relatively ugly material like Fontinental Version; ugly vocals, ugly song title, patched melody work, excessively bad drum recording, this song doesn't make sense, they screwed a good part by sticking it in the middle of that mess (yes, there are a few real good parts... I'll be generous and leave it "blue" and not put it "vomit green"). The Beatles' cover, Cambrioleur, Ormolu, they're not offensive or anything, they're just very pointless and you find yourself waiting for the last part of the album. Still, with the driving synth festival / horn party Wallbanger, things start to pick up again. It all culminates with the closer (Ein Klein) Heldenleben (aka "a small hero's life"). It is indeed a hero's life, with one of the most "valour-ous" feel I've ever gotten from a rock song (folk-medieval-rock, that is...). It seems to be the only song here that inspires itself from the 'Red Queen' sound, and expands on it. Yes, it EXPANDS on it, making it almost better in parts than a lot of what you heard on that 1974 album. Just listen to those "marching" moments, those driving synth riffs that pop up in the middle of the life's most important moment. I'll repeat that; it feels like a long journey, an instrumental story. It is a fabulous bedtime story. Had 'Raindance''s last 16 minutes been filled with material of the same quality as what is in the middle of the album, it would have sucked bad, but (Ein Klein) Heldenleben saves the day big time; it is a march, a long inspiring march that is incredibly well-written in a folk manner with the best instrumentation, combining the unique glorious synths and the medieval gear. The main recurrent riff seriously rules; the hero's anthem.

Still, this is supposed to be one of the less essential Gryphon albums, be warned. It does suffer from "small nature ditty doing nothing" syndrome, but the bookends will kick your bottom.

Simon Lac, February 25th 2006