Red Queen to.../Raindance [Import]

Red Queen to.../Raindance [Import]

Track Listings

1. Openening Move

2. Second Spasm

3. Lament

4. Checkmate

5. Down The Dog

6. Raindance

7. Heldenleben (Ein Klein)

8. Mother Nature's Son

9. Le Cambrioleur Est Dans Le Mouchoir

10. Ornolu

11. Fontinental Version

12. Wallbanger

13. Don't Say Go

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
1997 two-on-one reissue from Castle of their third & fourthalbums, originally released on Transatlantic in 1974 & 1975,respectively. Released during their heyday as the openingband for Yes' tour, each features the original line up ofRichard Harvey, Brian

Tracks:

Opening Move
Second Spasm
Lament
Checkmate
Down the Dog
Raindance
Mother Nature's Son
Cambrioleur Est dans le Mouchoir
Ormolu
Fontinental Version
Wallbanger
Don't Say Go
(Ein Klein) Heldenleben

Album Description

1997 two-on-one reissue from Castle of their third & fourthalbums, originally released on Transatlantic in 1974 & 1975,respectively. Released during their heyday as the openingband for Yes' tour, each features the original line up ofRichard Harvey, Brian

Customer Reviews:

Gryphon: No Myth .......2006-02-11

I must offer my first hand commentary as one whose very first concert experience was going to see Yes on their "Relayer" tour in '74. No opening act was specified, but as the lights went down and the arena filled with smoke, Gryphon took the stage, and (as the Brits say) "Gobsmacked" us with an almost complete live rendition of "Red Queen to Gryphon Three." Notwithstanding the fact that this was still the pinnacle of the progressive era and that the audience was VASTLY more receptive to something unusual than it would be today, consider what an out-there risk Gryphon was. Totally instrumental music, and what the hell is that thing that guy is playing? I bet only half the packed fieldhouse (Iowa City, IA) recognized it as a bassoon.

Nevertheless, Gryphon absolutely held us in the palm of their hands with obvious instrumental chops and DRAMATIC soundscapes blending punchy electro-rock with the English folk influences (we came to discover afterward, when we went out to order their LP's) that dominated their recordings prior to "Red Queen." No matter how stoned we were, we ALL remember their finale when Richard Harvey got out his recorder and led the band in some English sea chantey we all recognized but none could name--the band started mid-tempo and then sped the thing up to near light-speed, and had the crowd swinging from the rafters before they closed to thunderous applause!

And Yes was pretty damn good too, I must add. Certainly one of the BEST concerts I ever attended.

But back to Gryphon. The "Red Queen" CD is one of the twin peaks of their career, the second being their far more traditional prog-rocking "Treason." EVERY track on "Red Queen" represents the fullest realization of leader Richard Harvey's ideal of a modern, rock-oriented "chamber ensemble." The entire quintet is totally on the same page with Harvey, and who among us rock fans could have imagined what a bassoon could be capable of!?! I speak only in half-jest to say that Brian Gulland takes the world championship for Rock Bassoon.

If you can find it at a fair price, "Red Queen" will more than reward you with a totally unique approach to instrumental progressive rock that offers lasting pleasure to listeners with the tolerance for something different. Allow me also a sentence here to extol their later fifth album, "Treason," much more mainstream in the sense that drummer Dave Oberle stepped forward as an AMAZINGLY agile singer, and with some ace songwriting & lyrics by Harvey and friends created a true unsung milestone of progressive rock. I hope that easy internet distribution to a worldwide market will spur some entreprenurial connoisseur to step forward and make both these recordings easily available to a legion of admirers who have yet to discover and treasure them.

impressive!!.......2005-05-25

awesome prog on this release!! this is the first time i've heard it and i LIKE what i'm hearing!

Best instrumental rock album EVER!.......2003-02-25

Quite simply, this is the best instrumental album of classical/progressive rock ever released. "Lament" is gorgeous, sad & chilling, "Opening Move" & "Second Spasm" are playful & Xciting, only "Checkmate" lets up at all & it's still well above average. Why these guys didn't become world famous back in 1974 I don't know, but this album will change your life! Get it!

Interesting music.......2003-02-01

A really good progressive rock album with medieval influences, similarly to Gentle Giant

A rare perfect marriage of rock with classical music.......2002-02-06

In the 70s, progressive rockers kept trying to combine classical music with rock. Remember ELP's "Pictures at an Exhibition"? These attempts were mostly dismal failures, because it was nearly impossible for rock musicians to duplicate the big sound of an orchestra without sounding pompous. On this album, the obscure group Gryphon had greater success by using a chamber music approach instead. For what it's worth, they also managed the best use of bassoon you're ever likely to hear in a rock context.

This is a gorgeous, though wildly uncommercial, album. Four instrumentals, each 8 to 11 minutes in length (in later albums, commercial considerations forced them to add vocals). Each musician's contribution can be clearly heard in the mix at all times. Much of the music has a timeless feel, perhaps due to the background in medieval music of recorder/keyboard player Richard Harvey and bassoonist Brian Gulland (on "Second Spasm", they share a brief passage on archaic krumhorns). Gulland and guitarist Graeme Taylor had a hand in writing all the pieces, and also share the bulk of the lead melodies. The entire album is strong, with "Lament" a particular highlight.

Red Queen to Gryphon Three/Raindance
Average customer rating:

One of the top 10 70's progressive period

Red Queen to Gryphon Three/Raindance
Gryphon
Manufacturer: Castle - Old Numbers
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000068G7B
Release Date: 2002-06-11

Tracks:

OPENING MOVE
SECOND SPASM
LAMENT
CHECKMATE
DOWN THE DOG
RAINDANCE
MOTHER NATURE'S SON
LE CAMBRIOLEUR EST DANS LE MOUCHOIR
ORMOLU
CONTINENTAL VERSION
WALLBANGER
DON'T SAY GO
(EIN KLEIN) HELDENLEBEN

Customer Reviews:

One of the top 10 70's progressive period.......2003-05-26

If you like 70's progressive, this is a must have. Instrumental except for a few tracks on Raindances (I guess some lame brain executive decided they could get popular if someone sang.) The instrumentation is the most creative work since Gentle Giant. But whereas GG could never do a studio album to match their live performances, Gryphon's studio work far exceeds much of the early seventies prog era (espa). The interesting thing about that time period is that when you look back at the music and read what the bands were dealing with at the time none of them liked the espa. Yes and Genesis were told by upper management to do extended cuts. They would have actually rather done Supremes covers. King Crimson ended up with Red, a heavy metal album. And Van der Graff Generator ended up so far out there that the entire band decided to be Peter Hammills solo back up band. Gryphon actually "enjoyed" what they were doing, and you can tell it in the compositions and performance.
As far as this CD release, the sound quality is superb. Gryphon was on the Bell lable which disappeared long ago. (Try finding old Sweet or Partridge Family albums. The holy grail of vinyl collection is The PF's Christmas album). I am very pleased with the release. Give it a shot, if you're into the espa.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

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