Gryphon

Vinyl Records and Rare LPs:

	Gryphon Used - LP - TRA 262 Beautiful 1973 UK Original Housed In A Textured Gatefold Jacket. “The Group's Debut Album. They Were Still A Quartet At The Time, Without A Full-Time Keyboard Player. The Material Is Essentially Progressive Folk-Rock, Elements Of Jazz And Swing ("Over The Rainbow" Even Turns Up Interpolated In The Arrangement Of One Number) Juxtaposed With Traditional Folk Songs ("The Unquiet Grave," Ka "Dives And Lazarus"), Works Attributed To Henry VIII, And Folk-Style Originals. Brian Gulland's And Richard Harvey's Bassoon, Krumhorn, And Recorders Are The Dominant Instruments. The Instrumental Tracks Tend To Overwhelm The Tiny Handful Of Vocal Numbers, Sung By Gulland, Guitarist Graeme Taylor, And Drummer David Oberle.” Bruce Eder, All Music Guide. more
	Midnight Mushrumps New - LP - TRA 282 Sealed 1974 UK Laminated Cover Original. “The Group Was Still Doing Some Folk-Type Vocal Numbers On This, Their Second Album, But It Was Clearly Moving In The Direction Of Progressive Rock. The 18-Minute Title Track By Richard Harvey Took Up One Whole Side Of The Original LP, And Incorporated Medieval, Baroque, And Classical-Era Influences In Its Structure. That Track Is Probably What Attracted Yes (And, More Specifically, Steve Howe) To The Group In Time For Them To Be Booked As An Opening Act On The Progressive Rock Supergroup's 1975 Tour. The Tempo Changes Come Just Often Enough To Keep The Material From Being Remotely Stilted Or Boring, And The Radical Shifts In Dynamics Make This A Rather Sonically Impressive Piece -- And The Melodies Are Gorgeous. The Resulting Album Is A Strange Brand Of "Progressive Folk," Never Veering Too Far From Traditional English And European Source Material, But Played Within Structures As Appropriate To The Concert Hall As They Were To The Club Or The Pub. New Member Philip Nestor (Bass, Vocals) Added Considerably To The Weightiness Of The Band's Sound. For An Unofficial Member, Organist Ernest Hart (Who Would Join On The Next Album) Plays A Surprisingly Important And Visible Role Here, Vastly Expanding The Range Of Their Sound So That Gryphon Seems Like It Can Fill A Full-Sized Concert Hall. Amazingly, The Highlight May Be The Closer, A Hybrid Folk/Rock/Classical Instrumental Called "Ethelion," Which Showcases Each Member's Major Instruments (Including One Of The Most Delectable And Appropriate Drum Solos In Rock Music History).” Bruce Eder, AMG. more
	Raindance Used - LP - TRA 302 1975 UK Original. Dead Wax Inscribed "A Porky Prime Cut" & "Totally Illogical." LP Appears Glossy, Unplayed. more
	Raindance Used Import - TRA 302 1975 UK Original. Nice Clean Copy. "The Group's Fourth Album Is More Electronic Than Folk, And, Indeed, The Electronics Are Dominated By Richard Harvey's Electronic Keyboards. The Lineup Here Is Harvey (Keyboards, Krumhorns, Recorders), Graeme Taylor (Guitars, Backing Vocals), Brian Gulland (Bassoon, Backing Vocals), Malcolm Bennett (Bass, Flute), And David Oberle (Drums, Vocals). The Sound Is Surprisingly New Age-Ish, Especially The Title Track, Which, Like Most Of This Album, Seems Rather Cold And Mechanical. The Exceptions Are A Cover Of The Beatles' "Mother Nature's Son," Which Doesn't Seem To Have Much Point Or Purpose In These Surroundings, And Graeme Taylor's Aimless, Folkish "Fontinental Version" And Insultingly Slight Throwaway Rock Number "Don't Say Go." Most Of The Rest Is Hardly Memorable, Especially The Meandering Keyboard Instrumental "Wallbanger," Which Sounds Like A Leftover From The Red Queen To Gryphon Three Album, Which Does, Indeed, Date From A Year Earlier Than Most Of The Rest Of This. A 16-Minute Instrumental Called "(Ein Klein) Heldenleben" Is Better Than Anything Else Here, A Bracing And Exciting Piece Of Music Whose Pyrotechnics Seem To Reflect The Group's Contact With Yes As An Opening Act On The Latter's Tour, But All In All Hardly A Track To Justify This Album -- Everything It Has To Say That Was Special To Gryphon Was Said Better On The Red Queen Album, Although Anyone Who Absolutely Needs More Of What Was There Could Do Worse Than Purchasing This Disc, At Least For This And "Wallbanger"." AMG Review By Bruce Eder. more
	Red Queen To Gryphon 3 Used - LP - TRA 287 1974 UK Original Still In Shrink Wrap. Bottom Seam Has Some Rubbing Near Mouth. Vinyl Appears Glossy. “The Album Centers Around A Game Of Chess, With Each Track Around Ten Minutes In Length. The Symphonic Structure Of The Movements Intricately Combine Rich Textured Strings With Medieval Horns, Reminiscent Of 16th Century England. The Keyboards Bridge Together Certain Passages With Just The Right Intensity So That They Keep From Modernizing The Album's Feel. While Some Progressive Rock Can Seem Over The Top Or Contrived, Gryphon Mixes Subtlety With Diversity To Formulate Beautiful Streamline Music. The Use Of The Bassoon And Krumhorn Gives This Album Depth And A Profound Musical Element Not Found In Other Bands Of The Same Nature. The Tempos And Accents Express Moods That Are Structured For Each Piece Precisely, Such As The Brainstorming Arrangements In "Opening Move" And The Victorious Finale Heard Throughout "Checkmate," The Last Song On The Album. The Absence Of Vocals Lets The Music Carry Extra Weight, Enhancing The Vision Of The Chessboard In The Mind's Eye.” - Mike Degagne, AMG more
	Treason Used Import - SHSP 4063 1977 UK Fully Laminated Cover Original With Custom Printed Inner Sleeve. Medieval Rock-Folk Prog! more