by Manila #5

Gryphon "Gryphon" 1973





















Manila said...
Gryphon albums are quite often posted on prog/rock blogs these days. This one, however - their first - is very much in the folk/early music vein. The tracks are mostly traditional or 'anonymous'...and one was apparently written by King Henry VIII.
More than 30 years after first seeing them at The Cambridge Folk Festival, I wonder which modern label would give a band playing krumhorns, bassoon and recorders a deal? And yet they were great. Quirky, highly skilled, imaginative.
In these days of Simon Cowell it's nice to remember a time when the blessed (British radio presenter) John Peel would slap on some folk/medieval/prog-rock music and rave about it. For me, at least. If you're 20 years old and live in Dusseldorf, perhaps not so much. :-)

Personnel:
Brian Gulland - bassoon, krumhorns, recorders, keyboards, vocals
Richard Harvey - recorders, krumhorns, keyboards, mandolin, guitar, vocals
David Oberlé - drums, percussion, vocals
Graeme Taylor - guitars,keyboards, recorder, vocals