Gryphon - Gryphon

Drones, pipes and whistles carefully arranged

Always something of an anomaly, with their use of instruments more often found at medieval recreations, Gryphon found their place amid the more self-indulgent albums within parts of both the prog and folk worlds in the 70s. This eponymous album contains many ‘Trad, arr Gryphon’ credits, as they revisit the likes of Kemp’s Jig, Sir Gavin Grimbold and The Unquiet Grave. They also become comically lusty on their own story of Three Jolly Butchers, and then get much more serious when reviving King Henry VIII’s Pastime With Good Company, probably making this the first time that good old Hal has made the pages of RC. Gryphon’s appeal was, and remains, their integration of crumhorns, bassoons and harmoniums into the modern folk world, together with very careful attention to the recording of their various percussive devices that often adds genuine depth to their work. An acquired taste with a limited, though committed, following, but one that’s worthy of investigation by curious listeners.

Talking Elephant | TECD 117

Reviewed by Kingsley Abbott
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