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. The shorter vocal piece "The Ploughboy's Dream" is also
handled on a far more sophisticated level than the work on the first album.
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).
(by Bruce Eder, All
Music Guide)
|