Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Gryphon
Label: Transatlantic Records
Release: 1974
Duration: 42:10
Rating: 4.5/5
British prog folk rock troubadours Gryphon, who stood out with a specific brand of folk rock marked by medieval-Renaissance arrangements and a range of medieval instruments, expanded their traditional sound even further on their second studio album »Midnight Mushromps« with electric guitar, keyboards and extra woodwinds (including the bassoon, which was used for the first time in the history of rock music). Until then, Gryphon had been an acoustic band, as was clear from their self-titled debut, which was played on most of the medieval instruments available at the time. On »Midnight Mushromps«, though, they suddenly moved traditional rural British folk out of the fields, farms and village taverns and into grand Renaissance halls, and with vividly colorful keyboards they delivered arrangements about as majestic as they come. No surprise, then, that alongside the classic »Red Qeen to Gryphon Three« (1974), this album is rightly considered their finest achievement.
Multi-instrumentalist Richard Harvey and the wily, seasoned woodwind man Brian Gulland, with help from David Oberlé on lead vocals and drums, bassist Philip Nestor and guitarist Graeme Taylor, take us through six utterly distinctive compositions on »Midnight Mushromps«, from sprawling castle corridors and rural plains to medieval harbors. The title track, which opens the album, is a veritable incarnation of Renaissance courtly grandeur: an exceptionally varied 19-minute epic where every member of the band shines through the creation of ceremonial arrangements. You can catch elements of a Henry VIII madrigal as well as the Renaissance chanson. Gryphon’s atmospheric approach on »Midnight Mushromps« is predominantly boisterous, playful, at times even a little farcical, and decidedly spirited. Melancholic and darker atmospheric shades aren’t exactly abundant in their music, though they know how to touch on a ‘typical’ British soul too.
»The Plough Boys Dream«, featuring the vocal talent of drummer Oberlé, is a return to more rural folk rock shades, with extensive use of woodwind parts led by the bassoon and rustic percussion led by the glockenspiel, vividly painting the picture of a dreamy village lad who daydreams about great heroic deeds while working the field. »The Last Flash Of Gaberdine Tailor« is a successful fusion of two worlds: majestic, courtly-Tudor madrigal rhythms and traditional folk rock rusticity, which is of course closer to its tale of a village tailor’s adventures. »Gulland Rock« is dedicated to woodwind player Brian Gulland, who is also the main ‘star’ of this somewhat more contemplative piece, ruled by his spirited woodwinds, the passionate chords of Taylor’s acoustic guitar and the sacral sound of Harvey’s organs.
»Dubble Dutch« is another more rurally minded folk rock tune with plenty of acoustic guitar variations, dropping the listener into muddy medieval streets where geese, hens and pigs wander undisturbed while the village folk gather at the fair. It’s no surprise that the members of Gryphon were big fans of the works of the cult English fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien, which isn’t evident just from most of their arrangements; the closing piece, »Ethelion«, proves it with its very title. The title is actually slightly off, since the proper name for Tolkien’s Elven lord of the First Age is Echtelion, not Ethelion, but the piece was written three years before Tolkien’s ‘bible’, The Silmarillion, in which this character is first introduced, came out. A somewhat out-of-place opening with Gulland’s laughter later tips over into combative, spirited rhythms with sumptuous Renaissance woodwind and keyboard arrangements, while ruffled acoustic guitar passages bring the lion’s share of the romantic atmosphere.
»Midnight Mushromps« was a true musical gem when it came to blending medieval-Renaissance romance with traditional British pastoral, groaning under the weight of ceremonial arrangements of the kind we most often hear these days in epic, fantasy or historical film spectacles. Gryphon’s remarkable talent for creating complex, colorful melodies from a long-‘forgotten era’ didn’t go unnoticed. Gryphon were one of the few prog rock outfits who became fairly popular from the very start of their journey, and thanks above all to their sonic uniqueness, they won the respect of the critics of the day and of the wider music crowd too during their short existence, within the bounds of ‘normal’, of course. The biggest recognition came in 1974, when, following the release of their third effort »Red Queen to Gryphon Three«, they supported prog rock giants Yes and jazz fusion champions Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Lineup
Richard Harvey – woodwinds, keyboards, mandolin, backing vocals
Brian Gulland – bassoon, horn, backing vocals
David Oberlé – drums, percussion, vocals
Graeme Taylor – guitar, backing vocals
Philip Nestor – bass guitar, backing vocals
Production
Gryphon
Track List
1. Midnight Mushrumps
2. The Plough-Boy’s Dream
3. The Last Flash Of Gaberdine Tailor
4. Gulland Rock
5. Dubbel Dutch
6. Ethelion
