release date: November 2, 2018
label: Talking Elephant
production: Gryphon
rating: 9.5 / 10
“ReInvention” is the first album in forty-one years from the one-of-a-kind English prog rock legends Gryphon. That’s how long it’s been since their last, and fifth, studio album “Treason” (1977), after which the band fell apart, though never into oblivion for their loyal fans, who never dared hope for the return of the masters of medieval-flavored prog folk rock. The first, unsuccessful, reunion happened in 2009, while the one from 2016 has been far more successful and is still going strong today.
Gryphon’s lineup features three original members, Brian Gulland on woodwinds, Graeme Taylor on guitar, and Dave Oberle on drums and lead vocals, plus three “newcomers”: keyboardist/violinist Graham Preskett, bassist Rory McFarlane, and Andy Findon on winds. Together they recorded “ReInvention”, a thoroughly classic Gryphon album from start to finish, packed with medieval and baroque arrangements that, just like in the old days, are all played on authentic troubadour-style instruments. The end result is the atmospheric and deeply intense blend of medieval folk rock and symphonic prog rock that made them stand out in their prime.
To the delight of the faithful fans who never gave up hope of a reunion, Gryphon pick up their splendid sonic tradition exactly where they left off in the second half of the seventies. Even the production recalls their old albums, and the cover looks like it was made in 1974. Still, “ReInvention” serves up some sonic ideas we haven’t heard from Gryphon before. Oberle, who is first and foremost a superb drummer, is still a terrific and charismatic singer after all these years, while Taylor’s guitar technique seems to have become even more sophisticated in his “golden years”.
All three newcomers shine on “ReInvention”, so much so that many won’t even miss original member Richard Harvey, the multi-instrumentalist who built a brilliant career as a film and TV composer after Gryphon’s (first) breakup. Some of the tracks are purely instrumental, while the ones with vocals feature (black-)humored lyrics full of satirically warped “pictures” of medieval England, as is typical for a band that never took itself too seriously.
Fans can see for themselves that the “real” Gryphon are back from the dead with the opening track “Pipe Up Downsland DerryDellDanko”, which sounds like it was made more than four decades ago. Colorful symphonic arrangements on strings and winds, with that unmistakable medieval vibe, announce a stormy and varied start to a thoroughly eclectic album that slaloms brilliantly between instrumental and vocal pieces. It’s hard to pick out highlights, since all the songs are more or less equal in quality. The next track, “Rhubarb Crumhorn”, is another highly traditionalist Gryphon number that, mostly thanks to some of its symphonic arrangements, is a little reminiscent of Camel’s instrumental side from the era of “The Snow Goose” (1975).
Fans of more epic-leaning prog folk with a symphonic edge and a somewhat darker atmosphere will probably be most taken with “Haddocks’ Eyes”, where Gryphon, in the lyrics and through Oberle’s rather comical, chameleon-like vocal performance, poke fun at the old and sarcastic Captain Haddock from the famous Belgian comic Tintin. The instrumental “Batsheba”, steeped in a mysterious, more serious mood and standing out for its subtle baroque embellishments on strings, shows Gryphon in a somewhat different atmospheric light than usual. “Sailor V” also deserves special mention: it’s deeply infused with folk elements of traditional Irish music, and Taylor’s guitar solo in the closing section suddenly veers strongly toward some of Mike Oldfield’s past guitar exploits, which is clear proof that he has only perfected his enviable guitar technique over the years.
At a time when new, quality releases in the prog folk rock world are almost chronically missing, the new Gryphon album arrived right on cue, even though it took a full forty-one years to get here. The long wait, too long for many, was worth it after all, and the end result even exceeded fans’ expectations, since “ReInvention” sounds like it was recorded in the seventies and not in 2018. The members of Gryphon made the very wise decision to continue their splendid sonic tradition on “ReInventon” and not to needlessly try to “modernize” at the expense of their sonic identity.
review by: Peter Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
1. Pipe Up Downsland Derry Dell Danko (4:49)
2. Rhubarb Crumhorn (5:56)
3. A Futuristic Auntyquarian (5:58)
4. Haddocks’ Eyes (10:58)
5. Hampton Caught (5:12)
6. Hospitality At A Price… Anyone For? (3:11)
7. Dumbe Dum Chit (3:08)
8. Bathsheba (5:37)
9. Sailor V (8:37)
10. Ashes (3:32)
11. The Euphrates Connection (4:43)
Lineup:
Graeme Taylor – electric and acoustic guitars, production
Graham Preskett – violin, mandolin, keyboards, harmonica
Brian Gulland – woodwinds, piano
Andrew Findon – woodwinds
Rory McFarlane – bass guitar
Dave Oberlé – drums, percussion, vocals
