Gryphon was one of the more unique bands during the British wave of Progressive Rock during the early to mid 1970s.  Their first self-titled LP in 1973 introduced the world to a “rock” band immersed in medieval and renaissance music mixed with British folk and long pieces of recorder, crumhorn and bassoon playing as well as keyboards.  This unique style gave them underground cult status, and if you were a music fan at the time, you will recall how technical skill really mattered.  Bands like ELP and Yes were held in high esteem for their chops as well as their interesting compositions as were countless other groups like King Crimson, Gentle Giant et al.  It was a unique time for music in general, and the choices for the listener were endless.

Riding this popular wave, Gryphon proceeded to release further LPs, and as their status grew, their sound migrated more to the styles of the aforementioned groups; they toured with Yes in the mid-70s which also had to influence their direction.  Their final album of this period (they have had a reunion in the mid-2000s - more can be learned at the website) was the one I will review today; I keyed on this one particularly because I really enjoy Yes and other bands in that musical vein and I’ve always had a real affection for Treason.

Gryphon members had changed somewhat by 1977, but original core members remained: Richard Harvey (keyboards, recorders, sax), Dave Oberle (lead vocals, percussion) and Brian Gulland (bassoon, English horn, recorders and vocals).  On this record they were augmented by Bob Foster (guitar and vocals), Jonathan Davie (bass) and Alex Baird (drums).

The album begins with Spring Song and a military drum roll that almost is a whisper from your speakers; you may be tempted to turn up the volume but this would be a big mistake.  A few bars of this quiet drumming is suddenly interrupted by an explosion of instruments with an announcement of power (and volume!) just to let you know that they are not fooling around and are here to match licks with the big boys.  The song continues in this fashion, trading the light percussion with power chords until the piece unfolds into a Gentle Giant-like syncopated rhythm and then to a Yes-like piano run with a beautiful melody that accommodates their passion for English folk music.  It is a wonderful mix of styles sounding unique and refreshing.  Dave Oberle has a wistful voice which matches their style and the tone of Bob Foster’s guitar is definitely in the Steve Howe camp.  The wonderful harmony vocals sound like Yes as well; a full package of sound and instruments which surround you and draw you in.
The second track, Round and Round, calms things down a bit and is a great rock song with a hook chorus with lots of keyboards and great horn playing. It reminds me of Rare Bird in the lighter moments and then The Yes Album at the instrumental break – lots to sink your teeth into.

Flash in the Pantry (they have always used puns and humour in their titles or songs) starts as a straight rock song with a repeating heavy riff but as on most of their songs they never rest on that – it soon becomes a cacophony of percussion and voices, swelling louder with more complexity until it drops back to the original riff with some tricky interplay between guitar and horns, again very much in the Gentle Giant style. Falero Lady incorporates more acoustic instruments in a fast-paced folk song with a real Strawbs feel and will have your toes tapping along with multiple time signatures, never losing momentum.  It is a short song but packed with content and reminds me a bit of ELP’s Benny the Bouncer by the end.

Fall of the Leaf begins with a classical-like interlude with interplay between recorders and horns, weaving in and out, a Jade Warrior moment perhaps, and then this syncopation begins to take on a steady beat.  As you might expect by now, all the instruments come attacking and begin soloing, especially the bass, horns, and guitar, and for the first time they get into a jazzier mode.  This rollicking movement, reminiscent of the great band IF, suddenly pauses and we reach empty space - is the track over?  But it begins again in the realm of Vaughan Williams or Butterworth and the classical backgrounds of the players come to the fore.  The lyrics throughout this LP are intriguing and here I feel they are particularly poignant: “In ember lane the leaf has fallen” matches the beauty of this piece.

The final track, Major Disaster, starts like a cross between Supertramp and Pilot with catchy melody and smooth harmony vocals.  It does contain the band’s expected variations but they are brief, almost like they wanted to end the album with a rest for the listener and themselves.  It is a memorable track and leaves you on a feel-good high. 
I mentioned a number of different bands to try to compare their sound and approach; I want to be clear that they did sound like all of them and none of them in places.  But as a whole they presented a unique blend and worthy of more recognition than they ever received. 

Talking Elephant (don’t you love the name!) did an outstanding job of remastering on this disc.  I compared it to my older import and the sound on this disc is punchier, clearer and more present.  I want to note that even on the original recording the lead vocal was often buried too far into the mix and that remains the same; however the harmony vocals come across loud and clear.  Overall, the disc has retained a lot of its 70s feel and doesn’t sound too over-the-top new which matches the nostalgic feeling you experience as you listen.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this reissue of one of the better lost albums of the final days of Progressive Rock’s first wave and if you like any of the bands I used for comparison, I think you will really enjoy Gryphon’s Treason.