"Red Queen To Gryphon Three" by GRYPHON (May 2007 and January 2016 Sanctuary/Talking Elephant CD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Board Game In The Cotswolds..."

What you've got here is a reissue of a reissue.

I first saw the CD variant of Gryphon's third studio album "Red Queen To Gryphon Three" (a 1974 four-piece instrumental work loosely based on the game of chess) on one of those fab and natty Japanese Mini LP 'Paper Sleeve' Reissues in November 2003 - a Remaster on Archangelo ARC-7031 (Barcode 4988044370319). It was an expensive little import sucker but a beautiful looking AND sounding release nonetheless - complete with Obi and White Booklet rammed with Japanese wording you can't read.

Next up was Sanctuary's Talking Elephant Label in May 2007 - a UK release in a standard jewel case with a picture CD and a gatefold inlay (Talking Elephant TECD112 - Barcode 5028479011223).

What you've got here is a January 2016 reissue of that 2007 CD "Red Queen To Gryphon Three" by GRYPHON with a new catalogue number - Sanctuary/Talking Elephant TECD313 (Barcode 5028479031320). None of the three reissues list the Remaster Engineer - but all have truly gorgeous and vibrant audio reflecting Gryphon/Dave Grinstead's fantastic Production values back when they recorded the album at Chipping Norton Studios in the Cotswolds back in August of 1974.

Coming on like a giddy child of Amazing Blondel, Greenslade and Genesis circa 1971 to 1973 – Gryphon Music consists of English Medieval Folk Instruments like the woodwind Krumhorn combined with Prog Rock and a little keyboard Symphonia thrown in. The November 1974 album had in fact followed only months after their second platter – the equally-praised "Midnight Mushrumps" from May 1974 on Transatlantic TRA 282 and is the only one of their five studio sets to be issued in the USA and Canada (their self-titled debut "Gryphon" appeared June 1973 on Transatlantic TRA 262). LP No. 3 breaks down as follows (38:47 minutes):

1. Opening Move (9:48 minutes) [Side 1]

2. Second Spasm (8:21 minutes)

3. Lament (10:50 minutes) [Side 2]

4. Checkmate (9:48 minutes)

Tracks 1 to 4 are their 3rd studio album "Red Queen To Gryphon Three" - released November 1974 in the UK on Transatlantic Records TRA 287 and December 1974 in the USA on Bell Records BELL 1316. Produced by GRYPHON and DAVE GRINSTEAD - it didn't chart in either country.

GRYPHON was:

RICHARD HARVEY - Keyboards, Recorders and Krumhorn

BRIAN GULLAND - Bassoon and Krumhorn

GRAEME TAYLOR - Guitars

PHILIP NESTOR - Bass

DAVID OBERLE - Drums, Percussion and Tympanies

The gatefold slip of paper that acts as an inlay has simply had the words 'April 2007' edited out of Graeme Taylor's liner notes for this 2016 reissue. The picture CD is the same and the rear inlay tells you precious little. The Black Border variant of the original US and Canadian Bell Records album is pictured on Page 3 and there's a credit to DAN PEARCE who did the beautiful cover design and illustration. And as I said earlier - there is no Mastering Credits of any kind but the Audio is superb throughout. Let's get to the music...

As recently as August 2017 - Esoteric Recordings (part of Cherry Red) used Gryphon's Track 1 gambit here "Opening Move" as a representative song on their superb 3CD Box Set "Let The Electric Children Play: The Underground Story Of Transatlantic Records 1968-1976" (see separate review). And it's easy to hear why. Accomplished, polished and musically adventurous in a nuts-way that only British Prog Rock can be - "Opening Moves" harbours all their trademark sounds - long tracks filled with ye-olde rhythms mashed up with new Prog Rock Jazz Fusion flourishes on a Yamaha DX7 keyboard - all of it sounding like Elizabeth I has dropped acid and suddenly wants to expressive herself via the Clavinet, Bassoon, Recorder and Krumhorn (a bent Renaissance woodwind instrument). Nice you say - and it is my merry minstrel traveller.

Sounding not unlike a bad egg-and-spoon-race injury – the 8-minute "Second Spasm" begins in just such a jolly mood – all hop-skippity-hop before a Bass Guitar that means business bursts in and really speeds things up. The soothing acoustic guitars of "Lament" follow – pretty Prog Rock as lovely chunky chords and deep Bassoon notes slip in like a warm breeze on Kent's Walpole Bay (probably my fave track on the LP). Ten minutes of "Checkmate" is very Greenslade in its keyboard rhythms - brilliant playing surrounded by crashing high-hats, dense structures and a drummer-boy musical jaunt that brings the piece romping home. It won't be for everyone for sure - but I love it.

Gryphon would go on to release two further studio sets - "Raindance" in September 1975 on Transatlantic TRA 302 and "Treason" in April 1977 on Harvest SHSP 4063 - neither of which were particularly well-received and given Punk and New Wave's dominance of the mid to late Seventies - wildly out of place on a musical map changed forever. Founder member Richard Harvey popped out a solo set called "Divisions On A Ground" in 1975 (Transatlantic TRA 292) and would later pen music for TV and Cinema including Alan Bleasdale's much-loved "G.B.H." from 1991, along with "Animal Farm" and "Arabian Nights" in 1999 and 2000 respectively. Supporting Prog-Rock Supergroup YES on their US Tour of 1975 - Guitarist Steve Howe was so impressed with the band's instrumental dexterity that three Gryphonites - Graeme Taylor, David Oberle and Malcolm Bennett (he’d played on "Raindance") turned up on Howe’s debut solo LP "Beginnings" released November 1975 in the UK on Atlantic K 50151.

But even by Taylor’s own admission in the liner notes he penned in 2007 - "Red Queen To Gryphon Three" remains probably their best work – an album that grows on you and continues to impress 44 years after the frumpy-frocks event.

And I’m sure that’s Gentle Giant’s older brother Nigel Giant playing Russia's Boris Spassky on the front cover at a particularly gruelling chess match. Prepare for defeat Boris - because I know who my money's on...

"Snakes And Ladders/Sleepwalking" by GERRY RAFFERTY (June 2012 UK EMI '2 Original Classic Albums' 2CD Reissue) - A Review by Mark Barry…

 

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"...Find A Way Home..."

Having bought and reviewed the 2CD reissue of Gerry Rafferty’s 1978 masterpiece "City To City" in September 2011 – like most fans I've been patiently waiting for EMI to get to the rest of his catalogue.

Well they sort of have – and this cheapo double CD reissue is one of the piddly results. There’s not much to go on unfortunately but nevertheless - let's get to details...

UK released June 2012 – "Snakes & Ladders/Sleepwalking" by GERRY RAFFERTY on EMI 5099970475326 (Barcode 5099970475326) offers '2 Original Classic Albums' from 1980 and 1982 reissued onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (48:48 minutes):

1. The Royal Mile [Side 1]

2. I Was A Boy Scout

3. Welcome To Hollywood 

4. Wastin' Time

5. Look At The Moon

6. Bring It All Home

7. The Garden Of England [Side 2]

8. Johnny's Song

9. Didn't I

10. Syncopathin' Sandy 

11. Cafe Le Cabotin

12. Don't Close The Door 

Tracks 1 to 12 are his 3rd solo album "Snakes And Ladders" – released April 1980 on United Artists UAK 30296 in the UK and June 1980 in the USA on United Artists LOO-1039 (peaked at No. 15 in the UK LP charts and No. 61 in the USA). 

Disc 2 (37:15 minutes):

1. Standing At The Gates [Side 1]

2. Good Intentions

3. A Change Of Heart

4. On The Way

5. Sleepwalking [Side 2]

6. Cat And Mouse

7. The Right Moment

8. As Wise As A Serpent

Tracks 1 to 10 are his 4th solo album "Sleepwalking" – released September 1982 on Liberty LBG 30352 in the UK and Liberty LT-51132 in the USA

The gatefold slip of paper that acts as an inlay pictures the front album artwork on the inner pages of each album – and that's it. The inner sleeves that came with both UK LPs are AWOL - as is all the musician and recording info. No liner notes of any kind. In fact there isn't even mention of mastering - and as far as I can tell – these are exactly the same as the Eighties CDs I've had for years. So the sound is very good, but a sympathetic Peter Mew remaster would have elevated these cool albums to sonic greatness.

But while the presentation may be bog standard – the music is a different matter. These are two great Gerry Rafferty albums (is there a bad one?) – with the second definitely having the edge on the first.

"Snakes And Ladders" opens proceedings with the Drum and Fife of "The Royal Mile" with that lovely melody of his. Ex Les Fleur De Lys guitarist Bryn Haworth plays his distinctive slide guitar on the superb "I Was A Boy Scout". Orchestra Arranger Will Malone and String Leader Gavin Wright add a huge amount to the melody of "Look At The Moon". Pete Wingfield (ex Jellybread and solo star of "Eighteen With A Bullet" fame) adds his keys to the jaunty "Bring It All Home" which also features the awesome 'Baker Street' Saxophone of Raphael Ravenscroft (as does the song "Welcome To Hollywood"). Side 2 opens with the wonderfully languid "The Garden Of England" and Rafferty returns to an old Stealers Wheel tune with "Johnny's Song". He then goes all country swing with "Didn't I". Both Pete Wingfield and Bryn Haworth guest on keys and guitar on the finisher "Don't Close The Door" – an album highlight. Another contribution comes from Bassist Pete Zorn of the obscure group Fishbaugh, Fishbaugh & Zorn who plays on "Johnny's Song", "Didn't I" and "Syncopathin Sandy".

Although there are 12 tracks on "Snakes" – the 8 on "Sleepwalking" feel so much more mature and cohesive - less tracks but a much better album and I'd argue is an 80ts Classic that goes unrecognized as such. On this sleeper classic "Good Intentions", "On The Way" and "Sleepwalking" are all swirling magnificent – 5 to 6-minute tracks allowed to breathe and linger. The funky and catchy "Cat And Mouse" should have been a single and is so Radio friendly with its chugging guitar and matching vocal. "The Right Moment" is both sad and beautiful. But it's "As Wise As A Serpent" that blows me away every time – a genius Rafferty tune – sly and slinky – it worms its way into your heart – making you want to replay - again and again (lyrics above).

For four to six quid new, these 2CDs are ludicrously good value for money – but let's hope that one day soon - someone somewhere does his EMI/Liberty catalogue a Remaster and Anthology favour. Frankie Miller, Ian Hunter, Robin Trower, Ten Years After and so many others have all received that accolade.

Gerry Rafferty was lost to us in early 2011 to the ravages of booze and it's about time that his memory and especially his musical legacy be given the loving attention its always deserved…