Gryphon - "Red Queen To Gryphon Three" (1974)

This is a groovy album. Instrumental, lots of classical elements - especially medieval ones - and a chess game as concept. Does it sound strange? In the progressive world everything can happen, the limits of what's possible disappear, and the smug listener's self-image as a tolerant, open and accepting person will be put to the test.

But fear not. Red Queen To Gryphon Three is not a diffficult record. On the contrary, despite its belonging to the progressive genre, its four songs that clock in on about ten minutes each, and its somewhat different theme, it's a really great album. And not particularly weird.

Instrumental albums are interesting. They are in a minority (I think), at least if you look at relatively modern music. In the absence of the usual structure of sung verse, verse, chorus, the musical construction becomes different. In the worst case, the structure is too loose and becomes boring. At best, it's a fascinating musical journeys. It can be both evocative and dark or bright and energetic. In my record shelves there are examples of all varieties (it may be mentioned that during the 90s I listened a lot to psychedelic trance, where many songs were excellent examples of evocative creations that dug into the subconscious).

Gryphon was an English progressive band, and today's theme was their third album, and the only one I've got with the band. Apparently, it is seen as one of their best, of five released. The band split in 1977, but performed a concert in 2009. Rumors have long flourished of a new album, and the band plans to tour next year (2015). If this becomes reality remains to be seen (there have been plans before, apparently).

I can recommend this album. Gryphon has created really high quality music, which is just enough different. It never gets too difficult or strange, and the mix of medieval classic tones with more modern sounds works really well. Yes, if the sounds from 1974 is to be seen as modern, of course. I mean in a positive way that this is an interesting album. And I never miss the song.


Tracklist

Side A
1. Opening Move 9:42
2. Second Spasm 8:15

Side B
1. Lament 10:45
2. Checkmate 9:50

James - "Hey Ma" (2008)

From the modern era, the English band James is one of my favorite bands (modern era to me is the 90s onwards). The band was formed in 1982 and got their first hit Sit Down in the late 80s. The years have gone by, and James have continously delivered high quality products even if they have never become a band for the really big stadiums.

Personally, I discovered James the autumn of 1994 when I spent six months in South East Asia. It was still the time in history when tape cassettes were readily available, and in Thailand they were sold extremely cheap (and extremely pirated). I saw a tape with a weird cover, a fetus inside a stomach, and thought it would fit well in my Walkman. It was James album Seven. Since then, James has been a favourite band and I still regularly listen to their creations. Some albums are better than others, a few of my favorites are Laid and Pleased To Meet You (both on CD, in fact, Hey Ma is the only vinyl record I have wtih James) and I am now prepared to add Hey Ma to these favorites.

Hey Ma is a really great album. It was their first album in seven years and the band split up and reunited during these years. The album was recorded in France where they built a studio, and where each band member also had his own little studio for creative work. James has a long tradition of creating most of their music through improvisation, a road that Brian Eno had previously led them onto when he produced a bunch of their records. The songs on Hey Ma are created in this way where the producer Lee Muddy Baker has helped the band to turn the improvisations into complete songs with vocals and everything that goes with it.

James is usually considered as an alternative / indie band, whatever that means. It's quite accessible music with a high quality. Many choruses can be quite sweeping, one of my weak spots, and almost invites you to sing along. Each song is its own unique creation, and feels in no way like a mass production for the commercial radio world. Hey Ma gives me some vibes of the previous albums Seven and Laid, especially as the trumpet returns to certain songs, something which gave Seven a special sound.

The music on Hey Ma is fairly timeless and can be highly recommended, I think most people can dig this. James released their latest album, La Petite Mort, the summer of 2014, a record I haven't had time to get yet.

Finally, the European album looks like this:

But as it apparently was a somewhat sensitive with a baby and a gun in the same picture, the cover picture was banned for use in advertising for the album. And in the North American release, the gun in a magically way had disappeared (and the baby in a new pose), which happens to be the release I have.


Tracklist

Side A
1. Bubbles 5:23
2. Hey Ma 4:10
3. Waterfall 5:10
4. Oh My Heart 3:43
5. Boom Boom 4:15
6. Semaphore 3:46

Side B
1.Upside 4:27
2.Whiteboy 2:49
3. 72 3:39
4. Of Monsters & Heroes & Men 4:36
5. I Wanna Go Home 4:21