Rock On! Wednesday, 30 april 2025 – Gryphon, Anthony Phillips, Badger, Hugh Hopper, Focus & Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso

Psychedelic, heavy, prog and more innovating sounds spanning the late 60s and the early 70s – Dan’s pick of the week: Gryphon (Gryphon), Anthony Phillips (The Geese & the Ghost), Badger (One Live Badger), Hugh Hopper (Hopper Tunity Box), Focus (In and Out of Focus) & Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso (Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso).

Gryphon is een Engelse progressieve en middeleeuwse folkrockband, opgericht in Londen in 1972. Ze staan bekend om hun middeleeuwse en renaissancemuziek. De band floreerde kortstondig in de hoogtijdagen van de progressieve rock begin jaren 70, trok zich vervolgens terug en richtte zich op andere muzikale activiteiten, alvorens in 2009 weer bij elkaar te komen voor een eenmalige reünie. De eerste nieuwe Gryphon-plaat in 41 jaar werd uitgebracht in 2018.

Prog Archives review: “This magnificent album is very acoustic: the miscellaneous childish but complex medieval and slightly Celtic textures of string and wind instruments really steal the show here! The music is very sophisticated and well synchronized, rather funny and very disciplined. The bassoon and krumhorns make perfect and solid patterns with the acoustic guitars and mandolin. The rare keyboards I have noticed are harpsichord and harmonium if I am correct. There are no bass, and the rare drums are rather replaced by primitive percussions and small bells.

There are many not bad lead & backing vocals like Ian Anderson’s ones on the “Rover” track: I think this music does not need such vocals, because they negatively contrast with the delicate and graceful textures. I’m completely transported by the fluid, addictive and catchy second part of the more serious “Unquiet Grave” track. There are no ordinary tracks. The overall style is a bit like Gentle Giant’s Talybont track, without the electric guitars. On the next albums, Gryphon add bass, excellent keyboards and more drums, and they are more progressive rock still with many medieval parts.”

Wednesday, Wednesday, 30 April 2025 12:00 noon CET Brussels – 11 a.m. GMT London. Repeated: 16:00 & 20:00 hrs CET Brussels, 3 p.m. & 7 p.m. GMT London
Ends: 12 midnight CET Brussels, 11 p.m. GMT London.