Search - Hoyt Axton :: My Griffin Is Gone

A long lost neighbor and fan

Deborah Shapiro | Valley Village, CA United States | 10/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It has been many years since the late, great Hoyt Axton lived nextdoor to my parents and I in the Hollywood Hills. He always had an open heart and mind to music and song and his philosophy of life is forever embeded in his album "My Griffon is Gone".This is such a beautiful album as many of his others are, but this one is especially wonderful and heartfelt. Some of the melodies and lyrics are soft and meanigful, uplifting and thought provoking. Others are strong and exciting. His voice fills the soul. My original album is old and scratched, well played and loved. I am very glad to have found this CD. It means that I will have many more precious hours to listen to this great man. I highly recommend this CD to all of Hoyt's loyal fans, old and new and to those who appreciate the gifts that song can bring. Hoyt will always be remembered as a loving father, husband, and neighbor."

A Must Have!

Deborah Shapiro | 02/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While Hoyt Axton may be best known to some for writing memorable music for others (Steppenwolf's 'The Pusher,' Three Dog Night's 'Joy To The World,' etc.), it's this obscure 1969 release that captures his brilliance (and occasional eccentricity) better than any of his other solo work. An eclectic mix, it's been dismissed outright by some critics (Rolling Stone Record Guide once dismissed it as a "psychedelic relic"), but it has, in fact, withstood the test of time quite nicely. Stellar musicianship, production and song writing combine to create a thoroughly memorable experience. The string arrangements (by three different arrangers) on a few of the songs are amongst the most beautiful I've heard on a pop album. I use the word "pop" loosely here, since much of this music is difficult to classify. Though some traditional country music instruments are used (dobro, for example), it's not really country music. Lyrically, much of it is a reflection of a man going through an emotional and spiritual crisis, which Axton certainly did at one point when his excesses took control of his life. That makes it all the more ironic that this album contains the cocaine song 'Snowblind Friend,' which could have been autobiographical of Axton's own life for awhile. (This is the man, after all, who wrote 'The No No Song' for Ringo Starr). The drug references here are indeed perplexing. In 'On The Natural' he sings: "Up on the mountain you don't need to blow no grass." Later, in 'Gypsy Will,' he's singing: "Out comes the baggie, out comes the Gold, out come the stories that like to be told." So many memorable tunes here; not a dud amongst them. And they run the musical gamut -- from the lushly floating 'Sunshine Fields of Love' to the raw-voiced 'Sunrise' (this man could SCREAM when he wanted to! He unleashes some more of this vocal power on 'It's All Right Now'). The strange 'Kingswood Manor' -- probably most responsible for the "psychedelic" label some have given this album -- takes its place alongside David Bowie's 'Ashes To Ashes' as one of the more memorable tunes chronicling madness. The song is pure magic, with a haunting, drifting chorus. The whole album is magic. Don't try to judge it by the brief sound clips here; they don't begin to convey the feeling this album invokes. This is an album you need to listen to in its entirety to experience its magic. 'Nuff said."

I can't believe I found it!!

Berkeley | Calgary, AB CA | 06/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was first introduced to My Griffin is Gone in 1971. It quickly became the most treasured album in our home and remained as such until it eventually wore out. Grieving ever since and after searching everywhere for so long, I can't believe we actually found it!Thank you!ps: I'm going from memory here:
"I am told truth is a great white bird. Here are some feathers I found."Hoyt, you will be forever in our hearts.
We love you."