Michel Griffin

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  • View America, Come Weep Video
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  • View Fur Elise Video
  • View Deep Inside the Night Video
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Timeless, silent, spinning free, veined by links space cannot see,
Our planet floats eternally - by such a slender thread ...
The here & now is a moving point that digests the future at such a rate
It spits out the past like a comet's tail: such a slender thread ...

Freeze the moment; Take the time to feel alive
Freeze the moment: It's by such a slender thread ...


Lost in the freefall of your look I see you through a kaleidoscope
Of all the pasts we've already shared that are shining from your face.
And when we talk, all the words we use, they resonate in corridors
That are already lined with the echoes of all we've said before.

Freeze the moment; Take the time to feel alive
Freeze the moment: It's by such a slender thread ...


Somewhere, on some distant shore, the children of Hiroshima
Turn their sightless eyes toward the setting of the sun.
Timeless, silent, spinning free, veined by links space cannot see
Our planet floats eternally - by such a slender thread ...

Freeze the moment; Take the time to feel alive
Freeze the moment: It's by such a slender thread ...


Copyright © M.J.C. Griffin [ASCAP]
 
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Released: May 2005

REVIEWS:

"The new Leonard Cohen ... " - CD Baby
"Masterly songwriting" - iTunes

˜This is one of those rare albums where the lyrics are as good as the melodies. Griffin combines the dexterity of James Taylor's guitar work with the genius of Bob Dylan's poetry. - CD Baby

Michel weaves his magic like an artist on canvas, with inspired lyrics set to haunting melodies that reach deep into your soul. - CD Baby

˜Michel's talent lies not just in his musical prowess but in the eloquence and poignancy of his lyrics." - CD Baby

 

BACKGROUND:

This is my first album of songs - 14 self-penned tracks using primarily my faithful old nylon-strung Godin guitar, with a fair bit of orchestration added in the studio.

Half of the songs are ones that have stayed with me since I was a young man; the other half were written especially for the album.

TRACK BY TRACK:

Freeze the Moment - I wanted to write a song which captured the preciousness of that tiny slice we have of the endless continuum we call Time. Which noted that when we look at the face of a lover or friend, we don't see them just in the present, we see also the past we have shared. And which noted too our fragility, and how slender are the threads that bind us .....

America, Come Weep - A country ballad about a waitress in a diner, who is longing for the open highway, and lamenting the missed turnings on the country's road toward the American Dream.

Echoes, Waves or Ricochets - A driving beat underpins a narrative that evokes turning-points in the passage from 'the long grass of our childhood, to the loneliness of our end'. Perhaps our real legacy is the effect we have on other people.

The Valley Time Forgot - A lilting hymn of praise for the lovely Lot valley in France. Musically, it's a cross-fertilisation between country-folk and baroque, with soaring strings, and even a hint of harpsichord.

Fur Elise - A love-song for a very special person. Two guitars trade riffs that evoke the hook in Beethoven's piece by the same name.

Deep Inside the Night - 'Deep Inside the Night' paints a portait of a vulnerable lady looking to the horizon for a better deal. The musical treatment (acoustic guitar, cello and violin) is very spare.

Don’t Step on my Smile - 'Don't Step on my Smile' is a jaunty, upbeat tongue-in-cheek duet. 'When the newscaster casts his news, it's enough to give an optimist a dose of the blues ...'

Travelling Man - 'Freedom is only for the strong'. A song for everyone who feels the tension between the lure of the open road, and the safety of a loving relationship.

She - A bouncy love-song which tries to capture the flamboyance of the lady whose life I once shared.

Man and Boy - As every woman knows, there's a boy that walks behind the face of every man. This somewhat dark song summarises some of his more fragile moments ...

Dreamer - An affectionate portrait of someone who is always waiting for someone else to take the initiative. Swirling organ, crystal 12-strings and a gentle beat.

Pour la Première Fois - 'When that look of yours first cut through my heart, I wanted so much for that look to last a lifetime ...' A french love-song that starts softly and climaxes with a wild horn solo set against lush strings.

Alice in Dixieland - A light-hearted series of caricatures, with a Dixieland feel.

Evensong - A gentle, laid-back song for the end of a perfect day.

 
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A growing number of music sites allow you to stream my songs in their entirety. If you are an Amazon Music subscriber, for example, you can ask Alexa to Stream Michel Griffin music. Spotify offers a service where you can stream my songs for free. Here are links to some of the streaming services where you can play Echoes, Waves or Ricochets:



 

This is just a selection. If your favourite streaming platform is not listed above, try going there and searching for Michel Griffin - chances are, my music will be there. And if you want to buy the album, just click on one of the buttons below!

 
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Click or tap its cover to explore an album:
Mornings+Like+This

A selection of 12 - mostly self-penned - lovesongs.
"A beautiful and emotional listening experience ... " - Facebook
Sep 2021
Dance+Me+To+The+End+Of+Love

A collection of 14 beautifully crafted Leonard Cohen songs.
"[Michel's] takes on Leonard's songs are impressive" - Allan Showalter, founder of CohenCentric.com
November 2019
Feel+My+Love

14 of Dylan's greatest lovesongs.
"Beautifully produced album ... pure joy." - Music- News.com

".. songs positively shimmer and shine ... " - Skope Magazine

"Respectful of the originals while offering his own take on these true-blue American classics, Michel Griffin's Feel my Love: Bob Dylan's Finest Lovesongs simply stuns." - Skope Magazine

"Michel's voice - all velvet & smoke - brings new life to the familiar lyrics ... with such feeling it'll give you goosebumps."- Music- News.com

"Griffin manages to capture Dylan's spirit and personality, and more generally the feeling of the 1960s folk music scene, through his elegiac, romantic delivery and dexterous acoustic guitar picking."- The Big TakeOver

Feb 2017
Atlantic+Avenue

9 originals and 5 covers, including Imagine & Suzanne.
"Spectacular Songs" - iTunes
"Superb musicianship" - Amazon
"A poet's poet of our times" - iTunes
Oct 2013
Ballads+and+Blues

Twenty two tracks of Michel in concert.
"Beautiful voice .. emotive singing ..  fine guitar- work" - iTunes
"An utterly natural and masculine voice." - Amazon

August 2013
Who+Knows+Where+the+Time+Goes

7 original songs and 5 covers, including 'One Too Many Mornings'.
"Stunning Lyrics" - iTunes
"Pure elegance ..." - Amazon
"Brilliantly arranged" - CD Baby


"Michel Griffin's singing can transport the listener to the best of old French cinema..." - Amazon

"Fabulous guitar playing and dramatic accompaniments... This is an album to listen to again and again." - iTunes
August 2008
Russian+Dolls

10 original songs, including 'Russian Dolls' & 'Children of Circumstance'.
"Musical Mastery" - CD Baby
"Well-crafted songs and performance ... A real Keeper!" - CD Baby

"I have rarely heard an album that provides such a compelling combination of poetic and musical pleasures." - CD Baby

"The multi-talented Michel Griffin just gets better and better.." - CD Baby

"I can't say enough good about the album Russian Dolls" - CD Baby

October 2006
The+Still+Centre

14 relaxing, romantic pieces for piano and orchestra, including 'Dreamwing' & 'La Tendresse'.
"Michel Griffin gives [the listener] a special feeling of inspiration and relaxation ... he is a great artist." - Ernesto Cortazar
March 2004