- August Morning
- August Morning
- Children of Circumstance
- Children of Circumstance
- Where the Story Starts
- Where the Story Starts
- Who Whips the Cream?
- Who Whips the Cream?
- Russian Dolls
- Russian Dolls
- That Laughter of Conchita’s
- That Laughter of Conchita’s
- The Poet’s Smile
- The Poet’s Smile
- Strangers Once Again
- Strangers Once Again
- Walking the Web
- Walking the Web
- True Love
- True Love
Released: October 2006
REVIEWS:
"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
BACKGROUND:
10 original songs, none of them about Russia - or dolls ! - but all of them revealing their hidden depths the more you listen to them.
The album was written and recorded up in my old studio in France, which occupied the upper floor of a converted old barn. The title song was written against the backdrop of the war in Iraq, but most of the rest of the album is about love and change ...
I am indebted to Maryline Dumont for her vocal harmonies, and to Jean-Paul Piquard for his eloquent bass and lead-guitar work on Strangers Once Again.
TRACK BY TRACK:
August Morning - Crystal-clear guitars herald the arrival of a new summer's day. The vocal is low and warm, and the smooth vocal harmonies are provided by Maryline Dumont.
Children of Circumstance - Edgy, atmospheric, electric. A lonely man contemplates a past he cannot change: One of the more poignant tracks on the album.
Where the Story Starts - This song was penned up on the hill behind my house in France, as the sun slipped over the horizon and the crickets began to still ... I was reflecting on my new-found roots.
Who Whips the Cream? - The song has an almost Samba rhythm, with its delicate Spanish guitar accompaniment. I wrote the song after the breakup of my first marriage.
Russian Dolls - A song about the hypocrisy of power: plangent electric guitar and more lovely vocal harmonies by Maryline Dumont.
That Laughter of Conchita’s - The portrait of a liberated spirit who left me with an indelible memory of her laughter and her easy ways.
The Poet’s Smile - A song about someone who was so concerned with his image that he lost his true self. The sparest track on the album, it came out in the studio in a single take.
Strangers Once Again - You go on vacation. You meet the love of your life. You return home. And arrange to meet up. But somehow, away from the beach and the rolling surf, the glinting, lilting moonlight, the magic's gone. And you realise that you've just become 'Strangers Once Again'. Fabulous guitar solo by Jean-Paul Piquard.
Walking the Web - When I was a kid, I always dreamed of having a third eye, with which to record the highlights of each day for subsequent playback. Now we all carry one in our pocket - it's called a cell-phone. And what's more, we can use it to walk the web as we move through our day.
True Love - A rhythmic paean to true love, featuring the vocal talents of Maryline Dumont. "True love is forever, or that’s how it seems ..."
YouTube Music is completely FREE to use, and plays entire tracks, not just previews - and you do not even have to register on YouTube Music to use the service. Click on Russian Dolls to play the whole album or selected tracks for free.
Spotify also have a completely free service, allowing you to listen to the entire Russian Dolls album, but you need to register, with an email address and password, to be able to play entire tracks and not just previews.
Deezer, Apple Music and Amazon require a paid subscription, but all offer a 30-day free trial period.
If you have an Amazon Music account, ask Alexa to Stream Michel Griffin's Russian Dolls album!
Here are links to some of the streaming services where you can play Michel's music:
This is just a selection. If your favourite streaming platform is not listed above, try going there and searching for Michel Griffin - chances are, his music will be there.
And if you want to own the album:
Click or tap its cover to explore an album:
14 of Dylan's greatest lovesongs.
".. 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
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
14 original songs, including 'America, Come Weep, 'Fûr Elise' & 'Freeze the Moment'.
"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
14 relaxing, romantic pieces for piano and orchestra, including 'Dreamwing' & 'La Tendresse'.