Search - Renaissance :: Innocents & Illusions

First two Renaissance albums

kireviewer | Sunnyvale, Ca United States | 02/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great deal. It is the first two Renaissance albums plus 6 bonus tracks. The sound quality on the first disc is good. The second disk has a tape hiss that is noticible between tracks, and maybe during the very quietest moments.



If you already own the albums, this is not worth buying for the bonus tracks. The bonus tracks are 2 to 5 minutes long. Some were demos recorded in a home studio. I don't think any of them feature the complete band. These bonus tracks have been released before on a number of different albums.



This is the first Renaissance, which has a completely different personnel than the more famous Annie Haslam version. The band was a spin off from the Yardbirds. The band was a cohesive unit when it recorded the first album, which was released worldwide. Kings and Queens got mild FM radio play in the US. The second album, called Illusion, had a sordid history, with band members coming and going. It never got full release and was very hard to find at times.



The music on both these albums is great. It is very similar to the newer version of Renaissance, but has even more art rock and classical music orientations. The harpsicord is featured a lot, but there are no synthesizers. At the same time, the sound is a little rougher and a little edgier than the newer Renaissance.



Renaissance was started by Keith Relf and Jim McCarthy from the Yardbirds. This is the band that gave Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Pages their starts. Dazed and Confused was originally done by the Yardbirds.



During the recording of Illusion, the band broke apart and some members of the newer Renaissance joined. Jim McCarthy continued doing projects under the name Illusion. In 2002, all the original members of Renaissance (except Keith Relf) got back together and recorded a CD under the name Renaissance Illusion.



Kieth Relf went on to form a band called Armageddon, which was famous for the song Silver Tightrope. They played a unique mixture of blues and hard rock with some progressive elements thrown in. Some of the bonus tracks on this CD set sound more like Armageddon than Renaissance. Armageddon disbanded after the first album because Relf was electrocuted while playing his guitar in the bathtube (no joke).

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A Magnificent Band---*Both* Versions!

Alan Caylow | USA | 07/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every once in a while you come across a band whose music blows you away *so* completely, that you're left dumbfounded that more people don't know about them. One such band I've come across in my musical travels is Renaissance, and I want *everybody* to know about them. They were founded by former Yardbirds guitarist Keith Relf and drummer Jim McCarty in 1969 as a progressive band that blended rock with classical & folk---definitely a radical departure from the Yardbirds. Also in the band at the beginning were Keith's sister Jane Relf on vocals, keyboardist John Hawken and bassist Louis Cennamo. This first incarnation of Renaissance recorded two albums, in 1969 and 1971 respectively, titled "Renaissance" and "Illusion," and this 2-CD set, "Innocents & Illusions," collects them both along with some equally-precious bonus tracks. I'll get straight to the point: Renaissance were (and are) a *phenomenal* band. Their musical blend of classical/folk/rock is truly entrancing, their musical chops, songwriting, arrangements and vocals (including Jane Relf's lovely falsetto, and, later on, Annie Haslam) absolutely stunning. From the moment I first played "Innocents & Illusions," I was simply floored by what I heard. I thought, "GOD, this band is good!" And they are. The majestic beauty, power, and passion of such songs as "Kings And Queens," "Island," "Bullet," "Love Goes On," "Mr. Pine," "Past Orbits Of Dust," and bonus tracks like "Shining Where The Sun Has Been" and "All The Fallen Angels" will knock you out, I guarantee it. Sadly, after releasing "Illusion," creative differences pulled apart this first version of Renaissance. But all was not lost for this very unique band, for, with Keith Relf & Jim McCarty's blessing, an all-new version of Renaissance---with a completely different line-up no less, including the one-and-only Annie Haslam on lead vocals---rose out of the first group's ashes in 1972 with the release of "Prologue." This new Renaissance would go on to cult status success & record eight more studio albums and tour consistently until 1983 (plus a reunion studio album & tour in 2001). But it all started here with the original Renaissance. Led by Keith, Jim and Jane, they laid down the blueprint for the later Renaissance to follow, and "Innocents & Illusions" is an outstanding introduction to this group's incredible music. Do you like progressive rock? Then have I got a band for you---Renaissance! A magnificent band---*both* versions. Start your Renaissance collection today with "Innocents & Illusions.""

Pre Annie Haslam Renaissance

K. Cooper | Phila. area | 03/17/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was originally a project of Yardbirds lead singer, Keith Relf, his sister Jane, and Yardbird Jim Mc Carthy. This is their first 2 albums on one set and it's pretty good. The success of this was a lot below the Yardbirds and the 3 moved on after this while Annie Haslam, John Tout, Michael Dunford took over and their first release was "Prologue". This is much more in the spirit of "Prologue" than later Renaissance works. The vocals are shared and not dominated by one voice here and it's good progressive rock. Fans of Annie's version of the band and progressive rock fans in general should enjoy this. With Yardbirds fans, they may not as it really nothing like a Yardbirds set."