Illusion

Illusion Artist: Renaissance
Label: Repertoire
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 400991045132
EAN: 0400991045132
ASIN: B0000073BA


Release Date: 1995-01-20

Illusion


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General General
Categories | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Categories | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive Rock Progressive Rock
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Tracks:

  1. Love Goes On
  2. Golden Thread
  3. Love Is All
  4. Mr. Pine
  5. Face of Yesturday
  6. Past Orbits of Dust

Similar Items:

  1. Renaissance
  2. Prologue
  3. Turn of the Cards
  4. Ashes Are Burning
  5. Azure d'Or

Album Description

1995 reissue on Repertoire of the prog icon's 1971 album forIsland & second overall. 'Illusions' features the original line up with ex-Yardbirds Keith Relf & Jim McCarty. Six tracks, including 'Love Goes On' and 'Golden Thread'.

Album Details

Re-issue of the Group's Second Album.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars RENAISSANCE ILLUSION.......2006-02-16

THIS FEATURES THE ORIGINAL LINE UP.IT WAS ONLY RELEASED IN GERMANY.THIS IS MORE FOLKY THAN THE FIRST ALBUM.LOVE GOES ON IS A CATCHY SONG WITH NICE HARMONIES BY KEITH AND JANE.JANES VOCALS ON FACE OF YESTERDAY ARE MAGNIFICENT.ALSO VERY GOOD VOCALS BY KEITH ON LOVE IS ALL,THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE TRACKS.PAST ORBITS OF DUST IS A LONG TRACK WITH A PSYCHEDELIC SOUND AND ECHOEY VOCALS FROM JANE.MR.PINE IS A VERY GOOD SONG THAT FEATURES HARPSICHORD BY JOHN HAWKEN.KEITH ISNT ON THIS TRACK.FANS OF RENAISSANCE AND ILLUSION WILL ENJOY THIS CD,I DO.

3 out of 5 stars Not bad for a transitional album.......2003-03-14

Although "Illusion" is billed as the second album by the original lineup of Renaissance (guitarist/vocalist Keith Relf, his sister Jane on vocals, drummer/vocalist Jim McCarty, bassist Louis Cennamo and keyboardist John Hawken), it's actually more complicated than that. The founding members
did complete the first three songs and "Face of Yesterday". But then the band began to fall apart, with McCarty,
then Keith Relf, and then Cennamo, leaving in rapid succession. But the band had begun to develop a following in Europe, so Hawken made what would turn out to be a key personnel change, guitarist Michael Dunford. Dunford in turn brought in Terry Crowe on male vocals, Neil Korner on bass and Terry Slade on drums. This lineup recorded "Mr. Pine" and hit the road with Jane. However, the original band was still under contract, so while Hawken toured, Keith Relf assembled the rest of the originals (with Cennamo bringing in pianist Don Schinn) to record "Past Orbits of Dust".

With all this internal turmoil, one would expect "Illusion" to be very uneven. As it turns out, though, in many ways, it's a better album than their debut. The band cuts down on the winding jams and concentrates more on melody. Keith's two contributions, "Love is All" and "Love Goes On" are delightfully catchy pop songs, with nice vocal harmonies and rather dated hippy-dippy lyrics, but that's OK.

Jim, on the other hand, sticks more to the original vision of the band -- classical/rock hybrids. "Golden Thread" is a forerunner of what the band would do in the 70's, with an extended piano intro, vocalese by Jane Relf, apocalyptic harmonies. Plus, words by another key addition to the team, lyricist Betty Thatcher. Jim's high, thin lead vocal leaves a lot to be desired. His other contribution, "Face of Yesterday", is a highlight. Hawken's gentle piano compliments Jane Relf's soothing alto lead voice singing a sad lyric of regret.

"Mr. Pine", written by Dunford, is the most sophisticated but least cohesive of the songs. Hawken's harpsichord leads the verses, but then it changes into an extended electric organ jam based on Jehan Alain's piece "Littanies", followed by a folky guitar buildup. Finally, Keith and Jim come up with the 14-minute "Past Orbits of Dust", a space-rocker similar to Pink Floyd songs of the era, with more far our lyrics by Thatcher and nice three part harmonies. Unfortunately, they make the same mistake here as with the first album's "Bullet", with the driving rock trailing off into ambient, directionless noodling on bass and electric piano -- filler, and the album's low point.

Keith's production sounds echoey and distant, which might sound disconcerting to those used to the fuller arrangements of 70's Renaissance. Still, it will appeal to people who like melodic progressive rock, with Jane Relf's vocals worth the price. By the time this was released in 1971,(in Germany only!),she and Hawken had also left. They, and the new Renaissance, would move on to bigger things. For those interested in the band's roots, "Illusion" is probably a more accessible introduction than the first album. New fans, though, should try the fourth album, "Ashes are Burning" before working their way backwards to here.

4 out of 5 stars

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