| | Renaissance CD Renaissance Discography of CDs
 (3 Customer Reviews)
The original group's debut album was a then-groundbreaking meld of progressive rock with classical and jazz influences. The album is a little clunky by today's standards, and far druggier than the later group in its ambience (cofounders Keith Relf and Jim McCarty were the heavily psychedelic half of the final lineup of the Yardbirds, which made them anathema to Jimmy Page), but vocalist Jane Relf had a striking individual style, and the classical influence was unique for its time. [The 2002 Collector's Choice reissue cuts "Sea" and the second version of "Island" from the track listing.] ~ Bruce Eder
The groundbreaking record featuring ex-Yardbirds Keith Relf and Jim McCarty! Fresh from playing heavy blues-rock with Jimmy Page in the final version of the Yardbirds, the two of them-together with Relf's sister Jane on vocals-formed Renaissance with the then-novel idea of fusing folk and rock with classical influences. The result was this 1969 release for Elektra, the only Renaissance album to feature the Relfs-the Annie Haslam lineup took over before their next release, Prologue-and one of the more adventuresome albums of the late '60s, here reissued with new liner notes that tell the rather complicated tale of how this album came to be. Collectors' Choice Music exclusive!
All tracks are live recordings.
Recorded at Olympic Sound Studios, London, England. Includes liner notes by Richie Unterberger.
Personnel: Keith Relf (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Jane Relf, Jim McCartney (vocals, percussion); John Hawken (piano, harpsichord); Louis Cennamo (bass guitar).
Liner Note Author: Richie Unterberger.
Recording information: Olympic Sound Studios, London, England.
Renaissance: Keith Relf (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Jane Relf (vocals, percussion); John Hawken (piano, harpsichord); Louis Cennamo (bass); Jim McCarty (percussion, vocals).
Mojo (Publisher) (7/02, p.116) - "...An unusual style-salad across 5 lengthy songs which visiting that prog-rock parallel universe of malevolent jesters and mythical islands..." Renaissance Songs | 1. | Kings and Queens | |
| 2. | Innocence | |
| 3. | Island | |
| 4. | Wanderer | |
| 5. | Bullet | |
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Renaissance Music Review Average Rating: (4 out of 5 stars)  Rave On!
Keith Relf on Vocals, guitar and harp. His sister Jane on vocals. Jim McCarty on Drums. John Hawkins on piano (from The Nashville Teens), Louis Cenammo on bass. Prduced by Paul Samwell-Smith.
3 ex-Yardbirds!
I was always a yardbirds fanatic, and still am! I had the pleasure of seeing Keiths new band perform in Chicago.
As Zep went onto heavier things, Keith turned towards 'classical-rock. I have the Repertoire import, which doesnt seem to be listed on this site, and it boasts much cleaner sound.
Keith tried his hand at heavier things a bit later, with his group 'Armageddon' originally on A&M, before his untimely death.
But, we always have his rave-ups, ideas, and risks, on cd, forever.
Rave On Keith! Rave On!
Submitted by LX Skye (Moab, UT.)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful.  Not so fast...
In the barrack-dungeons of NAS Miramar in 1970, I heard "Kings and Queens" on the San Diego FM station (God only knows what it is now), and I somehow knew that this was Keith on lead vocals. I picked up the vinyl in Hong Kong on a WESPAC cruise. The material was fabulous; I had a band before I sacrificed myself to my country, and we did a lot of Yardbird cover.
I loved this album, but somehow the second album, " Illusion" was totally ignored. It was not as good as the first, but stands out so much now. It is a piece of work, musically. There is so much bleep out there now, but Evanescence comes close. It's my daughter's Renaissance. I wish them well.
Submitted by tryacinth (Browns Mills NJ, USa)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful.
 This music is timeless.
A lot of people thought that the Yardbirds split to form Led Zeppelin.
This is where the rest of them went.
Keith Relf's vocals and Jim McCarty's drums show up here, it is a shame and a blessing what Renaissance later became.
Submitted by mike.decontreras (Anaheim, CA) 
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
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Purchase Renaissance CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | H P Lovecraft H.P. Lovecraft/H.P. Lovecraft II CD (2000)
Renaissance
 $13.59 
H.P. Lovecraft's two self-titled albums are collected onto one disc that traces the band's development from a second-string psych band to a darker, proto-prog rock outfit. Despite some dated tracks on the first album and a slight lack of focus on the second, songs like "Wayfaring Stranger," "Time Machine," and "At the Mountains of Madness" showcase the unique harmonies and arrangments that made H.P. Lovecraft one of the most enduring cult psychedelic bands. ~ Heather Phares
Much more progressive than their first effort, the album also showed the band losing touch with some of their most obvious strengths, most notably their disciplined arrangements and incisive songwriting. The arrangements are more swirling and far denser on this follow-up. Unsurprisingly, the more concise, dual harmony numbers that bear the closest resemblance to the first album work best, especially "At the Mountains ...
| | Renaissance Song For All Seasons CD (2005)
Renaissance
$9.05 
Three members of the classic Renaissance lineup, Annie Haslam, Michael Dunford, and Terence Sullivan, reunited in a sextet lineup -- filled out by Rave Tesar on piano and other keyboards, Mickey Simmonds on keyboards and vocals, and David Keyes on bass and vocals -- for a 2001 tour of Japan that yielded this 105-minute concert recording In the Land of the Rising Sun: Live in Concert. Haslam's voice is still in excellent shape, to judge by the results, hitting those high notes well, if not with quite the same power than she did in the '70s. The repertory encompasses both older and newer songs, from the Ashes Are Burning album all the way up thru the group's 21st century work, such as "Lady from Tuscany." The presence of two keyboard players, coupled with Haslam's vocal instrument, gives the group a vast melodic range, and fans will almost certainly be thrilled with the sonic textures and the sheer range of sounds generated by the group -- there seem to be genuine orchestral timbres here ...
| | Renaissance Novella CD (1977)
Renaissance
$9.09 
| | Clear Light CD (1967)
Renaissance
$11.59
Kind of a minor league version of the Doors, Clear Light were a West Coast phenomenon, and although they didn't last too long, were an interesting group. A very good slice of Los Angeles psychedelia, Clear Light were a six-piece band that combined folk, rock, psychedelia, and even a touch of classical to their sound. The end result, though, is a little ponderous and pretentious, but strangely listenable. The big hit off this album (produced by Paul Rothchild and engineered by Bruce Botnick) was "Mr. Blue," a psychedelic folk song written by Tom Paxton. It's over six-minutes long and a bit overbaked, but it does have an odd appeal. The finer moments are guitarist Bob Seal's psychedelic folk-rock songs, namely "With All in Mind" and "They Who Have Nothing." Singer Cliff DeYoung ...
| | Rhinoceros CD (1968)
Renaissance
$11.59
The product of producer Paul Rothchild, Rhinoceros were conceived, planned, and executed as a "supergroup." This was the group's raison d'ętre and, ultimately, its downfall. Pieced together after a marathon series of jams at the producer's house in the spring of 1968, Rhinoceros were intended to be the heaviest band of the time. Rothchild and Elektra came very, very close. With former members of Iron Butterfly (Danny Weis, guitar), the Daily Flash, and Buffalo Springfield (Doug Hastings, guitar), as well as some highly respected studio aces such as Billy Mundi on drums, they formed a very good band indeed, but not really a group. Fortunately, although the chemistry is a bit skewed, the music isn't half bad. There are some excellent soul-drenched rock recordings here -- from the album-opening "When You Say You're Sorry" to possibly one of the best-ever versions of "You're My Girl," the group was capable of some mighty music. One of the tracks, the heavy instrumental "Apricot Brandy," was used as the theme for ...
| | Traffic When The Eagle Flies CD (1974) Remastered
Renaissance
$6.89
It's not surprising that bassist Rosko Gee and percussionist Reebop Kwaku Baah went on to join German art-rockers Can. In fact, the 11-minute workout "Dream Gerrard," with its fluid groove, surreal lyrics, Chris Wood's lyrical saxophone interjections, and Steve Winwood's idiosyncratic sound-over-meaning vocal style, would fit quite nicely on one of Can's ...
| | All-4-One And The Music Speaks CD (1995)
Renaissance
$6.09
"I Can Love You Like That" was nominated for 1996 Grammy Awards for Song Of The Year and Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. "I'm Your Man" was nominated for a 1996 Grammy for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.
Not only does the music speak, it blows bubbles. AND THE MUSIC SPEAKS is All-4-One's second winning collection of pop songs that mix four-part doo-wop with light electronic beats and melodies so sugary you could pour them on a pancake. Call it new-jack bubblegum.
Tony Borowiak's sweet tenor vocal on "Colors Of Love" is a pure homage to Smokey Robinson, and the rest of the group responds with--what else?--Miracles-like sha la las. The sha la las keep coming on "Could This Be Magic," a cover of a 1957 doo-wop hit by the Dubs; and if not for the electronic click track, All-4-One's take on the song could itself have been made in 1957--it's the Flamingos with a boombox. "I'm Sorry" wraps the melancholy warmth of a Beach Boys harmony around a skeletal rhythm whose minimal bass-drum hits are dropped like sweet science beneath the bed of voices.
The second half of AND THE MUSIC SPEAKS brings a bit more urban earthiness to bear on the ethereal pleasures of these harmonies. "Think You're The One ...
| | Dizcotheque. Vol. 4 CDs (2003)
Renaissance
$9.59
| | Rick Wakeman Live CD (2002) (Import) United Kingdom
Renaissance
$26.29
| | NOFX War On Errorism CD (2003)
Renaissance
$8.65
Obviously, NOFX are one of the standard-bearers of the West Coast skate-punk sound. Still, a band that sticks around as long as they have will eventually mature, no matter the genre, and THE WAR ON ERRORISM is where NOFX blossoms into adulthood. That's not to say they've lost their sense of humor, punk energy, or passion for embodying and detailing their milieu. It's just that they've expanded; you can hear it in the music, as a fuller, more pop-conscious production kicks in and everything from a horn section to ...
| | Black Days: The Midwest Movement Tribute To Soundgarden CD (2006)
Renaissance
$10.05
| | Charlatans Tellin' Stories CD (2006) (Import)
Renaissance
$28.89
| | Tracks Boys Technicolor CD (2007) (Import)
$32.85 |
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