Released 1971 Length 42:31 Artist Renaissance Producer Keith Relf | Recorded Spring/Summer 1970 Illusion
(1971) Prologue
(1972) Release date 1971 Label Island Records | |
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Studio Olympic Studios and Island Studios, London Genres Progressive rock, Symphonic rock Similar Renaissance albums, Progressive rock albums | ||
Illusion renaissance 1970
Illusion is the second studio album by the British progressive rock band Renaissance, released in 1971. It was originally released only in Germany and did not receive a wider release until 1973. It was first released in the UK in 1977, with a cover that had the original front and rear cover artwork swapped.
Contents
Illusion beautiful country
Overview
The original Renaissance line-up fell apart during the recording of this, their second album. Jim McCarty was the first to leave in 1970, when the band was about to start a European tour, because he hated to fly. Keith Relf and Louis Cennamo left next, subsequently forming the new group Armageddon. McCarty continued to be associated with Renaissance as a songwriter, however, receiving writing credits on the new band's first, second and third albums.
John Hawken kept the band going by recruiting new members, including Michael Dunford and Terry Crowe, former bandmates of his from The Nashville Teens. New bassist Neil Korner had previously been part of The New Vaudeville Band (though he did not appear on their big hit, "Winchester Cathedral".) This new line-up, which recorded "Mr. Pine", was one of several short-lived transitional line-ups that existed between the original one and the classic one featuring Annie Haslam.
"Mr. Pine" is the only track on a Renaissance album where members of the original line-up (Hawken, Jane Relf) are heard together with a member of the classic lineup (Dunford). It includes a theme that was later used in the far better-known Renaissance song "Running Hard" (from Turn of the Cards, 1974).
In order to complete the album, the (already disbanded) original line-up got back together, minus Hawken and plus guest keyboardist Don Shinn, to record "Past Orbits of Dust".
One track recorded during the Illusion sessions, a fairly short song called "Statues", was not used on the album. It was eventually released in 2002 on the album Live + Direct. The original album was re-issued on CD in 1995 by Repertoire Records.
Illusion is also notable for being the first Renaissance album to feature lyrics by Betty Thatcher, who would work with the band throughout its entire "classic" period (1972–79) and beyond. Thatcher was brought to the band by her friend Jane Relf.
When the four surviving members of the original Renaissance reunited in 1976, after the death of Keith Relf, the Renaissance name was still in use by their successors in the band, and they named the band Illusion. Their first album under that title, Out of the Mist, included a reworking of the song "Face of Yesterday", while their second album was simply titled Illusion.
Renaissance
Additional musicians
Production
Songs
1Love Goes On2:51
2Golden Thread8:15
3Love Is All3:41