Cheap Renaissance (Music) (Vanilla Fudge) Price

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Customer Reviews of Renaissance

Vanilla Cheese Prog
If you can overlook some of the melodramatic corn in the vocals department (Bogert's in "When I was a Boy"; Vinnie's moans and groans, the producer Shadow Morton's soliloquy, and Bogert's demand and plea in "Season of the Witch"), here you have a great, yes, prog before there was prog album, complete with mature musicianship and complex arrangements far ahead of the psychedelia of the time. Bonus cuts on a classic LP usually spell "muck up", but luckily the ones on this Sundazed edition aren't too bad. (Has anyone noticed the master tape skewing at the end section of "Faceless People"? Compare it to the vinyl, when the tapes were new.) Over all, a surprisingly nice addition to any prog collection. The beat goes on, indeed!

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Great psychedelic rock
I wouldn't agree with Tony Allen that this is the greatest rock LP ever made (that honour goes to "Every good boy deserves favour" of the Moody Blues), but it likely ranks among my all time top 15 CD's, and it features some of the best psychedelic music I'm aware of! I agree with other reviewers that there is no weak song on this album, my favorites being Thoughts, That's what makes a man, Season of the witch. If you like this type of psychedelic music, check out Jefferson's Airplane's "After bathing at Baxter's", or the 17 minute epic "In held twas in I" from Procol Harum.

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Likely Their Magnum-Opus
This album was a fine example of progressive rock, and at the same time, had arguably the most heavy metal credibility out of all the band's releases. For Vanilla Fudge, the album was also the first to feature predominantly original compositions. Some of the highlights were the albums first two tracks, The Sky Cried, and Thoughts. The former featured some excellent guitar work, and is one of the most intense songs the band ever recorded. The latter started off in relaxing fashion before pounding into the bands trademark heaviness. It is the opinion of this writer that usually the best heavy metal has a density of instruments combining, as opposed to sheer volume. This statement would undoubtedly apply to the Fudge, as the organ and fuzz combine for the unparalleled density previously described. There really are not any "obviously inefficient" tracks, arguably making this the band's most consistent album. The album ends with what has to be the most intense version of Season of the Witch ever recorded, and a poem read in a most unusual voice. This version is reminiscent of Vanilla Fudge's earlier version of Eleanor Rigby, but has a paranoid energy that puts it in a class all by itself. The bonus tracks are generally good, with All In Your Mind and Where is My Mind both being effective soul/pop fusion, but the bonus cuts really do not go along with the original album's seven songs. Overall, the album is an emotional roller coaster ride with much mystery and despair. In the opinion of this writer, it is the best album by the band, and is strongly recommended.