TRIP TO THE FAIR

"A trip to the fair" is a compilation album consisting of tracks from two albums, "The other woman" and "Ocean Gypsy". Virtually all of the tracks from those two albums are included, although bizarrely "A trip to the fair" (this compilation's title) is the only track missing of those taken from "Ocean gypsy". Both of these albums were recorded by "Michael Dunsford's Renaissance", and thus feature replacement vocalist Stephanie Adlington, not the voice of Renaissance, Annie Haslam.

The tracks from "The other woman" are original compositions written for that album with the exception of "Love lies love dies" (which also appeared on an Annie Haslam solo album) and "The Northern Lights", perhaps Haslam era Renaissance' best known song. That album mixes a number of soft ballads, with upbeat pop rock songs. Dunsford apparently felt "The other woman" was "rockier" than he had intended, and the "Ocean Gypsy" album was subsequently recorded to redress the balance.

"Ocean Gypsy" consists primarily reworkings of Renaissance songs from the albums "Ashes are burning" through to "Scheherazade". These are cut down, mainly acoustic renditions. The absence of Annie Haslam's distinguished vocals however renders them utterly superfluous. There is a limited amount of orchestration, but that combined with Adlington's theatrical background gives the album rather a stage show feel.

In all, a cheap and cheerful way of obtaining virtually all of the two source albums, just don't expect to hear the title song!

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