TRIP TO THE FAIR

Old songs, new songs

"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!

Be careful with this compilation. When Michael Dunford, Renaissance´s golden era guitarrist and main songwriter, decided to create his own version of the group in the 90´s (billed as Michael Dunford´s Renaissance), he released only two albums with singer Stephanie Adlington (The other Woman, with only new material, and Ocean Gypsy, a kind of acoustic reworking of their classic stuff plus two new songs). Believe it or not this is what this album is all about. Yep, this is a best of of two CDs. Or the two CDs in one, almost. Oddly enough the only missing track is...Trip To the Fair! The very one that very one that names this record (go figure!)

What about this record? Well, I guess I´m one of the few who always loved Adlington´s voice and liked The Other Woman very much. Maybe because I never tried to compare her to Annie Haslam. Haslam is one of kind, period. Stephanie Adlington is an excellent singer on her own and the simple fact that she managed to handle the classic Renaissance tunes without ruining them speaks for itself. Very few vocalists can record those songs and be convining. Adlington is one of them. Of course the new compositions are not up to what they recorded during their heydey in the 70´s, but they are good anyway (and they are far better than the techno pop Renaissance put out in the early 80´s).

Is questionable to exist a compilation of only two CDs, but in the end this is a good way to get both Michael Dunford´s Renaissance records in one CD (minus the title track). And to know some interesting interpretations by this fine, underated singer. They are both very good, but far from being essential. 3 stars.