RENAISSANCE

I've got this classic since many decades in my vinyl collection and must say that I liked it a lot in my younger days (I've to add that I had a preference for somewhat softer music in my youth) but meanwhile it had grown already quite a lot of dust on my shelf. Admittedly I've never been a fan of the Haslam-version of Renaissance though I've listened once a few times to their supposedly best albums before I discarded them soon after as too mellow and extremely harmonic.(probably just not my "cup"). Thus this debut here remained my fav album by this band but honestly I couldn't claim that I'm getting into ecstasy during listening to it. Certainly it had been quite unique at its time of release and some of its most memorable melodies are arousing warm nostalgic feelings in me. On the other hand I can't find much exciting in the music presented here. The two longer tracks are for sure still the more interesting ones though I've to say as well that I find the classical quotations in "Kings & Queens" rather annoying than enjoyable. "Bullet" is clearly the better and more adventurous one of the two and actually the most experimental stuff ever heard by Renaissance. From the shorter tracks is "Wanderer" for me the nicest one providing a pleasant Baroque touch with its harpsichord sound. Overall this one had been a remarkable and for its era innovative debut which might sound a bit dated to some modern ears. It might be considered an essential classic due to its early year of release but since it can't fascinate me that much anymore I'm hesitating to rate it with 4 stars (***1/2 really)! Anyway still a pleasant listen every now and then!