Illusion-Out of the Mist(1977); Illusion (1978); Brit Prog rock with female vocals

Illusion was called Renaissance at the dawn of the 70s before the evolutionary process resulted in the better known version of that group featuring Annie Haslam, Jon Camp after 2 albums. While what they were doing in 1970-71 was of little more than historic interest, their reformation in the mid 70s as Illusion produced two essential recordings, both contained in full on this CD. Broadly speaking, both bands played a similar style, that of progressive rock with strong folk and classical leanings and featuring a female lead singer, but enough differences emerge to keep everyone interested. Illusion was a little less ornate and more folky, with the singing of Jane Relf at a lower octave than Annie Haslam, the keyboards of ex-Strawb John Hawken warmer but no less technically proficient, and the participation of ex-Yardbirds creating an edge on some tunes. The CD includes the first 2 albums, Out of the Mist and Illusion (yes the self-titled was actually the second). While the first is instantly likeable and contains more songs in the romantic classical vein, such as the wonderful "Isadora", "Beautiful Country", and "Face of Yesterday", it also contained a few excesses, especially "Candles are Burning" which sounded dated even in 1977. In contrast, the second album (tracks 8-14) is more of a slow burn. The release notes express a disappointment in the output but I do not share this sentiment. In fact to me it wears better than the first, from the awesome kickoff of "Madonna Blue" through to the dignified ancient sound of "The Revolutionary", with simple delights like "Never Be the Same" and "Wings Across the Sea" in between. Note the reduced participation of Jane Relf as lead singer may rightfully upset some, but I believe it is worth seeing beyond this error in judgement to the high quality of the compositions, production, and even the voice (which I believe belongs to Jim McCarty). This 2fer may well be one of the greatest CD bargains currently available in the progressive genre. Get it while you can!(Amazon Review)