Vanilla Fudge-Renaissance (1968)

Vanilla Fudge's third album, "Renaissance", released months after their second, "The Beat Goes On", was their first to feature original songs. While it includes several covers, these are more suited to the psychedelic style this American band was exploring. This quartet, comprised of Vince Martelli (vocals, guitar), Mark Stein (organ), Tim Bogert (bass), and Carmine Appice (drums), had already showcased their ingenious style with clever reinterpretations of pop hits like Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" and The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby", which appeared on their previous releases. By this point, the band had definitively established itself as a true creative force, displaying a sound that would soon become fundamental to hard rock and progressive rock. The heavy sounds of guitar and organ are present in the opening track of this second album, "The Sky Cried - When I Was a Boy", early sounds of progressive hard rock that Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple and Ken Hensley and Mick Box of Uriah Heep would soon make their own, and which are represented here in the hypnotic psychedelic tracks "Faceless People", "That's What Makes a Man", "Thoughts", and "Paradise". The album concludes with a cover of Donovan's pop song, "Seasons of the Witch", transformed into a dark demonstration of the creative avant-garde of this pioneering and sensational band.

Vanilla Fudge-Near The Beginning (1969)

Vanilla Fudge is a somewhat forgotten band outside the United States, where they are revered and recognized as an institution in American musical culture. They were also considered one of the most powerful, influential, and innovative groups of the 1960s. Their captivating progressive blend of rock, soul, and psychedelia is so intense and heavy that even today it's difficult for those unfamiliar with these sounds to appreciate. In fact, iconic bands like Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Yes, among many others, cited them as a major source of inspiration early in their careers. This spectacular band, formed by Carmine Appice (drums and vocals), Vince Martell (guitar and vocals), Mark Stein (keyboards and vocals), and Tim Bogert (bass), was one of the most acclaimed and successful bands of the late 1960s, unanimously praised by their millions of fans and the world press. In 1969, they released their fourth album, "Near the Beginning", where their style was even more deeply infused with rock, blues, avant-garde elements, soul, and hints of gospel, in addition to the grand instrumental improvisations they added to their songs. The tracks featured excellent wah-wah guitars, a powerful Hammond organ, soaring vocals, and a driving, crushing rhythm section. Replete with rhythmic moments boasting a splendid and overwhelming dynamic, this album includes everything from vigorous covers of classics by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood to epic tour de force tracks like the apotheosis of "Break Song", the culmination of one of the most intense and sweeping albums in the history of American rock.