Annie in Wonderland | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Annie Haslam | ||||
Released | 1977 | |||
Studio | De Lane Lea Music Centre, Wembley, UK | |||
Genre | Symphonic rock, progressive rock | |||
Length | 41:06 | |||
Label |
Warner Bros. K56453 (UK) Sire SP 6046 (US) |
|||
Producer | Roy Wood | |||
Annie Haslam chronology | ||||
|
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic |
Annie in Wonderland is the first solo album by Annie Haslam, vocalist with the 1970s band Renaissance. It was produced by the multi-talented Roy Wood, who also wrote some of the material, arranged all the songs, played nearly all of the instruments (including an uncredited lead vocal on "I Never Believed in Love"), and illustrated the cover. The album features a range of musical styles enabling Haslam to experiment with vocal styles outside the ethos of Renaissance. The range for which Haslam is well-known is still apparent, however, especially in the showcase number "Rockalise". The album peaked at No. 167 on the Billboard "pop albums" chart.
Annie in Wonderland was originally released in a gatefold sleeve featuring original artwork by Roy Wood. Many of John Tenniel's characters from Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland appear, in particular the Knave of Hearts (as a teddy boy), the March Hare (as a football supporter), and the caterpillar (as Wood himself) - the caricatures are reasonably faithful to the original illustrations. The interior features photographs of the performers, friends and family as well as the track listing and credits.
Allmusic's reviewer described the album as "whimsical, fanciful, and verging on precious", particularly praising "If I Loved You" and commenting in reference to "Nature Boy" that "Haslam gets right to the heart of this beautifully soulful song".