Renaissance - Scheherazade and other Stories (1975)

British art-rock exponents Renaissance have a fairly complicated history. Kick-started by former-Yardbird front-man Keith Relf in 1969 after he had tired of a lifetime of the blues, the group have since undergone several line-up shifts, resulting in a completely different set of musicians for 'Scheherazade And Other Tales', an album widely-considered the group's magnus opus. After Relf's departure(to join hard-rock group Armageddon), keyboardist John Tout and guitarist Michael Dunford took over the group's reigns and brought in the talented and classically-trained singer Annie Haslam, a move which proved to be the real masterstroke. However, despite these changes in personel, Tout, Dunford and Haslam stayed true to Keith Relf's original ideal of translating classical styles into a modern rock setting and creating music that was complex and sumptuous. Joined by Terrence Sullivan(drums) and Jon Camp(bass), the first Renaissance album produced by this line-up was 'Prologue'. This, in turn, was followed by 'Ashes Are Burning' and the superb 'Turn Of The Cards' before 'Scheherazade..'. was released following a highly-successful US tour in 1975. Featuring just four songs, including the eponymously-titled and rather epic 24-minute closer, the album proved a big success in both Europe and the USA, and showed the group performing at the peak of their formidable powers. The album starts with the beautifully-judged 'Trip To The Fair', a song which allows both Tout and Haslam to excel; Tout with some gorgeous neo-classical piano and Haslam showing off the full five octaves her voice is capable of. The shorter, sharper 'The Vultures Fly High' is probably the closest thing on the album to a rock-song, with Dunford's guitar flourishes embellishing Tout's dominant keyboards with slightly more aggressive lilt, whilst the ethereal-balladry of 'Ocean Gypsy' again showcases Haslam's unique and operatic vocals. The album's raison d'etre, however, is the powerful, epic and intricate odyssey 'Scheherazade'. In this ambitious re-telling of the old 1001 Arabian Nights tale, Renaissance throw off any shackles that may have checked their artistic ambitions and head full-throttle down concept avenue, in the process creating one of Progressive Rock's enduring musical suites. The song is split into 8 sections and takes the listener down all kinds of art-rock alley-ways, running the gamut from darkly-introspective piano-solo's, glistening orchestrations and haunting, Haslam-sung melodies. After this, and partly because of their success, the group would start to take a more commercial turn, eschewing the long, winding compositions in favour of simplier material and, during the 1980's, slimming down to a pop three-piece. Despite their move away from 'classical prog', Renaissance are fondly remembered for a clutch of wonderful albums that culminated in this radical masterpiece. Haslam's voice is genuinely stunning, and backed by the musical ambitions of her musical cohorts, has created an endearing art-rock classic. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010 RENAISSANCE Scheherazade and Other Stories music review by stefro

Songs / Tracks Listing

 1. Trip To The Fair (10:48)
2. The Vultures Fly High (3:07)
3. Ocean Gypsy (7:05)
4. Song Of Scheherazade: (24:52)
a) Fanfare (2:37)
b) The betrayal (4:55)
c) The sultan (2:46)
d) Love theme (2:29)
e) The young prince and princess as told by Scheherazade (4:04)
f) Festival preparations (1:07)
g) Fugue for the sultan (2:12)
h) The festival (2:12)
i) Finale (2:30)

Total Time: 45:52

Line-up / Musicians -

 John Tout / keyboards, vocals
- Annie Haslam / lead vocals
- Jon Camp / bass, bass pedals, vocals
- Terrence Sullivan / drums, percussion, vocals
- Michael Dunford / acoustic guitars, vocals

GET THIS ALBUM ON RDIO

Renaissance - Ashes Are Burning (1973)

How come these guys are a progressive rock band, and some of these songs stretch to over 10 minutes, but it never seems like standard progressive rock, or at least the typical assumption of your generic prog band? Oh, maybe it's the fact that, even with having just six songs on the album, it still feels like a truly captivating landscape, and how their flights of fancy are always augmented by truly ingenious melodies.

I'm getting ahead of myself, which is a shame, because my head's been in a trip for the past half hour or so. This is some damn good music, no matter what you call it, and even if that's a subjective opinion, I don't care. These melodies actually speak to me, and in the land of pomp, pretentiousness, and side-long jams that don't go anywhere (Here's looking at you, Gates of Delirium), there's a lot of rich subtlety, here. the album starts off with a really whimsical, tantalizing display of pianos rocking your boat with Haslan's superb singing abilities. Now, if you're reading a Renaissance review, you're sure to have heard of this woman's vocal prowess, and I can't help but play into it, because she IS a vocal maestro, and it really adds a heap of necessary charm to the world that Ashes Are Burning tries to create.

Not a single song, no matter the length, falls off into the realms of boredom. No, this is one even record, if there ever was one. It's kind of like a beautiful, angelic yin to Jethro Tull's rough, dirty yang. They play a lush, poppy style of intricate progressive folk, which makes these yokels a bright contradiction in my book. I love contradictions, especially Let It Grow, which is simply put, a lush pop masterpiece. The main melody is awe-inspiring, and how it morphs at the very end, and actually grows on the theme, is an essential journey for any discerning music lover to take. It's just really fantastic, I don't know what to say. The vocal chanting at the end rules me, I'm at this song's proverbial beck-and-call. That isn't to say the other songs aren't good. Holy elfin smoke grenades, this is a mystical album, and it's honestly, sincerely pretty, the whole way through. So many folk style instruments run together to form breathtaking aural landscapes, and they all ride under the winds of miss Annie's cherubim fawning.

Carpet of the Sun is another phenomenal, succinct song, with harmonious string accompaniment, but who cares? Prettiness! Subtlety! The gorgeous singing! I'm floored, I really am. Why are there so many memorable melodies? Like the grand piano introduction to the Harbour, that makes me drift off to an old shore bar, someplace, with ships sailing in to the dock on the horizon. When I hear this I can almost feel the ocean breeze twirling through my hair. By the way, I've got really long hair. How is that pertinent to this review? It isn't! Gee, aren't these songs immaculate? Now, this album isn't perfect. What album is? Sometimes the songs don't really jump out at you, and the diversity isn't much anywhere to be found, exactly. It's all a pretty similar trip. I'm nitpicking, though. It's a vastly memorable trip, and the whole record bubbles over with angel chorus prettiness and nectarine serenity. Or, it's just great music. Maybe the title track goes on for a bit too long, but it's all so beautiful anyway, that it doesn't matter, not one bit.

Speaking of said album title closing track, I don't give a rat's behind if it's twelve minutes, it's worth that, and more. A plethora of progressive bands tried making songs that stretched all the way to next week, and most of these were usually done for the sake of length and sprawl. This, however, has a majestic build up that has to be seen...er, heard to be believed, with sweltering solos from all the different instrumentalists, culminating in the entire album's climax in one of the only electric guitar solos, and it rocks hard. I do think that some of the passages could have been trimmed from the first and last songs, and it would have effectively poised the album as a more economical affair, but let our sugary sweet angels spread their wings a little, mac. They never did nothing to you, did they?

I can't help myself from spewing epithets like "pretty" "beautiful" "gorgeous", and "just friggin' great!". Ashes Are Burning is this, and more. It's downright romantic and bashful, without being shy. That's another contradiction for you, so stuff it! These melodies are gargantuan, though, even from the small touches like the organ solo in the middle of the album closing title track, or the sheer breadth of sound the band attempts to take on, succeeding all the while, with passionate piano/acoustic guitar interplay, wrapped in Haslan's silky sweet cooing. Stop me right now, and get this album. It's a shimmering winner. And... for you folks out there with a prejudice 'gainst women vocalists....go suck your damn Iron Maiden or something, I'll take my beauty with extra sugar, please. RENAISSANCE Ashes Are Burning music review by Alitare

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Can you understand (9:49)
2. Let it grow (4:15)
3. On the frontier (4:53)
4. Carpet of the sun (3:31)
5. At the harbour (6:50)
6. Ashes are burning (11:24)

Total Time: 40:42

Line-up / Musicians

- Jon Camp / bass, vocals
- Annie Haslam / lead vocals
- Terrence Sullivan / drums, percussion, backing vocals
- John Tout / keyboards, backing vocals
- Michael Dunford / acoustic guitar
- Andy Powell / guitar (6)

GET THIS ALBUM ON RDIO

Renaissance - Turn f the Cards (1974)

Through the years there have been many, many great female singers, with powerful, angelic voices, Barbra Streisand, Grace Slick, Nancy Nevins (Sweetwater), Celene Dion, Enya, and some of my current favorites, Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation), Floor Jansen (After Forever), Vibeke Stene (Tristania) and Loreena McKennitt to name a few. However, to my mind, none have ever topped Annie Haslam when she was with Renaissance. Haslam's voice had a magical quality and a smoothness that few others had. Though she had no formal training, her voice, seemed to me, to be the most perfectly pure and the the most purely pretty voice of all. Perhaps it is good that no one messed around with her voice, when you are on top, any change is downhill. But I digress too much, let's get to Renaissance and their beautiful music.

RENAISSANCE

"Running hard towards what used to be Losing ground in changes sliding endlessly Reaching out for mirrors hidden in the web Painting lines upon your face inside instead"

I'm sure many of you are familiar with them but for those of you that know little of Renaissance, let me edify you. The Phenomenon of Renaissance was originally started by ex Yardbirds, Keith Relf and sister Diane. Renaissance created a unique niche in the 70s with their exhilarating, passionate brand of progressive, neo-classical rock with historical, folk tendencies that preceded and is somewhat akin to New Age music. Although it is somewhat common today for many European and some American bands to borrow classical melodies even symphonies to be blended with rock or heavy metal, Renaissance was the first band that I can remember doing that and none, in my opinion, have done it any better. Annie Haslam is the pre-eminent vocalist of her time, with a five octave range and a compelling emotional ability to reach the listeners, she is the most important cog in the Renaissance juggernaut. But this melding of talented artists was a symbiosis, evidenced by the fact that Haslam's solo career has floundered. the members of Renaissance seemed to feed off each other and were not as good separately. The Michael Dunford-Betty Thatcher writing team intermittently produced enough strong material to keep Renaissance fans happy, and the production, while recording for Capitol, was top notch.

TURN OF THE CARDS

"Changing moods and stranger feelings In my dealings with the world Faces that I've seen before am I sure Or has my brain turned

Thinking about things I don't understand Thinking about things I don't understand"R

It's hard to believe this album is almost thirty years old, so I guess many of you reading this weren't even born yet. That doesn't mean the music is dated though, this music is like traditional architecture it gets better with age. In fact Renaissance are constantly getting new and younger fans.

With Turn of the Cards, the Annie Haslam fronted version of Renaissance changed its technique slightly and as a result Renaissance really hit its apex. After keyboard dominated albums Prologue and Ashes are Burning the band went with a more orchestral sound and their next two albums, Turn of the Cards and Scherazade excelled and became two of the greatest albums of the 70s "progressive rock" movement.

SUMMATION

For me, with Turn of the Cards, Renaisance was at their apogee. The preceding and succeeding albums were also very good and worth consideration but this album was their pinnacle. ENAISSANCE Turn Of The Cards music reviews and MP3 Review from progarchives.com

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Running Hard (Dunford / Thatcher) (9:37)
2. I think of You (Dunford / Thatcher) (3:07)
3. Things I Don't Undertand (Dunford / McCarty) (9:29)
4. Black Flame (Dunford / Thatcher) (6:23)
5. Cold Is Being (Dunford / Thatcher) (3:00)
6. Mother Russia (Dunford / Thatcher) (9:18)

Total Time: 40:54

Line-up / Musicians

- Jon Camp / bass, vocals
- Michael Dunford / acoustic guitar, vocals
- Annie Haslam / lead vocals
- Terrence Sullivan / drums, percussion, backing vocals
- John Tout / keyboards

GET THIS ALBUM ON RDIO

Renaissance - Illusion (1970)

I borrowed an edition ("Innocents & Illusions") of the 'original' Renaissance's two albums including also some bonus tracks. The first album I had quite unsuccesfully listened already in my teens when I had just found the Haslam-Renaissance. Also that groundbreaking album finally sounded better now, but my real surprise was this Illusion. Its reviews here are mostly not very favourable but I was totally charmed. It has more folk flavour than the debut, and it has Jane Relf much more as the lead singer. Debut is perhaps proggier and has more classical references in John Hawken's piano solos, but there's no denying that Illusion is very beautiful folk-prog - even if 'Love Goes On' and 'Love Is All' are rather simple naive songs with lots of harmony vocals (nice songs anyway).

'Past Orbits Of Dust' (14:39) is to me the most boring just as 'Bullet' is in the debut. They are the most experimental but don't exactly give worth their length. Highlights here are 'Golden Thread' and 'Mr Pine' (the latter penned by Michael Dunford, key figure in the 'new' Renaissance) that beautifully bring together the prog and folk elements. The sound is full of warmth and the vocals of both sexes very pleasant throughout the whole album. (Though unprofessional Jane is naturally far from Annie Haslam's skills.) If you're not put off by naive folkish charm you'll enjoy this!

The bonus tracks (4 to this album) are so nice too that it's a miracle how they remained unreleased(?) at the time. PS. The text also gives a clear historical view on the first Renaissance and its gradual way to the other line-up. ; ) RENAISSANCE Illusion music reviews and MP3 (Review from progarchives.com)

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Love Goes On (2:51)
2. Golden Thread (8:15)
3. Love Is All (3:40)
4. Mr. Pine (7:00)
5. Face Of Yesterday (6:06)
6. Past Orbits Of Dust (14:39)

Total Time: 42:31

Line-up / Musicians - Keith Relf / vocals, guitar
- Jim McCarty / drums, vocals
- Louis Cennamo / bass
- John Hawken / keyboards
- Jane Relf / vocals, percussion

GET THIS ALBUM ON RDIO