Renaissance | ||
| Allmusic Biography : The history of Renaissance is essentially the history of two separate groups, rather similar to the two phases of the Moody Blues or the Drifters. The original group was founded in 1969 by ex-Yardbirds members Keith Relf and Jim McCarty as a sort of progressive folk-rock band, who recorded two albums (of which only the first, self-titled LP came out in America, on Elektra Records) but never quite made it, despite some success on Englands campus circuit. The band went through several membership changes, with Relf and his sister Jane (who later fronted the very Renaissance-like Illusion) exiting and McCarty all but gone after 1971. The new lineup formed around the core of bassist Jon Camp, keyboard player John Tout, and Terry Sullivan on drums, with Annie Haslam, an aspiring singer with operatic training and a three-octave range. Their first album in this incarnation, Prologue, released in 1972, was considerably more ambitious than the original bands work, with extended instrumental passages and soaring vocals by Haslam. Their breakthrough came with their next record, Ashes Are Burning, issued in 1973, which introduced guitarist Michael Dunford to the lineup and featured some searing electric licks by guest axeman Andy Powell. Their next record, Turn of the Cards, released by Sire Records, had a much more ornate songwriting style and was awash in lyrics that alternated between the topical and the mystical. The groups ambitions, by now, were growing faster than its audience, which was concentrated on Americas East Coast, especially in New York and Philadelphia -- Scheherazade (1975) was built around a 20-minute extended suite for rock group and orchestra that dazzled the fans but made no new converts. A live album recorded at a New York concert date reprised their earlier material, including the "Scheherazade" suite, but covered little new ground and showed the group in a somewhat lethargic manner. The bands next two albums, Novella and A Song for All Seasons, failed to find new listeners, and as the 1970s closed out, the group was running headlong into the punk and new wave booms that made them seem increasingly anachronistic and doomed to cult status. Their 80s albums were released with less than global or even national fanfare, and the group split up in the early 80s amid reported personality conflicts between members. During 1995, however, both Haslam and Dunford made attempts to revive the Renaissance name in different incarnations, and Jane Relf and the other surviving members of the original band were reportedly planning to launch their own Renaissance revival which, if nothing else, may keep the courts and some trademark attorneys busy for a little while. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 36 Title: Songs for All Seasons Released: Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:44:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ocean Gypsy (06:45) 2 Carpet of the Sun (03:47) 3 Déjà vu (04:45) 4 Kings and Queens (10:57) 5 Medley Can You Understand the Vultures Fly High (05:19) 6 The Other Woman (05:21) 7 Island (05:59) 8 Prologue (07:37) 9 Shining Where the Sun Has Been (02:49) 1 The Great Highway (06:05) 2 Wanderer (04:02) 3 Day of the Dreamer (10:11) 4 Love Lies, Love Dies (05:01) 5 Prayer for Light (05:26) 6 A Song for All Seasons (10:56) 7 Dont Talk (03:56) 8 All the Falling Angels (05:24) |
 | Album: 2 of 36 Title: Renaissance Released: 1969-12 Tracks: 5 Duration: 39:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Kings & Queens (10:56) 2 Innocence (07:07) 3 Island (05:58) 4 Wanderer (04:02) 5 Bullet (11:21) |
| Renaissance : Allmusic album Review : The original groups debut album was a then-groundbreaking meld of progressive rock with classical and jazz influences. The album is a little clunky by todays standards, and far druggier than the later group in its ambience (cofounders Keith Relf and Jim McCarty were the heavily psychedelic half of the final lineup of the Yardbirds, which made them anathema to Jimmy Page), but vocalist Jane Relf had a striking individual style, and the classical influence was unique for its time. [The 2002 Collectors Choice reissue cuts "Sea" and the second version of "Island" from the track listing.] | ||
 | Album: 3 of 36 Title: Illusion Released: 1971 Tracks: 6 Duration: 42:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Love Goes On (02:51) 2 Golden Thread (08:15) 3 Love Is All (03:40) 4 Mr. Pine (07:00) 5 Face of Yesterday (06:06) 6 Past Orbits of Dust (14:39) |
| Illusion : Allmusic album Review : The second Renaissance album is the least-known in the groups entire output, having originally failed to get released anywhere except Germany. Although it is a much less bold, more smoothly commercial album, Illusion was also the work of at least three distinctly different lineups representing the group, Jim McCarty dropping out from playing after an illness, and Keith Relf and Louis Cennamo exiting the performing lineup soon after, while Jane Relf played some gigs with John Hawken acting as leader of a new ensemble. It was around this time that the words of lyricist Betty Thatcher started turning up in the groups work and on this album, and guitarist Michael Dunford started writing as well. The results here arent quite as hard rocking as the previous album -- acoustic guitars supplant electric and Jane Relfs vocals are hooked around a mix of art rock and art pop melodies, without any trace of the psychedelic or freakbeat echoes of the previous albums work. One song, "Mr. Pine," contains an instrumental bridge that Dunford later folded into "Running Hard" in a more developed guise. The lighter textures anticipate the sound of the later lineup of the group, while some of the pop-oriented material harkens back to what Relf and McCarty had in mind for a sound in 1969. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 36 Title: Prologue Released: 1972-10 Tracks: 6 Duration: 41:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Prologue (05:42) 2 Kiev (07:40) 3 Sounds of the Sea (07:12) 4 Spare Some Love (05:13) 5 Bound for Infinity (04:24) 6 Rajah Khan (11:31) |
| Prologue : Allmusic album Review : The first album by the 70s (i.e. Annie Haslam) version of Renaissance is a transitional work, rooted in more standard hard rock sounds (including psychedelia) than what followed. One can spot the difference, which may please some listeners and put others off, in the fairly heavy guitar sound of "Prologue," Rob Hendrys electric instrument playing both lead and rhythm parts prominently at various times behind Annie Haslams soaring vocals and adjacent to John Touts piano. "Kiev" may also startle some longtime fans, since Haslam doesnt handle the lead vocals, the male members singing being much more prominent. The ethereal, flowingly lyrical "Sounds of the Sea" is the cut here that most resembles the music that the group became known for in the years ahead, and shows Haslam singing in the high register for which she would become famous. "Spare Some Love," with its prominent folky acoustic guitar, also anticipates material (specifically "Let It Grow" and "On The Frontier") off of the groups better known second album, Ashes Are Burning. "Bound For Infinity" marked the final creative contribution by co-founder Jim McCarty, of the 60s version of Renaissance, and is pretty enough even if it doesnt fit in anywhere with their subsequent sound. And the 11-minute epic "Rajah Khan," with its elements of raga-rock, including sitar-like passages on Hendrys electric guitars and an extended VCS 3 synthesizer solo by Francis Monkman, is a more advanced and virtuoso descendant of late 60s psychedelia. It, too, has little to do with the sound that the group subsequently adopted (although it does intersect, in the most peripheral way, with "Song of Scheherazade" and some of the other Eastern-theme works that preceded it), but the track is entertaining and does show off a startlingly different type of art-rock toward which this group could have gravitated. The sound is clean, and this version of Prologue is to be preferred over Capitols abortive attempt to reissue it in the late 1980s as In The Beginning, which cut some of the material and had totally lackluster sound. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 36 Title: Ashes Are Burning Released: 1973-10 Tracks: 6 Duration: 40:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Can You Understand? (09:52) 2 Let It Grow (04:17) 3 On the Frontier (04:57) 4 Carpet of the Sun (03:32) 5 At the Harbour (06:48) 6 Ashes Are Burning (11:21) |
| Ashes Are Burning : Allmusic album Review : With electric guitarist Andy Powell sitting in on the title track, Renaissance delivered its best, and first fully formed album, mixing Russian, French, and Indian influences in musical settings that are both lively and elegant. The title track is one of the few lengthy progressive-rock pieces of the era that holds up, and the rest of the material runs the gamut from folk ("Carpet of the Sun") to Impressionist ("At the Harbor"), all of it hauntingly beautiful and enlivening. Reissued in 1993 by One Way Records, with excellent sound. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 36 Title: Turn of the Cards Released: 1974-07 Tracks: 6 Duration: 41:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Running Hard (09:37) 2 I Think of You (03:08) 3 Things I Don’t Understand (09:32) 4 Black Flame (06:29) 5 Cold Is Being (03:04) 6 Mother Russia (09:19) |
| Turn of the Cards : Allmusic album Review : The third album by this incarnation of Renaissance was a match for their previous success, Ashes Are Burning, with equally impressive performances and songwriting and a few new musical twists added. The songs here fit more easily into a rock vein, and the prior albums folk influences are gone. Turn of the Cards rocks a bit harder, albeit always in a progressive rock manner, and Jon Camps bass and Terence Sullivans drums are both harder and heavier here, the bass (the groups only amplified instrument) in particular much more forward in the mix. This change works in giving the band a harder sound that leaves room for Jimmy Horowitzs orchestral accompaniments, which are somewhat more prominent than those of Richard Hewson on the prior album, with the horns and strings, in particular, more exposed. Annie Haslam is in excellent voice throughout, and finds ideal accompaniment in Michael Dunfords acoustic guitar and John Touts piano. The writing team of Dunford and Betty Thatcher also adds some new wrinkles to the groups range -- in addition to progressive rock ballads like "I Think of You," they delivered "Black Flame," a great dramatic canvas for Haslam and Tout, in particular; and "Mother Russia" is a surprising (and effective) move into topical songwriting, dealing with the plight of Alexander Solzhenitsyn and other victims of Soviet repression (you had to be there in the 1970s to realize what a burning issue this was). And then there were the soaring, pounding group virtuoso numbers like "Things I Dont Understand," which managed to hold audience interest across nine or ten minutes of running time. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 36 Title: Scheherazade and Other Stories Released: 1975-08 Tracks: 4 Duration: 45:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Trip to the Fair (10:54) 2 The Vultures Fly High (03:08) 3 Ocean Gypsy (07:09) 4 Song of Scheherazade (24:39) |
| Scheherazade and Other Stories : Allmusic album Review : This album was the groups magnum opus in the perception of many onlookers and fans, and it still plays well, though its flaws are more evident than they were at the time. The "Song of Scheherazade," really a suite for the group supported by the London Symphony Orchestra and a chorus, started with guitarist-composer Michael Dunford, who had a personal fascination with the medieval literary work Tales of 1,001 Arabian Nights, and was realized by Dunford and his composing partner Betty Thatcher, with bassist Jon Camp and pianist John Tout. The piece, really nine sections assembled together, was one of the more ambitious works to come out of the progressive rock boom -- it fits together nicely and does have some gorgeous passages and many lyrical, powerful sections, although it also seems slightly repetitive, overstaying its welcome somewhat; additionally, it never uses the orchestra quite as effectively as one senses it might have, for anything except embellishment. Less ambitious and more completely successful are "Ocean Gypsy," "The Vultures Fly High," and "Trip to the Fair" on side one, all relatively unpretentious pieces which feature extraordinary singing by Annie Haslam. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 36 Title: Live at Carnegie Hall Released: 1976-06 Tracks: 8 Duration: 1:43:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Prologue (08:08) 2 Ocean Gypsy (07:12) 3 Can You Understand? (10:45) 4 Carpet of the Sun (03:46) 5 Running Hard (09:57) 6 Mother Russia (10:37) 1 Song of Scheherazade (28:45) 2 Ashes Are Burning (23:49) |
| Live at Carnegie Hall : Allmusic album Review : The fourth great album in a row for Renaissance, Live at Carnegie Hall was recorded at three concerts on June 20, 21, and 22, 1975, at New Yorks Carnegie Hall. Although no one could have known it at the time, it also marked the high point of the groups influence and acceptance -- waiting in the wings, at just about the time this album was released the following year, was the punk rock boom and, a little after that, the disco boom, which would quickly sour audiences and critics on progressive rock. Recorded on tour ahead of the release of Scheherazade and Other Stories, this was the most ambitious concert venture to come out of the progressive rock boom of the 1970s up to that time, featuring the group accompanied by the (uncredited) New York Philharmonic, whose playing shows up on several numbers, but is mostly here for "Song of Scheherazade," which took up one side of the original double LP and more than half of the second disc in the CD version. It and the seven other cuts range across the groups repertory, including revamped versions of "Prologue," "Can You Understand," "Carpet of the Sun," and "Ashes Are Burning," plus live versions of "Mother Russia" and "Running Hard" and a concert preview of "Ocean Gypsy." The original LP suffered from the inevitable sound imperfections of live albums, but it was still a good representation of the group in an optimum concert setting -- not surprisingly, the new renditions of the older songs are the tracks that are the most interesting, as they diverge most sharply from the originals, while the new material is all very similar to the official studio versions, although "Song of Scheherazade" has some interesting moments as the band (and John Camps bass, which is practically a lead instrument here) and the orchestra try to achieve a balance that works. The truly distinctive cut, however, is "Ashes Are Burning," which is turned into an extended jam showcasing John Touts piano and John Camps bass in gorgeous solo passages. The CD reissue on Repertoire Records from Europe has been remastered with exceptional success, correcting most of the difficulties arising from sound leakages that marred the original LP edition. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 36 Title: Novella Released: 1977-02 Tracks: 5 Duration: 40:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Can You Hear Me? (13:39) 2 The Sisters (07:12) 3 Midas Man (05:46) 4 The Captive Heart (04:16) 5 Touching Once (Is So Hard to Keep) (09:27) |
| Novella : Allmusic album Review : By this time, the formula behind the groups sound was becoming predictable, as were many of the songs, although this record and its successor retained some interest for more than hard-core fans. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 36 Title: A Song for All Seasons Released: 1978-03 Tracks: 8 Duration: 44:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Opening Out (04:15) 2 The Day of the Dreamer (09:43) 3 Closer Than Yesterday (03:19) 4 Kindness (At the End) (04:48) 5 Back Home Once Again (03:16) 6 She Is Love (04:13) 7 Northern Lights (04:07) 8 A Song for All Seasons (10:55) |
| A Song for All Seasons : Allmusic album Review : The next to last album by Renaissance as a full-time, ongoing group, A Song for All Seasons was a courageous effort in its time, wearing its classically based progressive rock colors proudly on its sleeve amid the punk and new wave booms that were sweeping across the musical landscape. Vocalist Annie Haslam and pianist John Tout generated some memorably beautiful moments, ably supported by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor/arrangerHarry Rabinowitz. The first two tracks, "Opening Out" and "The Day of the Dreamer," ultimately promise a little more in the way of classically based lyricism than the album delivered; and the harder rocking moments are only fitfully interesting, despite the best efforts of bassist Jon Camp and guitarist Michael Dunford. But the pop tracks here, most notably "Northern Lights," "Back Home Once Again," and the acoustic guitar-driven "Closer Than Yesterday" are appealing on a level that was mostly new to the group. A few more numbers like those, interspersed with the more ambitious works on this album, and Renaissance might have found that wider following that always eluded them. But ultimately the album pulls in one or two too many directions at once, especially on the moody "She Is Love." For a finale, the title track, "A Song for All Seasons," (clocking in at almost 11 minutes) plunges us back into heavily orchestrated art-rock head-first and several yards deep, and succeeds better than most of the groups ambitious suites and song cycles of the second half of the 70s. The album has some gorgeous moments, but coming out at the end of the 70s, it was timed about as poorly as any LP ever issued, in terms of finding an audience -- which doesnt stop modern audiences from savoring its appeal or those moments, three or four decades on. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 36 Title: Azure dOr Released: 1979-05 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Jekyll and Hyde (04:41) 2 The Winter Tree (03:05) 3 Only Angels Have Wings (03:43) 4 Golden Key (05:16) 5 Forever Changing (04:49) 6 Secret Mission (05:02) 7 Kalynda (A Magic Isle) (03:43) 8 The Discovery (instrumental) (04:27) 9 Friends (03:32) 10 The Flood at Lyons (04:58) |
| Azure d'Or : Allmusic album Review : This is one of the better late-era Renaissance albums from the original continuity of the "mark II" lineup of the group (which is the one everyone knows). Its also something of a step up from the two preceding albums, with lush, melodic passages, beautiful lyrics, and some splendid playing by all concerned. Moreover, it rocks pretty well too, songs like "Secret Mission" being one of the better showcases for the groups rhythm section, as well as offering Annie Haslam in a glittering, dramatic showcase for her vocals. Azure dOr would probably compare very favorably with the groups early albums, but for two major changes in their sound -- the emphasis on the use of the synthesizer, which is a departure from the piano that was prominent in their earlier work, and the extended instrumental passages, which arent all that interesting and change the focus of the bands music somewhat. Still, the overall sound is compelling, and when Haslam gets a piece of music into which she can sink her teeth, such as "The Flood at Lyons," the results are breathtaking. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 36 Title: Camera Camera Released: 1981-10-15 Tracks: 9 Duration: 45:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Camera Camera (06:04) 2 Faeries (Living at the Bottom of the Garden) (04:02) 3 Remember (04:35) 4 Bonjour Swansong (03:40) 5 Tyrant-Tula (06:02) 6 Okichi-San (05:59) 7 Jigsaw (05:06) 8 Running Away From You (03:54) 9 Ukraine Ways (06:24) |
| Camera Camera : Allmusic album Review : Renaissances Camera Camera is one of the all-time "Who do they think theyre fooling?" albums. Released in 1981 on former manager Miles Copelands unassailably hip label IRS Records, Camera Camera features suavely cool graphics on the cover (along with singer Annie Haslam in a flirty, kicky pose) and brightly colored clothes on the slimmed-down lineup. Seriously, have a gander at these clothes if you ever see a copy of this album: the old phrase "mutton dressed as lamb" does not even begin to describe the sight of the formerly sedate and certainly old-enough-to-know-better Michael Dunford and Jon Camp in patchwork pastels and black and white vertical stripes, respectively, and although Haslam is gorgeous enough to almost make it work, even she cant pull off that hair, not to mention the ghastly nameplate necklace. So anyway, the whole idea is to make believe that Renaissance is a quirky new wave trio (hired hand keyboardist Peter Gosling and drummer Peter Barron arent pictured, possibly because there wasnt enough of a wardrobe budget for them) and not the progressive rock mainstays they had been since 1972s Prologue. Again, who do they think theyre fooling? Now comes the hard-to-believe part: Camera Camera is actually a surprisingly good record. 1979s Azure dOr had been a transitional attempt at reinvention, and it was a bit of a botch. After Haslam and Dunford took some time off to work with Gosling under the new band name Nevada (releasing two singles in 1980), that trio reformed with Camp as Renaissance and committed fully to a transformation in their sound. Wisely, Renaissance arent trying for the Spandau Ballet/Duran Duran side of the new wave market -- they werent stupid enough to think they could get away with that -- but the artier feel of Peter Gabriels third solo album and, most crucially, Kate Bushs melding of new wave and art rock. The combination of Goslings piano and synthesizers with Haslams operatically-trained vocals sounds so close to Bushs The Kick Inside era that one can only assume that this was the intention. Haslam even sticks primarily to the upper end of her impressive range, cementing the similarity to Bushs bracing soprano. Although there are a couple of misfires, particularly "Jigsaw," which takes an unfortunate feint towards rocking out (never this bands forte), most of these nine songs are entirely successful blends of flashy new wave and the groups traditional sound. In particular, the Camp-penned "Running Away From You" is the most successful attempt at a straightforward pop song the band ever managed, and the multi-part title track and the playful "Faeries (Living at the Bottom of the Garden)" are every bit the equal of some of Renaissances best earlier work. Best of all, the production (by the band) does not sound nearly as dated as many similar albums from its time, largely due to the avoidance of electronic drums and the fairly restrained use of synthesizers. Hardcore prog fans might still find Camera Camera a treasonous sellout, but after all, Renaissance had already completely transformed itself once before, from the folky Yardbirds offshoot of its earliest incarnation, to the almost entirely different lineup that recorded the classical rock of Prologue. Why couldnt they do it again? | ||
 | Album: 13 of 36 Title: Time-Line Released: 1983-09-20 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Flight (04:09) 2 Missing Persons (03:37) 3 Chagrin Boulevard (04:24) 4 Richard IX (03:39) 5 The Entertainer (04:48) 6 Electric Avenue (04:56) 7 Majik (03:13) 8 Distant Horizons (03:58) 9 Orient Express (03:55) 10 Auto-Tech (05:22) |
| Time-Line : Allmusic album Review : Renaissances last official studio album before the band called it quits. It embarks further on the new wave theme the band had been building through "A Song for All Seasons" and "Azure dOr" and had really brought into full bloom when they switched labels to IRS and released "Camera Camera" two years earlier. Its the same kind of new wave-prog hybrid as "Camera Camera," with anachronistic -- but irresistible -- little numbers like "Richard the IX." The majority of the record is written by Jon Camp and it has his signature pop savvy. "Flight," "Auto-Tech," and "Orient Express" are solid new wave contenders. An enjoyably peppy record. And a tragically short demise to a singularly unique band. (Renaissance would reunite over 15 years later.) | ||
 | Album: 14 of 36 Title: In the Beginning Released: 1988 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:13:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Prologue (05:36) 2 Kiev (07:37) 3 Sounds of the Sea (06:52) 4 Spare Some Love (05:10) 5 Bound for Infinity (04:20) 6 Rajah Khan (edit) (08:58) 7 Can You Understand? (09:52) 8 Let It Grow (04:14) 9 On the Frontier (04:55) 10 Carpet of the Sun (03:34) 11 At the Harbour (edit) (03:15) 12 Ashes Are Burning (edit) (09:30) |
| In the Beginning : Allmusic album Review : This compilation of the Prologue and Ashes Are Burning albums should be great, but it isnt. The sound is flat and two major songs from Ashes were cut mercilessly. Good for a glimpse at the band. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 36 Title: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 2 Released: 1990 Tracks: 8 Duration: 1:15:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Can You Hear Me? (13:44) 2 Touching Once (Is So Hard to Keep) (09:27) 3 Midas Man (05:41) 4 Northern Lights (04:07) 5 A Song for All Seasons (10:55) 6 Jekyll and Hyde (04:41) 7 The Winter Tree (03:05) 8 Ashes Are Burning (live) (23:53) |
 | Album: 16 of 36 Title: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 1 Released: 1990 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:15:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Prologue (live) (07:31) 2 Can You Understand (live) (10:23) 3 Carpet of the Sun (live) (03:32) 4 Running Hard (09:39) 5 I Think of You (03:08) 6 Black Flame (06:29) 7 Mother Russia (09:19) 8 Ocean Gypsy (07:09) 9 Trip to the Fair (10:52) 10 The Vultures Fly High (03:08) 11 Festival Preparations, Part 1 (04:04) |
 | Album: 17 of 36 Title: Songs From Renaissance Days Released: 1997 Tracks: 10 Duration: 46:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Africa (04:43) 2 Dreamaker (04:59) 3 Northern Lights (04:25) 4 No Beginning No End (05:07) 5 Only When I Laugh (04:11) 6 The Body Machine (04:09) 7 Writers Wronged (04:00) 8 Island of Avalon (02:47) 9 America (04:00) 10 You (08:18) |
| Songs From Renaissance Days : Allmusic album Review : Best known for their light progressive sound, Renaissance combines startling vocals with resonant classical arrangements that results in a truly unique musical concoction. Songs From Renaissance Days is a mixture of both released and unreleased material that features Annie Haslam, Michael Dunford, and Jon Camp. With five different keyboard players strewn across the albums ten songs, the progressive air is well established, but not to be outdone by Haslams enchanting voice. A timelessness is passionately felt on "Africa" and again on "Dreamaker," as the music washes over the lyrics conveying wispy aural illusions. The mystical atmosphere of "Northern Lights" is enhanced by the ghost-like vocal chorus, and exemplifies this bands sound better than any song of the set. While the synthesizer isnt powerfully dominating as in other progressive music, its use is wisely intermingled with acoustic guitar and shimmering vocals as one of the most effective devices in each song. The beauty of Renaissances music hides within the richness of the vocals, but its the aid of the surrounding music that adds the extra element of mysteriousness to their sound. Other compilations offer a better insight into this groups music, but Songs From Renaissance Days is a stunning example of this bands unconventional progressive flavor. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 36 Title: At the Royal Albert Hall With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Part 1 Released: 1997-01-28 Tracks: 5 Duration: 1:03:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Prologue (08:13) 2 Can You Understand (11:43) 3 Carpet of the Sun (04:02) 4 Can You Hear Me (14:01) 5 Song of Scheherazade (25:29) |
 | Album: 19 of 36 Title: At the Royal Albert Hall With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Part 2 Released: 1997-03-25 Tracks: 7 Duration: 1:20:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Running Hard (10:25) 2 Midas Man (05:32) 3 Mother Russia (10:00) 4 Touching Once (Is So Hard to Keep) (10:14) 5 Ashes Are Burning (27:58) 6 Prologue (08:04) 7 You (08:25) |
 | Album: 20 of 36 Title: Innocence Released: 1998-02 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:04:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Kings and Queens (10:59) 2 Innocence (07:10) 3 Island (06:01) 4 Wanderer (04:05) 5 Bullet (11:27) 6 The Sea (03:05) 7 Island (single version) (03:38) 8 Prayer for Light (05:27) 9 Walking Away (04:19) 10 Shining Where the Sun Has Been (02:52) 11 All the Falling Angels (05:28) |
| Innocence : Allmusic album Review : The original Renaissance sounded unlike either the Yardbirds or the subsequent version of the band itself, which leaned more heavily toward the progressive end of the musical spectrum. While there are some hints of this later style, the band also explores about a dozen other types of music on this release, with extremely mixed results. In skilled hands, this varied approach can result in an eclectic classic like Revolver. However, Renaissance was not the Beatles, and this effort is just too meandering to have much impact. The cuts that feature Keith Relf on vocals are surprisingly weak, reinforcing Jimmy Pages decision to seek the greener pastures of Led Zeppelin upon the Yardbirds dissolution. A few numbers are decent folk-rock resembling early Fairport Convention, but this is probably due to Jane Relfs vocal similarity to Judy Dyble more than anything else. Most of the songs are simply too long and feature monotonous piano solos and plodding drums. Innocence includes all of Renaissances debut plus two uninspiring singles from the same era. Even Keith Relf fans will be puzzled by this material, and Renaissance completists may want to stick with the later years. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 36 Title: BBC Sessions Released: 1999 Tracks: 12 Duration: 2:02:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Prologue (07:00) 2 Vultures Fly High (02:51) 3 Midas Man (03:51) 4 Day of the Dreamer (09:53) 5 Touching Once (10:16) 6 Song of Scheherazade (25:29) 1 Can You Hear Me (13:20) 2 Ocean Gypsy (07:30) 3 Carpet of the Sun (03:37) 4 Mother Russia (10:15) 5 Running Hard (09:40) 6 Ashes Are Burning (18:23) |
| BBC Sessions : Allmusic album Review : Renaissance has given some powerful live performances, and also some poor ones, but for these BBC sessions, they seem to have been 100-percent spot-on every time out. Revived pieces of their early repertory, such as "Prologue," sound fresh and new, and then-current songs such as "Midas Man" and "Vultures Fly High" receive treatments that make their studio renditions, fine as those are technically, seem like nothing more than unfinished demos -- it was Annie Haslam who, for reasons not explained, had the final say over the release (or not) of this material, and its easy to understand why she wanted them heard; shes in exceptional voice everywhere here, and the little technical flaws that come from this kind of live performance (i.e., momentary feedback etc.) dont affect her. Whats more, the digital remastering by Pete Zorlakki brings all of the voices to the fore, as well as Michael Dunfords acoustic guitar -- no easy feat when surrounded by electric bass and a full drum kit in action (courtesy of Jon Camp and Terry Sullivan, respectively) -- in ways that one could reasonably have hoped for in a live performance off the stage; even "Song of Scheherazade" seems refreshed here, and preferable in some ways to the "official" live version issued by Sire Records way back when (though it, too, has its virtues, such as the physical presence of and real-time interaction with an audience). The fact that the repertory encompasses so much of the groups best (and core) repertory from across an entire decade doesnt hurt, either, making this a kind of live best-of set. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 36 Title: Day of the Dreamer Released: 2000 Tracks: 9 Duration: 1:13:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Can You Hear Me Call Your Name (14:00) 2 Carpet of the Sun (03:51) 3 Day of the Dreamer (10:11) 4 Back Home Once Again (04:07) 5 Can You Understand / The Vultures Fly High (05:30) 6 A Song for All Seasons (11:10) 7 Prologue (07:37) 8 Ocean Gypsy (07:44) 9 Running Hard (09:36) |
| Day of the Dreamer : Allmusic album Review : This CD is a most satisfying listening experience, despite a few shortcomings in the packaging. Released under the auspices of Annie Haslam at a time when Renaissance had splintered in several different directions (with even Jane Relf reportedly getting ready to start using the group name again), its assembled from what appear to be several live performances -- the notes by Haslam would lead one to believe that these date from the late 70s, and the lineup of Haslam, Michael Dunford, John Tout, Jon Camp, and Terry Sullivan. But as there are no dates or actual credits, thats impossible to say with 100-percent certainty -- what is true beyond doubt is that the sound is excellent (almost too good for a 70s-vintage concert recording) and the performances are superb from beginning to end; not only is the band tight and loud, but Haslam is in even better shape vocally than the rest of them are instrumentally. Indeed, fans of Jon Camps bass work will especially love this CD, because his playing is way up front here without being obtrusive (just powerful). | ||
 | Album: 23 of 36 Title: Unplugged: Live at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia USA Released: 2000 Tracks: 12 Duration: 56:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Can You Understand (06:45) 2 Carpet of the Sun (03:14) 3 Midas Man (04:12) 4 Okichi-San (05:32) 5 I Think of You (02:47) 6 Black Flame (05:11) 7 Mother Russia (04:36) 8 Northern Lights (04:01) 9 Young Prince & Princess (02:42) 10 Trip to the Fair (06:27) 11 The Vultures Fly High (03:40) 12 Running Hard (06:50) |
 | Album: 24 of 36 Title: Tuscany Released: 2000-08 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Lady From Tuscany (06:41) 2 Pearls of Wisdom (04:25) 3 Eva’s Pond (03:42) 4 Dear Landseer (05:21) 5 In the Sunshine (04:25) 6 In My Life (05:26) 7 The Race (05:00) 8 Dolphins Prayer (03:22) 9 Life in Brazil (03:43) 10 One Thousand Roses (07:12) |
| Tuscany : Allmusic album Review : Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford re-formed a version of Renaissance for this album, which has its feet planted in two different decades. The opening track and "The Race" rely somewhat more on a synth pop sound than the groups classic sides, and "Dear Landseer" offers a somewhat angular melody and keening vocals by Haslam that are close in spirit to Kate Bushs early-80s work. A lot of the album does retain much of the haunt count of their best 70s material, however, and none of whats here will displease longtime fans. "Lady From Tuscany" is a good way away from that classic sound, but "Pearls of Wisdom" could have been cut by the group 20-some years before. Haslams voice doesnt have quite the glowing luster of her older sides, though she still sings very powerfully and does occasionally hit those high notes beautifully. Along with Mickey Simmonds (keyboards, arrangements) and Terence Sullivan (drums) rounding out the core group, the guest performers include Roy Wood (who sings backup on one song; plays bass, keyboards, and percussion on several others; and arranged the orchestral part on one track), John Tout, and Alex Caird. Woods contribution as an arranger is significant, with "In the Sunshine" offering a bright, chamber-like accompaniment unlike anything heard from the group previously, and also featuring one of the warmest, most expressive vocal performances from Haslam of her entire career. The reach of the album exceeds the quality of the music, which often lacks the kind of excitement that the groups 1970s (and even their 1980s) albums displayed, though serious fans and those listeners enamored of Haslams singing will want it. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 36 Title: Can You Hear Me (live) Released: 2001 Tracks: 5 Duration: 1:01:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Can You Understand (11:24) 2 Proloque (07:21) 3 Can You Hear Me (14:01) 4 Carpet of the Sun (03:44) 5 Song of Scheherazade (Part I-IX) (25:26) |
 | Album: 26 of 36 Title: Mother Russia Released: 2002 Tracks: 7 Duration: 1:18:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Prologue (07:59) 2 Ashes Are Burning (27:30) 3 Running Hard (10:13) 4 You (Parts 1 & 2) (08:18) 5 Midas Man (04:21) 6 Touching Once (09:56) 7 Mother Russia (09:59) |
 | Album: 27 of 36 Title: In the Land of the Rising Sun: Live in Japan 2001 Released: 2002-05-22 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:44:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Carpet of the Sun (03:49) 2 Opening Out (04:24) 3 Midas Man (06:31) 4 Lady from Tuscany (07:08) 5 Pearls of Wisdom (04:42) 6 Dear Landseer (05:40) 7 Northern Lights (04:22) 8 Moonlight Shadow (04:08) 9 Precious One (04:49) 10 Ananda (05:41) 1 Mother Russia (10:31) 2 Trip to the Fair (11:53) 3 One Thousand Roses (07:53) 4 I Think of You (03:21) 5 Ashes Are Burning (19:56) |
| In the Land of the Rising Sun: Live in Japan 2001 : Allmusic album Review : Three members of the classic Renaissance lineup, Annie Haslam, Michael Dunford, and Terence Sullivan, reunited in a sextet lineup -- filled out by Rave Tesar on piano and other keyboards, Mickey Simmonds on keyboards and vocals, and David Keyes on bass and vocals -- for a 2001 tour of Japan that yielded this 105-minute concert recording In the Land of the Rising Sun: Live in Concert. Haslams voice is still in excellent shape, to judge by the results, hitting those high notes well, if not with quite the same power than she did in the 70s. The repertory encompasses both older and newer songs, from the Ashes Are Burning album all the way up thru the groups 21st century work, such as "Lady from Tuscany." The presence of two keyboard players, coupled with Haslams vocal instrument, gives the group a vast melodic range, and fans will almost certainly be thrilled with the sonic textures and the sheer range of sounds generated by the group -- there seem to be genuine orchestral timbres here on "Opening Out" and other numbers, and theres also room for Dunfords acoustic guitar to be heard well on "Carpet of the Sun," and "Midas Man," among others. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 36 Title: Heritage Released: 2003-03-24 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:18:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Can You Hear Me Call Your Name (live) (14:01) 2 Carpet of the Sun (live) (03:46) 3 Back Home Once Again (live) (04:02) 4 Ocean Gypsy (live) (07:34) 5 Running Hard (live) (09:29) 6 Prologue (live) (07:39) 7 Midas Man (live unplugged) (04:14) 8 I Think of You (live unplugged) (02:46) 9 Black Flame (live unplugged) (05:05) 10 Northern Lights (live unplugged) (03:47) 11 Young Prince & Princess (live unplugged) (02:44) 12 Trip to the Fair (live unplugged) (06:29) 13 The Vultures Fly High (live unplugged) (02:41) 14 Mother Russia (live unplugged) (04:18) |
 | Album: 29 of 36 Title: Innocents & Illusions Released: 2004 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:47:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Kings and Queens (11:00) 2 Innocence (07:10) 3 Island (06:01) 4 Wanderer (04:06) 5 Bullet (11:33) 6 Island (single version) (03:39) 7 The Sea (03:04) 1 Love Goes On (02:55) 2 Golden Thread (08:19) 3 Love Is All (03:42) 4 Mr. Pine (07:00) 5 Face of Yesterday (06:06) 6 Past Orbits of Dust (14:44) 7 Shining Where the Sun Has Been (02:51) 8 All the Fallen Angels (05:28) 9 Prayer for Light (05:26) 10 Walking Away (04:24) |
 | Album: 30 of 36 Title: Dreams & Omens: Live at the Tower Theater, Philadelphia PA 1978 Released: 2008-10-21 Tracks: 6 Duration: 47:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Can You Hear Me (14:32) 2 Carpet of the Sun (03:53) 3 Day of the Dreamer (10:32) 4 Midas Man (04:22) 5 Northern Lights (04:19) 6 Things I Dont Understand (09:35) |
 | Album: 31 of 36 Title: Tour 2011: Turn of the Cards / Scheherazade and Other Stories Live in Concert Released: 2011-09-23 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:40:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Running Hard (09:49) 2 I Think of You (03:12) 3 Things I Don’t Understand (10:04) 4 Black Flame (06:58) 5 Cold Is Being (03:52) 6 Mother Russia (10:28) 1 Trip to the Fair (11:27) 2 Vultures Fly High (03:31) 3 Ocean Gypsy (07:37) 4 Song of Scheherazade (24:35) 5 The Mystic and the Muse (08:33) |
 | Album: 32 of 36 Title: Grandine il Vento Released: 2013 Tracks: 8 Duration: 53:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Symphony of Light (12:09) 2 Waterfall (04:44) 3 Grandine il Vento (06:13) 4 Porcelain (06:41) 5 Cry to the World (05:44) 6 Air of Drama (05:21) 7 Blood Silver Like Moonlight (05:16) 8 The Mystic and the Muse (07:48) |
 | Album: 33 of 36 Title: DeLane Lea Studios 1973 Released: 2015 Tracks: 7 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Can You Understand? (?) 2 Let It Grow (?) 3 Sounds of the Sea (?) 4 Carpet of the Sun (?) 5 At the Harbour (?) 6 Ashes Are Burning (?) 7 Prologue (?) |
 | Album: 34 of 36 Title: Academy of Music 1974 (Live) Released: 2015-03-31 Tracks: 9 Duration: 1:28:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Can You Understand (Live) (11:45) 2 Black Flame (Live) (07:30) 3 Carpet of the Sun (Live) (04:47) 4 Cold Is Being (Live) (03:35) 5 Things I Dont Understand (Live) (10:29) 6 Running Hard (Live) (10:47) 7 Ashes Are Burning (Live) (21:00) 8 Mother Russia (Live) (10:33) 9 Prologue (Live) (07:48) |
 | Album: 35 of 36 Title: Live at the BBC Sight & Sound Released: 2016-12-16 Tracks: 22 Duration: 3:21:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Introduction (00:51) 2 Carpet of the Sun (04:17) 3 Mother Russia (11:03) 4 Can You Hear Me? (14:17) 5 Ocean Gypsy (08:02) 6 Running Hard (10:43) 7 Band Introduction (00:56) 8 Touching Once (Is So Hard to Keep) (10:42) 9 Prologue (07:23) 1 Running Hard (11:52) 2 Mother Russia (10:31) 3 Prologue (07:30) 4 Ocean Gypsy (08:09) 5 Ashes Are Burning (18:34) 6 Day of the Dreamer (09:53) 7 Vultures Fly High (02:51) 8 Midas Man (03:51) 1 Prologue (08:02) 2 Running Hard (10:12) 3 Ocean Gypsy (05:47) 4 Mother Russia (10:26) 5 Song of Scheherazade (25:39) |
 | Album: 36 of 36 Title: A Symphonic Journey with The Renaissance Chamber Orchestra Released: 2018 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:36:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Prologue (07:25) 2 Trip to the Fair (10:54) 3 Carpet of the Sun (03:45) 4 At the Harbour (07:42) 5 Grandine Il Vento (06:48) 6 Symphony of Light (12:45) 1 Kalynda (03:55) 2 Island (05:57) 3 Mother Russia (09:55) 4 Song for All Seasons (10:58) 5 Ashes Are Burning (16:15) |