In a modern day, Renaissance is known as second generation
prog band with one of the best woman vocalists in musical history – Annie Haslam.
Bot only prog fans and musical critics remember that the band released their
first album in 1969 with the line-up entirely different to the “classic” Renaissance,
being one of the first progressive rock band. And almost nobody remembers that
the band was founded by the Yardbirds (!!!) rhythm guitarist and drummer. They
were original, mixing classical music, folk with art rock and stuff like that.
They recorded two albums and disbanded for some reason, but the drummer Jim
McCarty decided to give a project a new life, and brought the completely different
line-up under the name “Renaissance”, including Annie Haslam. And the new line-up
played the same music as their predecessors. Cool, isn’t it?
Line-up of the first, original Renaissance: Jim McCarty – drums, vocals; Keith
Relf – guitars, vocals; Jane Relf – vocals; John Hawken – keyboards; Louis Cennamo
– bass. This line-up disbanded in 1971, so Jim McCarty took the next guys and
gal: Annie Haslam – vocals; Rob Hendry – guitars; John Tout – keyboards; Jon
Camp – bass, and Terence Sullivan – drums. Rob Hendry left after the “new” Renaissance’s
first album, and was replaced by the band’s session guitarist and songwriter
Michael Dunford, who was with the band since 1970 and became its’ musical mind.
That’s all you need to know about line-up changes and all that crap.
- ILLUSION
- PROLOGUE
So, this is what the band looked like in the very beginning:
guitarist and drummer from Yardbirds, who decided to play some symphonic progressive
rock; boring classically oriented piano player; a guy who plays bass, but can
be heard two or three times overall, and, above it, a girl near the microphone,
who sings for four of five minutes and does nothing all of the time. Perfect.
In fact, the band does not mange to blow everything on here and creates a good
record. Big jamming (almost always lead by pianist John Hawken), classical quotations,
self-written melodies and pretentious epics, but it all sounds good. The only
thing that irritates shit out of me is that these songs sound not like completed,
finished compositions, but rather like bits and pieces placed together. I mean,
they didn’t even try to link them somehow. There are a lot of examples when
the band begins to play one theme, then stops, keep silent for a pair of seconds,
and then begin to play the other part of the song. I don’t know why, but that
really irritates me beyond words.
As for the songs, they are, as I said before, good. Good and nice. They are
boring, though – all of the songs (even “Wanderer”, which is the shortest song
on here) can serve you as the ideal lullaby of your baby, other relatives, or
yourself, at least. The worst out of five are two epics (both last for eleven
minutes): “Kings And Queens” and “Bullet”. “Kings And Queens” is kinda good,
actually. The classical intro is very well played and the singing parts are
catchy. The jamming bores anyone around for a mile, that’s for sure, but the
song is nice. “Bullet”, however, just stinks. It’s eleven minutes “worse” of
really nothing. Yeah, jamming parts are interesting, with the idea of mix the
Yardbirds blues-rock and classical music, but the whole thing is just stupid.
Vocal parts are unmemorable and the long running time is needless.
“Innocence” lasts for 7:30, and it’s quite good. I enjoy it. Nothing more to
add, actually. “Wanderer” is awesome – gorgeous and short (by the band’s own
standards, of course), with clever instrumentation and vocal parts. Romantic
and everything. “Island” is even better and even more romantic, with majestic
Jane Relf vocals and gorgeous ending, fully given to Hawken’s piano improvisations.
How old that guy was, I wonder? Must be around 30, because he is really trained
on his instrument. Or he could play it since he was six or seven months. He
could.
There are two bonus tracks, but they don’t really add anything: “The Sea” isn’t
very interesting and who needs the single edit of “Island”? But, anyway, the
album is interesting listening experience and prog or classical fans can find
the record rather attractive and not boring at all. Still, Renaissance would
be better later.
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The last album the first Renaissance line-up recorded, before
it was changed by a completely another bunch of people. However, guitarist Michael
Dunford is on here, and he would later become the member of classic Renaissance
mark. Plus, he does most of the songwriting on here. Pretty good lad. And Betty
Thatcher is on here too, writing lyrics for two of these songs! Back to the
album, it was recorded just right after the first LP, but it was released only
in Germany and only in 1971. Why – I don’t really know. Maybe the record company
wasn’t satisfied with it or something, but due to Russian audio pirates, I got
a chance to listen to the record.
This album is the most un-Renaissance sounding album in the band’s career (bar
the late excersises in synth pop). Or, at least, it doesn’t sound like Renaissance
for me. The classical intonations are here, but they are mixed with weird sci-fi
and folk tones. Of course, Renaissance made folk part of there music before
and would make it after, but no Renaissance album can boast of having “Love
Is All” or “Love Goes On”, which sound just like folk songs. These two are,
for some reason, my personal favourites on here – short, simple and gorgeous.
“Love Goes On” has that awesome Jane’s break, and “Love Is All” is just very
pretty. “My love is all,” – sings Keith Relf and he does it in such way that
I can’t help myself but believe he tells the truth. Another beautiful song on
here is a long piano ballad “Face Of Yesterday” with Jane Relf finally having
a REAL lead vocal spot (and the last one, I must admit).
As for the other songs, all of them are epics. “Golden Thread” is big, pompous
and and with McCarty taking lead vocals (his only one vocal spot ever). Of course,
various instrumental breaks do bore you, but who said it must be easy listening
or something? It’s prog, for fuck’s sake. “Mr. Pine” is a better epic. The unusual
mix of folk and medieval music in the vocal part is great, and when that creepy
organ comes to begin some serious jamming, the band plays as tight as they can.
The vocal part returns in the end, with the same creepy organ everywhere. The
third epic, “Past Orbits Of Dust”, isn’t even as good as two mentioned songs.
It runs for 14:39 and it’s boring for all of the way. The band plays something
like their version of trippy sci-fi Pink Floyd instrumental passages, but who
needs Renaissance imitating Pink Floyd circa A Saucerful Of Secrets? Yeah, the
vocals are nice, but the songs BORES. And the long fade out (three minutes –
go figure) can’t really help.
Overall, the second Renaissance album is better than first and also has some
historical importance – the last album recorded by the first Renaissance line-up.
After that, Jim McCarty would decided to pick up some other players (including
great Annie Haslam – hooray!), and with Michael Dunford would control the band
for one more year, until Michael would finally become the musical mind behind
the band. But that all is another story.
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OK, so here is where the classic Renaissance line-up (we may
not count Rob Hendry). And, yes, this line-up also features Annie Haslam – by
far the most impressive and the greatest woman vocalist I have ever heard. She
can hit all octaves you can imagine and sings (or sung, I don’t know how is
her voice right now) in such passion and sexuality (yup), that you can’t even
imagine it if you haven’t heard any Renaissance song. And she never hits the
wrong notes or sings off key or something! Speaking of technique of vocal, you
can’t find anyone better than Annie. And she looks really pretty. Her “modest
cute girl from the country” image really worked well back in 70’s and she was
soooooooo cute. Of course, now she may look like a complete and total pussy,
but I don’t care since I haven’t seen any her photo of 80’s or 90’s. Too pity
I’m not Roy Wood, who was her boyfriend for a really long time. He fucked her,
for fuck’s sake! I wish I were Roy Wood. I heard he released some great albums
too. Damn, I wish I were Roy Wood.
Allright, enough of the Annie Haslam rants, let’s concentrate on the album itself.
Well, it’s good. The new version of the band takes it at the same place as the
previous version left. These songs are classic early Renaissance (mainly due
to presence of Michael Dunford and supervision of Jim McCarty), with almost
no change in style. OK, so the vocals became more gorgeous and the lyrics became
much more pompous and thought provoking (I didn’t mention it’s a professional
poetess Betty Thatcher who wrote all lyrics on here), but everything is exactly
the same! Classical piano and all that stuff. And it is great. Almost great,
because two first songs suck ass. The title track is the instrumental track,
with Annie’s vocalize, but it doesn’t sound good at all. You know, back in USSR,
they used to put this kind of music and this kind of vocals in every movie,
and it sounded so damn cheesy and horrible to me. And can you imagine my reaction
when I first put this album and heard the first track? Horrible, horrible. The
following “Kiev” isn’t very good, with stupid and irritating vocal melody (the
song is sung by some guy, Dunford, I guess, or someone else). And it’s certainly
overlong (clocking at 7:30).
But when Annie sings the seven-minute Renaissance tune, it’s usually awesome.
I’m talking about “Sounds Of The Sea”. When it first started, with all these
seagulls’ screams, piano lines and some other instruments, I thought it would
be New Age or something. I was wrong, of course, because the song is a piano
ballad. Slow, beautiful, long piano ballad that never bores only because Annie
sings like an angel. Damn, she always sings like an angel, if that matters!
Actually, the song is credited to Betty Thatcher, and if it’s really true that
she wrote the song, she’s damn talented songwriter.
“Spare Some Love” is an awesome tune too. A humble folk-sy melody with acoustic
guitar turns into majestic vocal harmonies in the chorus (check the part when
they sing it a-cappella). The short instrumental break rules too, even if it
is too short, you know. “Bound Of Infinity” is rather boring, unfortunately.
It’s yet another ballad, but too damn monotonous for me. That percussion sound
rules, though. It sounds just like Woody Woodpecker if he was born in India.
However, the album ends on my personal favourite – an eleven minutes long epic
“Rajah Khan”. Like the other Dunford’s tune on the album (“Prologue”, and thank
Lord "Rajah Khan" doesn't sound like that title track), it’s instrumental with
Annie (and the band) vocalizing all over, but it’s too weird and dark for a
Renaissance tune. But good, of course! It opens with long and fantastic electric
guitar intro, and then turns into an Eastern groove with heavy percussion and
guitar and with ANGELIC Annie’s voice. And then that instrumental section with
guitar solos and everything like that comes. One of the Dunford’s many peaks,
even though it’s rip-offed from some classical composition or something. Just
like maybe everything on the album. But the source is so obscure and the quotations
and rip-offs are not very obvious (I suppose), that, as opposite to Led Zeppelin,
you can never tell these guys had been stealing from someone. And they had one
of the greatest singers of all time. That’s why this album rules, but there
will be even better in the future.
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If Renaissance have ever released a pop album in their prog years,
it’s called Ashes Are Burning. There are only two real prog epics (they both
rule, by the way): one opens the album and the other one closes it; they are
separated by four unpretentious pop songs, two of which are ultimate pop masterpieces.
What can be better? The band didn’t change their style on here, but who listens
to Renaissance for diversity, when the music is so good! Ashes Are Burning may
be not their best album, but it is extremely good.
Two prog epics are the best songs on here, and that’s not a big surprise, becuase
Renaissance were almost entirely prog band back in the middle of 70’s. “Can
You Understand?” opens the album on a very high note, with a long instrumental
intro led by incredible Tout’s piano. It reminds me (and not only me) about
Tony Banks’ intro to “Firth Of Fifth”, but since both Ashes Are Burning and
Selling England By The Pound were recorded in 1973, the possiblity of rip-off
is excluded for sure. Or maybe they both rip-offed some obscure classical composer?
God only knows. Back to the song, it is maybe Annie’s best moment ever. She
sings three or so different vocal melodies and does it perfectly all over. When
she goes “Can you understand you understand” all over, I’m in Heaven. The title
track is incredible too. The song begins with a great vocal part that sounds
mystical and somewhat depressive, and then continues with a long instrumental
break, and that’s where John Tout is a main star of the show. His keyboards
are everywhere! Then Annie appears again, and she sings yet another great vocal
melody. Then comes perfect ending with long electric guitar solo from Andy Powell
(Dunford never played the elctric guitar for some reason). The song may end
the album on a dramatic note, but it’s awesome anyway.
As for pop songs, three of them are great and the other one stinks. “On the
Frontier” reminds me of “Kiev”, but if “Kiev” actually has some melody, “On
The Frontier” sounds like a complete melodyless boreto me. And Annie doesn’t
sing solo. Did she have a bad day or what? This song prevents me from giving
this album a higher rate, but all others are good. Yeah, “At The Harbour” has
long and boring piano intor and outro, but the song itself is almost ear perfect,
with depressing vocal performance and strong melody. “Let It Grow” is even better.
Another excellent Annie’s vocal (just listen to her hitting high notes) and
yet another excellent melodies. And, to finish things with pop songs on here,
“Carpet Of The Sun” is fast and orchestrated folk-pop “rocker” (Renaissance
doesn’t really rocks too much, you know). It sounds kinda Eastern to me for
some reason, but that’s not a bad thing.
Overall, this album rules. It’s gorgeous, mystical, and different. Buy it. Get
it. Someday, somewhere. In fact, try to grab any Renaissance album you’ll see
– they aren’t very common, you know, and there’s a chance you’ll like it. Of
course, I’m talking about classic Renaissance, because I haven’t heard their
pop period (and I’m not very interesting in hearing it either). Get it.
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This album is very depressing, you know. If Prologue and Ashes
Are Burning had such songs as, say, “Can You Understand?” or “Spare Some Love”
and, overall, were kind more uplifting than depressing, Turn Of The Cards can
give Ian Curtis a run for money. There is only one piece that can be called
cheerful – “I Think Of You”. All other songs deal with depression, dying and,
oh God, even about concentration camp’s prisoner fate in USSR. Music is, however,
awesome. All of these six songs are simply fantastic, with the second side being
absolutely the best load of material Renaissance have ever put on the tape.
The album opens with a really big ten-minute epic of “Running Hard”. With its’
almost purely classical instrumental passages and Annie’s singing that simply
stones, the song is a perfect start for such prog rock masterpiece as Turn Of
The Cards. It may be boring in pieces (mainly in instrumental passages), but
vocal parts rule so much, that I can forgive even bore. “I Think of You” is
even better, and it’s maybe the best pop song that Michael Dunford has ever
written/stolen. The melody is awesome and uplifting, and when Annie goes “I
think of yooou… everyday”, I’m in Heaven. “Things I Don’t Understand” is paranoid
and perfect – ten minutes of pure thrill. The main vocal part is great, instrumental
passages are fast, energetic and dark, vocal harmonies kick ass and everything
is well thoughtful and planned. Extremely good, simply superb.
The second side, as I said, is the best thing to be found on any Renaissance
record. “Black Flame” is a dark, even somewhat scary medieval ballad. Verses,
with these organ and acoustic guitar change right to majestic chorus with Jon
Tout adding really incredible harpsichord lines. “Cold Is Being” is just “Adagio”
by Albinoni, played on the church organ with vocal melody set it. And, man,
Annie sounds really COLD one here. Cold and cool, that’s it. Lyrics are thoughtful
and pessimistic, and, mixed with Annie’s tone on here, they just work. It all
ends with the band’s peak – “Mother Russia”, big, inspired by Solzhenitsyn and
with a huge use of brass, prog epic. Vocal melody is nothing but brilliant,
and Annie’s dramatic tone only adds a lot to the song. Brass and orchestra really
rules too, instrumental passages are better than in any Renaissance song. In
short, this song fully deserves its’ 10-minute length. Moreover, I dare to say,
it may be even longer – and it would be even better.
Overall, the album is simply great. If you are looking for a prog rock record
with almost fully classical melodies and catchy complicated song structures,
this one should be the first you must grab.
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