ASHES ARE BURNING

Renaissance is one of those groups that I like, but no one else seems even to know it. Renaissance one of the most definitive bands when it comes to symphonic prog. Simply with Renaissance you can find the delicateness with symphonic prog, as with band like Yes you can find spirituality, and bombastic power in music.

Ashes Are Buring is the second album of Renaissance with Haslams group. The second album is loyal to Renaissance sound: Amazing female voice accompanied with majestic Chris Squire style bass and beatiful, yet powerful piano. Unfortunately guitar doesn't have same kind of role as other instruments. Still the guitar player is perhaps the most important member of the band since he composes pretty much all the music.

This amazing album is opened with amazing track. Can You Undestand is an amazing song, perfect fusion of beatiful female voice, exellent musicianship and with certain amount of complexity. One of the Renaissance classic tracks. Can You Ynderstand is followed by four shorter songs, which are not very progressive, but still very nice to listen to. Some people consider Renaissance quite poppy group just becose of these shorter songs. No matter how proggy they are, they still sound very good. In particular At The Harbour is hauntingly beautiful song. All the lyrics are written by a poet, so lyrics are also particulary good. Ashes Are Burning, the song which ends this album is a masterpiece. Ashes Are Burning is one of the best songs ever wrote. It was the song that really got me into Renaissance.

Ashes Are Burning isn't completely flawless album, but it has far more good stuff that bad (in this case not so good stuff). It's not easy to choose between four or five stars, but overall I think it deserves five.

Renaissance is a group of exellent musicianship, good lyrics and what most, a band led by a woman with one of the best voices of music. Click to Renassance profile and listen to Ashes Are Burning and then Mother Russia. You have to feel it's beaty and elegancy even party, unless you are a robot.