TUSCANY

After an impressive sequence of poor pop albums it looked like this once great band was doomed to disappear forever. Listening to things like "Time Line" this appeared to be also the best thing to do for Renaissance, so when I heard of Tuscany I've been undecided about the purchase. Now, 11 years after the release I have bought it, and....

Well, after the first track which conserves a bit of that electro-pop mood of which the previous albums were full I was very afraid to have wasted my money, even if the opening and the coda of "Lady of Tuscany" aren't bad.

But I was wrong. The rest of the album is a return to Symphonic prog. Even if they don't reach the highness of their best albums this is a good one. Starting from the second track to the last one with highlights like the excellent "Dear Landseer" and some weaknesses like "In The Sunshine", that's weak but not as poor as any track from Azure D'or to Time Line. The few tracks on which there's more electronic are preventing me from giving the album a high rating.

Annie's voice is still excellent. She doesn't try her highest notes (years pass also for her) but she's still Annie Haslam. It makes some effect seeing Jon Tout in the "guests" list, the same as seeing Rick Wright guesting with Pink Floyd.

A good album, not good enough to represent a rebirth or to have any follow-up, but a decent closure act for one of the historical bands of symphonic prog.