SCHEHERAZADE AND OTHER STORIES

Renaissance

Symphonic Prog

4.33 | 1427 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Wow, this is a wonderful album! Scheherazade was my first experience of Renaissance, when one of my friends handed me his CD player on a bus trip and said, "Here, listen to this."

The album opens with Trip to the Fair, which is a very good song. The piano at the beginning is very cool, and Annie Haslam's voice is brilliant as always. After the intro, there is a bit of circus-like keyboard which sets the scene nicely and allows one to really envision the fair. The lyrics are excellent, and a little unnerving. The instrumental section with the xylophone (I think) and piano going back and forth is great.

The Vultures Fly High is great. There is some very nice guitar work here. The song sets some very dark lyrics to rather upbeat music which makes for a nice contrasting effect. The chorus is catchy and will have you singing along quickly.

Ocean Gypsy is very sad and beautiful. It opens with some quiet violin and guitar. Annie Haslam's voice is nothing short of haunting, and the melody has some unexpected notes that add to the melancholic effect. The piano solo near the end is great. The lyrics are poigniant and well-written. Betty Thatcher, who wrote the words for this and most other Renaissance songs, is an incredibly gifted lyricist.

The final suite, Song of Scheherazade is pure magic. For starters, it includes a bassoon solo which is quite exciting for me since I am a woodwind player who dabbles in bassoon from time to time. The orchestra work in the song is excellent overall, and adds a lot of depth. The song begins with a brass fanfare which is very well done, followed by some exciting strings and piano. The outstanding usage of wind instruments highlights the majestic feel of the piece. The percussion, including mallet instruments, is excellent during this section. Following this, the vocals begin with Jon Camp who is joined by Annie Haslam in an excellent duet. The piano is exquisite throughout the song, especially in some quiet instrumental passages. The chorus, or the part where they sing "Scheherazade" over and over, is remarkably beautiful. The melody is just sublime. It's very hard to describe this song adequately; go listen to it. This album is a masterpiece, and should be a part of every prog lover's collection.

yesfan88 | 5/5 | 2006-9-23

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