Renaissance - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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laztraz

Forum Senior Member

Joined: May 22 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 216

Topic: Renaissance
Posted: August 07 2005 at 18:50

probably a sexist thing, female singer and everything

Politician View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 02 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 521

Posted: August 04 2005 at 11:50

Matt0001 wrote:

I only have Scheherazde, and, while it's not my cup
of tea, it is very
good. They are a little too "tight-assed" for my tastes. They are
extremely good musicians with great compositions, but there's just not
enough, shall I say, rocking and rolling. I have the same problem
with Gentle Giant. And I think it may be more my problem than theirs. I
still need to learn how to listen to them.

Try their "Prologue" album from 1972, which is much harder-edged, with
some excellent acid guitar work on "Spare Some Love" and a closing
eleven minute raga freakout "Rajah Khan". If you like this album (and I'm
sure you will), then go on to get their self-titled début from 1969, which
is a stunning mixture of rock, baroque classical, blues, beat and more.

Moogtron III View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: April 26 2005
Location: Belgium
Status: Offline
Points: 10616

Posted: August 04 2005 at 06:04

Renaissance =

My favorourite albums: Live At Carnegie Hall and Novella

Edited by Moogtron III

Eetu Pellonpaa View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: June 17 2005
Location: Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 4828

Posted: August 04 2005 at 05:42

Sweetnighter wrote:

I hypothesize that this board is bent more towards the more metal side of prog...

This usually happens, when a media focused on prog gets popular, as prog metal is very popular genre of music. I don't listen to it, but I think that those who like it, can judge better themselves what they like or not. Those who hate it, should just try to cope with "the wrong opinnions about music". I may be hard...

...or then not.

But I like Renaissance! Haven't yet heard their 1st album with different line-up.

Matti

Prog Reviewer

Joined: April 15 2005
Location: Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 2129

Posted: August 04 2005 at 04:43

I think N o v e l l a is one of the most underrated prog albums. After that I like Ashes Are Burning and Song For All Seasons most. (Probably also Scheherazade and Turn of the Cards are among their best works but their songs are familiar to me via compilations and live albums.)

NetsNJFan

Prog Reviewer

Joined: April 12 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 3047

Posted: May 13 2005 at 23:07

Renaissance is in my top six prog bands with the likes of Floyd, Yes, Genesis, Tull, ELP. Yea, they even beat out *gasp* the mighty Krimson! This is how classical prog should sound, georgeous, symphonic and melodic, not unlistenable like some of the 'modern' classical prog I have heard. Great band. John Tout is an underrated piano player. And Annie Haslam, where to start. That Live Album from 1976 contends with Yessongs and Seconds Out. Renaissance, symphonic prog at its best.
Essential Albums:

Ashes Are Burning (1973)
Turn of the Cards (1974)
Scheherazade (1975)
Live at Carnegie Hall (1976)
Novella (1977)

Surprisingly, this band achieved a fair degree of success on the US's eastern seabord.

My only Renaissance complaint is their uncredited sampling of classical pieces (though they do it beautifully) and the lack of a true guitarist. At times it's just Piano and Voice.

Edited by NetsNJFan

tuxon

Forum Senior Member

Joined: September 21 2004
Location: plugged-in
Status: Offline
Points: 5502

Posted: May 07 2005 at 12:35

I like trip to the fair

Renaissance are quite good, I only have Sherehereghezade and other difficult names, and Ashes are Burning and Illusion, but those are great albums.

Sheherezade is my favourite Renaissance album

I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT

Blacksword View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 16130

Posted: January 10 2005 at 11:09

Reed Lover wrote:

gdub411 wrote:

You tired Reed? or are you saying Renaissance is boring. I for one like Renaissance so there....HA!!!

C'mon..where they from Snoozeville, Arizona Wink

If they are prog then so is prozac!

Reed, you're such an old cynic! As a Rush fan I credited you with some taste, but how you can not be seduced by Annie Haslams voice and Mr Touts Piano playing is a mystery..???

Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!

Guests

Forum Guest Group

Posted: January 10 2005 at 10:19

I have a high regard for Renaissance, no other prog band goes all out
classical like they do. And Annie Haslams voice goes without saying.

The first album I got was "Scheherazade & Other Stories", all the tracks
are brilliant on the album. I also like "Ashes Are Burning" and "A Song for
all Seasons". I've got a few other Renaissance albums I haven't listened to
or not listened to much, which I think I'll do soon now!

chorus of one View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: December 27 2004
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 299

Posted: January 09 2005 at 03:09

I only know the two songs from the archives...they're good though.

Blacksword View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 16130

Posted: January 09 2005 at 02:59

I didn't start in the right place with Rennaisance. Some years ago I bought 'The other woman' on the strength of 'Northern Lights' not knowing that the version on this album was a re-make. Stephanie Adlington was singing for them, not AH, and although her voice was good I thought the songs were mostly terrible; drippy love songs with not so much as a sniff of prog IMO. I gave up at that point.

Then years later, and thanks to advice from people on this forum, and the reviews I decided to give 'Ashes are burning' a go. I was blown away! AAB is a brilliant album. Every song is memorable, emotional and very melodic. The band strike the perfect balance between rock, folk and symphonic prog. ' Can you understand' immediately got my attention, especially the way the last verse emerges from that fantastic orchestral section. The lyrics for 'At the harbour' are very moving, so descriptive and brialliantly written, and as for title track!!

Since then I have got 'Scherezade...' and 'Prolouge' niether of which I think are as good, but certainly worth a listern.

Rennaisance do get mentioned here every now and then, and if anyone I knew was going to purchase just one album of theirs I would highly reccomend 'Ashes are burning' I would agree with ivan about their being too bland and folky at times, but AAB doesn't suffer this inconsistency IMO.

Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!

Ivan_Melgar_M View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: April 27 2004
Location: Peru
Status: Offline
Points: 19557

Posted: January 08 2005 at 23:32

Renaissance is the most symphonic of all bands, the combination Haslam Tout is incredible.

Surely not all their albums and songs are great, sometimes they are too bland and soft, specially when the folky side is stronger than the symphonic.

Songs as Sheherezade, Ashes are Burning, Mother Russia, Prologue are masterpieces of progressive rock, if only they would have kept the high level always!!!

Iván

Dick Heath View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Jazz-Rock Specialist

Joined: April 19 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 12815

Posted: January 08 2005 at 19:24

To me they lost their edge after their first album - one of those seminal late 60's prog albums.

dropForge

Forum Senior Member

Joined: April 24 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 608

Posted: January 08 2005 at 04:39

Cheapskate. I support the bands I like!

threefates View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 30 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 4215

Posted: January 08 2005 at 04:30

Nah, I'll wait for Will to give it to me...

THIS IS ELP

dropForge

Forum Senior Member

Joined: April 24 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 608

Posted: January 08 2005 at 03:39

Don't call me by my godly name! Refer to me as D4 or Your Hipness only!!

So did you order Godzilla: Final Wars yet? It's only $40 - steponnit!

threefates View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 30 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 4215

Posted: January 08 2005 at 03:28

dropForge wrote:

Who don't you think is better than Emo these days...

Lindy, have you actually heard any bit of Sancious' prog stuff? It's pretty amazing sh!t.

No I haven't Elias... but I guess I'll have to...

THIS IS ELP

threefates View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 30 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 4215

Posted: January 08 2005 at 03:27

Fragile wrote:

Renaissance are a band who are greatly loved by many on here.They are quality of the very highest with prog's greatest female vocalist just like Yes having the greatest man(you watching Three Fates) one truly confused woman

Their first 4 albums Prologue,Ashes,Turn of the cards and Scherrezade are all equally brilliant if pushed I'd Choose Turn of the Cards but they were a band who stuck rigidly to their classically orientated roots.

When did Greg Lake sing with Yes???