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The Renaissance Zone |
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rogerthat 
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Joined: September 03 2006 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 9869 |
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 Posted: March 09 2018 at 18:11 |
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Speaking of artwork, apparently the cover of SFAS was to have had Annie in place of the picture of a pensive lady. But the band wasn't having any of it.
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SteveG
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Joined: April 11 2014 Location: Kyiv In Spirit Status: Offline Points: 20617 |
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Posted: March 09 2018 at 07:51 |
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According to my wife, who did A&R work back in the day, it was all about marketing and little else. Also, Ashes Are Burning had two different covers. One with the band members with warm smiles and the other with the band fronting cold stares. Go figure.
Edited by SteveG - March 09 2018 at 11:06 |
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dr wu23
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Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 20659 |
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Posted: March 09 2018 at 07:33 |
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Picked up another original vinyl version of Novella yesterday.....so I have both vinyl issues from the past...so why release it shortly after the first with the cover painting slightly different..?
I did notice one was US and the other UK....so why change the painting? Copyright? Edited by dr wu23 - March 09 2018 at 07:36 |
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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Tom Ozric
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Joined: September 03 2005 Location: Olympus Mons Status: Offline Points: 15926 |
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Posted: March 09 2018 at 05:25 |
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It was a very insightful read !! After my revisiting of the Azure album, ASFAS is my next .
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SteveG
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Posted: March 09 2018 at 04:25 |
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I accidentally omitted a few key words from the ASFAS text (since corrected) as the captcha police went ballistic on me when I tried to correct it last night. This thing is a royal pain sometimes but thats a gripe for another thread. I also omitted any reference to the song "She Is Love" but I suppose the review is better that way so I decided to continue to just leave it out!
Edited by SteveG - March 09 2018 at 04:34 |
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Tom Ozric
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Joined: September 03 2005 Location: Olympus Mons Status: Offline Points: 15926 |
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Posted: March 08 2018 at 22:07 |
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^ Flood At Lyons had potential to have been a longer track. I can point minor criticisms about the album but I still enjoy it a lot.
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rogerthat
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Joined: September 03 2006 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 9869 |
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Posted: March 08 2018 at 21:47 |
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I don't mind the synths so much on Golden Key or Kalynda but on Jekyll/Secret Mission it sounds very generic. More so, these tracks per se lacked a Renaissance character which was there on the more symphonic Flood at Lyons. |
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rogerthat
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Posted: March 08 2018 at 21:44 |
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I prefer the Albert Hall albums, especially Touching Once. Annie renders it with incredible authority in that performance and the orchestra also performs the music with a lot of energy. The RPO seemed to be better synced with Renaissance than the New York Philharmonic, probably because they had rehearsed together for longer. |
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Tom Ozric
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Posted: March 08 2018 at 19:39 |
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I’m still on my Azure d’or bender. I don’t get why it gets a lot of bashing ?? The synths, I love the synths, shorter tracks - they still pack a lot of detail into them and they aren’t necessarily ‘basic’ arrangements, they still have a degree of complexity to them. And Camp’s bass playing is STELLAR (as per usual). Annie is beautiful in every way. Just a great album - 4 stars, solid.
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kenethlevine
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Prog-Folk Team Joined: December 06 2006 Location: New England Status: Offline Points: 9079 |
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Posted: March 08 2018 at 18:24 |
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excellent reviews Steve! Love the fresh perspectives and of course the 5 star rating on ASFAS. I don't tend to listen to a lot of live albums of my favorites so don't have an opinion on the British tour. I can say that Live at Carnegie Hall was the only album by Renaissance that a friend of mine got. Granted it was the only live album available till much much later, but it reflects how the album served as a Greatest Hits package if you will, augmented by the mystique of playing at this prestigious venue |
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kenethlevine
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Prog-Folk Team Joined: December 06 2006 Location: New England Status: Offline Points: 9079 |
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Posted: March 08 2018 at 18:19 |
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I dunno, but to me both the guys and the gal are better looking than E, L, and P, no disrespect to the departed intended
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rogerthat
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Joined: September 03 2006 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 9869 |
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Posted: March 08 2018 at 17:40 |
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Wonderful review of Song for all Seasons. Yes, agreed, that it left them at a dead end and of course they started overproducing all the songs henceforth which was to their detriment. I also think the introduction of Louis Clark brought too much bombast, making the epics over dressed (just as he over dressed the Still Life songs). But Annie's delivery saved Day of the Dreamer, that slow verse is the best example of how she can let her voice soar without sounding like she is trying to be loud. Don't imagine we would be able to hear a Lea Salonga through those layers of instruments.  In the case of the title track, the composition itself was interesting enough that the excessive bombast didn't matter and maybe to some extent helped accentuate the darkness.Don't really have an opinion on the British Tour release. Never bought the CD, but found it on Google Play and streamed it a couple of times. Didn't find it to be exceptional, over and out.
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Squonk19
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Joined: April 03 2015 Location: Darlington, UK Status: Offline Points: 4789 |
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Posted: March 08 2018 at 15:44 |
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As album covers go - how does Timeline compare with ELPs Love Beach?
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“Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.”
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SteveG
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Joined: April 11 2014 Location: Kyiv In Spirit Status: Offline Points: 20617 |
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Posted: March 08 2018 at 15:29 |
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I posted a couple of Renaissance reviews for you chaps. I hope you like them.
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rogerthat
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Posted: March 05 2018 at 05:24 |
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Always loved how back then she used to concentrate so hard that at times she would close her eyes. She seemed to know she was on the cusp of perfection and strove as hard as she could to attain it.
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SteveG
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Posted: March 05 2018 at 04:06 |
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Tom Ozric
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Posted: March 05 2018 at 02:02 |
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Just spinning Azure d’or and yep, I’m loving it more than ever. Just flipped the side to Secret Mission, a mini-epic right there. And now, Kalynda. A very sweet album from 1979. And it discussions like this thread that just remind me how special ‘classic’ Prog is. Oh how the chorus of Kalynda is so beautiful. Chances are, I’ll put a Slayer album on at some stage and enjoy that, but it’s nothing on Renaissance !!
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kenethlevine
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Prog-Folk Team Joined: December 06 2006 Location: New England Status: Offline Points: 9079 |
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Posted: March 03 2018 at 10:55 |
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I love when Annie and Jon sang together. My first reaction when I heard it was that it sounded a bit like Renaissance Mach 1, especially because at the start she is singing in a lower register than normal, more like that occupied by jane Relf. Well, the rest of the album, not so good, although side 1 isn't bad |
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SteveG
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Posted: March 03 2018 at 08:24 |
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Hmm... her nose does look a bit witchy on the pic but I suppose it's a trick of the light. At least I hope so!
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Tom Ozric
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Posted: March 01 2018 at 11:18 |
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^ Her nose !! And what happened to her Annie pendant ?? The intro track - Flight - is as great as any classic Renaissance tune.
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Tom Ozric wrote: