The Renaissance Zone

They've always been one of my favorite bands. Under-appreciated for sure, but they can play next to any of the great ones and come, if not on top, at least on the same level.  

Edited by Manuel - October 14 2019 at 08:51

The show was fantastic! The orchestra was involved from the first to the last, and much better integrated with the songs than before.  They also changed up the set list dramatically as you will see.  Annie was in fine voice though seemed less effective in the lower registers like on "Opening Out".  But "Day of the Dreamer" was definitely one of the highlights along with "Midas Man".  If there was a big disappointment it was probably in the highly touted special guest Jim McCarty.  He was introduced just prior to "Island" but did not speak at all, and he played acoustic guitar along with Mark Lambert, and he played again on Ashes, but his role was negligible.  I had hoped they would do eith "Spare Some Love" or "On the Frontier", two tracks which I believe he co-wrote.  To make room for other songs, both "prologue" and "Mother Russia" were bumped off the set list.  I didn't mind Prologue not being there but how can they not play "Mother Russia"?  Anyways, here is the list, hopefully in correct sequence

Edited by kenethlevine - October 15 2019 at 07:34

There have been complaints about leaving out Mother Russia. They could have cut out Ocean Gypsy and Opening Out to make room for it. Oh well. I am very interested in how Mystic and the Muse was orchestrated because it's already so dramatic. Made for the orchestra like Russia or SFAS track. And if Annie did hit that climactic high note on Mystic thus time too, she might just make a record of sorts as the oldest singer to hit a sixth octave note live in concert.

ps TBH Running Hard isn't one of my faves.  I was kind of hoping Midas Man was the one they failed to record.  That to me is one of the most chilling songs ever, rich and atmospheric

kenethlevine wrote: rogerthat wrote: There have been complaints about leaving out Mother Russia. They could have cut out Ocean Gypsy and Opening Out to make room for it. Oh well. I am very interested in how Mystic and the Muse was orchestrated because it's already so dramatic. Made for the orchestra like Russia or SFAS track. And if Annie did hit that climactic high note on Mystic thus time too, she might just make a record of sorts as the oldest singer to hit a sixth octave note live in concert. I thought they did Mystic great.  My friend thought the song too cacophonous. I thought the logical one to leave out in favor of Mother Russia would have been ASFAS given they have played it the last few times and they were already doing 2 orchestral tracks from that album.  But it is wonderful and it's made for the orchestra. I do think they are at the point now where they need to come out with a new studio album because there isn't much left to do on stage

Annie has mentioned wanting to do a new album often times. Yeah, it's time they do it. If not, maybe arrange a farewell tour and have Camp and Sullivan on stage one last time to sign off.

^ More then a reunion with Camp and Sullivan, I would like to see McCarty back in the songwriters chair. If his solo album Through The Fire is any indicator, he's as good a songwriter as the late Dunford.

Chances are probably slim to see them in Europe these days? Unfortunately I've never managed to see them live. I'd probably go from Italy to London, say, to see them, but it may not happen anymore. (For some reason I couldn't go when they played in London 2015 and I was still living there.) 

rogerthat wrote:   Annie has mentioned wanting to do a new album often times. Yeah, it's time they do it. If not, maybe arrange a farewell tour and have Camp and Sullivan on stage one last time to sign off.

rogerthat wrote: As we keep rolling, no major problems in Carpet of the Sun.  The complex orchestral layers of SFAS may have confused her.  Still, the point stands as this should not happen to a singer who has performed with the RPO without putting a foot wrong even in the face of screaming static from the mic.

There has been, for sometime, a tussle over what really happened with She Is Love and it's come to the fore again in an FB group of Renaissance fans...of which Jon Camp himself happens to be a member.