The Renaissance Zone

I appreciate Renaissance a lot. They're a lot better than other hyped-up bands of their time 

I think a somewhat different version of the theory - which somebody who is a singer and Ren fan herself - suggested to me is that there is only a niche market for the particular kind of vocals Annie delivers.  Even though she has a ginormous range and all, her style is rooted in a strong folk sensibility and built on restraint and nuance.  That's not what necessarily 'sells' a lot.  In the rock world, fans typically look for sensuality from female singers. Or they want those who can belt.  This sounds very contradictory and is difficult to explain in a plausible way outside the singing world but Annie is not really a belter a la Whitney Houston even though she has such a powerful voice.  If anything, her speciality is she simply cruises through the fifth octave and you never know where her chest voice ends, where the middle begins and where she transitions to head.  But all those qualities that make her special also restrict her appeal. 

Coming to the band, yes, they were writing their music around her vocals which, in a way, is what most bands that had strong singers did (Gabriel with Genesis, for eg, or later, Fish-Marillion).  The trouble, again, is as beautiful, soulful and technically amazing Annie's vocals are, what they aren't is quirky or dramatic. So there isn't a strong 'hook' anywhere, a 'weird' quotient that would attract prog fans. 

Renaissance make beautiful, accessible music which however isn't particularly infectious or catchy.  It's a paradox.  You have to be patient with them but what you get for your patience isn't impossibly complex prog that you never thought you'd hear but just sumptuous, melodic prog with soul. I don't think many prog fans would like to make that effort in the first place since there is a lot of prog that fits what they typically expect from the genre.  And even among those of us who do, how many can honestly say Ren would be a first choice favourite? It wouldn't be for me.  Say I had a tickets to either of Genesis/Yes/Tull/GG/KC on the one hand OR Ren on the other, I would still choose the former. And that's the rub. 

That said, I do believe they could have been more popular IF they had understood what exactly made Northern Lights work.  In that case, they would have done something fresh rather than the tired 'Friends' from Azure D'Or. Northern Lights worked precisely because it has that which many Ren songs don't have - a hook.  That simple, rhythmic guitar riff - simple but catchy.  Just like great pop in general.  It's so simple and yet it hooks you in and you don't know why.  Unfortunately, it seems even the band didn't know why and their attempts to produce another Northern Lights only led them into ignominy in the 80s.  Had they at least gone back to being staid, stolid Renaissance, they might have weathered the 80s intact and had a, um, renaissance in the 90s, instead of Annie battling it out solo and Dunford making two albums with Stephanie Adlington.

I think, in that regard, playing some of the time in Europe and the UK in particular, anywhere but just the East Coast over and over, would have helped.  In 2015, Annie led the new 'band' on a quite successful Europe tour and had a booking for a Brazil tour last year that got railroaded by covid.  And they were in Brazil as recently as 2017.  That shows that they just neglected certain markets where they were more successful than they realized.  With no disrespect intended to either Miles Copeland or John Scher, I don't think they were managed particularly well.  At the same time, they got a long rope to coast by through the 70s without rip-roaring commercial success, so there's that too.

The point about character seems to be something peculiar to rock tastes.  For some background, though I am a hardcore rock listener too, I am Indian and I have listened to lots and lots of Indian music.  I am used to the notion of a voice just sounding sweet and beautiful and the singer using the voice as well as the text to evoke emotions rather than that it should come across in the tone itself.  But that idea doesn't seem to work in the rock context...for the listeners.  I think her singing works just fine but it's almost like just straight up melodic no frills singing is too tough to adjust to for the rock fan used to weirder stuff.

Regarding a more sympathetic label, Annie referred to having been offered great deals in exchange for you-know-what, which she says she turned down. They did eventually get a Warner Bros deal but that was in 77 with Novella and already past time as far as prog was concerned. 

In that regard, I always reflect on how it was getting into Renaissance for me.  I sort of liked it but wasn't overwhelmed.  I started with Ashes Are Burning.  I wasn't blown away by Annie's vocals on that album though I could clearly see (hear) the talent. It wouldn't be until I had heard Cards too that I truly started to warm up to the band.  Of course, now I know exactly what parts of which tracks I love.  But in the beginning, it wasn't instantly infectious in the way the classic Yes or Genesis albums were for me.