Renaissance
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Polls
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2790
Printed Date: December 13 2024 at 17:48
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Topic: Renaissance
Posted By: Sweetnighter
Subject: Renaissance
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 00:52
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My main question is: why is this band so little mentioned on this
board? I hypothesize that this board is bent more towards the more
metal side of prog and thus shies away from Renaissance, but this band
did some incredible stuff. Ashes Are Burning, Sheherazade (butchered
that word) and Other Stories, and Novella are all classic prog albums
IMHO. ------------- I bleed coffee. When I don't drink coffee, my veins run dry, and I shrivel up and die. "Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso? Is that like the bank of Italian soccer death or something?" -my girlfriend |
Replies:
Posted By: DallasBryan
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 01:50
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Not my favorite band but I respect those who hold
them in high esteem. Turn of the Cards and Scheherazade and Other Stories are good albums. Throw them in there with other what I consider second tier Canterbury spin along with Fairport Convention - Liege and Lief and Steeleye Span - Commoners Crown. As good as most of the Soft Machine, National Health, Henry Cow, Bill Bruford, Colusseum(noisehead) and Barclay James Harvest, Caravan(mellowhead) so so's, but on a different level. Not up to par with lesser hyped Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom, Audience - House on the Hill, Gryphon - Red Queen to Gryphon Three, the true classics of Canterbury. Of course Jethro one upped them all with Aqualung and Thick As A Brick!!! |
Posted By: BebieM
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 02:00
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i only have few of their songs, but i really like them. I guess I should buy one of their album. Is ashes are burning the best choice? |
Posted By: threefates
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 02:19
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Uhh... I mention them all the time. John Tout is one of my favorite musicians.. and I just love "Can You Understand", "Ashes are Burning", "Running Hard", "Ocean Gypsy", etc.. John Tout's piano on "Can You Understand" is just beautiful. Annie Haslam has a voice very hard to beat.. she was one of those with a supposedly 5-octave range. Renaissance actually had a really big following here in the States. Their "Live at Carnegie Hall" album is a really great live album. Annie lives here in the States these days in PA... she's doing an east coast tour of the US in 2005 accompanied by original E Street Band member DAVID SANCIOUS. http://www.anniehaslam.com/ah_news.html - http://www.anniehaslam.com/ah_news.html ------------- THIS IS ELP 
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Posted By: dropForge
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 02:56
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Yes, I like Renaissance.
Her Progression interview was well done.
David is AWESOME. He's uncannily good, arguably better than most of the major prog lords (yes, Emo included). His solo albums are amazing! |
Annie lives here in the States these days in PA...Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 03:27
Bit of a 'no brainer' ..YES! Annie Haslam  
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Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 07:50
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Renaissance were/are an excellent prog band, but they do seem to have been largely forgotten. This may be because they were a British band who were far more successful in the USA than at home - here in the UK they're principally remembered for the hit single 'Northern Lights'. ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: Joren
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 07:53
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I've only heard two songs. Those, I like!
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Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 07:57
Have you heard David's 'suite for the end of an age'. It sounds like UK at the time of their 'Danger money' album. I also must admit I prefer his solo albums with Tones ('just as I thought' and 'True stories') to most of the keyboard-driven prog bands. ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 08:00
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The first renaissance-era is often forgotten when it comes to discuss about Renaissance. Their first two albums are as good, if not superior, as the following Renaissance records. The piano layers in peculiar are really astonishing and Jane Relf's voice is mesmerizing. ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: greenback
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 19:34
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I write all the time about renaissance! it is one of my all-time favorite prog band! very few bands like them flirted with classical music. annie's voice is definitely one of the best in the MUSIC history. Only maggie reilley and couples of opera singers can be compared to her!
yeah, the 2 first albums are excellent too, and jane relf is excellent, but compared to annie, she is an amateur! ------------- [HEADPINS - LINE OF FIRE: THE RECORD HAVING THE MOST POWERFUL GUITAR SOUND IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF MUSIC!> |
Posted By: Reed Lover
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 19:40
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zzzzzzz You get the picture? ------------- 
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zzzzzzzPosted By: gdub411
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 19:42
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You tired Reed? or are you saying Renaissance is boring? I for one like Renaissance so there....HA!!! you drunken git,you! |
Posted By: Reed Lover
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 19:44
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C'mon..where they from Snoozeville, Arizona If they are prog then so is prozac! -------------
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Posted By: Eemu Ranta
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 19:44
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I recently purchased "Scheherazade" and I must admit that the epic title
track is absolutely fantastic, even if my expectations were sky-high being a fan of Rimsky-Korsakov's original composition. Haslam has indeed an impressive range and stability. |
Posted By: gdub411
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 19:50
No!....but I heard James Lee lives in those parts. |
Posted By: project23
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 20:00
| A little folksier than most stuff I like, but very good compositions and a superb vocalist. |
Posted By: threefates
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 20:38
Of course he is... ------------- THIS IS ELP
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Who don't you think is better than Emo these days...Posted By: Bryan
Date Posted: December 31 2004 at 21:01
| I picked up Ashes Are Burning on vinyl the other day, I'll get back to you once I've listened to it. |
Posted By: gdub411
Date Posted: January 01 2005 at 02:07
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you Ash..hole!! |
Posted By: Matt0001
Date Posted: January 01 2005 at 16:49
| 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. |
Posted By: Fragile
Date Posted: January 01 2005 at 17:25
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.
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Posted By: greenback
Date Posted: January 01 2005 at 17:35
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have you heard novella and song for all seasons? i think they are as good as the 4 first ones! i also like azure d'or, given that there are no orchestral arrangements! ------------- [HEADPINS - LINE OF FIRE: THE RECORD HAVING THE MOST POWERFUL GUITAR SOUND IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF MUSIC!> |
Posted By: Velvetclown
Date Posted: January 01 2005 at 17:38
Turn Of The Cards  Oh No I agree with Fragile again  ------------- Billy Connolly Dream Theater Terry Gilliam Hagen Quartet Jethro Tull Mike Keneally |
Posted By: Fragile
Date Posted: January 01 2005 at 17:43
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I've heard only bits of the albums Greenback and bits of Tuscany I'll have to check these out thanks. |
Posted By: dropForge
Date Posted: January 08 2005 at 00:44
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Lindy, have you actually heard any bit of Sancious' prog stuff? It's pretty amazing sh!t. |
Posted By: threefates
Date Posted: January 08 2005 at 03:27
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When did Greg Lake sing with Yes??? ------------- THIS IS ELP
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Posted By: threefates
Date Posted: January 08 2005 at 03:28
No I haven't Elias... but I guess I'll have to... ------------- THIS IS ELP
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Posted By: dropForge
Date Posted: January 08 2005 at 03:39
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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!
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Posted By: threefates
Date Posted: January 08 2005 at 04:30
Nah, I'll wait for Will to give it to me... ------------- THIS IS ELP
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Posted By: dropForge
Date Posted: January 08 2005 at 04:39
Cheapskate. I support the bands I like! 
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Posted By: Dick Heath
Date 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. |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: January 08 2005 at 23:32
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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 |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: January 09 2005 at 02:59
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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! |
Posted By: chorus of one
Date Posted: January 09 2005 at 03:09
| I only know the two songs from the archives...they're good though. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: January 10 2005 at 10:19
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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! |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: January 10 2005 at 11:09
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! |
Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: May 07 2005 at 12:35
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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 |
Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: May 13 2005 at 23:07
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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.
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. ------------- 
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Posted By: Matti
Date 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.) |
Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: August 04 2005 at 05:42
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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.Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: August 04 2005 at 06:04
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Renaissance = My favorourite albums: Live At Carnegie Hall and Novella |
Posted By: Politician
Date Posted: August 04 2005 at 11:50
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. |
Posted By: laztraz
Date Posted: August 07 2005 at 18:50
| probably a sexist thing, female singer and everything |