Thursday, October 30, 2008

Some news from the Renaissance front...a New Video is on the way

Well folks, just in time for the end of the year....word has filtered down that there will be a new release for the fansbase. Annie Haslam will at some point announce on her site that there will be a concert DVD from the 1970's. And prerelease information indicates that this will be a combination of two shows: The Scheherazade tour and one from Azure d' Or....

On the latter point, there has been some debate as to what was the song order due to the presence of 'The Vultures Fly High' on the setlist. More often than not this song showed up as the opening piece on two of their last tours, Azure D' Or and Camera Camera. And there is something interesting about the setlists:

Azure D' Or
Can You Understand [instr]
The Vultures Fly High
Day OF The Dreamer
New Song One
New Song Two
Running Hard
Northern Lights
New Song Three
New Song Four
Mother Russia
A Song For All Seasons
Prologue
Ashes Are Burning

Camera Camera
Can You Understand [Instr]
The Vultures FLy High
Day OF The Dreamer
New Song One
New Song Two
Running Hard
Northern Lights
New Song Three
Mother Russia
New Song Four
New Song Five
A Song For All Seasons
Ashes Are Burning

Notice a pattern there folks??? Granted familiarity does help if only due to us hardcore fans. But this also meant that those who were in control at the time may not have had a little bit of imagination. Of course these oversights were corrected for the Beacon shows [previously mentioned] and later tours.

Speaking of later material...

- Someone in another blog had mentioned that 'Chagrin Boulevard' was the best song on 'Time-Line'. Yes I have my faves off of this somewhat uneven album, but for crying out loud, if a song named after a somewhat non-descript street in Cleveland is the best off this album, then there may just be a few things wrong with this planet.

--And while we are at it, comparing Renaissance to ABBA is an insult....to Renaissance. IF one were to notice somewhat carefully, the production on the last two albums on Sire was more like that of mid period Genesis which was not by coincidence. The same production team responsible for 'Duke' and 'ABABCAB' had their hands on 'A Song For All Seasons' and 'Azure D' Or'. Hence the sound was going to be somewhat similar and the overdubbing of synths on 'Azure' was not by accident. But ABBA....only someone who while a fellow Ren fan but smoking rope can make that rather large, if not strange leap of illogic.

Well that is the news, sports and weather for now.....if I do get a copy of the DVD, you will see a review of it here!!!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

A Renaissance offshoot- Illusion: Out Of The Mist and Madonna Blue

[Before we get to the main event here....the aforementioned medical issues from the previous post seem to have now been abated. This is thanks to some of the best medical minds in this region....and for lack of a better term luck or divine intervention placing yours truly in the right place at the right time....so now, we resume our regular programming]

You are probably wondering......a Renaissance offshoot? Was there such a thing? In fact there was....and to explain how this came about, it is time for a little history lesson. Renaissance, at least the original version [pre-Annie Haslam, Jon Camp, etc] was an outgrowth of The Yardbirds. The same band that had as members at one time Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and various other folks. Now is some corners, the story has been related that some in the Yardbirds had wanted to expand on an idea that came through Peter Townsend of The Who, which was to have a rock band with a softer edge to it, using more traditional instrumentation. One thing led to another and the original Renaissance came about with Keith Relf, Jane Relf, James McCarty, Louis Cennamo, John Hawken as the lineup, with some writing help from future 'classic' Renaissance lineup member Michael Dunford. Two albums were released, but due to a tragic accident where Keith had electrocuted himself as well as some other issues, this form of Renaissance was discontinued.

That was until late in the 70's it was reformed, with a slightly new lineup. There was the addition of Eddie McNeill on drums and the name of the new band was Illusion. If you saw their first album in the stores - Out Of The Mist -there is a picture of a young woman looking skyward. That is Jane Relf, who more or less was the co-lead vocalist along with Jim. [This is of course in contrast to how Renaissance worked due to the fact that with few exceptions, Annie Haslam handled nearly all of the lead vocals over their many albums]. add to this, that their music was a departure from the Ren formula, shorter songs. lighter orchestration with more flourishes of keyboards and lead guitar. One could call this tact 'commercial', but to these ears, it is a lighter form of the 'classical rock' genre. This was expanded on their second album, which goes under two titles...'Illusion' or 'Madonna Blue' after the opening track.

'Out Of The Mist' starts out with a track that could almost be called slightly melancholy in tone, that being 'Isadora'. On several airings, this is comes across as being a passionate plea for a couple to remain together, no matter that the circumstances were in the relationship. The vocals, bet James and Jane are simple, gentle and the listener hears a tranquil feel to the words. What needs to be mentioned is that while Jane does not have Annie's range, she does have a certain earthiness in her vocalisations which carry both albums. As for the rest of the band, John Hawken's keyboards are amazing, souding like a mix of Bach and modern moods, John Knightsbridge playing his lead lines with just the right amount of bravado, with Louis Cennamo and Eddie McNeill creating a steady background.

'Roads To Freedom' features Jane front and center with lyrics that would seem to be a slight holdover from the 60's. Or something that may have been written by Betty Thatcher-Newsinger for 'Ashes are Burning'. As was listed before, this song follows the short form with a high note featuring synths from John. This leads into the classical/folky piece called 'Beautiful Country' which can be almost seen as the bookend for 'Roads To Freedom' . This one is deeply keyboard centered and could have [or maybe should have] gotten airplay, considering that at the time this was recorded, slotting this bet songs by The Eagles or Jackson Browne would have been logical on a playlist.

It is here that we get to the rock portion of this disc...or one of them. 'Solo Flight' which is a departure from the softer tone and just goes to town. Atonal keyboards, a jazz bassline and a ripping good solo from Knightsbridge add to Jim's sharp lyrics and tone. Upon further review, this is more of an anthem to those who need to seperate from a circumstance which is holding them back in their lives. It is not something that would be a national anthem or theme for those who are in a rut, but the tune just gets one to thinking 'yeah maybe I should move on with life before it is too late'.

The next piece 'Everywhere You Go' is another amazingly good love song. While comparisons can be made to some of the love songs Ren had come up with, this was a little more commercial in tone. An acoustic guitar open, gently cascading arpeggios on piano and Janes voice combined with a string section that on CD sounds more centered vis a vis the record, where it seemed somewhat compressed create something that was amazingly overlooked. A quieter tone is then introduced on the next track, 'Fae of Yesterday' . Same instrumentation, just a little more serious than the previous track.


Candles Are Burning' closes the album and this may cause a little confusion for some Ren fans. This is not a remake of 'Ashes Are Burning'...far from it. The tone and lyrics are different, the twin vocals by Jim and Jane come across a little more urgent, due to the lyrics and the guitar solo is more direct.The ending features an orchestra and what sounds like a choir augmented by a mellotron, but when played through headphones packs the 'WOW' factor.

And now we come to the second album, 'Illusion'. The opening track, 'Madonna Blue' grabs from the opening guitar riff. The middle features Jim and Jane again showing excellence in their teamwork, the band rocking along with an attitude that says 'we are as good as _______, if not better' and the close shows all in harmony along with what sounds like a mix of strings and synths. The following track, 'Never Be The Same' is another love song in the arena of those which are on 'Out Of The Mist'. Simple, not overwhelming...the basics.

'Louis's Theme' which is the next track could be called an expansion of the harmonics which Yes used on a song called 'The Fish'. The similarities end with the gentle lyrics with a slow crescendo towards an ending which is as beautiful as its intro.

The next four songs: 'Wings Across The Sea', 'Cruising Nowhere', 'Man Of Miracles' and 'The Revolutionary' show a mix love, advice to those whose lives seemed to be mired in a situation not unlike that of Sisiphus, philosophy and a tale of an army led by someone facing overwhelming odds. It is that last track that some may due to one partuclar lyric mentioning '...a Judas in the fold...' mistake this for a religious tome, but that is far from the case. It is a tale or fable as it were.

Combined these two albums show a band that not only had their act together but also were able to create a sound that while could have easily been connected to the Renaissance mode, was their own. A style that compliments what Ren was doing...not so much a mirror image, but their own reflection. A take on love songs and other themes which were as gentle as they were varied. In that regard, if one finds these in the stores or online, they are amazing finds and worth repeated airings.

Monday, October 6, 2008

The Last Live Album by Renaissance..Land of The Rising Sun

[Sidebar-Due to some medical issues that have been more or less been creeping up like the taxman does when they smell a potential audit victim, postings here will be a tad intermittent. Yours truly is hoping that at some point the young team of doctors who I am working with will find something to put all of these to rest and life can resume with some sense of normality and I can post here more often]

For a while, yours truly had been hoping to obtain the above mentioned disc for various reasons. One being that this would complete a little part of the collection in that I was interested in the more electric concerts that Renaissance had recorded....with and without orchestras. Second being that this has some material from 'Tuscany', which is one heck of an album. As has been mentioned in other corners, considering the last two studio pieces ['Camera Camera' and 'Time-Line', respectively] this is a comeback, a triumph so hearing anything live from this mini-tour in Japan would be fantastic, a real treat. Lastly, it seems that the word had gotten around that Terry Sullivan would be back on drums, David Keyes would be on bass and two excellent keyboardists - Mickey Simmonds and Rave Tesar rounding out the band. I would be remiss if I forgot to mention that the groups was led by Annie Haslam and Mickey Dunford. So when this arrived in the mail, I tore at this like a child on Christmas Morning looking for that long awaited present.Let's say on the first listen and subsequent playings.....there is no disspointment here.

'Carpet of the Sun' leads off the concert and it is just as good as any previous version, but this has a kick. Much like the others on these discs which in other settings have had an orchestra, those parts are filled with synthesizers, but these are not your father's type of synth background. Close your eyes and it sounds as though the strings that accent the beginning of 'Carpet' are there. This is to the credit of Mickey Simmonds and Rave Tesar doing the right thing as far as sampling is concerned. And then there is Annie's voice. You know from these moments that this is going to be a fun trip, a wonderous trip back home with the band. And the best is yet to come all through the disc...

The next track being 'Opening Out' is usually coupled with 'Day of The Dreamer' from 'A Song For All Seasons' , but here is a standalone and it does work as that. Just a simple piece....nothing more and nothing less....and as beautiful as the studio version. 'Midas Man' comes after and it is a shame that this one was not featured in concert as often, if only because it is another song that while the melody is simple, the lyrics will get someone to think. After all, we have all at one time had employers who have acted like misers in the tradition of, let's say Ebeneezer Scrooge.

After these first three, the Tuscany material comes to the fore. The title track 'Lady From Tuscany' is just as powerful here as it is on the CD, the orchestral samples playing as though there is the Royal Philharmonic is present with either Louis Clark or Harry Rabinowitz at the baton. Of course, Annie carries the day here, much like on the CD...once you hear her upper range you know that this is truly classic Renaissance, the band in their element. 'Pearls of Wisdom' follows next and this is actually another example of a truly great love song that was common for the band to play from 'Prologue' on. It is a combination of the lyrics and the lushness of the intruments that shows a truly great romantic edge [folks if you are like me, you may have sent copies of Ren lyrics as love poems to the person you are interested in and this song falls into the same family of material and can work just as well *S*]. The last of the new songs in this portion of the concert is 'Dear Landseer' which sounds just like the album version. It is a sweet piece, a tale of an artisan from a long bygone era and the images he creates as well as those which are still a part of the London landscape to this day.

'Northern Lights' is next and it is not a Renaissance show without this song. Granted there are as many versions of this...live and otherwise....as there are 'Famous Ray's' Pizza in New York City, but here it sounds as though the band is having fun with the song. Speaking of having fun, the next song 'Moonlight Shadow' is played in a similar vein [lyrics to the contrary]. There are versions of this which have made the rounds, here however this could have almost have become a singlalong.

The next two tracks 'Precious One' and 'Ananda' are those which have been featured on Annie's solo albums and have good readings here. Sadly due to the state of current radio trends you may not hear much of her solo work. And that is a shame. Yes, these may not sound like they would fit on a Renaissance CD, which I guess would be the point, in that these are two songs that have helped Annie define her own style. In this setting they are worth multiple listenings.

The second CD starts off with one of the 'magnum opi' that Ren was known for. 'Mother Russia', which is played in full. This one still brings chills, especially given certain political realities on this planet. With that said, it is still powerful still timely. Again let's credit the keyboardists for the attention to detail in replicating the orchestral flourishes which are one of the song's hallmarks.

'Trip To The Fair' comes next and this is a study in what happens when Ren infuses a song with jazz figures. The album version on 'Scheherazade' is has a similar break, but this version sounds as though it comes out of the Brubeck school of cool...with turbochargers. Think of it as being a rather nice game of 'call and response' . Of course this is framed by the storyline as related by Annie's vocals.

The next two piecces can be considered a romantic couplet. Frist being 'One Thousand Roses' which is the last track from Tuscany plays like the album version. Lyrically, it is a wonderful story...and repeated listenings show there is a tale that any person who has wanted to show their unconditional love for another can relate to. It is followed by 'I Think Of You' which is from 'Turn of the Cards' . For the life of me, I cannot figure out why this was not featured more often in their previous tours, but be that as it may....wow....this is just a great version. This could have been a solo version by Annie with just Mickey on guitar and the result would be the same, as the rest of the band had a little hand in this....

And then came 'Ashes are Burning', the standard close. Once again, the middle breaks are jazz centered with Mickey Simmonds expanding on the basic melody with a solo for the ages. This led to David Keyes on bass, who while he is not Jon Camp, then again Jon Camp is not David Keyes. What David did was put his own signature on what is the 'seldom imitated-never to be duplicated' Jon Camp solo [which is a clinic on how to do a bass solo] as though it were being played on a lead guitar.The eolo here that really surprised was that of Rave Tesar, which almost sounded like this was a lead guitar. Upon further airings, this is a 'wow factor' solo...in a sense in the same ballpark as the solo Mickey did during the encore of the 'Camera Camera' tours. The end.....Annie in her element, another reason why this was a band to be reckoned with and to savor.

If there are no other live material to be upcoming from Ren, then this is a great way to say so long. Not many bands can do this, even those that have been on their respective concert circuits for decades. Even with changes in personnel, there is that consistency, that fire in Renaissance that still remains...not many can say that, let alone play it.