Welcome back True Believers!!
If you have been reading the posts in two of the Yahoo groups dedicated to Renaissance fans, the odds are you have seen an idea being floated for a reunion tour of either the classic Ren lineup or a reformed one with a new vocalist. The idea is a good one, in fact one has to wonder...egos to the contrary...why this has not been done. Outside of 3 of the classic lineup [Annie, Mickey and Terry] playing on the Tuscany Tour and discussions [as mentioned on Terry Sullivan's site] about him, Jon Camp and John Tout playing in a revamped version but those talks have garnered little in the way of an announcement of the band hitting the stage.
With the above mentioned, here is a concept that could possibly...and I use the word cautiously....possibly work. This would be the Yes 'Union' approach which brought several generations of Yes together for what was a commercially successful tour. If one were to take into account that this meant multiple guitarists, keyboadists, percussion behind Jon Anderson. the fact that this came off at all is amazing. And if these folks can do it, Renaissance can do same and here is a way it could happen:
Vocals:
Annie Haslam
Jane Relf
Stephanie Adlington
Guitars:
Mickey Dunford
John Knightsbridge
Bass:
Jon Camp
David Keyes
Louis Cennamo
Keyboards:
John Tout
Mick Taylor
Mickey Simmonds
Rave Tesar
Drums:
Terry Sullivan
Gavin Harrison
If You are wondering how and why the above makes sense...here is the breakdown:
In the vocals, we not only have Annie'5 octave range but also the mellow Jane Refl as well as the emotional Stephanie Adlington. Considering the depth of the material that Renaissance is known for and has this mixture will showcase the overall balance of same. Guitars is a no brainer in that Mickey and John are from both sides of the house so to speak, as well as trade solos. Bass....three different styles but this works with the various different material. Yes Jon Camp does play it as a lead...however on some songs the blending of David and Louis can add a richer bottom to the songs [not to forget here one hell of a set of solos on 'Ashes are Burning']. Keyboards...this is a no brainer: John Tout knows the classic songs inside and out [seeing he was the original keyboardist] as do Mick, Mickey and Rave...however as can be heard on the Beacon Theatre show, as well as on Tuscany and the resultant live album Mickey Simmonds and Rave Tesar can add fill in ably the orchestral flourishes that Ren is known for [I should mention that it is possible that if none of those folks are available, John Hawken who was part of the Illusion lineup can come in as well...see previous reviews here as to why]. As for drums....Terry and Gavin are the ones that can handle the demands of such a concert.
Seeing there is more than enough material for the fans to enjoy, the above lineup if everyone were to work as Yes did would prove to be a joy for the fans. And this would not necessarily be a commercial venture per se [if anyone who has that type of bend, yes it could be made into one...but let's not get greedy here :)], but it would show that there is still some interest in this band, all of its generations, incarnations [well maybe excluding the 'Time-Line' material] and songs that have made this band one that still has a loyal base to this day.
Showing posts with label Mickey Dunford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mickey Dunford. Show all posts
Saturday, November 15, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
A double review: 'Ocean Gypsy' and 'Trip To The Fair'
The two albums mentioned in the title were those done under the aegis of Michael Dunford, with the name of 'Michael Dunford's Renaissance'. As such they could be considered to be in-between projects while Renaissance was 'on hiatus'. Keep this in mind: if this was a hiatus, then these set up what one hears on the latest and last studio album 'Tuscany'
Now as mentioned in the header and to quote baseball great-Mr Cub, Ernie Banks....'LET'S PLAY TWO!!!!'
Some of you may be asking: 'Why review Ocean Gypsy? After all this was an offshoot or even what would be called 'stretching the brand'. Ok, that may be a valid thought...and the band is called 'Michael Dunford's Renaissance', so this may actually be a brand extension. However, it is apparent that once you hear the opening measures of 'Ocean Gypsy', this was a little more than just a stretch.
Let's start out with the fact that Annie is not on vocals, but a young woman named Stephanie Adlington. From what I remember reading of her bio, she had done some work with various different pop groups as backup and was also involved with Mickey during the days he was writing the score for a musical version of 'Sheherazade' [which has been tabled due to a lack of investors and other items]. Whichever way that she had become associated with Mickey, this was a coup. In that her vocals now adds a different slant to some old Renaissance classics.
'Ocean Gypsy' leads off the disc and it is more direct so to speak than the original [or the version from the Carnegie Hall sessions]. The orchestra helps this become a more dramatic reading, which to these ears was nice in that this version, as well as the original are two sides of the same coin. And keep in mind...this is the opening track...
[Thinking about] 'Things I Don't Undertand' is on here in a shortened form. That being part 2, and Stephanie's voice shows more of her range here.You could see both her and Annie harmonizing on this...and even though the lyrics may sound like something from a post Woodstock era, it is still breathtaking [want this to be even more so? Turn up the volume on the headphones and you will hear what I mean]
The next track 'The Young Prince and the Princess' is another excerpt from Sherherazade and while it sounds different with different vocals, the spirit of the original is the same. Same attention to the details.
Another Ren classic that benefits from a new interpretation is 'Carpet of The Sun'. A slightly different orchestra chart and the new vocals compliment Betty's lyrics. This is one of two from 'Ashes are Buring'....the second of which is one that I sometimes cry over.
'At The Harbor' , the second from the 'Ashes' set, has never sounded better, which is not to say that they original or any live version is bad by comparison. Far from it...this one with a full orchestra and flourishes of flutes has brought tears to my eyes, if due to the overall beauty of the song. Stephanie again shows how her voice works with material that is not as well known in a live setting or not in rotation airplay wise...which is to say this is fantastic.
'I Think Of You' on this disc plays as just a very simple lovesong. An amazingly pretty lovesong. [Think about playing this at a wedding alongside 'And You and I' by Yes and you would get the idea]. Plus these lyrics would make for a rather interesting love poem as well.
We now come to the last three songs on this CD, two of which seem to be from sessions related to Sheherazade: 'Star of the Show' and 'The Great Highway'. They bookend 'Trip to The Fair', which in this collection sounds just as jazzy as the original. The bridge/solo on this is not done on percussion but with a reed instrument, probably a sax or cor anglais. As for the bookend pieces previously mentioned, those two show that in a post 'Camera Camera' era, Betty's lyrics have a little more of a romantic urgency. Which leads by that little segue to.......'Trip To The Fair' a compilation CD.
Yes this is a combination of the best material from not just 'Ocean Gypsy' but also ' The Other Woman'. It should be noted that the latter of the two was more commercial in its sound, however this does not diminish the quality or the musicianship. Far from it...
The highlights in addition to several of the songs from 'Ocean Gypsy' are a reworking of 'Dreammaker' called 'Love Lies, Love Dies'. same tune, just different lyrics which distance it from the original...'Deja Vu' which rocks. Close your eyes and imagine this being played during the tours of the 'Camera Camera' days or even 'Time-Line'. The lyrics are amazing plus there one hears what seems to be Mickey taking another rare electric guitar solo.
Another one to give a good listen to is 'The Other Woman' which is the title track of that aforementioned disc. This one is just stirring...Stephanie's vocals over electric piano, piano, drums, bass and guitar. But it it those lyrics that are just amazing. There may be some commercial comparisons that can be made [think Sade at her best and you will see what I mean], but not many would be in the same ballpark.
'Don't Talk' rocks as well....and it would not be out of place on the air these days. 'So Blase' is cool too and would seem to be the other side of the coin for 'Deja Vu'...'Lock in On Love' as well. Why no one had picked up on any of these for airplay is beyond me.
Now we come to a bonus of sorts...a reinterpretation of 'Northern Lights'...with an orchestra. Yes, you read that right. While there are several versions which do exist, this one is refershing in that now we can hear how this would work with additional musicans playing along. [Imagine here too, if you will this being done on 'A Song For All Seasons' with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra].
The album closes out with 'Star of The Show' and 'Somewhere West of Here' The latter of this has a little of everything: lyrics that speak of romantic longing and urgency, Stephanie's soaring vocals and a bridge/solo that can bring back memories of the one from 'Raja Khan' from 'Prologue'. Yours truly has been seen rocking out to this in the store because it is well, just incredibly cool.
Now if one wants to introduce their friends to a different take on Ren's classic material or show them what Mickey can do as a bandleader with a different vocalist or even show them a relatively unknown singer in Stephanie Adlington give them these to listen to. Tell that person to just give a listen, close the eyes and open the ears to some music, that is as amazing in its complexity and diversity as what Renaissance would do on album and in concert.
Now as mentioned in the header and to quote baseball great-Mr Cub, Ernie Banks....'LET'S PLAY TWO!!!!'
Some of you may be asking: 'Why review Ocean Gypsy? After all this was an offshoot or even what would be called 'stretching the brand'. Ok, that may be a valid thought...and the band is called 'Michael Dunford's Renaissance', so this may actually be a brand extension. However, it is apparent that once you hear the opening measures of 'Ocean Gypsy', this was a little more than just a stretch.
Let's start out with the fact that Annie is not on vocals, but a young woman named Stephanie Adlington. From what I remember reading of her bio, she had done some work with various different pop groups as backup and was also involved with Mickey during the days he was writing the score for a musical version of 'Sheherazade' [which has been tabled due to a lack of investors and other items]. Whichever way that she had become associated with Mickey, this was a coup. In that her vocals now adds a different slant to some old Renaissance classics.
'Ocean Gypsy' leads off the disc and it is more direct so to speak than the original [or the version from the Carnegie Hall sessions]. The orchestra helps this become a more dramatic reading, which to these ears was nice in that this version, as well as the original are two sides of the same coin. And keep in mind...this is the opening track...
[Thinking about] 'Things I Don't Undertand' is on here in a shortened form. That being part 2, and Stephanie's voice shows more of her range here.You could see both her and Annie harmonizing on this...and even though the lyrics may sound like something from a post Woodstock era, it is still breathtaking [want this to be even more so? Turn up the volume on the headphones and you will hear what I mean]
The next track 'The Young Prince and the Princess' is another excerpt from Sherherazade and while it sounds different with different vocals, the spirit of the original is the same. Same attention to the details.
Another Ren classic that benefits from a new interpretation is 'Carpet of The Sun'. A slightly different orchestra chart and the new vocals compliment Betty's lyrics. This is one of two from 'Ashes are Buring'....the second of which is one that I sometimes cry over.
'At The Harbor' , the second from the 'Ashes' set, has never sounded better, which is not to say that they original or any live version is bad by comparison. Far from it...this one with a full orchestra and flourishes of flutes has brought tears to my eyes, if due to the overall beauty of the song. Stephanie again shows how her voice works with material that is not as well known in a live setting or not in rotation airplay wise...which is to say this is fantastic.
'I Think Of You' on this disc plays as just a very simple lovesong. An amazingly pretty lovesong. [Think about playing this at a wedding alongside 'And You and I' by Yes and you would get the idea]. Plus these lyrics would make for a rather interesting love poem as well.
We now come to the last three songs on this CD, two of which seem to be from sessions related to Sheherazade: 'Star of the Show' and 'The Great Highway'. They bookend 'Trip to The Fair', which in this collection sounds just as jazzy as the original. The bridge/solo on this is not done on percussion but with a reed instrument, probably a sax or cor anglais. As for the bookend pieces previously mentioned, those two show that in a post 'Camera Camera' era, Betty's lyrics have a little more of a romantic urgency. Which leads by that little segue to.......'Trip To The Fair' a compilation CD.
Yes this is a combination of the best material from not just 'Ocean Gypsy' but also ' The Other Woman'. It should be noted that the latter of the two was more commercial in its sound, however this does not diminish the quality or the musicianship. Far from it...
The highlights in addition to several of the songs from 'Ocean Gypsy' are a reworking of 'Dreammaker' called 'Love Lies, Love Dies'. same tune, just different lyrics which distance it from the original...'Deja Vu' which rocks. Close your eyes and imagine this being played during the tours of the 'Camera Camera' days or even 'Time-Line'. The lyrics are amazing plus there one hears what seems to be Mickey taking another rare electric guitar solo.
Another one to give a good listen to is 'The Other Woman' which is the title track of that aforementioned disc. This one is just stirring...Stephanie's vocals over electric piano, piano, drums, bass and guitar. But it it those lyrics that are just amazing. There may be some commercial comparisons that can be made [think Sade at her best and you will see what I mean], but not many would be in the same ballpark.
'Don't Talk' rocks as well....and it would not be out of place on the air these days. 'So Blase' is cool too and would seem to be the other side of the coin for 'Deja Vu'...'Lock in On Love' as well. Why no one had picked up on any of these for airplay is beyond me.
Now we come to a bonus of sorts...a reinterpretation of 'Northern Lights'...with an orchestra. Yes, you read that right. While there are several versions which do exist, this one is refershing in that now we can hear how this would work with additional musicans playing along. [Imagine here too, if you will this being done on 'A Song For All Seasons' with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra].
The album closes out with 'Star of The Show' and 'Somewhere West of Here' The latter of this has a little of everything: lyrics that speak of romantic longing and urgency, Stephanie's soaring vocals and a bridge/solo that can bring back memories of the one from 'Raja Khan' from 'Prologue'. Yours truly has been seen rocking out to this in the store because it is well, just incredibly cool.
Now if one wants to introduce their friends to a different take on Ren's classic material or show them what Mickey can do as a bandleader with a different vocalist or even show them a relatively unknown singer in Stephanie Adlington give them these to listen to. Tell that person to just give a listen, close the eyes and open the ears to some music, that is as amazing in its complexity and diversity as what Renaissance would do on album and in concert.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sources for Album/CD versions of previous reviews
As a public service of this blog and also due to the fact that I have written about a few albums that may or may not be easy to find at yon, friendly record or CD shop, here are a few places to purchase or listen to those tracks:
http://www.amazon.com/Renaissance/e/B000APW40E/ref=ntt_mus_gen_pel
If these folks do not have any of the available, no one will. With regard to the two covers of 'Novella', this has to do with the fact that Renaissance's label at the time, Sire was in the process of being sold from ABC to Warner/Elektra/Asylum and a reissue was done after the switch. There is no difference in the recording by the way.
A few other notes:
- 'De Capo' - features a song which on disc 2 called 'Writers Wronged' . This song which was from the 'Time-Line' sessions is also on 'Songs From Renaissance Days', a compilation of material which did not make it onto any of the previous releases or were songs that were being used to possibly get another contract with a new company. An absolutely amazing piece with a flute solo which can remind one of Ray Thomas of the Moody Blues.
- 'Tales of 1001 Nights, Volumes 1 and 2' - Selected material from the vaults of Sire/Warner Brothers, with songs that were on the Sovereign [yes that is fancy for Sire] label, but are in their live versions here: 'Prologue', 'Can You Understand', 'Carpet of the Sun' and 'Ashes are Burning' from the first live album 'Live at Carnegie Hall' [the orchestral parts are done by the New York Philharmonic] as well as their later material from 'Novella', 'A Song For All Seasons' and the last on that label 'Azure d' Or'. Closing out with another from the Carnegie sessions....'Ashes are Burning'. This also has an amazing set of liner notes written by a good friend of the band [not to forget someone who is infinitely more knowledgeable about Renaissance than I], David Samuel Barr.
- 'Ocean Gypsy', 'The Other Woman', 'Trip to the Fair' - These were done by Mickey Dunford with under the aegis of 'Mickey Dunford's Renaissance' with Stephanie Adlington doing the vocals. On the first in the list, these are redone Ren classics with a couple new songs thrown in, including a version of 'At The Harbor' that with an orchestra is just as amazing as the original. Plus there is a reinterpretation of 'Trip to the Fair' with a pretty cool sax [or is that core anglais?] solo. 'The Other Woman' is material which features love songs and one could see the classic Ren playing these in this era. [The title track. 'Deja Vu' and 'Somewhere West of Here' are worth noting]. 'Trip to the Fair is a compliation of the first two, but oddly enough missing 'Trip to the Fair'.
I would be remiss at this point if I did not mention Annie Haslam's solo work here:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_m?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Annie+Haslam
And a confession at this point: many years ago, I used to use the opening track from the second side of Annies first solo album 'Annie in Wonderland' as the opener for an old college radio show that I hosted [I am not that old folks!!]. The tune is called 'Rockalise' which is rock, classical...and even sounds like an opera aria, all at the same time.
With regard to the Moody Blues:
http://www.amazon.com/Moody-Blues-Lovely-See-You/dp/B000CSTKQ0/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1219683547&sr=1-11
This is the complete version of what was mentioned in this space a few posts back. As was said before, it is worth listening to because even without an orchestra backing them, they can still rock out and be just as cool:)
In re: 'Symphonic Yes'
http://www.amazon.com/Symphonic-Music-of-Yes/dp/B000003FMN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1219683784&sr=1-1
This is a true find in that it has one of the best names in production and classical/progressive rock behind the boards. Alan Parsons. Need I say anymore.
And for 'Magnification':
http://www.amazon.com/Magnification-Yes/dp/B00069FKFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1219684007&sr=1-1
If you had downloaded this from other means, it may not have the extra tracks which are listed at this page. Even with or without the extra tracks, this is a fanstastic album from one of the longest, existing bands of the genre.
Stay tuned folks because there will be more reviews of material in future posts!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Renaissance/e/B000APW40E/ref=ntt_mus_gen_pel
If these folks do not have any of the available, no one will. With regard to the two covers of 'Novella', this has to do with the fact that Renaissance's label at the time, Sire was in the process of being sold from ABC to Warner/Elektra/Asylum and a reissue was done after the switch. There is no difference in the recording by the way.
A few other notes:
- 'De Capo' - features a song which on disc 2 called 'Writers Wronged' . This song which was from the 'Time-Line' sessions is also on 'Songs From Renaissance Days', a compilation of material which did not make it onto any of the previous releases or were songs that were being used to possibly get another contract with a new company. An absolutely amazing piece with a flute solo which can remind one of Ray Thomas of the Moody Blues.
- 'Tales of 1001 Nights, Volumes 1 and 2' - Selected material from the vaults of Sire/Warner Brothers, with songs that were on the Sovereign [yes that is fancy for Sire] label, but are in their live versions here: 'Prologue', 'Can You Understand', 'Carpet of the Sun' and 'Ashes are Burning' from the first live album 'Live at Carnegie Hall' [the orchestral parts are done by the New York Philharmonic] as well as their later material from 'Novella', 'A Song For All Seasons' and the last on that label 'Azure d' Or'. Closing out with another from the Carnegie sessions....'Ashes are Burning'. This also has an amazing set of liner notes written by a good friend of the band [not to forget someone who is infinitely more knowledgeable about Renaissance than I], David Samuel Barr.
- 'Ocean Gypsy', 'The Other Woman', 'Trip to the Fair' - These were done by Mickey Dunford with under the aegis of 'Mickey Dunford's Renaissance' with Stephanie Adlington doing the vocals. On the first in the list, these are redone Ren classics with a couple new songs thrown in, including a version of 'At The Harbor' that with an orchestra is just as amazing as the original. Plus there is a reinterpretation of 'Trip to the Fair' with a pretty cool sax [or is that core anglais?] solo. 'The Other Woman' is material which features love songs and one could see the classic Ren playing these in this era. [The title track. 'Deja Vu' and 'Somewhere West of Here' are worth noting]. 'Trip to the Fair is a compliation of the first two, but oddly enough missing 'Trip to the Fair'.
I would be remiss at this point if I did not mention Annie Haslam's solo work here:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_m?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Annie+Haslam
And a confession at this point: many years ago, I used to use the opening track from the second side of Annies first solo album 'Annie in Wonderland' as the opener for an old college radio show that I hosted [I am not that old folks!!]. The tune is called 'Rockalise' which is rock, classical...and even sounds like an opera aria, all at the same time.
With regard to the Moody Blues:
http://www.amazon.com/Moody-Blues-Lovely-See-You/dp/B000CSTKQ0/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1219683547&sr=1-11
This is the complete version of what was mentioned in this space a few posts back. As was said before, it is worth listening to because even without an orchestra backing them, they can still rock out and be just as cool:)
In re: 'Symphonic Yes'
http://www.amazon.com/Symphonic-Music-of-Yes/dp/B000003FMN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1219683784&sr=1-1
This is a true find in that it has one of the best names in production and classical/progressive rock behind the boards. Alan Parsons. Need I say anymore.
And for 'Magnification':
http://www.amazon.com/Magnification-Yes/dp/B00069FKFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1219684007&sr=1-1
If you had downloaded this from other means, it may not have the extra tracks which are listed at this page. Even with or without the extra tracks, this is a fanstastic album from one of the longest, existing bands of the genre.
Stay tuned folks because there will be more reviews of material in future posts!!!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Looking back...Renaissance and the WNEW-FM Christmas Show 12/15/76
Now I know what some of you may be thinking...why review a Christmas concert in the waning days of August? After all, this is the season when bands play outdoors in ampitheatres, with sound systems that if the power were harnessed could light up the old TWA Terminal at JFK for a year [for you folks who travel in and out of JFK, it is now called Terminal 5 and is operated by Jet Blue], and they bring out all of the old material for a mass singalong, especially during the encores. Well the reason for this is that once again this concert disc again shows what was so special about Renaissance and in this setting how they rose to the occassion.
A little background: WNEW-FM in the good old days of radio would have an annual Christmas benefit show and would feature artists that were not just staff favorites but also favorites among the listener base. Or for that matter those whose other material may not be 'commerical' [operative term here] for some of the other radio stations in the region, but was just right for WNEW [which in itself also puts into perspective how really special the staff at WNEW-FM was].This particular concert had as the openers Stanky Brown [whose sax player shows up later on with Ren...more on that in a bit], Janis Ian. But one can tell that these folks were waiting for Ren to take the stage.
After some comments from Allison Steele and another DJ [I forgot the name of this one], 'Carpet of the Sun' opens the set. As simple and as sweet as the original sans strings. Annie sounds relaxed, Jon, Mickey, John and Terry all same. Even the in-between song chatter shows that they are really laid back and just there to play for the fans. 'Mother Russia' the next track shows up just as it did on the Carnegie Hall album, in full and is just as beautiful in this setting. Then comes the first of two new pieces from Novella [which was going to be released a few weeks after this concert].
'Can You Hear Me' is just amazing. If you have the sheet music for this you can follow along, because it is the full version with Jon and his synths taking the place of Richard Hewson's orchestral charts. This compliments Mickey's 12 string acoustic and Jon's Rickenbacker giving the full bottom/bass to the tune and Terry playing the softer percussion parts like on the record. And then there are Annie's vocals which are so relaxed, as in the lyrics written by Betty Thatcher were written expressly for her. And this could go on forever, especially since in the intro to the song, Jon does say that it is a rather long epic *S*. And the reception to the piece after shows they hit the right tone.
The next three tunes are what have become Ren classics. 'At The Harbor', 'Running Hard' and 'Black Flame' get the same relaxed treatment. It should be noted here that in later tours, 'Running Hard' was being featured as part of the back catalog material, but 'At The Harbor' and 'Black Flame' seem not to be as popular, which is odd. Both are incredibly beautiful pieces and here without an orchestra their playing takes on a certain innocence, almost as though the setting was not a large theatre but more like a small club.
The last in the set before the encore is 'Touching Once' and this is where the aforementioned sax player from Stanky Brown comes in. This is just as sharp as the album version, even with the haunting synth/organ bridge that leads into the driving jazz end. Granted, the sax solo on record is a bit muffled, but here it is all out in the open. What is really cool is that is sounded a little like a 12 bar blues type of solo and then when repeated with Annie and Jon's vocals along, it is just as powerful. You can tell this was well liked because the crowd does go a little crazy.
As for the encore, 'Can You Understand' follows the same relaxed pattern. From the opening chords to Jon's bass signalling that the rest of the band is going to join in. Even for the end of the show, this shows that Ren was truly in their element and Annie's vocals carrys the song to the point that one forgets there is no orchestra playing in the background. Her carrying of the bridge to the ending is just beautiful in its simplicity.
With this being a Christmas show, it does close with an audience singalong of 'Silent Night'. Leading up to that, this recording is much like those of us who go to see a baseball game in the minor league, in that you are seeing the game at its purest, most relaxed level. As in folks playing for the love of the game. Renaissance that night while playing for a cause, played for the love of the music and their fans returned that love in the ovations that are given. To quote a long ago manager of the Mets....'Amazin, just amazin...'
A little background: WNEW-FM in the good old days of radio would have an annual Christmas benefit show and would feature artists that were not just staff favorites but also favorites among the listener base. Or for that matter those whose other material may not be 'commerical' [operative term here] for some of the other radio stations in the region, but was just right for WNEW [which in itself also puts into perspective how really special the staff at WNEW-FM was].This particular concert had as the openers Stanky Brown [whose sax player shows up later on with Ren...more on that in a bit], Janis Ian. But one can tell that these folks were waiting for Ren to take the stage.
After some comments from Allison Steele and another DJ [I forgot the name of this one], 'Carpet of the Sun' opens the set. As simple and as sweet as the original sans strings. Annie sounds relaxed, Jon, Mickey, John and Terry all same. Even the in-between song chatter shows that they are really laid back and just there to play for the fans. 'Mother Russia' the next track shows up just as it did on the Carnegie Hall album, in full and is just as beautiful in this setting. Then comes the first of two new pieces from Novella [which was going to be released a few weeks after this concert].
'Can You Hear Me' is just amazing. If you have the sheet music for this you can follow along, because it is the full version with Jon and his synths taking the place of Richard Hewson's orchestral charts. This compliments Mickey's 12 string acoustic and Jon's Rickenbacker giving the full bottom/bass to the tune and Terry playing the softer percussion parts like on the record. And then there are Annie's vocals which are so relaxed, as in the lyrics written by Betty Thatcher were written expressly for her. And this could go on forever, especially since in the intro to the song, Jon does say that it is a rather long epic *S*. And the reception to the piece after shows they hit the right tone.
The next three tunes are what have become Ren classics. 'At The Harbor', 'Running Hard' and 'Black Flame' get the same relaxed treatment. It should be noted here that in later tours, 'Running Hard' was being featured as part of the back catalog material, but 'At The Harbor' and 'Black Flame' seem not to be as popular, which is odd. Both are incredibly beautiful pieces and here without an orchestra their playing takes on a certain innocence, almost as though the setting was not a large theatre but more like a small club.
The last in the set before the encore is 'Touching Once' and this is where the aforementioned sax player from Stanky Brown comes in. This is just as sharp as the album version, even with the haunting synth/organ bridge that leads into the driving jazz end. Granted, the sax solo on record is a bit muffled, but here it is all out in the open. What is really cool is that is sounded a little like a 12 bar blues type of solo and then when repeated with Annie and Jon's vocals along, it is just as powerful. You can tell this was well liked because the crowd does go a little crazy.
As for the encore, 'Can You Understand' follows the same relaxed pattern. From the opening chords to Jon's bass signalling that the rest of the band is going to join in. Even for the end of the show, this shows that Ren was truly in their element and Annie's vocals carrys the song to the point that one forgets there is no orchestra playing in the background. Her carrying of the bridge to the ending is just beautiful in its simplicity.
With this being a Christmas show, it does close with an audience singalong of 'Silent Night'. Leading up to that, this recording is much like those of us who go to see a baseball game in the minor league, in that you are seeing the game at its purest, most relaxed level. As in folks playing for the love of the game. Renaissance that night while playing for a cause, played for the love of the music and their fans returned that love in the ovations that are given. To quote a long ago manager of the Mets....'Amazin, just amazin...'
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Submitted for your approval...The Beacon Theatre Concert
[Another repost from a Yahoo Group...this deals with the Beacon Theatre concert which has been called one of the best Renaissance ever played...with or without an orchestra]
There is something rather nice and somewhat cool about giving another listen, another view to some of Rens older material. As was mentioned in this space before, yours truly has had some spare time due to some circumstance beyond her control and has been able to get back playing on the portable CD those concert discs that made the rounds a while back. Like any of these, they are special shows, but the Beacon one holds a rather special place here.
For one, yours truly had brought along several of my sister and a few close friends at the time to the show...these were folks I wanted to share this band with because to be honest, there was word circulating amongst the fan community that they may be on the way to a breakup, unless they were able to secure some type of record deal [many here do know the stories about what happened during and after this tour - one such being that Columbia Records had offered the band a two album deal, full backing on a tour, but rumour had it that Jon had on behalf of the band squashed the deal - so if I need to be corrected on this, please do so]. So in effect...one way or another this was going to be a show that would be one for a longtime fan to savor and for a newbie to say 'gee why did I not hear of these folks before'.
Second, word had spread that not only was their new material, but that they were playing their hearts out. Not just bringing their 'A'game to the stage, but their 'A+' game. Yes, I know a sports metaphor, but it can also be applied to musicians in that there are some nights when they will phone in a performance of their newest material, but also their 'greatest hits' would sound as though they were going through the motions. For Renaissance that evening, thiswas not the case....they brought it all and then some.
On disc one for example, it is apparent that Mick Taylor and Gavin Harrison had become not just members of the band, but placed their own stamp on the Ren classics. 'Prologue' for example never sounded as good as it did that night, rocking a heck of a lot harder than even the 'Time-Line' encore version [think in terms of what some classical orchestras do when they really want to show off and you get the idea] and it got us in the crowd going. 'Carpet of the Sun', 'Can You Hear Me Call Your Name'...these being the first three in the set were amazing. Then came the newer material which on further listening would not be out of place with most of what is on air these days...or even back in the mid 80's. Come to think of it, 'Flood at Lyons' from Azure d' Or would be in the same ballpark.
There is something that needs to be mentioned about what happened during the playing of the songs 'The Animals are Back' and 'You', which is not that apparent on the disc. During 'Animals', a string broke on Jon's bass. It happens, no biggie, just go quickly run to the rack next to the drums, strap on the Fender Jazz Precision and carry on from there. One problem, apparently it was not plugged in to the wireless mic system and was not able to be played, so Jon...trooper that he is....continued on bass pedals and then after the song was over, grabbed a replacement Great White from a roadie and played the rest of the show. But those of us who were there noticed that Jon had ripped into his roadie with a fervor usually emanating from the likes of Lou Pinella [manager of the Chicago Cubs baseball team...if you have seen him get angry at an umpire, that will give you a fairly good picture of what the roadie was looking at].
[It should be noted that one of the longer ovations of the evening was for 'Mother Russia'. With the passing of the man who this was written about, even in this day and age the song now takes on a new significance]
The encores were just as special due to two great reasons. One line in the song 'America' got the crowd going...this being the one featuring that infamous portion of Interstate 95 - The New JerseyTurnpike. And then there was 'Ashes are Burning'. Rock, jazz, funk, classical all mixed in. And if this was the last hurrah for the famous, seldom imitated never to be duplicated Jon Camp bass solo, this was one hell of a sendoff.
If anyone says to you that progressive rock bands are dull or for that matter lack a certain fire or a certain amount of energy, give that person a copy of this concert and let them hear for themselves what this music really is. That in the hands of those who have mastered the form [I would also include the Moody Blues and Yes in this class as well] it has that fire, that bravado and with Annie's voice was raised to a higher level.
There is something rather nice and somewhat cool about giving another listen, another view to some of Rens older material. As was mentioned in this space before, yours truly has had some spare time due to some circumstance beyond her control and has been able to get back playing on the portable CD those concert discs that made the rounds a while back. Like any of these, they are special shows, but the Beacon one holds a rather special place here.
For one, yours truly had brought along several of my sister and a few close friends at the time to the show...these were folks I wanted to share this band with because to be honest, there was word circulating amongst the fan community that they may be on the way to a breakup, unless they were able to secure some type of record deal [many here do know the stories about what happened during and after this tour - one such being that Columbia Records had offered the band a two album deal, full backing on a tour, but rumour had it that Jon had on behalf of the band squashed the deal - so if I need to be corrected on this, please do so]. So in effect...one way or another this was going to be a show that would be one for a longtime fan to savor and for a newbie to say 'gee why did I not hear of these folks before'.
Second, word had spread that not only was their new material, but that they were playing their hearts out. Not just bringing their 'A'game to the stage, but their 'A+' game. Yes, I know a sports metaphor, but it can also be applied to musicians in that there are some nights when they will phone in a performance of their newest material, but also their 'greatest hits' would sound as though they were going through the motions. For Renaissance that evening, thiswas not the case....they brought it all and then some.
On disc one for example, it is apparent that Mick Taylor and Gavin Harrison had become not just members of the band, but placed their own stamp on the Ren classics. 'Prologue' for example never sounded as good as it did that night, rocking a heck of a lot harder than even the 'Time-Line' encore version [think in terms of what some classical orchestras do when they really want to show off and you get the idea] and it got us in the crowd going. 'Carpet of the Sun', 'Can You Hear Me Call Your Name'...these being the first three in the set were amazing. Then came the newer material which on further listening would not be out of place with most of what is on air these days...or even back in the mid 80's. Come to think of it, 'Flood at Lyons' from Azure d' Or would be in the same ballpark.
There is something that needs to be mentioned about what happened during the playing of the songs 'The Animals are Back' and 'You', which is not that apparent on the disc. During 'Animals', a string broke on Jon's bass. It happens, no biggie, just go quickly run to the rack next to the drums, strap on the Fender Jazz Precision and carry on from there. One problem, apparently it was not plugged in to the wireless mic system and was not able to be played, so Jon...trooper that he is....continued on bass pedals and then after the song was over, grabbed a replacement Great White from a roadie and played the rest of the show. But those of us who were there noticed that Jon had ripped into his roadie with a fervor usually emanating from the likes of Lou Pinella [manager of the Chicago Cubs baseball team...if you have seen him get angry at an umpire, that will give you a fairly good picture of what the roadie was looking at].
[It should be noted that one of the longer ovations of the evening was for 'Mother Russia'. With the passing of the man who this was written about, even in this day and age the song now takes on a new significance]
The encores were just as special due to two great reasons. One line in the song 'America' got the crowd going...this being the one featuring that infamous portion of Interstate 95 - The New JerseyTurnpike. And then there was 'Ashes are Burning'. Rock, jazz, funk, classical all mixed in. And if this was the last hurrah for the famous, seldom imitated never to be duplicated Jon Camp bass solo, this was one hell of a sendoff.
If anyone says to you that progressive rock bands are dull or for that matter lack a certain fire or a certain amount of energy, give that person a copy of this concert and let them hear for themselves what this music really is. That in the hands of those who have mastered the form [I would also include the Moody Blues and Yes in this class as well] it has that fire, that bravado and with Annie's voice was raised to a higher level.
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