Review Summary: Renaissance refines their sound and creates their best album, and one of my personal favorites.
Renaissance was and has always been an overlooked band. They were quite important in developing progressive rock and symphonic rock further, and basing themselves as a band relying much on a full blown orchestra, grand passages and epic music. Other progressive rock groups of the same era have used a violin here or a small orchestra there, but no one has truly held on to one and based their music around it. This is what seperates Renaissance from most bands of the 70s.
Renaissance Mk I lasted only for two albums. After their last, all original members left. Instead, Renaissance was reforged into Mk II, consisting of five new band members. Mk II has already released three wonderful albums before their fourth. "Prologue", "Ashes Are Burning" and "Turn of the Cards" were all truly magnificent albums, which could be enjoyed very much. By the time 1975 came around, Renaiisance would release their magnum opus "Scheherazade and Other Stories". They pretty much destroyed their earlier work, and went even further to reach a new peak. This album was where their sound was consolidated, and this was a nice time to do that. More mature and experimental than earlier releases, they release the near perfect album. It has many positive sides and few to none bad. Complex, beautiful, grand and accessible. The last word is what's most interesting.
When I first bought this, I had never heard anything from them, including this. I gave it a spin and was shocked how I started pounding my foot and rocked to and fro in tact with the music. Singing along and following the music is uncommon for prog, especially the first time around. Listen to Yes, and you will find this impossible. What Renaissance did was sort of ahead of its time. Sure, the Moody Blues made an album already in 1967 incorporating orchestra, but they did it very different. "Days of Future Past" used the orchestra only to connect songs, they didn't base their sound around one. Renaissance took advantage of having an orchestra and used one actively, with marvelous results.
Songs were written primarily by acoustic guitarist Michael Dunford, although the driving force was not him, but rather John Tout and his piano. Tout is in my opinion the most important bandmember. The music he plays makes a wave of music that is splashing your face. Everything he does throughout the album is important for the band as a whole. The musical passages are almost always led by him, laying down each note carefully and makes the music what it is. Vocalist Annie Haslam also does one hell of a job. Her five octave ranged voice is extraordinary and makes Renaissance a very special band. Originally an opera singer, she joined the unknown group in 1972 and made their albums very special with her heavenly voice. Unlike most other vocalists, she uses her voice as an instrument rather than just singing the lyrics. She can just hum along with the melody and sound like an angel. She seriously has one of the most beautiful voices ever. The other band members are not to be forgotten either. Jon Camp plays the electric bass (only one with electric instrument) very well and adds a very round and muscled sound and can very often be heard, which is nice because bass guitar is way too often buried in the production. Drummer Terrence Sullivan also does a fine job. Instead of show casing all the time, instead he plays the drums in a complex manner, but not unnecessarily complex and just rolls along with the music.
Every song has something to offer. The album opens with the strong "A Trip to the Fair". Starting with grand piano intro, the song evolves into a mystical tune with dark moods. This lasts the first few minutes, until Annie takes control and delivers the first lines of lyrics beautifully;
I took a trip down to look at the fair/when I arrived I found nobody there/it seemed I was all alone/must be that they've all gone home .
Xylophone is also used wonderfully in an unusual solo excellently placed. The weakest song on the album "The Vultures Fly High" is still very strong and is the greatest rocker on the album with high intensity and great singing from Annie and groovy bass lines. "Ocean Gypsy" is a very pleasant tune where the piano takes a step back some parts of the song, and lets guitarist Dunford shine a little. This, however, is just so Tout can return for a gorgeous piano solo in the middle of song.
The clear album highlight is saved for last, the 25 minute epic suite album titled "Song of Scheherazade". This is the best performance they ever gave, and lets all band members shine. This is where the orchestra is used the most and they have made sure that it is used where essential, which is almost all the time. From slow, ambient sounding parts where only Tout is left to entertain himself to majestic ending where Annie gives her best vocal performance on the album. If you have half an hour at your disposal right now, go to Youtube and give this a listen right now.
Whether you're a fan of metal or pop, this is an album many people can call the golden mean. This album is essential for anyone who can call themselves an admirer of music. Pick this up as fast as you can.
Recommended tracks
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