TURN OF THE CARDS

Well, Renaissance is one of my favourite prog bands basically because of their rich sound and musicianship. It's true they have used the classic composers -usually uncredited- as a basis to their music writing but others have used the folk tradition, the popular tradition or the 12 bar blues scheme to exhaustion. Anyway, they have always done so with incredible good taste and to prog rock major glory. They have done classics progressive as have E,L&P, J. Tull, Yes and many others with no so good results. So, for me, it's a shame any of their albums appear in the top 100 prog records and this is the reason for this review.

The good thing with prog rock is that, thanks to its eclecticism, it really opens your ears and mind to a wider range of music styles. So, don't think about if that is Albinoni's or Rachmaninov's being stolen here and there. That band coined a style of their own and, as far as I know, they did it to excel up to A Song for All Seasons, and, in the case of Turn of the Cards, well, I think it's the most indisputable of their three five-star records (the others being the precedent and the following).

No flaws, no low downs, just great music flowing.

But if dense, rich dishes are not your kind of food, then, it's no problem. Go elsewhere, there are lots of music to enjoy.