A SONG FOR ALL SEASONS

Well, after the rather disapointing Novella, Renaissance tried to do things in a differente way: new label, new producer, enters the electric guitar after a long time and some shorter, more pop flavoured songs. On the other side, their epic, classical side is well represented too. All in all they prove they could balance this dangerous formula very well. It is only unfortunate that Song For All Seasons would be their last great album.

The Lp started very well with one of their great tunes, Opening Out. The music is beautiful and Annie Haslam steps int proving again that she is probably the greattest female singer to ever grace a rock band! Then comes Day Of The Dreamer, a quite long prog epic and probalby the best track on the album. Closer Than Yesterday is a simple pop tune again graced and enriched by Haslam´s fantastic vocals. Kindness is another good song and problably Jon Camp´s best vocal performance since Kiev.

Side two of the vynil record starts with Back Home Once Again, another simple pop song that Annie Haslam used some multi tracking vocals to enhance it and make it work. Not very outstading, but good. The same goes for Nothern Lights. Actually the only bad track in the whole CD is She Is Love, a boring tune sung by Camp with orchestra that I always skip. I still wonder why they included such a dud here. Then we have another epic: the title track. An excellent piece of prog work.

A very fine CD, no less. Again, unfortunate, their very last. But what a good last one! Highly recommended!