TALES OF 1001 NIGHTS VOLUME 2

Volume II of this 1990´s complilation released at a time when most of Renaissance´s classic albums were not yet available in CD format. Although those songs does not seem to be remastered, the sound quality is quite good anyway. Unfortunatly the track selection is not the best. They could not use their early studio versions of their first two albums, ok, but the inclusion of a 24 minute live version of Ashes Are Burning is really too much. It was fine to hear it on the live album, after all it was the 70´s with all the pomp and circunstance of the time. But surely this is no track for a best of kind of disc. Besides, that extended tune takes so much time it would be really better if they put some 3 or 4 shorter tracks instead. There were plenty of Renaissance´s songs worth for that that does not appear on this CD.

Fortunatly there are no Time Line or Camera Camera material here. But they could have chosen beter tracks from either Song For All Seasons (Opening Out, Day Of The Archer or Kindness) or Azzure D´or (Kalinda, Golden Key).

With the release of Renaissance´s remastered cathalog this compilation loses a lot of its initial importance and/or appeal. Even someone new to this band should get their original albums. This one was a stopgap album in a period we were longing to hear Renaissance in the new format while we were waiting for their classic albums to be put on CD. Now we have them. And I still haven´t seen any real fitting compilation for this band. 2 stars for the excellency of some songs anyway.