TALES OF 1001 NIGHTS VOLUME 2

For those of you new to Renaissance Volume 1 should be purchased first. It was issued in 1990 as the first of Renaissance music to be issued on CD. Here on Volume 2 is a continuation with a quirky twist. Songs number 6 & 7 (see track list above) are from 1979 when they changed their format to shorter songs. I feel it doesn't represent the 'classical' period that is dominant on Volume 1. Also, "Ashes are Burning" is a live version (probably from the "Live at Carnegie Hall" album (released in 1976) which is not a good choice in my opinion.

As far as I can tell this material has not been remastered for CD yet the transfer from the analogue master tape to the digital tape is quite good. The quality of the recording does justice to the quality of the music.

Both Volume 1 & 2 are both worth while given my misgiving about the live version of "Ashes are Burning." It was a real joy in 1990 when I found out that this series came out. Now all the albums are available on CD so for those of you who have the albums (vinyl and/or CD) this would be for completists collectors. I have no misgivings whatsoever for recommending both Vol 1 and Vol 2 to those who want to sample Renaissance.

If you are new to progressive rock then give these albums a try to expand your musical horizons. Don't be turned off by the classical music influences if you are open-minded about your music choices. Those persons with a classical music background might find this music interesting. It shows that classical music is quite flexible (note Wendy Carlos "Switched on Bach" success). The musicianship and song construction is very well done in my opinion. There is a dominance of acoustic instruments - except for the electric bass guitar (Jon Camp). The vocalist (Annie Haslam) has a 3-octave range and is opera trained. Her intonation and diction is top notch! The keyboardist (John Tout) is also classically trained and it shows in his playing. He has good taste and sensitivity to each composition. Enjoy!