RENAISSANCE

If this review sounds like the same as I did for Live at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Part 1, one month ago, it is for a reason. I see no reason to invent the wheel twice.

An explanation is required, I guess. A Dutch label called Disky took this album and the part one album (which they re-released as Can You Hear Me), changed the songs around and re- released this mid-price album in a cheap packaging and bad sound. Fools like myself bought it. I have no regrets, actually, although what Disky did is nothing but a rip-off. But the original album Live at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Part 2 (this album) is rather expensive and very difficult to get hold off.

Live at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Part 2 is a lot better album than Disky's Mother Russia. The songs flows better into each other. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra adds more depth to the songs too.

The difference between this album and Vol 1 is that this album has all the long songs. The good songs in my view. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra orchestration is not that dense on this album too. The songs therefore finds more life and Rennaissance finds more space to express themselves. Something that really shows here. This is Rennaissance at almost their best. Some would argue; at their best.

Mother Russia, Running Hard and Prologue is brilliant here. Ashes Are Burning with it's very long hypnotic spaced out improvisation piece is simply stunning. It is perhaps my overall Rennaissance favorite. You is a new good song, but the weakest track here by many miles.

So, what's my gripes with this album ? I am here repeating what I wrote about Volume 1: I think it is a rip-off when one concert is being released as two full price albums. This makes me angry because we, their fans, deserve a bit of respect from the record label and the band.

But Volume 2 is clearly a better album than Volume 1. I think it in it's own right is a very good live album. But can we now get both albums re-released as a double CD for a normal price ? I think we, your dedicated fans, deserve this. OK ?

4 stars

An explanation is required, I guess. A Dutch label called Disky took this album and the part two album (which they re-released as Mother Russia), changed the songs around and re- released this mid-price album in a cheap packaging and bad sound. Fools like myself bought it. I have no regrets, actually, although what Disky did is nothing but a rip-off. But the original album Live at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Part 1 (this album) is rather expensive and very difficult to get hold off.

Live at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Part 1 is a lot better album than Disky's Can You Hear Me. The songs flows better into each other. The album starts with the orchestral piece Prologue. This is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The band is then invited onto the stage by the conductor and goes straight into pretty studio-true versions of Can you understand, Carpet of the sun, Can you hear me and Song of Scheherazade. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra adds more depth to the songs, but also wipes out some of their lives. But on balance, the songs gets added value with the help of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In particular Song of Scheherazade.

You know what you get with Renaissance. Lush symphonic prog somewhere between rock and classic music. I rate Renaissance very highly indeed. They are my kind of music.

So, what's my gripes with this album ? I think it is a rip-off when one concert is being released as two full price albums. This makes me angry because we, their fans, deserve a bit of respect from the record label and the band. So that's one star of the score. I am more fond of the songs on part 2 than this album. The songs are great, but not excellent. That's why I am only giving it three stars. Make that 3.5 stars.

3 stars

"Trip to the Fair" I tend to consider John Tout as one of the great overlooked progressive rock pianists of the 1970s. One thing that's always impressed me is how compatible his classically-inspired piano is with Jon Camp's dynamic bass playing. Annie Haslam's rendering of the melody and lyrics of this whimsical, wandering song is such that I can't imagine it any other way. After the first vocal segment, the band delights with a jazzy excursion.

"The Vultures Fly High" While relatively brief, I think this hastily-paced song is one of my favorite from Renaissance, because the melody and performance of the chorus is excellent.

"Ocean Gypsy" Renaissance offers a hauntingly beautiful melody, again backed up by light piano and acoustic guitar. The piano is graceful as ever, with some light organ, chunky bass, and inspired drumming adding to the work.

"Song of Scheherazade" The side-long centerpiece of this album is in nine-parts and is based on Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's 1888 symphonic suite, which in turn is based on the Arabic Kitāb 'alf layla wa-layla, or One Thousand and One Nights. It opens majestically, bolstered by numerous flourishes from the London Symphony Orchestra. A gentle masculine voice offers the lyrics, providing a pleasant contrast to Haslam's soprano soaring the background. Delicate piano allows a soothing respite to the mellow yet more forceful vocal sections. The rest of the piece is very orchestral, moving quite suddenly between loud and soft passages. As a whole, it is a nomadic piece and my least favorite on the album to be quite honest, yet it still radiates grandeur.

This is a double album. Disc 1 includes the short, more pop orientated songs. The songs here is not bad at all. Disc 2 is the highlight of this live album and I play that one far more often than disc 1. The reason is, and you may have guessed it, that the songs here are the prog rock songs. A good version of their classic Trip To The Fair is along a good reason to buy this live album. It was my sole reason to buy it.

The sound here is excellent. The band does a brilliant job. Annie Haslam is as good as gold.... as usual. But I get the feeling that the band is more laidback on this live album than on the previous classics (Carnegie Hall) and other live albums. The band is not as alive as they were then. The lack of audience participation is also a bit of a downer. The band sounds tired. But besides of that, this is a good, cosy live album which will please all fellow fans of this band. I like it, but I do not rate as highly as their previous live albums.

3 stars

This album could perhaps be regarded as Renaissance's "comeback" album and even if I haven't heard all of the band's albums from the 80's and 90's, I think it is safe to assume that this is their best in a long time. Devoted fans and followers of the band will undoubtedly enjoy this album. However, I think that few Prog fans will like this as much as the band's classic 70's albums. There is nothing particularly progressive about this music.

The Renaissance trademarks are still very much here; the distinctive vocals of Annie Haslam, the strong presence of piano and acoustic guitars, the influences from Classical music and Folk. The production values are high and this is not a poor album by any means. Indeed, this is a high quality product no doubt about that - a high quality Classical Folk Pop album, that is. There is a decent level of variety on the album and some songs are better than others. But no song deserves special mention. While well written, nothing here is particularly memorable for me.

At this point I must admit that I have never been a big fan of this band in the first place, always finding dissatisfaction with the lack of a strong Rock base in the band's sound. I do recognize the band's talents and I can understand why many people like them, but it is not really my cup of tea. They did, however, make some quite good albums in the 70's, particularly the rather groundbreaking self-titled one from 1969 as well as Ashes Are Burning. What is most appealing with those albums is the band's willingness to experiment and write songs with progressive structures. On Tuscany, however, with the exception of the slightly longer opening and closing tracks, all the songs lie in the three and a half to five and a half minute range and there is little or no room for any instrumental workouts or indeed anything that goes beyond traditional song structures.

This album is definitely recommended for serious fans and collectors, but definitely not for everybody.

5(+), oh, by the way, there's first track, Trip to the Fair, also very special one. Even there's repeated line, quite a lot of repeats it get, it doesn't feel bad, or as lack of ideas, it fits perfectly to dreamy landscape it provides. Howg.

But what was the purpose of editing this DVD? Wasn,t possible to make the technical arrangements to have a good product. Is not enough to be a lover of Renaissance music to appreciate this .

Sorry to prejudice ,but it seems this product had the main purpose to make money more than to satisfy fans.

I ,ve heard many videos of Renaissance in Youtube (in colours) with good sound.

I,m sure they could have done with a little more investment a very good work compiling good sound and good images of past live works.

The only thing i appreciate from this DVD is the selection of songs but the other forget....

I ,am hurt and disappointed. The good thing is that i saw the video in a friend,s home so I w,ont waste my money.

1 star

But please do not introduce the band to someone with this video. Knowing and loving all the tracks here included, I am able to apreciate what I see but there is abviously flaws.

First, we cruelly missed "Ashes are Burning" from the track list. "Mother Russia" is there twice with two comparable version that looks empty without the orchestra, but still it is Mother Russia. Both Concert are in Black & White - And there is no overvieuws of the whole stage - Almost only close-ups. Can you understand is not complete and there's nothing from Novella album.

I would have said that this DVD is for die hard fan of Renaissance but since I am one of them, I don't regret to have bought it.

Somewhere between 2 and 3 stars - nearer to 3

I must admit that I would rather have heard 'a trip to the fair' in stead of a 5 minute base-solo that really isn't very good.

Nevertheless, this album is a milestone in symphonic rock. At times it's more symphonic than rock though. The music of Renaissance is never very agressive and has a more mellow sound than many others in that period (mid seventies).

Although the recording could technically have sounded better (I think 'A live record' from Camel is much better in that department), musically it is one of the best albums I've ever heard.

5 stars!

Renaissance has in my ears always been one third symphonic prog, one third classical music and one third Annie Haslam. The symphonic prog bit has always been more towards pop music than rock'n'roll so the term "prog rock" does not apply to this band. If this delicate balance is being disturbed, the band tends to falter in my view.

Renaissance has tried to regain the balance on this album, but still falls a mile too short. The album is too much pop and too little prog. It reminds me a bit about ABBA and Genesis at their worst. But the main problem here is the lack of any good songs. As such, this album is only a shadow of what Renaissance was on for example Ashes Are Burning. Same band, probably same ambitions, but the songs are not there. This album therefore falls flat on it's face. This despite of the wonderful voice of Annie Haslam which alone is carrying this album. The piano arrangements are good too, although a bit sickly sweet.

In the good old days; Renaissance was sweet'n'sour. On Tuscanny, they are only sweet. They therefore loose their bite. And I am loosing any interest in this album. This is a decent attempt which falls short in all departments.

2.75 stars