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Renaissance - Turn of the Cards CD (album) cover

TURN OF THE CARDS

Renaissance

 

Symphonic Prog

4.15 | 745 ratings

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AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
5 stars Renaissance were another of the 70s prog bands with a female singer that captured the attention of many in the day and continue to gain fans due to the complexity of the music and crystal clear angelic vocals. Curved Air are also in the same league with Sonja Kristina, but the vocals of Annie Haslam are more operatic. Annie has a 5 octave range that really is entrancing.

Many cite Annie as before her time heralding in what is now known as female fronted operatic Gothic metal with bands such as Nightwish, After Forever and Epica. Annie has that dark edge of Gothic but is certainly capable of incredible beauty with her mesmirising skilful range. The other members of the band are Jon Camp on bass, Michael Dunford on acoustic guitar, Terrence Sullivan on drums, and John Tout on keyboards. The music is very mysterious and ethereal which is perfect or Annie's angelic reverberations. The album has three songs per side on vinyl and all are excellent quality, with some compositions that are incomparable.

The urgency and tempo of 'Running Hard' is augmented by Annie's voice and a classical piano intro skilfully played by Tout. 'I think of You' is a sombre ballad with a beautiful melody that really touches the emotions, and has lovely lyrical poetry. 'Things I Don't Undertand' is the Dunford/ McCarty composition of some length and features wonderful uplifting vocals and dreamy melodies.

'Black Flame' kicks off side 2 and is the best song on the album with chilling vocals and incredible melody. Beginning with an extended acoustic intro, it is noteable or its infectious chorus. It is a dark ballad but as well as having Gothic nuances and bleak lyrics it is somehow uplifting thanks to Annie's crystalline voice. The melody is unforgettable and has an esoteric atmosphere, especially the verses.

'Cold Is Being' is based on the melody of Albinoni´s Addagio and it sounds majestic and has a haunting atmosphere.

'Mother Russia' ends the album with a Russian theme and some gorgeous instrumentation. The symphony orchestra touches are superb; dramatic and tense and then releasing into sheer beauty with the flute passages. Annie is seriously enchanting on this and it certainly is another highlight. The band would also return to this live and can be heard performing an incredible version on the 1976 "Live at Carnegie Hall" album.

There is not a bad song on the album and it features 3 masterpieces in 'Running Hard', 'Black Flame' and 'Mother Russia'. Renaissance would release many albums of masterpiece status and this is one of them.

AtomicCrimsonRush | 5/5 |

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