ASHES ARE BURNING

Ashes are Burning is a remarkable Renaissance album, combining a delightful blend of folk and symphonic progressive music. While largely piano-led, it blends other instruments into the compositions are needed and without excess, allowing Annie Haslam the occasional spotlight as the lead vocalist, soaring hither and thither and delivering one of her best performances on record. This is one of Renaissance's grandest albums.

"Can You Understand" The first Renaissance song I ever heard, albeit a live version, opened precisely this way, with an engaging, dazzling piano that exploded into bass and drums filling out the sound. The introduction completely exits to bring in a folk song proper. It's a wondrously enchanting vocal melody. It abruptly picks up with its nearly country refrain. The orchestral section in the middle is well crafted, as though the listener has been transported to the middle of a symphony. Then the regular music pleasantly resumes, whisking the hearer away into bliss once more. Jarringly, the band drives back to the initial piano-led theme, augmenting the piece with variations.

"Let it Grow" As though the title is indicative of the way this piece blooms, the light piano flutters in underneath easygoing singing before the band enters, bringing the piece into its full self.

"On the Frontier" Laying aside the piano as the main instrument in favor of acoustic guitar, this song is a moderate folk rock tune with male and female vocal harmonies. While initially a simple folk tune, the middle section adopts more diverse rhythms, tones, and moves into a dynamic approach to the piece as a whole, featuring a classical-sounding duet with bass guitar and piano- very well executed, and very well ended.

"Carpet of the Sun" This is one of Renaissance's most popular tunes, and is certainly one of my favorites. It is a happy song, full of melody and vibrancy. It is the romanticized carefree happiness of the 1970s embodied.

"At the Harbour" Opening with a classical piano piece, "At the Harbour" has a captivating introduction. Haslam enters with a suddenness and urgency. It is slightly melancholic and Celtic. The final two minutes involves piano, distant choir, and an almost heavenly light.

"Ashes are Burning" The lengthier title track opens with percussion, followed by piano, bass, and a seemingly impatient Haslam. Later, she offers some wordless vocals that I think could have been better served with some lyrics. Eventually, the bassist takes the rhythm over, as the pianist slightly hearkens back to the opener. The middle section, initially bereft of drums, features an unexpected organ solo before allowing the piano to resume control. As the embers of the music die, only Haslam and the organ remain. The final segment offers a dynamic bass over stagnant organ with an electric guitar solo sizzling ever so slightly over it all.