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View Full Version : Album Club, June 2017: Renaissance - 'Renaissance'



Album Club
01-06-2017, 22:36
The Album Club choice for June 2017 comes courtesy of Ian (ianlenco) with Renaissance's first and eponymous album. As always, please listen to the album in its entirety before you comment and/or vote.


Renaissance

Back in 1969 I was a 6th former in Redcar, North Yorkshire. At the time Redcar had the Redcar Jazz Club which by the late 60's wasn't really about Jazz at all. By fortune my older sister's boyfriend (now brother-in-law) was on the committee of the Jazz Club so admission was never a problem. So I got the chance of seeing up and coming groups such as Yes and King Crimson as well as more established bands like Fleetwood Mac. One such up and coming band was Renaissance formed when the Yardbirds split. A couple of other band members went on to form Led Zeppelin :scratch: but Keith Relf and Jim McCarty joined up with Relf's sister, Jane, John Hawken and Louis Cennamo to form Renaissance. I went along to see them not knowing what to expect but the blend of folk, rock and classical certainly made the evening different enough for me to go and buy the album. OK, it's now labelled Prog Rock but at the time it was about innovation, not pomposity :)

http://i.imgur.com/bmUHvQ4h.jpg#gWPQG

The album was played a few times during my student days but rarely after that until one day I dug it out only to find it had developed a nasty warp in storage. Then a few years later I pulled it out once more and weirdly the warp had gone so I got to enjoy the album all over again. OK, some of this is nostalgia but I think it just about stands up today. There's some good rock stuff in there with excellent piano playing and Jane Relf's voice on the folkier tracks (Island and Wanderer) is quite excellent.
Hope you enjoy it - it's still available on CD if you do. Word of warning later "Renaissance" line-ups are AOR at its worst - avoid!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_(Renaissance_album)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYy7CjCivAw

https://listen.tidal.com/album/60716664

ianlenco
12-06-2017, 16:34
Well, this choice has gone down well :lol:

struth
12-06-2017, 16:44
listening to it at moment actually

martian sunrise
12-06-2017, 17:29
I thought it was interesting, but I just can't get on with 60s female vocals like that. The Jefferson Starship type albums where there are a couple of good songs, then the next few almost cause you to turn it off. Island saved it though - good track.

struth
12-06-2017, 18:11
Decent album for the day and some of it would still be very much relevant today. remember the single, Island, and kings and queens I like too. maybe a solid 6 from me..enjoyed it

high.spirits
13-06-2017, 07:27
I remember them from the 60s. Will get a full listen when i get back from holiday.

mr sneff
18-06-2017, 20:46
Not my favourite Renaissance album, I prefer the albums with Annie Haslam singing. 5/10

high.spirits
29-06-2017, 09:49
Thanks for suggesting this album. I don't think I have listened to it since the 60s - how my music tastes have changed :)

A few of the tracks were good, others ok, but really not my listening taste of today. 7 / 10. cheers.

petrat
15-07-2017, 11:19
Well, this choice has gone down well :lol:

That's because you mentioned Redcar, Ian. I shiver at the very name ... :D

This (original) version of Rennaisance has totally different personel to the one I knew, with the glorious voice of Annie Haslem, etc. Saw the later version at Newcastle City Hall circa Scheherazade album, and enjoyed them very much. 6/10 for starting the whole thing off.

Edward
21-07-2017, 21:01
Ah this album brings back lots of good memories. Although released in 1969 I only caught up with it later (perhaps in 1973). For sure it was emblematic of the time when lots of experimental music was coming forward (Curved Air anyone?). I got to know some of the other prog rock groups of that time better, but for sure this album has a place in my heart. Music often (always?) brings forward memories. The memories I'm getting are for example being in student rooms with lots of smiling people, incense, clouds of smoke and a euphoric feeling that we were on the cusp of greatness. :lolsign:

Scoring this album is difficult. Scored then it would be an 8/10 - if released now sadly it would be lower.

Love the track Wanderer. But that's just me.

HackneyRF
29-07-2017, 14:11
I gave this a couple of listens over the last month and whilst I quite enjoyed it, it didn't really grab me to be honest. Its not a bad record but similar to one or two other comments, its just not the kind of thing I like to hear these days. Thanks for the suggestion Ian. A 6/10 from me.