Renaissance - Tales Of 1000 Nights - Volume 1

Year of Release: 1990
Label: Sire
Catalog Number: 9 26129-2
Format: CD
Total Time: 75:08:00

The tracks here were recorded in the 70s, and listening to it, there is no mistaking that fact. Which isn't intended as negative criticism, nor as commentary to the sound production.

There are moments during "Running Hard" that I think Annie Haslam is going to break into a chorus of "Downtown" - she sounds so much like Petula Clark. Haslam's voice isn't the best in the world, there are moments here were it is flat, but overall, the music here is terrific and Haslem puts her vocals to good use. She sounds at ease and doesn't strain for notes her voice just can't reach. Renaissance are considered more progressive folk than progressive rock, but sometimes folk is just a short cut to saying gentle, acoustic based. There is more instrumentation here than that, more a classical feel than folk.

Okay, I really like this compilation.

[Another "short take" from 1999. And yes, I've taken a lot of flak over the years about my Haslam comment in the second paragraph and every time I hear her name, I think of this review. No time frame, but I'll give this another listen and see if my impression on that has changed. Another note: ProgArchives, I see, notes that "The Young Prince..." is really "Festival Preparations." SS 8/05]

Tracklisting:
Prologue (7:48) / Can You Understand (10:24) / Carpet Of The Sun (4:17) / Running Hard (3:07) / I Think Of You (6:23) / Black Flame (6:23) / Mother Russia (9:18) / Ocean Gypsy (7:05) / Trip To The Fair (10:48) / The Vultures Fly High (3:07) / The Young Prince and Princess As Told By Scheherazade (4:04)

Musicians:
John Tout - keyboards and vocals
Annie Haslam - lead and backing vocals
Jon Camp - bass, bass pedals, and vocals
Terence Sullivan - drums, percussion and vocals
Michael Dunford - acoustic guitars and vocals

Discography:
Renaissance (1969)
Illusion (1970)
Prologue (1972)
Ashes Are Burning (1973)
Turn Of The Cards (1974)
Scheherazade (1975)
Live At Carnegie Hall (1976)
Novella (1977)
A Song For All Seasons (1978)
Azure D'Or (1979)
Camera Camera (1981)
Time Line (1983)
Tales Of 1000 Nights - Volume 1 (1990)
Tales Of 1000 Nights - Volume 2 (1990)
Blessing In Disguise (1996, Haslam)
The Other Woman (1996, Dunford)
Live At The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Part 1 (rec 1977, rel 1997)
Live At The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Part 2 (rec 1977, rel 1997)
Songs From Renaissance Days (1997)
BBC Sessions (1999)
Day Of The Dreamer (rec. 70s, rel 2000)
Unplugged Live At The Academy Of Music (rec. 1985, rel 2000)
Tuscany (2000/01)
In The Land Of The Rising Sun - Live In Japan 2001 (2002)
Songs For All Seasons (2002)
Mother Russia (2002)
Live + Direct (2002)
Dreams And Omens: Live At The Tower Theater, Philadelphia, PA 1978 (2008)

Genre: Progressive Folk

Origin UK

Added: July 25th 1999
Reviewer: Stephanie Sollow
Score:
Artist website: www.nlightsweb.com
Hits: 3399
Language: english