Here are the other Renaissance albums worth the listen: Prologue(1972) Ashes Are Burning(1973) Scheherazade and Other Stories(1975) Live at Carnegie Hall(1976) Novella(1977) A Song For All Seasons(1978) Azure D’or(1979) Live at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is astonishing!(1997)

Thumbs up, yet again. The older I get, the more I enjoy Renaissance. As an adolescent it wasn't "rock" enough for me, but thanks to things like your channel I can rectify my opinion 🙂

Love these guys and this is one of their finest albums! Annie Haslam has the voice of an angel :)

I first discovered Renaissance with the Ashes Are Burning album. Annie's voice is always magical - you could say it is angelic. Renaissance was very popular in the early 70's in the New York, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania area. I saw them in concert 3 times. Every concert was fantastic. Annie has the purest voice. Ashes Are Burning and Song of Scherazade are my favorites.

Jim, you need to listen to Song Of Scheherazade. Absolutely epic!!!!

As a long-time fan of Renaissance, it is a joy to watch you discovering and loving it, too!

I saw them in 1979 on the Azure D’or tour and after the show outside I met Annie and she let me hug her after signing my ticket stub. It was in San Francisco.

Bit of trivia: The intro to Running Hard was written for organ by French composer Jehan Alain. He called it "Litanies". Unfortunately he was killed while still a young man in WWII. Renaissance did not attribute it for reasons unknown. It was used as a concert opener for years. I was lucky to have seen them for the first time in 1976. This is possibly my favourite album of all time. Great reaction. Nice to see it blow you away.

always liked Black Flame on this one

This is one of my most beloved albums ever. I' ve listened to it so many times when I was a teenager and it formed quite a part of my perception of music. Then I met Jazz :-) Nowadays I' m working as a conductor singer and composer, rediscovering once again classical music.The singer was long time a real vocal model for me. A voice so natural and bright ...unbelievable.

For me the best renaissance album. I love this a lot.

Annie is for sure one of the top 10 female vocalists of all time....her tone...it's just so natural, uplifting and no one I think glides better...💝

Awesome my favorite Renaissance album.

What an incredible band Renaissance are.

Believe it or not, Renaissance started out as an offshoot of the Yardbirds, then all the members were replaced and Annie was the female vocalist who had been trained by an opera singer, sang in a number of night clubs and then answered an ad...

I've listened to this band a few times, including this album. So much to unpack. You hear so many influences , and also their influence on others . They definitely have their own niche , part Moody Blues , part Yes , Jethro Tull , but also Broadway . As a fan of classical, and theatrical music , I find their music very satisfying.

Renaissance started as a project by Kieth Relf and Jim McCarty of the Yardbids to produce a more symphonic sound. After 2 albums and several lineup changes they settled on this group. Their next 7 albums are fantastic then in the 80's the music industry changed and record companies wouldn't record this type of music they were looking at the all mighty dollar.

Annie Haslam is a goddess. The voice of an absolute angel. She barely shows you what she is capable of on side 1. Their fourth album in 1973 which preceded Turn of the Cards is just as well done and has some great tunes such as Carpet of the Sun and Ashes Are Burning. Can’t wait to see what you think of side 2. 🎶

Hey Jim! Good to see you this morning. 😎

Hi Seen Them In Real Time Performance Perfection 🥇🎶🎹🥰🎤🏄‍♀️💃🏼

One of my favorite records.

No need to apologise Jim! Gotta do what you gotta do. Saw Renaissance many years ago at a tiny venue on Long Island… ‘77-ish? Brilliant.

i can definitely agree what your other commenters have said concerning Renaissance; they were a criminally underappreciated band in their time! I feel that Scheherazade and Other Stories probably represented their peek achievement. FYI,, Mother Russia on side 2 was a perennial fan favorite during their live shows.

Saw them in 1974 Jacksonville,Fla. on their Turn of the Cards Tour, still listen to this album, thanks for sharing.

It feels natural Jim....natural ....🧑‍🎤🌟💚😇

WELL you've finally discovered another Group with a Treasure Trove of great albums and one of the most angelic beautiful (female) voices in Progressive Rock. Renaissance never disappoints and a 2K incarnation are still performing. I saw them LIVE in 76 with Gentle Giant!!!

My favorite song is Black Flame. It is so haunting.

Hi Jim glad you enjoyed your first ride on the Renaissance bus, hope it won’t be your last. If I could be so bold, as to recommend some albums, ‘Novella’ is a favourite of mine, as well as ‘Ashes are burning’ ‘Scheherazade’ and ‘song for all seasons’ they are a great band still going although Annie is the only member still on board. I have seen them live a few times. Enjoyed listening with you.

thanks for the review, I have been listening to this band since the mid 70's and i will be listening to them until i pop me clogs. They are sublime and as for Annie nothing needs to be said.

Utterly loved this album since I was 10 years old and my brother bought it. Very russian feel to much of it. I believe one of the tracks on.side two is about Solzhenitsyn. Check out Ashes are Burnng too.

Thank you SO much for posting this video! So thrilling to see that people are STILL discovering this amazing music, some 48 YEARS later! This takes me right back to MY first exposure to Renaissance & I must say my reaction was pretty much the same! And you picked a wonderful album to cut your teeth on - Turn Of The Cards is an absolute MASTERPIECE! (Although, their whole catalog is truly marvelous! - You won't find a bad Renaissance album!) By the way, I had to chuckle at 9:24 - I knew instinctively you were checking the stylus for lint - trust me, I have done the same COUNTLESS times! Ah, vinyl... gone way to soon, lol!!!

Magnificent music.

Really liked that Jim, Annie Haslam is a beautiful singer , she's still around and did an interview with Doug Helvering over on the Daily Doug sometime last year. She also did a cover of Yes's Turn of the Century on a Steve Howe album. Looking forward to hearing side 2.

I love, love, love Renaissance, Jim you must also listen to "Ashes are Burning" another great album. Annie's voice is amazing!

You should check out their 1972 debut, Prologue, the title track of which is the opener. I used to know the now late choirmaster for the US Navy Choir; I played Prologue and it just floored him with astonishment. Also, the Renaissance Live at Carnegie Hall has live performances of Prologue and Running Hard, Ashes Are Burning, etc. Great live album it is.

Despite all the music I've ever listened to I always come back to renaissance to set my spirit right,

One of my favorite bands

I love Renaissance, but as you said, the bass is never loud enough. John Camp could rival Chris Squire, and he had that same distinctive Rickenbacker sound, but somehow to me it just needed a bit more 'oomph.'

You've struck gold here, Jim. Annie has one of the most beautiful and most recognizable voices in music. Once you've finished this album, you'll want to hear more. Scheherazade ad Other Stories would be a good next step. Thanks, you made my afternoon!

I'm very much looking forward to listening to this album with you, Jim : )

Welcome to the wonderful world of Renaissance, Jim. Great musicianship and beautiful 5 octaves female voice of Annie Haslam. Can’t wait to hear your comments on side two on the majestic Mother Russia.

Since you mentioned the bass, note that it is much more prominent in their earlier albums. By this point it starts getting a bit swallowed up by the symphony. John Camp is an excellent bassist. And don’t ignore the first two albums, before Annie Halsam joined. They are good records as well. The original band grew out of the Yardbirds, though none of those original members were still around by the time of “Turn of the Cards.” Have fun exploring!

That's funny. I have a friend who was really into synth jazz who used to brag about his turntable and speakers ("I'm going home to listen to my speakers") who used to wash his records and hang them up to dry. Your mention of a cleaning kit brought that to mind. Your channel is awesome. 😁

I saw Renaissance in 1975 but I really went to see the warm up act, Al DiMeola.

Renaissance has a strange stage set up with a guitar player who does not solo but sitting on a stool hammering away on a 12 string. The bass player is out front and the pianist is also in the background.

Reinasance Northern lights brought me here Waiting for the Northern Light's . I brought that single loved it ever since it was a top 30 hit on top of the pops

The band that made my 2nd fave 70s prog album....which is the genius Ashes Are Burning. Turn of The Cards, it's follow up is also utter genius....looking forwards to hearing vinyl version 1st time....simply one of the best prog bands of all time.👏👏👏👏👏🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🤠

Why apologize? Family always comes first (if possible 😋). Don’t forget to rinse your cleaned records with (demineralized) water. If soap remains in the grooves, it will attract a lot of dirt. Never heard of them (I think 👴🏼😇). Only know ‘the turn of a friendly card’ album by the Alan Parsons Project. Great voice. Symphonic rock. I immediately like this music very very much. Must find out on their music soon. You can find a lot of information on them on Wikipedia.

If you like the group their "Live at Carnegie Hall" double LP is really really good.

They had a full orchestra and I think we were sat where the massed singers would be in say Mahler's eighth symphony.

Hi Jim, please check out their Live At Carnegie Hall album from 75/76. Brilliant album with full orchestra. I find i enjoy the songs much more on this album than I do on the studio ones. Annie is an amazing vocalist. Fantastic band as well. Cheers enjoy. Doug

Welcome back mate :) about to hit the hay, I'll catch this tomorrow, glad to know your kiddo is a bit better!

Renaissance is a gift from God I believe.

Worth moving directly to " Live at Carnegie Hall" . Its a double album but has lots of class "Song of Scheherazade" is done great ! These and the band Curved Air were cutting edge back then.. Love the song Ocean Gypsy .. "Blackmores Nigh"t recorded a great version of it recently on their latest album.

That Brillo pad did the trick lol

It's curious that this group started out as one of the spinoff bands from The Yardbirds.

And the sound every bit as awesome live with just the 5 of them. The orchestration is a bonus. Jon Tout uses his keyboards to "orchestrate". Used to experiment with LSD to this... Extra special! If you should decide to carry on with more, you certainly won't be disappointed. Their turn to prog pop in the 80's fell flat, but they came back strong in their old form in the late 90's and are still going.

Renaissance are definitely the folkiest of the major prog bands...each album does indeed play like a prog rock opera Jim...like others have said Sheherazade is must listen along with my 2nd fave by them, the stunning A Song For All Seasons....(the first I listened to because Mikael Arkefeldt said it's his fave or one of... on a video somewhere I saw.....) 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤👻 For me the pianist (John) is the true heart of the band everytime...🎹....though as a Yann Tiersen fan I'm bound to say that...👨‍🎤

♑Nothern Lights by renaisance is one of my favourite tracks by renaisance . I have lots OF ALBUMS to listen to. many many downloads and play lists to get through. Yes folk music is one of my favourite chill out zones I know this is all about Renaisance .But When you get to playing any of the Yes Albums. I just realised Jon Anderson of yes must have one of the most unique voices in prog rock very recognisable Has a really unique voice 👌also Jon's solo albums . Yes as fine group. Havnt made up mind which yes album. I like most⛎

Not sure when this clip was made but he just found out what all renaissance fans have known for a long time.......they are TIMELESS!!((( have only seen them 8 times,,,,met Annie and got 2 shirts sogned......)

Just FYI, the intro to Running hard is quoting Jehan Alain's Litanies kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hth4YN10r7PGZ6c.html

Yes, an absolutely fabulous band this was.Wait until you get to "Sheherazade", especially from the album Live at Carnegy Hall, or the album Novella!

Hi Jim. I'm sorry for not being in touch for a while man. Hope all is well with the family. Thank you so much for selecting to the brilliant album Turn of a Card by Renaissance. What a absolutely brilliant band . I was so lucky to see the band at Liverpool University on March 5th 1975. Just mind-blowing live. You will so enjoy the rest of this album and the rest of the catalogue... I have noticed some of our friends comments have already mentioned Ashes are Burning and Live at The Carnegie Hall as albums to check out ...I would also add Scherazade and Other Short Stories, and Novella. When I first heard the band it was a complete eye opener to a rocker of the late 60's and 70's ...into Purple ,.Free, Sabbath, Floyd , Yes , early Genesis, PFM et al . Looking forward to your next offering Jim. Take care, stay safe. Peace from Alan Liverpool UK 👍✌️🤘☮️

This one's in my mind's jukebox, easily called up. Can't wait to hear with my outer ears, through headphones, with you. Back with a flask, I mean in a flash. db OK then. You DID like it. And I loved your comments, which serve as an aid in describing the music I do NOT care for...and that being the music that IS in your face, yelling at top of lung, redfaced and dying of hypertension. This is gentle, peaceful, adult music for mind, heart and soul. Two things come to mind. How do you NOT know this? And how wondrous that you have their entire catalogue yet to enjoy...not to mention another great side, and song, in Mother Russia...about SoldierNixon, I mean Solzhenitsyn. Gulag Archipelago, etc. I am excited for you. Related story...I saw where Justin played song one of Gryphon, but not the superior song two, "Second Spasm". They play renaissance and medieval music, intermixed with modern forms, but with ancient instruments fusing with contemporary forms. All classically trained at Royal Academy and College, I believe it was. Gentle Giant is like scaled down version of Gryphon, but are probably most similar. There should probably be a separate category for those three bands, but all were certainly progressive. Too bad the progress didn't continue, but reversed itself, largely. I talk too f*ckin' much.

See them at Loreley this year!

Yep... love Renaissance. And what can i say... Annie Haslam.. what a voice. Tout is an awsome piano player. Don't know if i have all their albums, but it's 15 of them in my collection. Eeh quick check on allmusic guide, i certainly did not have them all. The first 7 albums with Annie is great, thou their 2 first with Jane Relf is ok. But it is with Annie they reached another level. Really good reaction Jim !

A great album, but a must hear is the song Can You Understand from their Ashes are Burning album. Maybe their best song. Another band, probably unlike anything you have heard, is Gentle Giant. Their album Three Friends is an incredible, diverse trip. a unique band and unique songs, especially the last two on the album, Mister Class and Quality and Three Friends, two of my all time favorites. Cannot recommend enough. Whatever you think of the band and their music, you won't be bored.

Renaissance is my favorite Prog band after Yes. Ocean Gypsy and Carpet of the Sun are my favorite stacks

Was at the Royal Albert Hall to see the back of the band in the late 70s. This concert had subsequently been released in a box set. Albert Hall is a amazing place but not necessarily best venue for bands. Saw Bob Dylan there also.

You must do the live version of Ashes are Burning from the Live at Carnegie Hall album.

LOL, "It's almost symphonic." Jim, Renaissance DEFINED symphonic/orchestral prog. It's probably not a surprise that some of their music was used for 70s UK TV shows ("The Paper Lads" is one.) IMO this album hasn't aged as well as later ones, and the writing includes holdovers from earlier incarnations of the group (Renaissance had a convoluted evolution before they arrived at this "classic" lineup.) But this is a good place to start -- onward! 😁

There are only a handfull of bands like them. Procol Harum, PFM, some others. Still prog, but a different take on it.

Glad your boy is feeling better JIm! I know you're a very busy man with a lifetime of music to listen to but was just wondering if 90125 is on your radar anytime soon? Thanks!

Butter fingers back! Snot-less.

Good reactions. What deck are you using?

Could you call this group somehow neo-classical?

Wait. Was this your first listen to Renaissance? You lucky man - this isn't even their best album - Ashes are Burning is usually regarded as the best and Scheherazade and Other Stories is a close second. The superb female vocals and piano are what make their albums stand out - Annie Haslam is unique, charming, has a huge pure range and was possibly the most beautiful woman in rock at the time (and is still beautiful at 74) I was lucky enough to see the current band about 6 years ago and she can still hit those high notes. Explore further (but you don't need telling!)