Renaissance - A Song For All Seasons boxset

[Progtastic]

Just seen this, remastered original album and 15 bonus tracks. Pretty sure the BBC tracks were also on the recently released "At The BBC" set.

DISC ONE:
A SONG FOR ALL SEASONS (RE-MASTERED)

1. OPENING OUT
2. DAY OF THE DREAMER
3. CLOSER THAN YESTERDAY
4. KINDNESS (AT THE END)
5. BACK HOME ONCE AGAIN
6. SHE IS LOVE
7. NORTHERN LIGHTS
8. A SONG FOR ALL SEASONS

BONUS TRACKS

9. NORTHERN LIGHTS - PROMOTIONAL SINGLE EDIT (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD)
10. DAY OF THE DREAMER – BBC SESSION – 19TH AUGUST 1978
11. MIDAS MAN – BBC SESSION – 19TH AUGUST 1978
12. THE VULTURES FLY HIGH – BBC SESSION – 19TH AUGUST 1978
13. NORTHERN LIGHTS – “TOP OF THE POPS” VERSION (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)

DISC TWO:
LIVE AT THE TOWER THEATER, PHILADELPHIA – 4th DECEMBER 1978

1. CAN YOU UNDERSTAND (LIVE 1978)
2. CARPET OF THE SUN (LIVE 1978)
3. THINGS I DON’T UNDERSTAND (LIVE 1978)
4. OPENING OUT (LIVE 1978) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
5. DAY OF THE DREAMER (LIVE 1978)
6. MIDAS MAN (LIVE 1978) – LIVE AT THE TOWER THEATER, PHILADELPHIA – 4th DECEMBER 1978

DISC THREE:
LIVE AT THE TOWER THEATER, PHILADELPHIA – 4th DECEMBER 1978

1. NORTHERN LIGHTS (LIVE 1978)
2. A SONG FOR ALL SEASONS (LIVE 1978) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
3. TOUCHING ONCE IS SO HARD TO KEEP (LIVE 1978) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
4. ASHES ARE BURNING (LIVE 1978) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)

[moecurlythanu]

My introduction to Renaissance, back in the 70s. This will likely be auto-buy.

[aith01]

This is very cool. Has some of my favorite Renaissance songs on it, and I was fortunate enough to find a used vinyl copy (in good condition!) at my local record store about five or six years ago.

I think this will be auto buy for me as well.

[mnprogger]

tempting...

[Rarebird]

Interesting, but it depents on the price.

I own the original album on CD and Dreams & Omens (which covers more than half of the live tracks on the second and third CD)

[Camelogue]

Love Renaissance but will pass on this.

[Buddhabreath]

I got it. It was crowd-funded and it's a good production.

[infandous]

Probably will get this as I don't have a copy of the album and have never heard that live stuff.

[Steve983]

This was my first Renaissance album too but does have some rather poor/filler tracks sadly, I already have the live recording on cd so will pass on this.

[Fracktured]

I don't need a remaster of the album but would like to hear the Tower show. I have a show from the Academy of Music in Philadelphia from the '84 tour I think it was which is a pretty good live show.

[Firth]

This could be excellent if there is a sound quality improvement. I have “Tales of 1001 Nights” and have never been satisfied with the dullness. Since this work is produced by Hentschel (Trick of the Tail), it could be excellent.

[AndiSexgang]

Recently been listening to Novena a lot. I love that album.

[Firth]

Does this review say it all:

As good as it gets, and as bad as it gets, in one album.
December 23, 2001
Format: Audio CD
First, the negative: What were they thinking? Talk about being "unclear on the concept" - Annie ISN'T the lead singer on 2 of the 8 songs! Track 4, Kindness (At The End) and track 6, She Is Love, both leave Annie completely out. That wouldn't necessarily be bad, except that Jon Camp does sing - and he's terrible! It's like owning a Ferrari, a Corvette, and a Jaguar, but taking the bus to work! At least Kindness has a great musical intro, but at 1:04 in, go to the next track! Skip track 6 completely - it's total garbage.
The rest of the album is wowser! The title track is great, and Northern Lights, while more pop than rock, is always good. Annie does a very good job with Closer Than Yesterday - it's easy to hear how her voice has matured from album to album. However, the 3 songs that make this album are tracks 1,2, and 5.
#1, Opening Out, is hauntingly beautiful, and the perfect lead-in to track 2 (more on that in a moment). Track 5, Back Home Once Again, has an almost calypso feel that took me completely by surprise - but then I couldn't stop playing it over and over! The gem of this album is track #2, Day Of The Dreamer. The orchestration alone was enough to give me chills, and the passion expressed by Annie's voice sent me over the top! It may well be the single best song Renaissance ever recorded; in many ways, the culmination of their art.
While I wish this were only a 6 track album, it's essential to all Renaissance fans. It's the last album with the "classical" lineup, which makes it all the more bittersweet. Enjoy!



Is see that there were remasters before. Is this just another package with bonus songs?

[JKL2000]

I got it. It was crowd-funded and it's a good production.

What crowdfunded release did you get? Looks like Cherry Red is releasing this in March.

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/...l-box-edition/

[Buddhabreath]

What crowdfunded release did you get? Looks like Cherry Red is releasing this in March.

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/...l-box-edition/

This one: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/r...-concert-dvd#/

[JKL2000]

What crowdfunded release did you get? Looks like Cherry Red is releasing this in March.

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/...l-box-edition/

This one: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/r...-concert-dvd#/

That's a totally different release. That was from their recent tour.

[Buddhabreath]

^^^
Maybe I misread the discussion, that' the one I recently brought and was referring to.

[jcarr73729]

Interesting, but it depents on the price. I own the original album on CD and Dreams & Omens (which covers more than half of the live tracks on the second and third CD)

Either the source tapes are far from good or the production of the 'Dreams & Omens' release had limited expertise or funds, but overall it has a rough and brittle sound, which undermines Annie Haslam suggesting it was one of their best performances. This release was just 47 minutes in length, which makes me wonder why they only released 6 of the 10 live tracks destined for the new boxed set, and whether it justifies spreading over two new CDs. I will wait to hear feedback regarding the sound quality of the main album and the live tracks before I spend my money.

[interbellum]

Does this review say it all:

As good as it gets, and as bad as it gets, in one album.
December 23, 2001
Format: Audio CD
First, the negative: What were they thinking? Talk about being "unclear on the concept" - Annie ISN'T the lead singer on 2 of the 8 songs! Track 4, Kindness (At The End) and track 6, She Is Love, both leave Annie completely out. That wouldn't necessarily be bad, except that Jon Camp does sing - and he's terrible! It's like owning a Ferrari, a Corvette, and a Jaguar, but taking the bus to work! At least Kindness has a great musical intro, but at 1:04 in, go to the next track! Skip track 6 completely - it's total garbage.
The rest of the album is wowser! The title track is great, and Northern Lights, while more pop than rock, is always good. Annie does a very good job with Closer Than Yesterday - it's easy to hear how her voice has matured from album to album. However, the 3 songs that make this album are tracks 1,2, and 5.
#1, Opening Out, is hauntingly beautiful, and the perfect lead-in to track 2 (more on that in a moment). Track 5, Back Home Once Again, has an almost calypso feel that took me completely by surprise - but then I couldn't stop playing it over and over! The gem of this album is track #2, Day Of The Dreamer. The orchestration alone was enough to give me chills, and the passion expressed by Annie's voice sent me over the top! It may well be the single best song Renaissance ever recorded; in many ways, the culmination of their art.
While I wish this were only a 6 track album, it's essential to all Renaissance fans. It's the last album with the "classical" lineup, which makes it all the more bittersweet. Enjoy!



Is see that there were remasters before. Is this just another package with bonus songs?

In the booklet that comes with the box-set Annie explains the background of the reason she didn't sing on all the tracks AND why she hates the Hipgnosis-cover ("hé Annie, that doesn't look like you").

I'm not a Renaissance-man (...), but after reading a great review I bought this one and really love Day Of The Dreamer! Can't say I love Annie's live vocals when she does the high notes all the time though.

[aith01]

^ Day Of The Dreamer is a fantastic song.

[Progatron]

I'm not a Renaissance-man (...),
Can't say I love Annie's live vocals when she does the high notes all the time though.

I AM a Renaissance man, I love them, but I agree with you there. Annie was amazing, and most of their 70s catalogue is some of my favourite music of that genre - but sometimes the high notes she went for were too high. It's impressive that she could hit them, but that doesn't always mean she should. I'm thinking particularly of songs like Prologue and Sounds Of The Sea, maybe a couple of others. They are even more difficult to listen to on those recent live archival discs. I know that comes across as sacrilege to some fans, which is silly (as it always is). But the shattering wine glass notes can be a bit much for me.

[jcarr73729]

Either the source tapes are far from good or the production of the 'Dreams & Omens' release had limited expertise or funds, but overall it has a rough and brittle sound, which undermines Annie Haslam suggesting it was one of their best performances. This release was just 47 minutes in length, which makes me wonder why they only released 6 of the 10 live tracks destined for the new boxed set, and whether it justifies spreading over two new CDs. I will wait to hear feedback regarding the sound quality of the main album and the live tracks before I spend my money.

I bought a bundle of Renaissance CDs from Esoteric, including 'A Song For All Seasons'.
The Philadelphia live recording is far superior to the 'Dreams & Omens' release, in sound quality, not as compressed, and longer length (over 99 minutes).
Esoteric DRs below.
DR12 -0.10 dB -16.03 dB 14:54 01-Can You Hear Me?
DR13 -0.16 dB -15.32 dB 3:55 02-Carpet Of The Sun
DR12 -0.13 dB -15.44 dB 9:47 03-Things I Don't Understand
DR14 -0.11 dB -17.09 dB 4:21 04-Opening Out
DR11 -0.09 dB -14.03 dB 10:23 05-Day Of The Dreamer
DR11 -0.74 dB -14.80 dB 4:20 06-Midas Man
DR12 -0.10 dB -13.72 dB 4:33 01-Northern Lights
DR11 -0.10 dB -13.78 dB 11:02 02-A Song For All Seasons
DR13 -0.13 dB -15.81 dB 12:27 03-Touching Once (Is So Hard To Keep)
DR12 -0.11 dB -15.69 dB 27:28 04-Ashes Are Burning