Renaissance: Azure D’Or, Expanded 2CD/Blu-Ray Set November 25, 2022

[interbellum]

My favorite track on the album. The melody and the twisty beat always reminded me a lot of Gentle Giant. Even the lyrics sound like Gentle Giant lyrics.

My favorite too. B.t.w. Azure D'Or was for a long time my only Renaissance-LP.
Thanks for the video.

[Rick-O-Sound]

My earlier post led me to find this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGn4jXtJP6k

[ca1ore]

Ordered this weeks ago .... still hasn't arrived.....

[Progatron]

Ordered this weeks ago .... still hasn't arrived.....

I suspect that has a lot to do with the November 25th release date. I don't even think the promos have gone out yet!

[ollie woodpecker]

Ordered this weeks ago .... still hasn't arrived.....

I suspect it hasn't even been manufactured yet!! I certainly don't even have a test copy!! SWT

[ca1ore]

I suspect that has a lot to do with the November 25th release date.

No doubt😂😂.

[Fracktured]

Here's a bit few know. I talked with Mickey Dunford shortly before his tragic death. In our conversation he expressed a desire to perform this album live. A shame it never came to pass!

A few years ago me and my wife went to see Renaissance and they performed to my surprise Kaylenda from Azure. Of course Michael was already sadly gone but it was a surprise and it sounded great also.


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[vacuumtube1954]

I always liked this album. Sounds like a nice package coming out.

[Finn_McCool]

Although it does not have a big epic piece, this album flows for me better than the albums with the big epics. Earlier albums like Turn of the Cards, Ashes Are Burning and Scheherezade end up being kind of lopsided and they all have their weak tracks. Whereas later albums like Azure D'Or, Song For All Seasons and Novella don't have the epics, but the songs are more consistently good and the albums flow better as a result. I understand some folks are not fond of Only Angels Have Wings and I can see how it might put some people off. I see it as kind of a pallet cleanser and it works for me within the flow of the album.

[Progatron]

^^ I definitely don't think of Scheherazade as having a weak track and being lopsided. That one is a 10/10 all the way through for me!

[aith01]

^^ I definitely don't think of Scheherazade as having a weak track and being lopsided. That one is a 10/10 all the way through for me!

This is embarrassing, but I still haven't heard that one. The only Renaissance I've got are Ashes Are Burning, Azure d'Or, and Song for All Seasons (all of which I really like btw). Renaissance are one of the many gaps in my collection...

[Quantum Cat]

Here's what happened to the last Renaissance fan that didn't have Scheherazade:

tumblr_inline_nynd8iOEgo1t0ijhl_1280.jpg

[Finn_McCool]

I can see the perspective that the songs on the other side of the Scheherezade album are decent songs. I like them enough, I guess (everbody likes "Ocean Gypsy", right?). My perspective was that, if you have a side-long epic on one side of the record, like say "Close to the Edge", then the other side of the album better have "And You and I" and "Siberian Khatru" to balance things out. In the case of Scheherezade (the album), I didn't feel like the other songs were at the same level as Scheherezade (the song). That's why the album seems unbalanced to me. Azure D'Or doesn't have the epic so it doesn't have that issue, in my opinion.

[Aquatarkus]

This is embarrassing, but I still haven't heard that one. The only Renaissance I've got are Ashes Are Burning, Azure d'Or, and Song for All Seasons (all of which I really like btw). Renaissance are one of the many gaps in my collection...

fwiw, I like Turn of the Cards even better than the most excellent Scherezade, so be sure to give that one a spin as well. Novella from 1977 is also excellent. A progressive rock fan can hardly go wrong with Renaissance in the 1970's, stretching back to their origins with Jane Relf on vocals.

[Mister Triscuits]

I can see the perspective that the songs on the other side of the Scheherezade album are decent songs. I like them enough, I guess (everbody likes "Ocean Gypsy", right?). My perspective was that, if you have a side-long epic on one side of the record, like say "Close to the Edge", then the other side of the album better have "And You and I" and "Siberian Khatru" to balance things out. In the case of Scheherezade (the album), I didn't feel like the other songs were at the same level as Scheherezade (the song). That's why the album seems unbalanced to me.

Couldn't disagree more. I find it a 100% solid album, with the three "short" songs all being top-notch Renaissance.

[Paulrus]

fwiw, I like Turn of the Cards even better than the most excellent Scherezade, so be sure to give that one a spin as well. Novella from 1977 is also excellent. A progressive rock fan can hardly go wrong with Renaissance in the 1970's, stretching back to their origins with Jane Relf on vocals.

I know this is heresy around here, but Novella and Azure d'Or are the two Renaissance albums with the highest replay value for me.

[Aquatarkus]

I know this is heresy around here, but Novella and Azure d'Or are the two Renaissance albums with the highest replay value for me.

For me too! I've always loved Azure since it was my first but Novella and A Song for All Seasons get as much airplay. Such an incredible string of albums in the 70's. Of all the albums from Annie and the band in that decade, I probably play Prologue the least and it still gets a fair amount of play.

[zeprogmeister]

I know this is heresy around here, but Novella and Azure d'Or are the two Renaissance albums with the highest replay value for me.

No Heresy from me. Novella is also one of their best imo.

[Progatron]

This is embarrassing, but I still haven't heard that one. The only Renaissance I've got are Ashes Are Burning, Azure d'Or, and Song for All Seasons (all of which I really like btw). Renaissance are one of the many gaps in my collection...

I strongly recommend you listen to Scheherazade And Other Stories ASAP. I have a feeling you'll really like it. For me, it contains the greatest moment in their entire catalogue, which happens at the climax of the side-long title track.

[ca1ore]

I can see the perspective that the songs on the other side of the Scheherezade album are decent songs. I like them enough, I guess (everbody likes "Ocean Gypsy", right?). My perspective was that, if you have a side-long epic on one side of the record, like say "Close to the Edge", then the other side of the album better have "And You and I" and "Siberian Khatru" to balance things out. In the case of Scheherezade (the album), I didn't feel like the other songs were at the same level as Scheherezade (the song). That's why the album seems unbalanced to me. Azure D'Or doesn't have the epic so it doesn't have that issue, in my opinion.

Trip to the Fair is a top 5 song to me across the breadth of their catalog.

[Aquatarkus]

Trip to the Fair is a top 5 song to me across the breadth of their catalog.

Agree. Trip to the Fair is such a haunting song.

[Progtastic]

It was inspired by her first date with Roy Wood.

[Progbear]

Turn of the Cards and Novella are my top 2. The former is front-to-back classics, and “Can You Hear Me” and “Touching Once” are also favorites from their catalogue. Scheherazade would be five stars if Side 2 were as strong as Side 1. But my mind starts wandering during the suite. “Trip to the Fair” is really cool in that Tout uses the entire range of acoustic keyboards: piano, harpsichord, celeste and pipe organ (I think one of those small, positive organs like the custom Mander that Rick Wakeman used on “The Remembering” and some of his solo work).

[jefftiger]

I received an email from Cherry Red stating that the release date for this box set is pushed back to 9 December. That’s only a few extra weeks.

[vacuumtube1954]

I received an email from Cherry Red stating that the release date for this box set is pushed back to 9 December. That’s only a few extra weeks.

I'm sure it will be worth the wait. Thanks for the heads-up jefftiger.