Their discography gets quite confusing after the 70's. I'm still interested in hearing the band Illusion which is supposedly a reformed version of the original band that apes the Haslam-era band (as good a "snake eating its own tail" moment as you're likely to find). I've read some reviews of their latest album and it seems that people like it though Dunford's passing casts a shadow on it.
― frogbs, Wednesday, 22 January 2014 15:31 (ten years ago) link
I heard that they needed kickstarter to fund it.
Yes, their discography goes all over the place later with live albums and stylistic gamble studio albums. To make things more complicated there is also three further bands called Michael Dunford's Renaissance, Renaissance Illusion and Renaissant. But I think all of them have one album each.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Wednesday, 22 January 2014 17:41 (ten years ago) link
froggy ffs listen to that album/song
― pessimishaim (imago), Wednesday, 22 January 2014 17:51 (ten years ago) link
yeah I'll try to remember to load it up on the iPod. made myself a note but must've forgotten it. I recall hearing one album that I remember being very ambitious and neat but I think that was Turn of the Cards
― frogbs, Wednesday, 22 January 2014 18:42 (ten years ago) link
sorry for the delay, you're right it totally rules. "trip to the fair" and of course the monster title track are definitely my favorites. I'm genuinely impressed by how gothic this band got.
― frogbs, Tuesday, 1 April 2014 17:50 (nine years ago) link
hurrah!
yeah I listened to some of the stuff before this album and it didn't speak to me quite as much. think they discovered this particular intersection of pure psych bliss and melancholy that few have mined well
― halber mensch halber keks (imago), Tuesday, 1 April 2014 17:56 (nine years ago) link
Turn of the Cards is similar, I'd give that one another shot. Ashes are Burning is also very good but it's a little more poppish and melodic, not really dark at all. Outside of that they have some individual tracks I really like - "Sounds of the Sea" on Prologue is just gorgeous, as is "Island" (from the debut, with Jane Reif). Dunno if any of their albums after Scheherezade are worth getting. I'm curious as to how the "New Wave" Renassiance sounded even if nobody has anything nice to say about it.
― frogbs, Tuesday, 1 April 2014 18:03 (nine years ago) link
It's not quite as "new wave" and actually not quite as dire as I remember, not having heard it for 30 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr9iIjI7m_s
― A Perfect Ratio of Choogle to Jam (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 1 April 2014 18:58 (nine years ago) link
I absolutely love this section of Scheherazade. It sounds good just as a standalone song too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBjR_5D-96o
― jmm, Monday, 11 April 2016 23:24 (seven years ago) link
yes, it's amazing. scheherazade is one of the great 1970s albums
― And the cry rang out all o'er the town / Good Heavens! Tay is down (imago), Monday, 11 April 2016 23:28 (seven years ago) link
dope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB-UXivqqAY
― reggie (qualmsley), Saturday, 7 July 2018 21:26 (five years ago) link