RENAISSANT
''SOUTH OF WINTER''
JUNE 4 2009
46:58
********************
1 Carry Me Home (Betty Thatcher Newsinger / Lee Sullivan) 4:44
2 Alone (Terence Sullivan) 5:27
3 Burning Bridges (Betty Thatcher Newsinger / Terence Sullivan) 4:11
4 Cold Flames (Betty Thatcher Newsinger / Terence Sullivan) 6:15
5 Dove (Terry Sullivan) 4:50
6 Morning (Terence Sullivan) 6:06
7 Careless (Terence Sullivan) 4:27
8 The Sun Also Sets (Betty Thatcher Newsinger / Terence Sullivan) 5:02
9 South of Winter (Betty Thatcher Newsinger / Terence Sullivan) 5:53
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Martin Orford/Flute, Strings
Steven Rodgers/Guitar
Christine Sullivan/Vocals
Lee Sullivan/Keyboards
Terence Sullivan/Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals
John Tout/Keyboards, Piano
Jasmine Rodgers/Backing Vocals
********************
ABOUT THE ALBUM
By Warhorse, March 17 2012, www.amazon.com
Renaissant is a project by Renaissance drummer Terry Sullivan (could call it Sullivan's Renaissance). He only ever wrote one song with the Renaissance incidently. Anyway, South of Winter by Renaissant was touted as being in the style of Renaissance. Perhaps musically in some ways it is. Arguably much of the post-70s stuff under the name Renaissance (be it with Annie Haslam or without) and solo efforts by Annie Haslam also aren't quite Renaissance. It begs the question, if you can't have the classic Renaissance then what is the next best thing? Some who liked the band for Annie like her solo albums while those who liked the symphonic progressive rock of 70s Renaissance like them not as much. Well when it comes to Renaissant, while maybe yes the music is more Renaissance-ish than some other newer stuff by former members, it still lacks the energy and drama of classic Renaissance and moreover the vocals totally sink the album.
Most the songs are sung by Terry's wife (I think it's his wife) and she's adequate as a singer but not overly captivating. She sings each song with the same lacklustre intensity. And a couple of the songs are sung by Terry himself, who has a Steve Howe like voice but actually not even as good as Howe (who is no lead singer either).
Overall this album comes across rather dull. Carry Me Home, Morning, and the Sun Also Sets are the only passible ones that I will include in my Renaissance playlist.
If you are looking for Renaissance related releases from the past decade, you would be better served with Tuscany - a 2000 mere complete classic Renaissance reunion (Haslam, Dunford, Sullivan and on some tracks Tout - no Jon Camp though) which while not as good as classic Renaissance is still better than South of Winter, or I might also suggest Through the Fire by Renaissance Illusion, which is a notch better than South of Winter though again not as good as classic Renaissance.
*For those not familiar with the band's history, Renaissance was originally created by the former singer of drummer of the Yardbirds (Keith Relf and John McCarty). That original lineup made two Renaissance albums (Renaissance and Illusion) which can be bought in one CD package now Innocents & Illusions. In turn all the members of the band were replaced by the 3rd album (Prologue) and thus was born the 'classic' Renaissance line up (Haslam, Dunford, Camp, Sullivan, Tout) - McCarty contributed to song writing for a couple albums.
The classic Renaissance came apart in the 80s but in the 90s Dunford created a new version of the band with a new singer, while Annie did some solo albums (one even referring to it as Annie Haslam's Renaissance).
In the mid 70s the original group reformed (minus the late Keith Relf) and called themselves Illusion since they had already handed over the name Renaissance. They did a couple decent albums (you can get them on one CD now) Illusion - The Island Recordings. Then in 2001 John McCarty got his crew together again and they released an album as Renaissance Illusion.
Most recently, Haslam and Dunford and other new people put out an EP (Mystic and the Muse) in 2010 and this is more like the classic Renaissance than Sullivan's album.
I would be nice if the classic Renaissance could reform with Jon Camp as well - whatever happened to him?
********************
WEBSITE
********************
TO THE TOP
********************
''SOUTH OF WINTER''
JUNE 4 2009
46:58
********************
1 Carry Me Home (Betty Thatcher Newsinger / Lee Sullivan) 4:44
2 Alone (Terence Sullivan) 5:27
3 Burning Bridges (Betty Thatcher Newsinger / Terence Sullivan) 4:11
4 Cold Flames (Betty Thatcher Newsinger / Terence Sullivan) 6:15
5 Dove (Terry Sullivan) 4:50
6 Morning (Terence Sullivan) 6:06
7 Careless (Terence Sullivan) 4:27
8 The Sun Also Sets (Betty Thatcher Newsinger / Terence Sullivan) 5:02
9 South of Winter (Betty Thatcher Newsinger / Terence Sullivan) 5:53
********************
Martin Orford/Flute, Strings
Steven Rodgers/Guitar
Christine Sullivan/Vocals
Lee Sullivan/Keyboards
Terence Sullivan/Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals
John Tout/Keyboards, Piano
Jasmine Rodgers/Backing Vocals
********************
ABOUT THE ALBUM
By Warhorse, March 17 2012, www.amazon.com
Renaissant is a project by Renaissance drummer Terry Sullivan (could call it Sullivan's Renaissance). He only ever wrote one song with the Renaissance incidently. Anyway, South of Winter by Renaissant was touted as being in the style of Renaissance. Perhaps musically in some ways it is. Arguably much of the post-70s stuff under the name Renaissance (be it with Annie Haslam or without) and solo efforts by Annie Haslam also aren't quite Renaissance. It begs the question, if you can't have the classic Renaissance then what is the next best thing? Some who liked the band for Annie like her solo albums while those who liked the symphonic progressive rock of 70s Renaissance like them not as much. Well when it comes to Renaissant, while maybe yes the music is more Renaissance-ish than some other newer stuff by former members, it still lacks the energy and drama of classic Renaissance and moreover the vocals totally sink the album.
Most the songs are sung by Terry's wife (I think it's his wife) and she's adequate as a singer but not overly captivating. She sings each song with the same lacklustre intensity. And a couple of the songs are sung by Terry himself, who has a Steve Howe like voice but actually not even as good as Howe (who is no lead singer either).
Overall this album comes across rather dull. Carry Me Home, Morning, and the Sun Also Sets are the only passible ones that I will include in my Renaissance playlist.
If you are looking for Renaissance related releases from the past decade, you would be better served with Tuscany - a 2000 mere complete classic Renaissance reunion (Haslam, Dunford, Sullivan and on some tracks Tout - no Jon Camp though) which while not as good as classic Renaissance is still better than South of Winter, or I might also suggest Through the Fire by Renaissance Illusion, which is a notch better than South of Winter though again not as good as classic Renaissance.
*For those not familiar with the band's history, Renaissance was originally created by the former singer of drummer of the Yardbirds (Keith Relf and John McCarty). That original lineup made two Renaissance albums (Renaissance and Illusion) which can be bought in one CD package now Innocents & Illusions. In turn all the members of the band were replaced by the 3rd album (Prologue) and thus was born the 'classic' Renaissance line up (Haslam, Dunford, Camp, Sullivan, Tout) - McCarty contributed to song writing for a couple albums.
The classic Renaissance came apart in the 80s but in the 90s Dunford created a new version of the band with a new singer, while Annie did some solo albums (one even referring to it as Annie Haslam's Renaissance).
In the mid 70s the original group reformed (minus the late Keith Relf) and called themselves Illusion since they had already handed over the name Renaissance. They did a couple decent albums (you can get them on one CD now) Illusion - The Island Recordings. Then in 2001 John McCarty got his crew together again and they released an album as Renaissance Illusion.
Most recently, Haslam and Dunford and other new people put out an EP (Mystic and the Muse) in 2010 and this is more like the classic Renaissance than Sullivan's album.
I would be nice if the classic Renaissance could reform with Jon Camp as well - whatever happened to him?
********************
WEBSITE
********************
TO THE TOP
********************
