I discovered Renaissance in the early ‘80s and was sucked into the beauty of their music. I hadn’t heard anything like them, and while I’ve run into copies and bands treading similar ground since, there’s nothing like the original.
Back before “progressive rock” was a term, there was Renaissance, which along with Genesis and Yes, formed the foundation of British art rock. Renaissance surprisingly rose from the ashes of The Yardbirds, when Keith Reif and Jim McCarty wanted to add classical elements to their performance. Personnel shifts removed both (and everyone else) by the third album, which many consider the true beginnings of the band. Renaissance combined rock with classical (their early albums all incorporated classical works), jazz, and folk. They are best know for their dominate and complex piano, and for lead vocalist Annie Haslam, who is in the running for finest rock vocalist.
Their prime period was ’72-’78, and my favorite songs stay within that era. My ranking of their studio albums (and pretty much everyone else’s) sticks to this as well, with one of their ’72, ’73, or ’74 albums taking the top slot. I’d order them, from best to worst: Turn of the Cards (1974), Ashes Are Burning (1973), Scheherazade And Other Stories (1975), A Song For All Seasons (1978), Novella (1977), Prolog (1972), Renaissance (1969), Illusion (1971), Tuscany (2001), Symphony of Light / Grandine Il Vento (2013), Azure D’Or (1979), Camera Camera (1981), Time-Line (1983). If you can only buy one, I’d suggest their Live at Carnegie Hall, which does a good job covering their best period, and includes 7 of my 10 favorite songs.
Renaissance faded quickly after ’77, and their dalliance with new wave in the ‘80s was a disaster. They’ve reformed several times with varying forms since, trying to recapture their glory days with only mild success.
My favorites, without further comment:
#10 The Vultures Fly High
(from Scheherazade And Other Stories)
#9 Ashes Are Burning
(from Ashes Are Burning)
#8 Black Flame
(from Turn of the Cards)
#7 Song of Scheherazade
(from Scheherazade And Other Stories)
#6 Northern Lights
(from A Song For All Seasons)
#5 Can You Understand
(from Ashes Are Burning)
#4 Prologue
(from Prologue)
#3 Running Hard
(from Turn of the Cards)
#2 Carpet of the Sun
(from Ashes Are Burning)
#1 Mother Russia
(from Turn of the Cards)