LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL (1976, Deluxe Anniversary Edition) (NL+E)

Het zal de lezers van deze website niet zijn ontgaan dat ik een fan van Renaissance ben, hoewel ik de band nooit live heb gezien. Ik was dan ook aangenaam verrast dat Live At Carnegie Hall na dertig jaar op cd is gezet. Het oppimpen van de plaat, zoals dat vandaag de dag zo veel gebeurd, kon in die tijd nog vrijwel niet. Dat betekent dat alles wat je hoort daadwerkelijk door de band is gespeeld en dat is in dit geval indrukwekkend. De hier besproken 'Deluxe Anniverary Edition’ is een geremasterde uitgave van het legendarische Carnegie Hall-concert van Renaissance uit juni 1975. De setlist waaronder Scheherazade en Ashes Are Burning, is een iets uitgeklede versie van de dubbel-lp Live At Carnegie Hall uit 1976. De geluidskwaliteit is verbluffend goed en en wat je hoort is een soort ‘best of’ live, mede dankzij de unieke uitvoering van het grote New York Philharmonic Orchestra en een koor. De arrangementen zijn prachtig en de band is in grootse vorm. Uiteraard waren de oren en ogen vooral gericht op de frêle Annie Haslam die vocaal een sublieme prestatie neerzet. Haar onvoorstelbare bereik van vijf octaven komt tijdens dit concert uitstekend naar voren en daarom blijft deze band in het progressieve genre een unicum. De geoefende luisteraar hoort ook dat John Tout een geweldige toetsenist is en hoezeer Jon Camp zijn grote voorbeeld Chris Squire naar de kroon steekt. In Terry Sullivan heeft de band een goede en melodieuze drummer en Michael Dunford mag dan geen op de voorgrond tredende gitarist zijn, prachtige nummers schrijven is hem in elk geval voor de volle honderd procent toevertrouwd. Cd1 bevat het nagenoeg instrumentale Prologue, gespeeld door de band, gevolgd door het prachtige Ocean Gypsy. Vervolgens Can You Understand mét orkest en aan het einde van dit nummer maakt Camp een opmerking waardoor je de indruk krijgt dat dit oorspronkelijk het op één na laatste nummer was. Dat komt wat vreemd over, want in het volgende nummer kondigt Haslam het orkest aan. De laatste twee nummers zijn afkomstig van het album Turn Of The Cards (1974): Running Hard en het politiek beladen Mother Russia. Op cd2 vinden we de gehele kant 2 van de lp Scheherazade And Other Stories (1975) en het titelstuk van de tweede plaat Ashes Are Burning (1973). Samen met dubbelaars als Seconds Out van Genesis, A Live Record van Camel, Made In Japan van Deep Purple en Live At The Filmore East van The Allman Brothers Band, behoort dit liveconcert mijns inziens tot de allerbeste uit de progressieve rock kent. Wel is het artwork wat soberder dan bij de oorspronkelijke versie.

In my perception Renaissance is one of the most underestimated bands in the history of (progressive) rock music. This sold-out concert series in June 1975 with the full New York Philharmonic Orchestra and choir, should not only be appreciated as one of the highlights in the career of the band, but should also be regarded as a legendary performance by a ground-breaking band with Annie Haslam, a vocalist extraordinaire. The enhanced sound quality of this remastered recording proves even more what a great outfit they were. The masterly played keyboards by John Tout, the truly great bass playing by Jon Camp, the subtle yet unsurpassed drumming by Terry Sullivan and the highly original and brilliant compositions by Michael Dunford. All this contributes to the fact that Renaissance is still a band worth listening to in this present day and age. I would like to refrain from getting into a discussion about the re-issues and remasters, and just review the album released recently. Except for new liner notes by Annie Haslam, the artwork and booklet are one page less than in the previous release, thus informative but sober. The concert is kicked off by the band, playing the overture from their first album, produced by the line-up known best. A modest role for Annie Haslam, yet her contribution sets the band aside from all others in the genre. Jon Camp announces the next song: Ocean Gypsy from the then forthcoming album. This was probably one of the most performed songs in the band’s history. Beautifully sung by Haslam with the band in superb form. Next track is Can You Understand, where we can appreciate the valuable contribution by the orchestra making this track really special. Only comment from my point of view is, that the ovation at the end of this song combined with some words by Camp, suggests that this song originally was the last or one of the last tracks from the concert. So why put it in the middle of the album, whilst in the next track, Annie Haslam introduces the orchestra we could already hear in the previous song? It doesn't change the outstanding quality of the music fortunately. On the show went with Running Hard from the album Turn Of The Cards (1974). Again an excellent performance by the band, while the orchestra really adds a lot of tasteful and majestic sounds using the horn section, percussion, strings and woodwinds. When live performances occur, as in this one, occasionally one of the members of the orchestra plays a note out of tune. Striking is the beautiful sound of Camp’s bass. The final track of CD1 is Mother Russia also from Turn Of The Cards. It's a very dramatic song about Alexander Solzhenitsyn. The orchestra takes over part of orchestrations originally performed on Tout’s keyboards and plays along with Annie Haslam’s vocal line. The beautiful harp amongst other instruments in the orchestra helps to build up to a grand and majestic finale.
On CD2 the orchestra is tuning their instruments and Camp announces that they’re about to play what used to be the second side of their forthcoming album Scheherazade And Other Stories (1975). He gives the audience a summary of the story. The orchestra has a very prominent role in this part of the show. All arrangements seem to have been worked out in every detail and for me this performance sounds even more convincing and powerful then the original studio recording, also because of the performance of the choir. Camp’s lead vocals are strong and simultaneously he plays the surely not too easy bass lines, quite an accomplishment. Also two perfectly performed solo-pieces by John Tout on the piano and an almost magical melancholic part by Dunford, Camp and a flute, played by one of the members of the orchestra. The last track, performed by the band, is the title track of Renaissance's second album Ashes Are Burning (1973) featuring Tout’s keyboards in the somewhat jazzy middle section, Camp's bass solo mimicking Chris Squire (Yes) and foremost Haslam’s singing giving proof of her impressive range. The over-enthusiastic audience shows it's appreciation by a long and undoubtedly standing ovation. This is one of the best and most complete live recordings ever put on record; a truly legendary performance by band as well as the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and choir. The crystal clear voice of Annie Haslam remains one of a kind in the genre of progressive rock and her performance in New York was undoubtedly one of the most perfect in her lifetime. Superb sound quality in my opinion, this is an album that should be in every collection of all fans of (progressive) rock. Of course Renaissance has released many more beautiful songs, but this comes close to one of the best live concerts. Now if this concert would only be available on DVD…