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21 of 22 found the following review helpful:
 Fairly goodDec 05, 2003
After a 20 year break from releasing from studio albums, Renaissance gets back together and releases Tuscany. It is a much updated sound for the band.On the positive side, the production is good, sounding better than any of the 70's and 80's albums. Terry Sullivan's drums are bigger and fuller than on the older albums. The songs are most reminiscient of the 80's (Songs from Renaissance Days) and 90's (Annie Haslam's Renaissance - Blessing in Disguise). Annie Haslam sounds as good as ever. It's good to see Michael Dunford back on acoustic guitar. John Tout's appearances on the album are a big plus. His occasional piano parts, like on Pearls of Wisdom, give the album the occasional `old Renaissance' sound. The best song might possibly be "Dear Landseer". That almost sounds like it could have been on Song For All Seasons or Azure D'Or. On the down side, Jon Camp's bright and melodic bass lines are sadly missing. Alex Caid does an okay job, but the mix on his bass is rather muddy and bland, making him sound like millions of other bass players. There's also a shortage of piano on the album. It would have been great if John Tout had been able to play more of the parts, or Mickey Simmonds backed off the synths a bit and settled down at the good old piano. Regardless, it is great that the band got together and took the time and effort to release this album. It belongs in any Renaissance collection. We owe it to this special band to support them by purchasing and sharing this music.
14 of 15 found the following review helpful:
 Renaissance DaysJul 02, 2007
By Mark Champion
"autumnfair"
Comprising what can only be termed a return to form, this popped up a couple of years ago pretty much unheralded. Too bad, because any fan of Renaissance will appreciate its hearkening back to the band's heyday as well as the return of Annie Haslam after a brief detour with Stephanie Adlington on the not-bad-at-all THE OTHER WOMAN. True, synths play a prominent role in the instrumentation department, but the orchestra is back as is the grand piano. It sounds like the band never left, and as if CAMERA CAMERA and TIME LINE never happened (this time it's Haslam, Michael Dunford, Terry Sullivan and Mickey Simmonds, with contributions from Roy Wood and former full-timer John Tout). And yes, the smarm factor is, as always, present (In The Sunshine is the most egregious here, and Dolphins Prayer is exactly what the title implies). But at least one song, the beautifully plaintive Pearls Of Wisdom, is easily worthy of any of the best the band ever did, if not better. If you've ever had a place for Renaissance, here's one more.
11 of 12 found the following review helpful:
Great CD Replete With Environmental Themes !Dec 05, 2006
By Brien Comerford
I concede that this sounds more like an Annie Haslam solo CD. However, it is akin to a paramount Annie Haslam CD augmented with brilliant and talented musicians. Her wondrous and diverse vocals resonate with grandeur throughout the inspiring recording. The CD themes are very spiritual and some of the songs focus on nature and the environment. Fans will especially appreciate "Tuscany" if they also purchase the Renaissance Live 2001 Album recorded in Japan. These new songs blend in well with the Band's greatest hits recorded a few decades ago. Annie Haslam is as important to Renaissance as Jon Anderson is to Yes !
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
If you like Renaissance, buy this CDJan 07, 2001
Let me say that I was prepared to be disappointed by this CD. I'd strongly disliked Renaissance's next to last CD, Camera Camera (1981), the first without Terence Sullivan and John Tout; and only been intermittently happy with Timeline (1983)(the less said the better of Michael Dunford's attempt to put the band back together with a new vocalist in the late 1980s; it just didn't sound like Renaissance at all). Nor have I ever been a big fan of Annie Haslam's solo work. All of these albums seemed to confirm that Renaissance was more than just a wonderful voice with some other musicians playing backup; it was very much an ensemble affair, and if one element was missing, the magic just wouldn't be there. So when I read that they'd done this album, but that it was missing Jon Camp (who'd shared song writing credit with Michael Dunford on most of Renaissance's "classic" work from 1972-1979, and whose wonderful lead bass had been such an important part of that sound) and that it included musicians from Annie Haslam's current solo group, I felt a sense of foreboding. Then I got it the other day, put it on, and gave it a listen. I thought to myself "well, you know, this isn't bad." Then I listened again and thought "gee, this is pretty good." Then again, and by that time I was thinking "wow, this is very, very good indeed." I can now say without exageration that I think this is easily the best Renaissance album since Azure d'Or (1979) and probably since Song for All Seasons (1977). The songwriting is superb, Michael Dunford at his best; it's thankfully missing the pop and new wave influences that really marred Camera Camera and Timeline, and returns Renaissance to the almost perfect mixture of acoustic, classical and rock sounds which made them unique among progressive rock bands of the 1970's. The sound is also more acoustic, I think, than any of their albums since Song for All Seasons; Azure d'Or, while very good, relied too much on electronic keyboards. Synthesizers are definitely used here, but they seem somehow more unobtrusive, more as they were on the albums prior to Azure d'Or, so that Annie Haslam's voice, Jon Tout's beautiful piano and harpsichord, Michael Dunford's acoustic guitar, take center stage, as they did in Renaissance's earlier work. The album also seems less engineered than those from Azure d'Or through Timeline--most notably, Annie Haslam's voice is usually not double recorded; the sound seems simpler and cleaner. Most importantly, the songs themselves are just very, very beautiful and beautifully performed. The concluding song, "1000 Roses," is especially good, one of the best I've ever heard them do, and it easily matches up with "Carpet of the Sun," "I Think of You," "Touching Once," any of their best signature work from the 1970s. To be sure, there are some things I'd like more of--I'd like to see John Camp back, although his absence simply wasn't the cause for fear I'd thought it was; I'd like to see Jon Tout's keyboards more in evidence. But Tuscany is better than I'd ever remotely hoped it would be, and if you love Renaissance, you shouldn't blink an eye at the import cost. Buy it immediately and listen!
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
A New Beginning With Some Old Friends...And Some New OnesJan 10, 2001
By K. A. Walsh
This disc is positively *beautiful*, and something I've waitedfor years to hear! I am a *huge* fan of this band, having seen themlive at least 4 times in the 70's (all in NYC...the NE Corridor of theUSA was their biggest fan base in the USA) and having every one oftheir albums (including the recent Live releases, the "new"Renaissance with Stephanie Adlington on vocals, and variouscompilations) in my collection. So yeah, my review might appear to besomewhat biased on the surface, but in all honesty I'm severelycritical of both the "Camera, Camera" and"Timeline" releases from the 80's that came after thedisolution of the original line-up. This album is not only areturn of most of the original members of the "classic"Renaissance (Annie Haslam-vocals/Mick Dunford- guitars/Terry Sullivan-drums and percussion) with a guest appearance by "classic"keyboardist John Tout on 3 tracks augmented by superlativeperformances by Mickey Simmonds on keyboards (ex-Camel/Fish, etc), RoyWood on bass/vocals/percussion (ex-husband of Annie Haslam andex-Move/ELO founder) on a few tracks, as well as newcomer Alex Cairdon bass...but a return to "classic" Renaissance musicalform. The ballads flow beautifully, just like old times; theupbeat/rocking tunes contain great time changes throughout and hookson the choruses. Terry's drums have been *sorely* missed! Anniesounds better than ever, and the keyboard arrangements (by both Toutand Simmonds) are phenominal. An earlier reviewer alluded to thebrilliant work of Betty Thatcher/Newsinger's lyrics on previousalbums, but Annie does an excellent job here, proving that the onlything missing from her lyrics (on her solo albums) was Mick Dunford'smusic. Annie's still trying to find her way as a lyricist, but Ithink this is her strongest effort yet. Standout tracks are"Lady From Tuscany", "Dear Landseer", "TheRace", "Dolphin's Prayer", "Life In Brazil",and "One Thousand Roses". Heck...every track on this CD isawesome! Is it worth the extra cash? If you're a long-time fan likeme...absolutely! Keep in mind this disc is only scheduled to bereleased in Japan, so that alone should propell the Renaissanceaffectionados to point and click *very* quickly. If you're a newbieto their music, I'd recommend "Live At Carnegie Hall" orboth of the "King Buscuit" discs to start, and work your waythrough their catalogue from there. This disc was well worth thewait; the heck with the budget, buy it!
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