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Rating: That the audience's tastes had changed didn't seem to matter much to Renaissance, who in 1977, undeterred by the musical revolution taking place, released their seventh studio album with an unchanged lineup, following a successful concert season that culminated with the release of the double Live at Carnegie Hall.
Novella is indeed another tale that seems to come from the past, almost a re-edition of their debut album,
five tracks opened by a very long suite ( Can You Hear Me? ) with the piano always in the spotlight and refined arrangements to elevate Haslam's singing;
it's pure progressive, as the style of this band eludes by definition any genre label.
Midas Man that opens the second side is certainly one of the best pieces of the record and of Renaissance's entire production, two intimate tracks for Annie's voice (The Sisters and The Captive Heart) and another ensemble of about 10 minutes (Touching One Is So Hard To Keep) complete the album.
A work with some flaws but decidedly courageous, with which the band once again embraces their relatively small audience with unspoiled purity but, as expected, will not be rewarded in terms of sales. The subsequent A Song For All Seasons will indeed see them forced to take a small step towards slightly more accessible sounds, with the track Back Home Once Again becoming the theme song for the TV miniseries The Paper Lads.
Could we have asked more from Renaissance?
MrBlueSky
Tracks
Can You Hear Me?
The Sisters
Midas Man
The Captive Heart
Touching One (Is so hard to keep)
Lineup
Annie Haslam – vocals
Michael Dunford – acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar
John Tout – piano, keyboards, synthesizer, clavinet
Jon Camp – bass, vocals, effects, cello
Terence Sullivan – drums and percussion
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Can You Hear Me? (13:39)
Morning people take the news
A paper window on a world
They live on undisturbed
Thoughts may fly like the lonely birds
And lost behind the silent words
Voices are unheard
Put it down to city life
Oh if I understood
Passing by so easily
I'd reach you if I could
Can you hear me
Can you hear me
Fly like a song, fly while you're singing
A song without you, is a bird without winging
Some city flights leave in the morning
Some city nights end without warning
Can you hear me call
Evening people see the day
A silhouette on every face
A shadow on their eyes
I take my place within the crowd
We walk the dusty streets around
Encompassing our lives
Put it down to city times
Oh if I understood
Passing by so casually
I'd reach you if I could
Can you hear me
Can you hear me
Fly like a song, fly while you're singing
A song without you, is a bird without winging
Some city flights leave in the morning
Some city nights end without warning
Can you hear me call
Can you hear me call
Can you hear me call
[Instrumental]
Calling to the sky
The thunder drowns my voice within the rain
And I know you're near me
And I call throughout the storm
I know that you don't hear me
I call your name
I call your name
I call your name
Can you hear me call your name
Can you hear me call
Hear me call your name
I call your name
I call your name
Can you hear me call your name
[Instrumental]
Night time people find it hard
To hear themselves above the noise
The music holds its own
I recognised a place I'd known
I turned to find it carved in
03 Midas Man (05:46)
Gold - said the man to the many
I want money and I'll make it grow
I will count my worth in gold - wealth untold
I'll sell my soul - Midas Man
Sold - said the man to the many
Work for me, I'll only steal your time
I will count my money out, there's no doubt
I'll sell my soul - Midas Man - Midas Man
I'll take from the blind and I'll get up ahead
I'll sneak up behind and I'll steal
I'll take all that you have
And then all that you've concealed
I'll take anything I can get - I'll make you
I'll break you and I'll make you sweat
Nothing is worth nothing unless it's
Made for Midas Man
Gold - said the man to the many
Pots of gold are all I want from you
Quarter time for treble days the only way
To sell your soul - Midas Man - Midas Man
I'll take from the blind and I'll get up ahead
I'll sneak up behind and I'll steal
I'll take all that you have
And then all that you've concealed
I'll take anything I can get - I'll make you
I'll break you and I'll make you sweat
Nothing is worth nothing unless it's
Made for Midas Man
Midas - Midas - Midas Man
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