Renaissance
Novella

THE REVIEW

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