Azure d'Or

Product Description
Originally released in 1979, this is the U.S. CD debut with the original album cover artwork. 10 tracks including, 'Jekyll & Hyde', 'Golden Key' and 'Friends'. Standard jewel case. 2001 release.

Azure d'Or,Renaissance,Wounded Bird Records,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop

Azure d'Or

Average customer rating:

Improves over the pop experiments of Song For All Seasons...
Renaissance rules
Sheen On
Quite good, if a bit too electronic
a very fine album

Azure d'Or
Renaissance
Manufacturer: Wounded Bird Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Song for All Seasons
Novella
Turn of the Cards
Scheherazade & Other Stories
Ashes Are Burning

ASIN: B00005A48K
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

Jekyll And Hyde
The Winter Tree
Only Angels Have Wings
Golden Key
Forever Changing
Secret Mission
Kalynda (A Magical Isle)
The Discovery
Friends
The Flood At Lyons

Album Description

Originally released in 1979, this is the U.S. CD debut with the original album cover artwork. 10 tracks including, 'Jekyll & Hyde', 'Golden Key' and 'Friends'. Standard jewel case. 2001 release.

Customer Reviews:

Improves over the pop experiments of Song For All Seasons..........2004-07-21

and by a long shot, but unfortunately repeats some of the same mistakes.

One positive note about this album is that instead of having half of the songs orchestrated and in the classic Renaissance style along with more vocally textured and synth-heavy tunes, it is all basically one cohesive, wall-of-sound style and holds together much better sonically as an album than it's predecessor, A Song For All Seasons. Some may complain that it sounds muddy, and I couldn't disagree more. Sure, it is a very full mix, but the huge layers of keyboards and vocals (with a lot of studio reverb) give it a heavenly sound not too unlike Yes's Going For The One album.

And way to hold together sonically! This is probably the most far removed from the old sound that they had gotten at this point of their career, instead of the earthy, acoustic based sound with orchestra, they opted for many layers of vocal harmonies, ethereal synths and mellotron, and kept the song structures taut and focused, for the most part. Basically, the sound is very reminicent of Genesis around Trick Of The Tail, which is not a bad thing at all.

They sure knew how to introduce the public to the new sound with "Jekyl And Hyde," which pounds along furiously like few Renaissance tracks had before, and it's convulted disco-ish rhythm is so catchy that you probably won't notice some of the more complex rhythm changes that garnish the track. Nope, definately not the same old Renaissance, but it's hardly a bad thing at all.

After this unusually energetic number most of the remainder of the album is stuffed with ballads, some of which are a real treat (The ethereal beauty "Winter Tree," the sentimental, cute ode "Friends" which is a personal favorite and the more seriously toned "Golden Key") some which are just ok-ish ("Kaylinda" "Forever Changing") and one of which is absolutely disgusting (the Camp-sung "Only Angels Have Wings").

The album does contain a few curiosities, when they go for the huge, bombastic vibe or unnecessarily complex structure to compensate for a lack of good music to put in the song it doesn't gel quite as well. "Secret Mission" is the one that will make you shake your head the most and is one of their most bizarre and disjointed songs, which will create a feeling of confusion similar to the way most Gentle Giant would sound on first listen. This is one of the tunes that really tries to ape the prog-lite style Genesis were going for around the time and with all the Moog-Taurus bass pedals, ethereal ARP lines and mellotron it's hard not to make the comparison. Although it is over-complex, downright confusing, and contains way too many different sections of music stuck together that don't initially sound like they belong together, the song will eventually grow on you, as it does contain a couple of really awesome sections that make the tune a worthwhile listen, mainly towards the end when Annie screams "Changing every DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!" and hits that super high note that caps off the best Renaissance tunes. It's just effin' stunning and makes sitting through the preceding chaos worthwhile. The traditional prog-rock style just wasn't their forte, that's all. At least it showcases the rhythm section well, which features some of Camp and Sullivans tightest playing together as a unit and is not too far removed from the sound Squire and Bruford had together.

This album also contains the instrumental piece "The Discovery" which is VERY similar in structure to the Genesis instrumental "Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers/In That Quiet Earth" and I can almost see David Hentchell telling both bands to shoot for an instrumental with an energetic, driving first part with a more bombastic and glorious 2nd half to cap it off. It is definately not near as good as its Genesis penned big brother (especially lacking in the first section) it ends with a 2nd half that is among the most menacing and eerie in the Renaissance catalog and you'll be finding yourself rewinding that part over and over again. Again, something worth sitting through something that's so-so to get to something good, but it's worth it, trust me.

The album ends with something again that unfortunately tries to be more complex than it needs to be, but is the best of the failed (somewhat) experiments, which is "The Flood At Lyons" where Annie really gets to stretch out and display her unmatchable vocal power. Once again, an unnecessarily proggy intro and somewhat weak verses are offset by absolutely amazing choruses and a great coda.

It may seem like I have picked apart the album somewhat, but I most definately favor this over the more acclaimed Song For All Seasons album, which was hinting at a more pop oriented direction. See, I don't have any problem at all with them going for some hits with this release, it's just that their attempts at pop music on Azure D'Or were just executed much better than the preceding album, and even the ones I didn't care for as much would at least stick in your head and were memorable in some way, unlike many of SFAS's failures. Instead of breezing by me without leaving much of an impression, they would at least contain more memorable melodies that were catchy in some way, or at least had a few sections I liked a lot.

I really do find it unfortunate they didn't have the same luck Genesis and Yes did with commercializing their sound, as their are several tracks on here that have "HIT" stamped on them loud and proud. As a matter of fact, the attempt to commercialize the sound backfired completely and they charted twice as low as the preceding albums. For this I feel it's recieved an undeserved bad reputation and automatically turns people off to it, but with a rich, full production and enough pleasant tunes and strong performances, the album holds up and is the best of their releases following Novella. Sure, you should buy the classic stuff with Annie first, but if you're interested in their mid to later period stuff this should be the first album you pick up. It's not perfect, but you definately won't be disapointed.

Renaissance rules.......2004-05-17

I can not beging to tell you what this band has meant to me over the years since I was introduced to them back in the early 70's. The hours I have spent listening to Annie Haslam's voice and the journeys it has taken me on. The pain it has soothed. The memories it has recalled. On this CD "Kalynda" reminds me of a woman I once knew in my youth who got me hooked on redheads. "Kalynda" reminds me of the love I had for her. The twinkle in her eyes and the times we shared. This is why this CD will always be special for me. Thank you Annie, John, and the rest of you. Do yourself a favor and take the journey with Renaissance.

Sheen On.......2004-03-24

It might be hard to do, but if you can separate David Hentschel's homogenizing production work from the songs themselves you will probably appreciate Renaissance's effort here quite a lot. What Hentschel did was to take out all of the bass and emaciate what could have been. . .well, very pleasingly plump. Hentschels's synthesized sheen renders the album virtually bloodless- - -play this back to back with TURN OF THE CARDS, for instance, and you'll hear what I mean. Yuk. As for the songs, however, no complaints. Renaissance was always a pop band at heart, admit it or not (ever heard 'Carpet Of The Sun'? 'I Think Of You'? 'The Vultures Fly High'? 'The Captive Heart?') and on AZURE D'OR they allow their pop sensibilities full reign. Particularly excellent are 'The Winter Tree' with its gorgeous melody line and chorus, and the melancholic 'Forever Changing'. None of the songs here are terrible by any means, even if Jon Camp cheesily advises that 'Only Angels Have Wings' (hey Jon, how do you explain Mothra?). It isn't as if every Renaissance album until AZURE D'OR were perfect. . .still, David Hentschel reduced what could have been sonically awesome into near-tepid and all-generic proportions. And I sure do miss the orchestra. And the grrahnd piahno. Come to think of it, I kind of miss Renaissance. Say, where's my copy of WIND AND WUTHERING? Hentschel produced that, too. Sounds like he just changed the vocalists and added a Mellotron or two.

Quite good, if a bit too electronic.......2003-03-18

This album, indeed the last by the most popular lineup of Renaissance, tends to be underappreciated by most fans. In my opinion, it's full of strong songs. One reason some people don't like it is that it doesn't contain any long 10-minute epics like previous works. But some of these "epics", such as "Touching Once" or "The Sisters", seemed to be long just for the sake of being long. I liked the introduction of shorter songs.

But the songwriting is stil rooted in the band's usual influences -- folk and folk-rock ("Friends", "Forever Changing", "Kalynda") or the classical/symphonic ("The Flood at Lyons", the rather baroque "Only Angels Have Wings"). Or, combining the two ("Golden Key","Jekyll and Hyde"). And the marvelous instrumental "The Discovery" proves that Renaissance could still hold its own with progressive rock peers like Yes.
The melodies are catchy, the lyrics are always interesting, and Annie Haslam's amazing five octave range floats above it all.

What a lot of fans had problems with was David Hentschel's production. He had produced the band's previous album, "A Song for All Seasons", which gave the band a huge hit single with "Northern Lights". Hentschel, who also produced Genesis at that time, had enough pull to persuade the band to adopt an approach on which guitars, vocal harmonies and especially synthesizers were endlessly overdubbed. This made them sound quite a bit like Genesis. The "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" style does make the album sound rather stiff and sterile. The songs don't seem to have much breathing room. Hentschel was able to balance better the use of electric guitars and synthetic orchestration with the band's usual acoustic approach on "Seasons".

Once you get past that, though, you get to some really good songs. For those who find ten minute prog-rock epics a bit overwhelming or boring, "Azure d'Or" might be a good introduction to the marvelous sounds of Renaissance. For more seasoned fans, repeated listening will uncover the wonderful lyrics and melodies of these songs.

a very fine album.......2001-12-06

I'll be short: I didn't know this band in the seventies, I only knew the bandname. One day, a few years ago, I bought this album together with Turn of the cards and found them both great. Afterwards I bought all the albums of this interesting band. Turn... and Azure... are quite different in style, but in both the songs are fantastic. Azure d'Or may be a little more 'pop', still the melodies, the arrangements and the voices are just perfect for me. I even find it excellent that this band managed to produce this different style too. For some fans it's difficult to change along with the artists, I think, and that could be the reason this album isn't appreciated like Ashes are Burning or A song for All Seasons. It's true that albums, which came later, were weaker, but this one stands as a rock. Don't hesitate to buy it, you won't be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

SImply Untrue
an extra star for all the guest artists
An Homage to a Great Artist
superb vocals

The Very Best of Thomas Hampson
Marc Barrard , Thomas Hampson , Csaba Airizer , Georges Bizet , Charles Wakefield Cadman , Stephen Foster , Charles Gounod , Edvard Grieg , Charles Tomlinson Griffes , Imre (Emmerich) Kalman , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Franz Lehar , Gustav Mahler , Jules Massenet , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Gioachino Rossini , Franz Schubert , Robert Schumann , Johann II Strauss , Ambroise Thomas , Giuseppe Verdi , Richard Wagner , Carl Maria von Weber , Antonio de Almeida , Antonio Pappano , Eugene Kohn , and Fabio Luisi
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Song of America
No Tenors Allowed: Famous Duets for Baritone and Bass
Arias - Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert
Samuel Ramey - Operatic Arias
Leading Man

ASIN: B0006VYEI2
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

La Ran La Lera...Largo Al Factotum
O Sainte Medaille...Avant De Quitter Ces Lieux
Ce Breuvage...Vision Fugitive
C'est Toi...Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Placido Domingo
La Fatigue Alourdit Mes Pas...Comme Une Pale Fleur
Ecoute!...Dieu, Tu Semas Dans Nos Ames
C'est Mon Jour Supreme
Tout Est Desert...Son Regard
Ove Son Io?...Vada In Fiamme
Perfidi! All'Anglo Contro Me...Pieta, Rispetto Amore
Di Provenza Il Mar, Il Suol
E Sogno? O Realta?
Komm!
Der Garten Des Herzens
Lied Des Venezianischen Gondoliers
Le Lazzarone
L'Ultimo Ricordo

Tracks:

Mein Sehnen, Mein Wahnen
Wo Berg' Ich Mich?...So Weih' Ich Mich Den Rachgewalten
Wie Todesahnung...O Du Mein Holder Abendstern
Gruss Op.48 No.1
Im Wunderschonen Monat Mai
Aus Meinen Tranen Spriessen
Die Rose, Die Lilie
Ich Will Meine Seele Tauchen
Ich Grolle Nicht
Gute Nacht
Die Post
Blicke Mir Nicht In Die Lieder
Ich Atmet' Einen Linden Duft
Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen
Von Der Schonheit
O Vaterland, Du Machst Bei Tag
Als Flotter Geist
Komm, Zigany
An Old Song Re-Sung
At Dawning (I Love You) Op.29 No.1 - Armen Guzelimian
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Beautiful Dreamer

Album Description

Details TBA. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

SImply Untrue.......2006-08-16

The previous review is simply a gross falsification. I have been an obsessed opera fan for a long time, and Thomas Hampson is a truly special singer. He is not the possesor of the largest or most interesting voice, which he will tell you and indeed says so all the time. His commitment to text, his willingness to search out parts to fit his voice, and his dedication to art song make im invaluable to Americans as a ture Troubador. His light Baritone was ideally suited to Figaro and to Valentin and the art song he loves. He must stretch to sing Verdi, where his voice sounds dry and small but many singers have chanced Verdi at their peril, and his innate ablity to inhabit a song, here evidenced in Di Provenza overcomes fact that it is out of his fach. You misinformed opinion of Hampson is mean and strangly bitter. I love Opera, but I do not love every singer, which doesn't mean I debase their very artistic existance. I have seen Hampson live, and have loved him (in Thias) and somewhat disliked him (in Simon Boccanegra) As for him being pretentious, somwetimes I find him mannered, but always charming. SOmetimes Intellectualism can appear pretentious, but surely you wont hold an opera singer to the charge that he must be unintellectual. what a vitriolic review, please buy this Cd, it merits repeated listening to a true American SINGER,

an extra star for all the guest artists.......2006-05-08

The title of this album is an oxymoron. Or a sick joke. I can't decide. Sure he has made millions by luring the uninitiated listener into his web of deceit and conceit, but don't be fooled any longer. How fortunate Hampson has been to sing for and with great artists to shoulder his heavy load.

An Homage to a Great Artist.......2005-10-30

EMI is wisely creating a series of recordings to gather the moments of artists that showcase the very reasons they become so highly regarded. Usually these collections are produced late in careers or even posthumously, but in the case of THE VERY BEST OF THOMAS HAMPSON the artist is still one of the more active and premiere singers of our day. Yet while he doesn't still perform all of these inclusions, it is wonderful to have excerpts from various successful recordings to remind us of the artistry that Hampson represents.

The two disc set includes arias from operas: Rossini's 'Il barbière di Siviglia', von Weber's 'Euryanthe', Gounod's 'Faust', Massenet's 'Hérodiade', Bizet's 'Les Pêcheurs de perles' (in duet with Placido Domingo), Thomas' 'Hamlet', Verdi's 'Don Carlo', 'Il Travatore', 'Macbeth', 'La Traviata', and 'Falstaff', Korngold's 'Die Tote Stadt', and Wagner's 'Tannhäuser'.

But the rewards of a Hampson recording must include his impeccable career as a lieder stylist and on this recording are excerpts from Schumann's 'Dichterliebe', Schubert's 'Winterreise', Mahler's 'Rückert Lieder' and 'Das Lied von der Erde', as well as songs by Meyerbeer, Rossini, Grieg, Kalman, and Lehar. And very importantly there are examples of American songs that Hampson has always emphasized in his recitals. Works by Stephen Foster, and two extraordinary works with the brilliant accompanist Armen Guzelimian - 'An Old Song Re-sung' by Griffes and 'At Dawning' by Charles Wakefield Cadman - round out this fine survey.

Not usually a collector of such 'recombinations', for this listener this album is so very fine that it deserves the attention of all those who appreciate the artistry of Thomas Hampson - then and now. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

superb vocals.......2005-08-07

Mr.Hampson really gets the chance to showcase his wonderful baritone voice in this "Best of" collection which includes excellent selections from his various other CDs. I like the diversity of the selections featuring operatic arias,works from classical composers, and folk songs. For Thomas hampson fans, as well as fans of the baritone voice, this CD is for them.

Average customer rating:

One of the most beautiful British prog-rock albums ever
So Very England
Excellent
Enjoyable for its own merits
Don't bother

Azure d'Or
Renaissance
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000073B5
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Tracks:

Jekyll and Hyde
Winter Tree
Only Angels Have Wings
Golden Key
Forever Changing
Secret Mission
Kalynda (A Magical Isle)
Discovery [Instrumental]
Friends
Flood at Lyons

Album Description

The prog legend's 1979 album for Sire. 10 tracks, including 'Jekyll And Hyde', 'The Winter Tree' and 'Only Angels Have Wings'.

Customer Reviews:

One of the most beautiful British prog-rock albums ever.......2007-03-17

I simply cannot believe the unforgivingness that many people give this album. Even though I'm only 27 (and American born/raised), my parents used to play it all the time when I was little, and I've become very attached to it. (My mom even used to sing "Kalynda" to me as a lullabye). Annie Haslam's voice is one of the most beautiful ever in the history of recorded music, and it helps make these already catchy songs even better. Also, despite what many people say, the only really noticeable difference between this and other Renaissance albums is the shorter times. There is certainly no less creativity here, and the upbeat pop appeal of some of the songs is a welcome change from the dark (and not always pleasant) atmosphere of some of the group's earlier works. Because of the obscurity of this album, I always thought that I would never meet anyone outside of my own family who could say that they knew of it, but I was surprised about 8 years ago by an old teacher of mine who was as big a Renaissance-phile as my parents and I. If you see this album, please get it. I can't imagine that you will ever want to part with it.

So Very England.......2002-04-03

I first saw Renaissance in 1975 at the Hammersmith Odeon - they were equal billing with Caravan. None of these songs to be sure, but I was totally sold on their music and this is another affirmation of why that happened. Annie Haslam's beautiful voice, always strong with the benefit of training, dominates throughout, but the contributions of the whole band cannot be missed. I have never failed to feel inspired by "the Flood at Lyons" and am equally surprised by the slightly odd "Jekyll and Hyde". My favourite, however, always remains "Winter Tree".

So very England.

Excellent.......2001-05-30

This is an often underrated release by Renaissance because they have chosen to tighten up the songs to 4 or 5 minutes. Gone are the long orchestrated pieces of earlier releases. But Annie's voice is as good here as it gets. This is now available as a U.S. release

Enjoyable for its own merits.......2001-05-13

Azure D'or is nearly always compared unfavorably to other Renaissance albums. I often find that people who listened to this album first liked it alot, if they liked the pop genre in which it was made. I was one of those people. I loved the album. I moved on to the others and loved them too, but it is short-sighted to condemn Azure D'or based on how it does or doesn't measure up to the earlier works. Anyone new to the group should know that before 1978, Renaissance was a classical-pop mix, with a bit of English folk, a bit of jazz, a bit of Elizabethan, etc., etc. It was an unusual sound and sophisticatedly crafted. After 1978, the composing was still out of the mainstream (far from punk and disco) but the production was more pop oriented and relied heavily on synthesizers. The music is generally very melodic, with beautiful harmonies. Some songs suffer from too many competing recording tracks, making a muddiness, but that is not true of the whole album. Annie, the lead singer, sounds great, and despite the difference from the earlier albums, the music is still special in its own way.

Don't bother.......2001-03-06

With punk and new wave firmly in control in 1979, so called "progressive rock" was well out of vogue and excruciatingly unhip. In this climate, Renaissance was struggling for "relevance" and this album was its woefully misguided attempt and reclaiming it.

Gone were the grand orchestral arrangements that had marked previous albums and it its place were a group of songs drowned in an overproduced synthesizer mess. What was worse was that few if any of the songs even hinted and being memorable. It was not just the way they were presented it was the content of the songs themselves. This was the album that pretty much put the band to rest. After several previous unfocused efforts, their already dwindling fan base all but dried up. A sad whimpering end to a once compelling band.

Azure d'Or
Average customer rating:
Azure d'Or
Renaissance
Manufacturer: Bmg Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005A1EN
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

Jekyll and Hyde
Winter Tree
Only Angels Have Wings
Golden Key
Forever Changing
Secret Mission
Kalynda (A Magical Isle)
Discovery [Instrumental]
Friends
Flood at Lyons

Album Description

Japanese HDCD remastered reissue of the progressive rock act's 1979 album. Packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. 2001 release.

Album Details

Japanese limited release featuring an LP style sleeve cover. Digitally remastered.

Rossini - Soirée musicale / van Grootel · Tro Santafé · Perdigón · R. de Andrés · J. Reynolds

Average customer rating:

Rossini - Soirée musicale / van Grootel · Tro Santafé · Perdigón · R. de Andrés · J. Reynolds
Gioachino Rossini , Suze van Grootel , Silvia Tro Santafé , Jorge Perdión , Ramón de Andrés , and Julian Reynolds
Manufacturer: Globe
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000508WF
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Average customer rating:

Azure D'Or
Renaissance
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005667Z

Average customer rating:

Azure D`or
Renaisance
Manufacturer: Phantom Sound & Vision
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B0002B9UY4
Release Date: 2001-12-06

Average customer rating:

Azure d'Or
Renaissance
Manufacturer: Phantom Sound & Vision
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000A2OZVI
Release Date: 2002-01-21

Tracks: