Starting to Jump the Shark
by Quizmeister - N.Y.C. on 10/14/19Town Hall - New YorkAlways LOVED Renaissance especially the unbelievable talent of Annie Haslam. But, as time takes its toll on all, her voice may be giving way to age, failing to hit that seventh octave like before (Carpet of the Sun). The band is impeccable as usual, orchestra on target (Mother Russia). So, perhaps like other successful 50 year bands still filling seats, Annie and company might modify their repertoire to meet expectations, perhaps an equally beautiful chamber style (Running Hard) or acoustic presentation (Ocean Gypsy) of their masterpieces without the quivering and heavy effort to hit those high notes. If anyone can do it - Annie could. Town Hall is a great venue for artists like this, but not sure what would result if the sound barriers were taken down, which I think makes the audience feel separated from the musicians, or observing a recording session inside a sound studio - which changes the dynamic of such great music. Last note. Annie is an excellent painter too, so I wonder if it may have been nice to do a visual presentation coordinated to her songs so her limited stage appearance could be enhanced? Nevertheless, 50 years later, Renaissance is awesome and everyone should experience this wonderfully sophisticated music - if not live, definitely piped through their sound systems at home.