Search - Renaissance :: Dreams & Omens: Live at The Tower Theatre, Philadelphia PA 1978 (Original Recording Remastered)

Front of House Board mix

Celtic Bassist | Waldorf, MD USA | 11/10/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I really wanted to like this recording, and I'm giving it three stars for what is barely on the recording which would have made it a great recording of a great performance. This sounds like a "board mix," namely a reinforcement of what wasn't heard well enough from the stage. This recording tells me that the bass must have been quite loud from the stage, because it is almost non-existent. I'm a bass guitarist, and Jon Camp's melodic playing was one of many influences on my style. He may as well not have played. The recording is almost all vocalist Annie Haslam and keyboardist John Tout, and while they're excellent, and they played and sang very well, only two-fifths of Renaissance doesn't make for a good recording. Every once in a while some of the drumming (mostly cymbals and snare, not the whole drum kit) and a bit of acoustic guitar, (mostly hard strumming) find their way into the mix, but the only reason I can see for their appearance is that their sound must have been picked up by another microphone on the stage.



Two stars for potential wasted, one star for the performance which could be heard, too bad the rest wasn't available."

Very good, remarkably

eurocrank | Ketchikan, Alaska | 11/23/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is less than 48 minutes long, and the performance doesn't seem complete, missing 'Ashes Are Burning' or 'Song of Sheherazade,' perhaps 'A Song for All Seasons.' The title, "dreams&omens," is inscrutable if not inauspicious, given the band's steep decline the following year. Also, the cover art is amateurish and certainly not representative of the music.



But that is excellent, and the sound is far better than the previous reviewer states. I've listened to "dreams&omens" on headphones, on a boombox, and in my car stereo, and in each context I was able to hear all the instruments clearly. To me, it sounds like a mono mix, with the sounds located "center," "center right," and "center left." There is virtually no panning; if the music was mixed from multiple tapes or from multitrack tapes, very little was done to emphasize separation. However, Haslam's voice and the individual instruments are quite distinct and clear. The recording quality is not muddy at all; it's even sharp (check out 7:00 to 10:00 of the first track, 'Can You Hear Me') and has no noticeable hiss or audience noise except, appropriately, at the end/beginning of tracks. Those who prefer a stronger bass presence may want to invest in an equalizer; for more separation, put the speakers farther apart.



Even though I miss the epic tracks, this recording is not exactly a premonition of "Azure d'Or": three tracks are over nine minutes long. "Azure d'Or" ushered in bad Renaissance and appeared the next year (1979), so I was worried that this live album would suggest its design flaws, but I was wrong. Of the many live Renaissance albums to choose from, "dreams&omens"--cut for cut--is as good as or better than the others. The individual band members' high rating of the performance (in the booklet) and the engineer's remark that the CD was "painstakingly mastered from the original 1978 source tapes" (on the tray insert) seem justified, according to my ears.



But what's not there is palpable, and for that reason I'd suggest getting "Live at Carnegie Hall," "British Tour '76," "Renaissance at the Royal Albert Hall," "Day of the Dreamer," and the "BBC Sessions" recordings first--perhaps even "In the Land of the Rising Sun." Their cover art is significantly better, too.



"

I agree with Celtic Chuck...

Mark C. | Seattle, WA United States | 11/29/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"the only reason for me to buy this is this near perfect rendition of THINGS I DONT UNDERSTAND.

Which rarely shows up because of copywrite issues--Jim Mccarty co wrote it of the prevoius RENAISSANCE

BUT I WAS PUZZLED WAITING FOR THE EXPECTED PIANO FLORISHES, OR BASS LINES THAT NEEDED NOT BE STUDIO OVERDUBS TO BE HEARD LIVE...OTHER WISE IT WOULD BE A 5 STAR RECORDING.

JON CAMPS IDEA OF JAZZ IMPROVISING IS A LITTLE OFF KILTER even though this particular song has has several time changes - 5/8 THEN TO 4/4 AND BACK (GUESSING)

which makes the bassline runs so interesting on the first 2 verses of the song

ANNIE HASLAM painted the cover ( she is a surprisingly good artist who deals in rich color themes) and has a website for the art"