Retro Review: Renaissance (the band)

Among the trends in rock music that came to the fore in the 1970s was the sub-category most often labeled as “progressive rock” or “art rock” (I’ll let the aficionados split hairs among themselves regarding labels and definitions). Bands such as Yes, the Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, and several others often went for a bigger, more cinematic, even symphonic feel with their music, resulting in songs with extended instrumental passages that would run much longer than those commonly found in more “mainstream” rock, often with full orchestral accompaniment (and the use of instruments such as harpsichords, mandolins, and harps, that had rarely been incorporated into rock music).

But no band delved as deeply into that blend of rock and classical as the aptly-named Renaissance. Once they hit their stride in the mid-’70s, infusing their sound with references to music from centuries gone by, they produced several stunning albums.

The very first time I heard Renaissance was in 1980 or ’81, while I was attending the University of Maryland. One day, I visited the music store in the student union building, and, as I approached the store located at the end of a long corridor, I heard music emanating from within that made me pick up my pace almost to a full gallop. I hurried in, fascinated by the music being played on the store’s stereo. It struck me as nothing short of…