Ashes Are Burning

Infobox Album
Name = Ashes Are Burning
Type = Studio
Longtype =
Artist = Renaissance


Released = 1973
Recorded = 1973
Genre = Progressive rock
Length = 40:39
Label = Harvest Records
Capitol Records (US)
Producer = Dick Plant
Renaissance
Reviews =
*"Allmusic" Rating|4|5 [http://wm10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:kxfixqy5ldde link]
Last album = "Prologue"
(1972)
This album = "Ashes are Burning"
(1973)
Next album = "Turn Of The Cards"
(1974)Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = US release cover
Type = studio

"Ashes Are Burning" is an album by progressive rock band Renaissance, released in 1973 (see 1973 in music). It was the first of several Renaissance albums to feature an orchestra playing along with the band on some songs.

Information about the album

Michael Dunford, who had been working with Renaissance in a composer-only role, had rejoined the band by the time this album was released. However, he wasn't officially part of the band when the album package was designed, so he doesn't appear in the cover photos and is listed as a guest musician.

The song "Can You Understand?" uses a quote from "Tonya and Yuri Arrive at Varykino", a theme from Maurice Jarre's score for Doctor Zhivago. [ [http://www.amazon.com/Classical-pieces-recorded-progressive-groups/lm/1WJ7GVCI42QRJ Amazon.com: "Classical pieces recorded by progressive rock groups" ] ] It is unclear whether this quote was intentional, given that Jarre's piece was under copyright and used without permission. Because of confusion over the Jarre quote, some live collections (including "Live at the Royal Albert Hall : King Biscuit Flower Hour Vol. 1" [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fxfyxqthldse allmusic ((( King Biscuit Flower Hour > Overview ))) ] ] and some unauthorized releases) mistakenly credit "Can You Understand?" entirely to Jarre.

The song "On the Frontier" was previously released (also in 1973) by former Renaissance member Jim McCarty's band Shoot. It was the title track of their only album. [ [http://www.nlightsweb.com/lib/rendisc.htm Renaissance Discography ] ]

The lyrics for "Carpet of the Sun" printed on the LP's inner sleeve included an extra verse which is not sung on the recording. The verse begins with "Come along and try, looking into ways of giving. Maybe we will try, find a dream that we will live in".

"In the Beginning" reissue

In 1978 "Ashes Are Burning" was reissued, together with the preceding album "Prologue", as a double album called "In the Beginning". While "Prologue" was reissued in complete form, the "Ashes" song "At the Harbour" was edited down to 3:07. This was because a change in copyright laws in the interim had changed the copyright status of certain early 20th century works, including Claude Debussy's "La Cathédrale Engloutie", excerpts of which begin and end the full version of "Harbour." [Liner notes from the 1990 "Tales of 1001 Nights" compilations] The 1988 CD version of "In the Beginning" (on one disc) had edited versions not only of this song, but of "Ashes Are Burning" and one "Prologue" song. [ [http://www.nlightsweb.com/lib/renhist.htm The History Of Renaissance ] ]

Track listing

EMI-Sovereign SVNA 7261,in other EU territories: oc 064 94663 All songs by Dunford-Thatcher except where noted.
# "Can You Understand?" - 9:51
# "Let It Grow" - 4:14
# "On the Frontier" (McCarty-Thatcher) - 4:55
# "Carpet of the Sun" - 3:31
# "At the Harbour" - 6:48
# "Ashes Are Burning" - 11:20

Personnel

*Annie Haslam - lead & backing vocals
*Jon Camp (listed as "John Camp") - bass, backing vocals, co-lead vocal on "On the Frontier"
*John Tout - keyboards, backing vocals
*Terence Sullivan - drums, percussion, backing vocals
*Michael Dunford - acoustic guitar

Guitar solo on "Ashes Are Burning": Andy Powell

References