A Song For All Seasons

Renaissance's next two albums were produced by David Hentschel and predictably enough saw a significant change in direction. Hentschel had of course perfected his technique with Genesis, and he certainly brought some of that influence here; just listen to the opening of "Kindness (At The End)". Not surprisingly, the songs are shorter and more pop orientated, with Michael Dunford's songwriting now mostly co-authored with Jon Camp. Additionally, Dunford's guitar goes steel string and electric, while John Tout's hands traverse far more synthesizers than any previous Renaissance effort. Granted, most of the short songs are unspectacular, but the longer "The Day Of The Dreamer" and title track contain all of Renaissance's old appurtenances and coupled with Hentschel's production, gain both a greater immediacy and denser landscape than ever before. Haslam's voice too was more moderate in the mix, but no less inviting. The sleeper however is the rather throwaway "Northern Lights". Released as a single, it rose to No. 10 in the UK charts. So after nearly a decade out of the UK charts, A Song For All Seasons would finally gain them entrance again, rising to No. 35. The album fared well in the US as well, reaching No. 58. Renaissance recorded the even more commercial Azure D'Or in 1979, but without an accompanying single, it sunk with little trace. The band effectively broke up following the departure of Tout and Terry Sullivan in 1980, though in the early '80s, Haslam, Camp and Dunford recorded two forgettable albums for Miles Copeland's IRS label.