13.01.2008.
Annie Haslam - Live Under Brazilian Skies (1998) (@128)
(Review from progreviews.com)
This live album documents the shows that the ex-Renaissance vocalist performed in Brazil in March 1997, accompanied by one member of her band at the time, multi-instrumentalist David Biglin. The liner notes relate how the shows were organized, as is often the case with progressive music events, from a grass roots level spearheaded by three Brazilian fans. I was actually at Haslam's performance at The Bottom Line a few months prior in June 1996 where she first met two of the fans, as I remember her mentioning them on stage; that concert was also my first introduction to the music of Renaissance.
With the economy of only two people, Annie wisely eschews tackling the longer Renaissance pieces. Instead, Under Brazilian Skies contains a very representative selection of her solo performances during that time: the shorter Renaissance chestnuts, a number of covers, and solo material. Haslam's trademark voice is in great form, so it all comes down to what you think about the songs themselves. For myself, the short Renaissance songs are always a pleasure to listen to and well-suited to these pared-down arrangements. Also, it is touching to hear the Brazilian audience, many of whom were probably lifelong fans just getting to see Haslam for the first time ever in their lives, singing along as on "Let It Grow." Of the covers, Mike Oldfield's "Moonlight Shadow" sounds better in acoustic form than the dated keyboard studio version from Annie's 1989 eponymous solo album. While not touching Yes' original, "Turn of the Century" is decent, though "If I Loved You" (a song from Rogers & Hammerstein's Carousel), while competently delivered, does not approach the beauty of the arrangement featured on Annie in Wonderland. As for Annie's solo material, mostly co-written with Biglin, I wish I could support it equally with the other stuff, but these are really pretty banal pop songs that have way too much schmaltzy adult contemp to them. Yes, I acknowledge that the line drawn in the Sweet 'n' Low is a particularly thin and subjective one when holding Renaissance up as a standard of comparison. Still, songs like "Seashell Eyes," "Summon the Angels," and "After the Oceans Are Gone" manage to cross that self-defined inner threshold of sugar tolerance for me, and so I'll pass.
Overall, though? Makes a handy disc for Renaissance and Annie fans to pull out and sing along with once in a while. Just have it cued up to the right spots. Soon after this, Haslam and Biglin parted ways, for reasons that have never really been fully explained.
Track List :
01. Carpet of the Sun — 4:08
02. I Think of You — 3:31
03. The Captive Heart — 4:39
04. Moonlight Shadow — 3:31
05. Blessing in Disguise — 3:27
06. Seashell Eyes — 4:41
07. Summon the Angels — 5:09
08. Nature Boy/If I Loved You — 4:46
09. After the Oceans Are Gone — 4:40
10. The Young Prince and Princess — 6:00
11. Let It Grow — 4:01
12. Brazilian Skies — 4:52
13. Turn of the Century — 6:37
14. Northern Lights — 4:37
15. Spare Some Love — 5:50
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Original Post Date : 11 Feb 2007 | 10:58 AM
