Renaissance Live – Song Of Scheherazade (1976/1979/MVD DVD)

 

Picture: C-     Sound: C     Extras: C-     Concert: C

 

 

Though formed in 1969 and sometimes referred to as a progressive rock band, Renaissance is really a Folk outfit with some bells and whistles that became a cult item by mixing other genres with Folk, but never truly escaping that genre’s confines.  Song Of Scheherazade is a salvaged pair of concerts they performed in 1976 and 1979 respectively that are from copies that ware on the weak side.

 

The concerts are also very average, even from a band launched by two Yardbirds members (Jim McCarty and Keith Relf in this case) and had a hit between the two concerts here in Northern Lights, but they are not a band to be confused with Yes, King Crimson or Emerson, Lake & Palmer.  They are an acquired taste and cult time at best and only for the most curious.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image is very soft throughout, more so than most archival presentations we have seen and why the color image is so weak in both cases is odd, but it is.  Though the case talks about playing the sound in “simulated” 5.1 surround, the actual sound here is Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono almost down as many generations as the image.  The combination is very trying, so now you know.  The only extra is a listing of other titles from the same company, including some previews for the other DVDs.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo