Renaissance — Mother Russia (live)
share
tweet
Pays the price, works the seasons through
Frozen days, he thinks of you
Cold as ice but he burns for you
Mother Russia, can't you hear him too?
Mother's son, freedom's overdue
Lonely man, he thinks of you
He isn't done, only lives for you
Mother Russia, can't you hear him too?
Punished for his written thoughts, starving for his fame
Working blindly, building blocks, number for a name
His blood flows, frozen to the snow
Red blood, white snow
He knows frozen rivers won't flow
So cold, so true
Mother Russia — he cries for you
Ooh ooh ...
Punished for his written thoughts, starving for his fame
Working blindly, building blocks, number for a name
His blood flows, frozen to the snow
Red blood, white snow
He knows frozen rivers won't flow
So cold, so true
Mother Russia — he cries for you!
Frozen days, he thinks of you
Cold as ice but he burns for you
Mother Russia, can't you hear him too?
Mother's son, freedom's overdue
Lonely man, he thinks of you
He isn't done, only lives for you
Mother Russia, can't you hear him too?
Punished for his written thoughts, starving for his fame
Working blindly, building blocks, number for a name
His blood flows, frozen to the snow
Red blood, white snow
He knows frozen rivers won't flow
So cold, so true
Mother Russia — he cries for you
Ooh ooh ...
Punished for his written thoughts, starving for his fame
Working blindly, building blocks, number for a name
His blood flows, frozen to the snow
Red blood, white snow
He knows frozen rivers won't flow
So cold, so true
Mother Russia — he cries for you!
Comments (60)add comment
I heard them perform this song at one of their shows and liked it very much. Lots of emotional impact. Unfortunately, many of Ms. Haslam's pitches were flat on this recording.
Does it ever STOP?
Nice change of pace.
Sounds like a James Bond sound track
Love Renaissance. :) But not very big on this song. I love their song, Ocean Gypsy, though! The lead singer has a great voice but I agree that this song is a little slow. There are so many other great songs by this group! Make sure to play more!
Pipes wrote:
Music from a bad operetta?
Must be, and it's waaaaay too long.
Wow. This thing just keeps going, don't it...?
Music from a bad operetta?
Annie Haslam made a solo record that was quite cool at the time. I think it was produced by Roy Wood, so it had these unique horn arrangements.
Jane Relf was the singer. I just dug their album out. "Out of the mist" Now if my turntable hadn't broken down 10 years ago I could listen to it again.
WOW. a blast from the past.
I have a couple of renaissance albums buried in my pile of ancient lp's. pretentious, yes, but not without some cool musical moments.
as i remember, there were two renaissance bands. the first one broke up and then this band came out with a similar sound and concept and featuring ALL NEW MEMBERS!
The woman who sang in the first lineup had a cool voice, too. can't remember her name...
hey! How about some curved air?
Great music and great group. I saw them a whole bunch back in the day. But the sound quality on this one sucks.
Back in high school I had an incredible crush on Annie Haslem. Sexy and an incredible voice. Saw the band maybe a half dozen times. These days I still enjoy their music, but these days some of the tracks (like Mother Russia) come off as way too pretentious. Better are tracks like Ashes Are Burning and Carpet of the Sun, which have less emphasis on the orchestra as accompianists and hold hold up really well.
Oh please if you have any mercy, never play this song again.
Sounds like the theme song from a bad 80's television show.
Can I hitch a lift with you to that line?
quite awful.
OMG.
Make it stop. It just keeps on going and going and going.
My ears are bleeding.
Wow - Annie Haslam was Amy Lee before Amy was born and she still sets the standard. Great to hear work from this album - mine has long since been played through to dust. I say its time for a renaissance on RP!
GREAT! Where's that line for the bullet in the noggin?
I'll drive...
Renaissance: Abba meets Emerson Lake and Palmer. :-({|=
WOW! Deja Vu. It's been at least 20 years since I've heard a Renaissance song. I immediately recognized Annie Halsam's voice after all this time.
Chris
GREAT! to hear after all these years!! Now more Camel and the Pousette-Dart band
GREAT to hear this! Saw them twice in the late '70's and Annie's voice is the most awesome I have ever heard live -- hands down!
Hmmm....I'm glad I heard this here.
I wouldn't want to listen to a whole album of this, and I certainly wouldn't purchase their music.
However, one of their songs heard once in a while is a very nice fit indeed. 
If I had to sit through this again I'd consider putting a bullit through my head!
Glad to hear this on RP. I'm one of the old hippies here who appreciated this band "back in the day", and I appreciate hearing them now. Takes me back to another time and place. (Also one of the best concerts I've ever seen, from a musicality standpoint.)
RParadise wrote:
That's an unvarnished live voice, Mack, from a band that didn't need special effects. They were magical.
Then we can all be thankful they magically disappeared. STONE-HENGE!
Been too long since I heard Renaissance... Thanks!
I always liked some of their other stuff much more but that was so long ago, I don't remember what it was. 
Ragnarr wrote:
Close the door on your way out Mckennit, this is a real singer, with real music and real musicians.
Youngsters won't appreciate it 'cos they haven't the attention span anymore.
Haha... yeah... if you don't like it, you just don't understand it... or appreciate "real" music... or have an attention span.
Please... this is cinematic pablum, masquarading as something more meaningful. It's classical cotton candy... and that's fine, cotton candy is yummy and sweet.
But don't pretend it's deeply layered and textured... it's not; --d
ooooh, what a great song. i remember seeing this band many times while in college. Annie Haslam has such a fantastic voice. this is the first time i have heard this band on RP....good choice!!
Originally Posted by Mack:
this is a giggle, is it a spoof of spinal tap - listen to the sustain on her. love those star trek vocals in the middle...
That's an unvarnished live voice, Mack, from a band that didn't need special effects. They were magical.
Bravo.this is a giggle, is it a spoof of spinal tap - listen to the sustain on her. love those star trek vocals in the middle...
Throw in a bass backbeat and some samples and you have the makings of an electronica/downtempo hit. Interesting enough to hold my attention, not interesting enough to pique my curiosity. 6/10
I remember hearing them live when I went to college in 1976 (ugh!). I thought I heard everything they\'d done, but this particular performance was new to me. I have a recollection of sitting in the packed hall, Annie on stage is a classic voice projecting pose, hands on her hips. No dancing or slobbering over the microphone, or wearing headsets.... just music. By today\'s standards it may be pretentious, but there was a time when grandness was... well... grand.
-l
Um, fast forward please.
Glad to hear it again after all these years.
yuck
what the?
Originally Posted by GF:
You said it. This is waaaay overdramatic.
No, it's Cinematic. This was a time when popular music writers had reach. This song, a paen to Scholzenitzen (spelling forgiven please), was meant to evoke big pictures, and so it has a big sound. I love this number, and remember when it came out. Politically, as well as musically, it got to a lot of people.
unbearable. I had to run to the hills (and the mute button) when this one came on. 
In fact it sounds pretty much like (seventies) Yes. Or the other way around. Especially to the end, even her voice is comparable to that of John Anderson.
Probably the sort of popmusic Wagner would\'ve approve of.
Whenever I\'ve run across Renaissance, I always wished they found a producer who understands the notion of \"Less is more\" Is there anything approaching an \"Anne Halsom unplugged\" album out there?
The Loreena peice now playing. This is where Rennaissance should have gone!
I've been a fan of Renaissance for years, the live recording "Live at Carnegie Hall" is their high-water mark. They were never as good before or after. Annie Haslam's voice is ethereal but the woman unfortunately had the common sense of a sheep. She has become a parody of herself and the rest of the band was really only a vehicle for her voice (except for Dunford, the guitarist, who wrote the music (lyrics by someone else, a poetess in Cornwall who actually never met Dunford, he would mail the musical notes to her and she would mail them back with lyrics, strange)). Renaissance could have been great, but it's better to burn out than fade away.
Samiyam
Close the door on your way out Mckennit, this is a real singer, with real music and real musicians.
Youngsters won\'t appreciate it \'cos they haven\'t the attention span anymore.
When I was a young teen my dad took me to see Renaissance play at Monmouth College in W. Long Branch NJ. Their style and sound was so unique and her voice was so captivating that I have never forgot it. It is a shame that this seems to be the only recorded material from them that is still available - that I know of. If anyone knows different please pass the info onto me.
As for vares8\'s comment on The Nightbird, thanks. I\'ve wondered what happened to Allison Steele over the years but I haven\'t though about her recently. That brings back a flood of memories, listening to her eclectic selections and partying in Bill McKelvie\'s basement... Hmmmm....
funny... for all the reads down further.. wonder if a protest would start over one song...
I have to agree with a few of them.. very interresting.. and diverse. If this is from the 70\'s ... then there\'s a lot of music from that age I hadn\'t heard..
I wonder... Bill? Do you really like every song you play or have a few requests come through for something you didn\'t like?
Definitely cutting edge, esp. since it\'s from the 70s. I\'d never heard of the band before, but once I turn RP on I rarely turn it off until I have to shut down my computer. I don\'t love everything I hear, but there\'s always something interesting.
I remember first hearing this in the early 70\'s on the
Nightbird\'s(Alison Steele) overnight show on WNEW-FM in NYC. They were a great band. Annie Haslam\'s voice is fantastic.