This new box set collects three classic albums from golden era of Renaissance. We get two studio albums Turn of the Cards and Scheherazade and Other Stories for the first two CDs. Then the third and fourth discs are made up of the Live at Carnegie Hall album. This is a great way to get the original albums, as they played when released, without bonus tracks in one package. You know, as much as I love bonus tracks, there is something to be said about listening to the album as it was originally released. I think people are coming to appreciate that more these days instead of packing more and more bonus stuff into a release.

Each CD has its own album cover styled cardboard sleeve. There is a large book included that has some great stuff within its covers. It’s all enclosed in a cardboard shell box that does a great job of keeping everything safe while still looking cool. You might already have all these discs. If so, this would probably just be for completists. If you don’t, I don’t think you can go wrong with this. I should mention, I previously reviewed other releases of the albums here. For the sake of consistence on those I’ve used my track reviews here, either intact or modified a little.

Starting with classical piano, that holds the cut for a time. That piano turns more toward jazz after the first minute or so, but continues as the only instrument. Eventually we’re taken out into fast paced, but very symphonic progressive rock. The cut is energized, dramatic and powerful. We’re taken into a fast paced, classically oriented movement after the vocal section completes. It has a bit of a jazz vibe on hand, too. It drops down to a mellower segment for the next vocals. It begins to intensify that particular arrangement as they continue onward.

A shorter more straight-line piece of music, this is so pretty. It’s like folk turned progressive rock more than it is anything else. It has some hints of world music at times in the melodies.

This is a real epic piece. It has a soaring, folk prog movement, but then works out to more classically oriented stuff. Yet, it keeps changing several times. The vocals really create a lot of majesty and magic on this piece.

The first minute-and-a-half or so of this is very classical in nature. Still, it has plenty of folk prog in the mix, too. The vocals join after this extended introduction, and it gets more into the folk-influenced prog sounds. The piece continues to build from there. I particularly like the mellower movement later in the tune.

Organ opens this. The vocals come in with just that backdrop. It continues with a real classical element. The singing almost feels like a poetry recital, just sung. That basic arrangement is the full arrangement for the entire piece.

Piano in a very classical style starts this. Then it gets intensified and other instruments added, but the classical mode is still the driving force. It gets kind of a driving soundtrack sort of impetus as it continues. It really has a lot of energy and power. It’s dramatic. Then it ends. It drops to a folk styled arrangement for the first vocals and builds from there. This gets so powerful as it continues with the prog elements serving as the counterpoint to the mellower, folkier movements. After building way up, they drop it down to a mellow, classical section and begin to work forward from there. Haslam’s vocals come over like a songbird after a time. The composition builds instrumentally with a classical prog vibe. There is a climax with non-lyrical vocals. Then the song proper is reborn and we’re back into that direction.

A very dramatic and classically oriented piano solo starts this and begins a powerful melody that is both dynamic and intricate to create the extended intro. As a new bouncing, pounding segment takes it the rest of the band join (with the piano still serving as the key instrument for a while) and they launch on a series of changes. As this powers up, Haslam's vocals come across in non-lyrical elegance at points. There is also laughter at times as this one begins to intensify and work its way up in power and complexity. They continue on for a while moving through more progressive rock and classical type changes. It drops later to more mellow textures and the first lyrics come across over just a piano based song structure. This moves and carries forward with a slowly building structure. At points weird carnival music takes its place almost at the forefront. This gets ever so slightly dissonant from time to time. It shifts after a while to a more melodic, rock oriented texture to carry it forward in a full band rendition. Then this gives way to a soaring fast-paced progressive rock structure that is quite powerful. They shift this out into a smooth flowing jazz structure to carry on in instrumental explorations. This moves back out to more powerful prog rock movements with more non-lyrical vocals, then extrapolates out from there into another instrumental trek. The carnival like sounds return, then the cut shifts back to the verse. This again eventually gets a bit dissonant as the familiar themes play through once more and then take it to the outro after some inspired instrumental work on those sounds. Choral vocals soar on the actual ending section.

More "rock" oriented structures start this in a rather bouncing progression that feels a bit like a more adrenalized take on Genesis' "Harold The Barrel." As the vocals come in, the band move this on towards a powerful prog rock jam. This has a killer musical texture with the varying layers of sound working together to create a potent tapestry of sound. The band move this out into a jam that combines rather King Crimson like textures with that Genesis sound later. Then this turns a corner into a keyboard dominated movement that is both connected to the old one and very fresh and different. This leads back into the chorus that becomes the outro. At only a little over three minutes, this one seems short - especially after the 11-plus minute length of the opening track.

While not as long as the first piece on the CD, this one is over twice as long as the one that preceded it at over seven minutes. This comes in with beautiful, but slightly sad sounding balladic textures. The vocals quickly come in over the top to carry the verse and the piece forward. As this moves on, layers of instrumentation fill out the arrangement and turn this into a lush and very powerful song. After running through in the more energized approach it drops back to the sedate to continue forth. The basic motif (while expanded on and reworked) follows through again with the mellower segment leading to the more powerful and fully arranged. It drops back to just Haslam's voice and the piano after this next full band segment. Then the piano carries through with an extended solo. Eventually, this ramps back up to the full progressive rock band treatment. This becomes an instrumental (save for non-lyrical vocals) excursion that becomes quite impassioned. It drops back eventually to the sedate again to restart the process. Once again they gradually move this upward into the expansive and potent full band treatment. They drop it back one last time to the more mellow to end it. This one is definitely a highlight of a disc that has no low points.

They definitely saved the best for last with this 24 –and-a-half-minute, nine-part epic. Dramatic symphonic classical elements start this in a mode that feels rather like a movie soundtrack - I picture a swords and sandals romp (which fits with the title). After this extended intro the band move this out into a total prog instrumental journey that is full of intriguing changes and multilayered textures and movements. This shifts out to fast-paced jamming that moves through a number of interesting changes and still manages to maintain the textures of a movie theme. Eventually an ELP like progression takes it into still new ground and gets very powerful. They drop it back to a keyboard dominated section that is quite short and leads into near silence before this comes back highly dramatic with non-lyrical vocals. They start working this forward ever so slowly and organically. Vocals, male this time, start this up working overtop of these themes and Haslam soon joins alongside this. They turn it very lush and powerful as they work up the arrangement. Symphonic elements move alongside the rock band ones to create a potent mélange. Then they turn this back towards the mellower, but still exceptionally powerful, until piano gives way to a false ending. They start back up from here very slowly and quietly at first with a piano-dominated movement. After building for a while this gives way to a new instrumental excursion that is both lush and intense. This combines prog rock elements with the symphonic for great effect. This peaks and then falls back. Just piano remains as the backdrop for the next vocal segment - this time Haslam is by herself. They bump up the arrangement ever so slowly to a more full treatment of these musical themes. This time after a crescendo it drops to full silence. Then the next movement comes in slowly and gradually with very gentle tones in atmospheric textures. This turns to a classically tinged space rock type sound. They begin pulling this up in dramatic and powerful ways in a full symphonic format. Then it explodes out into a fast-paced prog jam, which again feels quite a bit like Emerson Lake and Palmer, but with a more developed symphonic sound. This is a very intriguing driving segment that also has touches of Yes. This then turns back to full classical music and moves forward from there ever so gradually. Eventually piano turns it into another round of classical wanderings that move forward, eventually picking up more symphony instruments as accompaniment. As they eventually power back up into the prog rock journeys the mode is incredibly classical in texture, like a rock symphony. This plays through, then crescendos and gives way to a more traditional Renaissance progression. It's quick tempoed, but still mellow and pretty. This eventually gets more involved and powerful, but the process of getting there is all in gradual ramping up - nothing changes quickly. As this reaches its apex it is incredibly powerful, then it moves out into a choir type arrangement that is even more dramatic. As it drops back to the verse type segment there are many more overlayers and this really feels a lot like a more symphonic take on Yes type arrangements. This is quite intense. There are moments as this switches again to just the classical mode where it reminds me of some of the arrangements the Beatles used when working with orchestral instruments. This symphonic methodology ends the piece and disc in a very satisfying way. When it's done you really feel like you have been on an incredible adventure.

I love this melodic tune. It has some classy prog changes. The vocal performance really shines. Everything about this live performance is just about perfect.

Piano starts this cut. The track works out from there with style. It has a lot of that folk prog element at play. This makes effective use of male vocals. The fast paced jam around the three-and-a-half-minute mark is so classy. It gets into some driving, powerful prog before things are over and done.

This is a powerhouse Renaissance classic. It's delivered in fine fashion here. The cut has a number of intriguing shifts and turns along the road, dropping to mellower movements for a good deal of its run. This is such a cool tune, and the orchestral elements really add a lot.

I've always loved this song. This orchestra really does a lot to elevate the cut. This is actually a very soaring and evocative performance of the piece.

Fast-paced piano jamming is on the menu as this begins. It brings a real classical flavor to things. Once it drives out into fast-paced prog jamming we're off with lots of style and charm. Again the orchestra brings some particular magic here. This thing really rocks well in this live rendition. The jam mid-track gets quite classical in nature. That movement gets a bit precious for my tastes, but it works out nicely to resolve in style.

There is an extended symphonic introduction to this number. It works from there into the song proper, with the symphonic elements adding a lot to the powered up bits. This is really a strong rendition of a classic tune.

The first of two epic pieces that make up the second CD of the live album, this is a suite that runs over 28-minutes here, including the extended spoken introduction. The symphonic elements that open this bring a suitable world music sound to the cut. As the rock music joins we're off into killer prog zones. This epic piece uses both male and female vocals to good effect. As you might imagine from a multi-part suite like this, the cut has a lot of varying flavors and textures. It drops to near silence mid-track and rises up very slowly. This thing is quite a ride.

This epic gets a smoking hot live rendition. I really love the keyboard soloing after the four-minute mark. I love the fact that we get a bass solo in this tune around the eight-minute mark. That solo is an extensive one and quite powerful at that. The cut comes out of that with such a powerful instrumental movement. It's almost 16-minutes into the cut before the vocals return. They drop things way down to mellow zones to herald Haslam's return.