A Farewell to Kings
Island / Mercury - Island / Mercury
Rush
Release date: 1997-05-06
Audio CD
Album Rock, Arena Rock, Canada, Hard Rock, Pop, Pop/Rock Music, Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Rock, Rock/Pop
1. A Farewell to Kings
2. Xanadu
3. Closer to the Heart
4. Cinderella Man
5. Madrigal
6. Cygnus X-1
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A Farewell to Kings
Date undefinedThis is the record where Rush officially became a progressive rock band. And of all the Rush albums I have, this one has to be the least consistent, albeit not the least successful. If we ignore the first three records, this one has Rush's most successful (Xanadu) and least successful (Cygnus X-1) extended compositions. It also has one of their most memorable (Closer to the Heart) and one of their least memorable (Madrigal) songs. Add a pretty good opener (the title track) and another average track (Cinderella Man) and you have the definition of a three-star album. I am glad that I got this, because the good stuff makes it worth the price of admission. XANADU in particular is just marvelous and worthy of all the praise I've seen heaped upon it by Rush fans over the years. However, if you're new to Rush, any of the next three records (Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, or Moving Pictures) would be a better place to start.
A Farewell to Kings
Date undefined The title of this album says it all. In this album, Rush finally manages to finally distance themselves from their blatant Led Zeppelin roots heard in previous albums. The Hard Rocking riffs still appear without shame, but here Rush mixes in synth and complex time signatures and inventive song structures. And while they've continued to evolve since this release I still believe this to be their best.
In terms of songwriting this album kills. Xanadu, based on the opium-induced Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem Kubla Khan is in my mind unquestionly the best song this band ever penned. It opens with ethreal moog synthesizer sounds, and builds up into a complex 11 minute rocking tale of the search for immortality. The lyrics are mindblowingly vivid and the musicianship is absolutely stellar. Elsewhere the title track with its crazy solos and classical guitar opener are excellent. Cygnus X-1 has one of the greatest Rush intros ever, and Closer to the Heart and Cinderella Man are both excellent short rockers, something which Rush up until this point struggled with.
While their Early 80s releases where their most popular, most fans of true "progressive rock" actually prefer their late 70s output. And this is probably the pinnacle of Rush's progressive era, even with stiff competition from other LPs like 2112 and Hemispheres
A Farewell to Kings
Date undefinedThis is not only one of Rush's best albums, but one of the greatest progressive rock albums of all time. The mix & mastering are great, and the songwriting is incredibly creative. You can tell that these guys were really having fun and enjoying their creative work. This album also set the bar high for future works, some of which equal this album, but none surpass it.
Now for the songs:
FAREWELL: Intriguing opening with the classical guitar, great riffs into the verses, and a driving yet catchy chorus. Glad they included this on Chronicles and Different Stages.
XANADU: What can you say? This is the best song on the album, and perhaps their best song, period. It's certainly the best progressive rock song of all time, building from the soft nature setting to some of the best riffs and counter-melodies they've composed. Sparing use of keyboards accents the chorus parts perfectly. You really can't put it into words. It's an essential track for any prog-rock lover.
CLOSER TO THE HEART: Fun little song. Yes, overplayed, but for a reason -- it's great!
CINDERELLA MAN: A really driving song with a neat tempo-change in the chorus, and a really fun instrumental section before the second chorus. Rather experimental for Rush at the time, and they nailed it. Great song.
MADRIGAL: A love-ballad. Hard to tell if it was written to a woman, a homestead, or simply to a previous way of life (or all three!). Great change of pace.
CYGNUS X-1: The most incredible, not-to-be-believed song ever written by these guys. A space fantasy that really works musically (only these guys could have pulled this off so masterfully). The final vocals are so over-the-top, they actually work. Incredibly creative, fun, and never tiring to listen to again.
Progressive rock at its best -- easily 5+ stars.
