Rush

A Farewell To Kings

A slight drop off from their best work

Review Score:

(8/10)
A Farewell To Kings is Rush's followup to their landmark 2112 album and is arguably the dark horse of the band's catalog. Riding on the momentum of 2112, this album would be their first to reach the U.S. Top 40 and would yield their first top 100 single in "Closer To The Heart." While this album is probably the least successful musically from their most fruiful period of 1976 to 1981, it still is a very strong album showcasing the band's improving songwriting skills and exceptional musicianship.

Without a doubt, the most successful tracks here are the aforementioned "Closer To The Heart", one of the simplest songs they ever penned and the long epic "Xanadu" which is one of the best songs of the progressive era. A track with several movements and changes in momentum, it simply captures the listener and never grows old or stale. Geddy Lee's vocals show a maturity, changing tones throughout to reflect the mood of the track. "Cygnus X-1" is the second epic here and works nearly as well, concentrating more on heavier riffs and Neil Peart's frantic drumming than on "Xanadu." The title track is one of their most underrated tracks and spotlights Alex Lifeson whether it's his mellow classical guitar intro or wild electric soloing. "Cinderella Man" is one of their few tracks with lyrics penned by Lee and is pretty straight forward save for the solo. "Madrigal" is the obligatory mellow track carried by its whistling synth. All told, a very strong effort with the difference between this album and their best material (2112, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures) being that the lesser known tracks aren't as consistent as the rest of the album. However, it's still one of their better albums and definitely worth purchasing.

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