Rush

A Farewell To Kings

Masterpiece with an Achilles Heel...

Review Score:

(10/10)
5 Stars but flawed? Yes and the song is Madrigal, an obvious attempt at filler but it has no place on a record with such high standards. Similar to Tears on 2112, Madrigal is slow, quiet, acoustic, and depressing. Nevertheless, ALL of the other tracks on A Farewell to Kings are amazing. The title track is probably Rush's most overlooked song and is followed by one of the greatest Rush songs ever written, Xanadu. Lee's bass playing literally takes over on this track and anchors Farewell. This is the era in which Neil had the handlebar mustache and was wearing robes. But the coolest part about this era was Neil's ability to incorporate almost every facet of percussion known to man including gongs, chimes, wood blocks and any other contraption known to man. His drumset at this point was any drummers wet dream. Closer to the Heart is a concert standard and a great acoustic track. Cinderella Man is another hidden Rush song that only the most ardent fan comes to treasure. And finally, Cygnus X-1, the best song Rush EVER recorded which makes this album a must have for any fan. 1977's A Farewell to Kings finds Rush on the upswing toward prog-rock immortality, one step closer to Hemispheres (the culminating masterpiece of the Rush catalog). Highest Recommendation.

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