Rush

A Farewell To Kings

3.5 Stars; Rush's Fifth Is Like Beethoven...

Review Score:

(6/10)
...in certain sections of this album. Others I'm still not quite sure about. Now that I have your attention, let me say that Rush's A FAREWELL TO KINGS (1977) does represent a musical step forward in some ways, particularly in its greater use of keyboards and Moog synthesizers than on previous Rush albums. However, compared to its immediate predecessor, the masterpiece known as 2112, it doesn't quite cut it. For one thing, 2112 was a much more cohesive work that shone on all levels, from the 20-minute magnum opus of "2112" all the way to the ferocity of "Something For Nothing". A FAREWELL TO KINGS is more experimental, and it suffers for not really knowing what--or why--it is. This tends to make it not as much fun to listen to as 2112; however, it does have some very strong moments. Since it marks Rush's first prolonged experimentation with keyboards in general and the Moog synthesizer in particular (after they first briefly appeared on 2112), this remains a very important Rush record. It shows the band in transition between their former raw, heavy sound and the more streamlined, polished sound that they would display in the '80's.

A FAREWELL TO KINGS starts out promisingly enough with the beautiful, lilting 1:11 acoustic guitar intro to the title song. However, all hell breaks loose after that, and even though the rest of the song displays the expert off-kilter bass-and-drum signatures of Messrs. Lee and Peart, and the masterful guitar lead breaks by Alex Lifeson, it kind of goes all over the place, and doesn't quite come together in the way that "Overture" did on the previous album. As title songs go, "A Farewell To Kings" just doesn't quite cut it. However, things get much better from here.

The two best reasons to buy this CD are the next two songs: the eleven-minute masterpiece "Xanadu" and the under-three-minute classic "Closer To The Heart". The former is the kind of song you need to sit back and relax with the slow, brilliant five-minute-keyboard-and-synthesizer-laden instrumental that begins it. The latter just makes you want to rock out, period! "Xanadu" is very atmospheric, but don't let that fool you. It does display many sudden time-changes, but it all seems very cohesive and doesn't make you lose interest. "Closer To The Heart" is only the second commercial-sounding song that Rush ever did ("Fly By Night" was the first). It is catchy, concise, and brilliant, all at the same time. Both songs are great!!

"Cinderella Man" is the only song on here whose lyrics were written by Geddy Lee. It is actually a well-made mid-tempo rocker that shows Lee with some restraint on his usually-screaming vocals. Most of all, it shows much growth in his lyric-writing skills. Considering that he wrote "I Think I'm Going Bald" just two years earlier, this song is a major step-up for him. "Madrigal" is a beautiful, acoustic tune which, at only 2:35, is the shortest song on this album. Don't know why it's so short; after all, the entire album (which consists of only six tracks) is only 37:30, despite the presence of two 10-minute-plus songs. So, it's not like they wouldn't have had room to stretch "Madrigal" to, say, four or five minutes.

The closer is "Cygnus X-1" which, like "Xanadu", also has a brilliant five-minute-opening instrumental. However, this one is frantic with synthesizers and guitar. This song sets positively scary during the final salvo which has Geddy Lee's screaming vocals enveloped in the surging and whirling of the Moog synthesizer and Alex Lifeson's fast & furious guitar work. It takes at least a few listens to get used to it, and I'm not quite there yet.

A FAREWELL TO KINGS is not a CD for the casual rock fan who knows just a few songs by Rush. If all you know by Rush is "Spirit of Radio" and/or "Tom Sawyer" and/or "Limelight" and/or "Subdivisions" and/or "Distant Early Warning", then please buy the albums PERMANENT WAVES, MOVING PICTURES, SIGNALS, and GRACE UNDER PRESSURE first. Then buy this. Of course, you will then want to buy 2112, and possibly the rest of their early catalogue. However, if you're already a big Rush fan and have most of their stuff AND already love "Closer to the Heart" and "Xanadu", then this is an absolute must-buy. MODERATELY RECOMMENDED

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