A Farewell To Kings- Listen to it again, for the first time.

Review Score:

(8/10)
I first got turned on to Rush by watching a "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" one night, back in 1974 or so. I remember them doing "Finding My Way", and "Working Man", so it must have been early in their career. I recall being completely blown away by the high pitched eagle-screech of Geddy, combined with that electrical charge of Alex's guitars, not to mention the incessant and relentless beat provided by "the professor", Mr. Peart on the monster drum kit.

I was particularly pleased, because this was the first band that was truly "my" discovery, having been turned on to all the fat jams by the likes of the Allman Brothers, Zeppelin, Stones, etc. by my older brother. This meant a lot to me, having a band that "I" discovered, and Rush still hold a place in my heart and mind.

When I got into 9th grade, my friend Harter Paterson asked me if I'd heard of the band, "RUSH". Of course, I said, knowingly. I even managed to scrounge up enough cash to pick up their debut album on 8-track. "Well then, listen to this", he said, packing a bowl. Well, let me tell you, I was not prepared for the onslaught of music that was about to assault my ears. The freshness of that opening title track, "A Farewell To Kings" still rings clear and bright to this day. It remains one of my favorite releases by the seminal prog-rock band out of Canada.

The album just comes on like gangbusters. Track 2, the epic 'Xanadu', contains the Samuel Coolidge on Codeine-inspired lyrics, which we had been studying in Literature class just that week! Of course, everyone likes 'Closer to the Heart', with its obvious thoughtful lyric, it comes off sort of like a kids song. 'Madrigal' usually gets short shrift, but I like this one for its light, easy and relaxed feel.

The middle breakdown in "Cinderella Man" however, contains one of the funkiest breaks in all of Rushdom. This is truly a moment when Geddy, Neil and Alex are "gettin' jiggy wid it". Check it out. The endpiece, "Cygnus X-1" alas, does not wear well with time. It's interesting concept, and spooky, ethereal atmosphere provide some good down time, but in the end, it disappoints, particularly the vocals. Not to worry, for the boys more than make up for it on the follow up release, Hemispheres, which takes the story line further than we ever thought possible. But more on that in another review.

In short, if you like RUSH, you really owe it to yourself to go back and check this one out. If only for a quick review of the funky breakdown on 'Cinderella Man', or a thorough and complete trip down memory lane, "A Farewell To Kings" is certainly worth listening to it again, for the first time.

~Lazarus 8-1-01

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