Rush Discography Discussion 2: Caress of Steel (1975)

[Mosh]

Well since we've mostly been talking about Xanadu, might as well move on to that album.

A Farewell To Kings (1977)

Rush has now gone all out with the prog. A Farewell To Kings is the first Rush album that really shows the band being comfortable with their place in the business and their sound. It also shows the band expanding their sound, with Alex Lifeson working more with 12 strings and classical guitars, Geddy Lee's increased use of synthesizers, and Neil Peart experimenting with percussion instruments less traditional for rock music, such as chimes and wood blocks. The result is a bigger sound and a great diversity in song writing.

This album is best known for its two classic tracks, Closer to the Heart and Xanadu. The latter considered by many to be Rush's best song. It also contains a first in Rush's career; a cliffhanger found in Cygnus X-1. The band would continue to have album spanning song series such as the "Fear" saga . The band's experimentation really reached a peak on this album, with the signature Rush sound being fully established.

For many, this is the beginning of a long run of classic albums. Some fans would even say that it's their best. The band has finally found success and are "drinking the milk of paradise". Where 2112 shows what really could be the band's last hurrah, A Farewell To Kings is like a celebration and a sign of the large amount of great music to come.

 

[Cornfed Hick]

I love this album. A significant improvement on 2112, even though there is no moment quite like "Overture/Temples." There isn't a single weak track on the album. "Xanadu" is the centerpiece and the main highlight. I've always thought of "Xanadu" as a companion piece of sorts to "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," as there can't be a lot of other songs based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poetry. The title track is awesome too, probably my second-favorite song on the album, with the gorgeous medieval-sounding acoustic intro leading into a deceptively complex and catchy riff. "Closer to the Heart" is clearly intended as a hit single, and it is also a classic. "Cinderella Man" is not as well known, but it has a cool melody and compactly blends a sweet acoustic sound with a menacing electric guitar chord progression. "Madrigal" is a lovely acoustic piece, as its name would suggest, and it lends a Renaissance touch to the medieval flavor evoked by the intro to the title track (as well as the harlequin on the album cover). In fact, the entire album has a timeless, almost ancient quality to it, with the exception of the sci-fi epic, "Cygnus X-1," which is not as good as the other songs on the album and frankly seems a bit out of place -- unless you think of sci-fi in a "long time ago in a galaxy far far away" sense (note: this album was released shortly after Star Wars took the summer of 1977 by storm; sorry younger members, you kind of had to be there to fully get it). Still, it is better than the pre-2112 "epics" and sets up Hemispheres nicely -- plus, let's face it, these extended suites were what Rush were all about at the time.

 

[Forostar]

I love this album. A significant improvement on 2112, even though there is no moment quite like "Overture/Temples."

O yes there are. There's the suspense and sudden bass/drums timing in Cygnus. Xanada's first couple of minutes are also a worthy candidate.

There isn't a single weak track on the album.

O yes there are. Cinderella Man and Madrigal are not much to write home about.

In fact, the entire album has a timeless, almost ancient quality to it, with the exception of the sci-fi epic, "Cygnus X-1," which is not as good as the other songs on the album

Well, I guess we couldn't disagree more, could we?
Cygnus is the first long Rush song that captivates, from beginning til end (or at least during a huge majority of the song). Check this 1978 live version from Different Stages.

This is also the song that brought forward complex (and aggressive!) rhythms. A leap forward! Bands like e.g. Meshuggah (as hell!) and Dream Theater took a lot from that.

 

[Mosh]

Kings is a great album. Really the start of them flexing their technical muscles. It's the first time we hear odd time signatures from Rush resulting in some really cool rhythms. Much more interesting melodies too.

A Farewell To Kings/Xanadu is one of the best opening 1-2 punches on any Rush album. Definitely the best of the 70's albums. I especially like the 5/8-7/8 instrumental bridge in AFTK, that's one of the coolest rhythmic things in the rush catalog. Of course not much needs to be said about Xanadu, it definitely doesn't feel like 11 minutes. Not a second wasted on that song.

Closer to the Heart is cool. I don't think it's a good enough live song for them to play it all the time, but it's still a nice song and a good way to follow the epic Xanadu.

Cinderella Man isn't bad. I like the chorus. Madrigal, on the other hand, is pretty unremarkable.

Cygnus X-1 isn't my favorite Rush epic, I think CFH has a point with it being a bit out of place with the whole space theme. It would've been more fitting on 2112. It has some really cool riffs though, and it's a great way to close the album. It feels a bit messy however, and pales in comparison to its counterpart, Hemispheres.

 

[Forostar]

Cygnus X-1 isn't my favorite Rush epic, I think CFH has a point with it being a bit out of place with the whole space theme. It would've been more fitting on 2112. It has some really cool riffs though, and it's a great way to close the album. It feels a bit messy however, and pales in comparison to its counterpart, Hemispheres.

*Tries desperately to not compare both epics in more detail, yet.*

 

[mckindog]

And now we get to the first truly great Rush album.

Can I say Foro and Cornfed are both right on Cygnus?

Yes, it is somewhat out of place with its sci-fi soundtrack score on an album that otherwise veers heavily toward Renaissance themes. But as a standalone track, what an immense piece of music. It can't match Xanadu for that song's effortless melodic build and seamless texture. But for grand scope and a roller coaster ride of searing barrages, thunder and lightning, tense silences and random pieces of rhythmic shrapnel, this is as good as it gets.

This is perhaps the band's most cinematic song, to point of where it almost hurts to listen at times. My wife can't get past Geddy's shrieking at 9 minutes without telling me to shut that shit off. Yes, it gets a messy. Of course it gets messy! You're getting sucked into a frickin' black hole FFS!

This is the only track on Kings that develops on two of the high points of 2112 - the creepy feel of Twilight Zone and the overhelming hurricane force power of Overture/Syrinx. The spacey opening, the eerie gong, the slow building volume of the main bass riff, the starts and stops until the perfect three-part syncopation after the 2 minute mark, before it finally takes off into a series of crazy riffs and rhythms where everything is just off-kilter - it's so...alien.

Geddy comes in and we are almost into a different song, with a more basic, accessible rhythm, But it's just a brief touch of humanity. The ship lifts off and we are in the cold dark of space, tension dripping, warning lights blinking, before getting sucked into the vortex, and - perhaps - coming out the other side. What a ride.

I think Cygnus gets overlooked at times because it shares vinyl with Xanadu. But this is where the weird shit they were trying in CoS actually came together. It is something strange and powerful and threatening, but magnetic all the same.
The final triumph of a triumphant album.

 

[mckindog]

And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality — closer to the heart

While Kings marked a shift in the band to a more mature, complex sound, it also marked the maturation of Neil Peart as a lyricist. In Closer to the Heart, we see the birth of the bleeding heart Libertarian that Neil became: if you've got a gift, use it for truth; use it to do something to make a better world. Still a relevant lyric, 35 years later.

This song gets short shrift from hardcore fans; its sort of like Rush's Run to the Hills. But it's a reminder that despite all their musical chops they can write good songs with good melodies, bereft of the least bit of pandering. Nice little scale on the acoustic, punctuated with Neil's little bits of percussion, and a great singalong melody and a simple melodic solo (see how many times I used that word). It's short and not too repetitive and I quite like the way they extend it into a bit of a rave-up live.

Hell, even Bubbles can relate:

 

[mckindog]

It took Rush a long time before they learned to nail the quiet song. Madrigal was the next one to fail to make the cut.
It quite fits the texture of the album and is brief enough to be inoffensive, but it's a little bland and treacly and the low point — really the only dip — of Farewell to Kings for me.

 

[mckindog]

Cinderella Man marks the last Zep-influenced song we get from the band. It's also the best of the bunch, with the acoustic verses, catchy chorus and spacious sound. Melodic — theres that word again — but with some nice rhythmic change-ups on the chorus and in the mid-section instrumental, with a sweet wah-fueled solo. The band is in such control of all facets of its craft. A bit of forgotten song, but very solid.

 

[Mosh]

Yes, it is somewhat out of place with its sci-fi soundtrack score on an album that otherwise veers heavily toward Renaissance themes. But as a standalone track, what an immense piece of music. It can't match Xanadu for that song's effortless melodic build and seamless texture. But for grand scope and a roller coaster ride of searing barrages, thunder and lightning, tense silences and random pieces of rhythmic shrapnel, this is as good as it gets.

That's what causes me to prefer some of the other epics, I think. The cinematic vibe is cool and the mood is great, but it's like a soundtrack. For what it is, it's awesome, but from a purely musical standpoint, I like Hemispheres. The only other examples of this that spring to mind are a lot of The Wall by Floyd and Finally Free by Dream Theater. Great cinematic pieces that create a mood like no other, but hard to compare with other epic tracks. Also,

Yes, it gets a messy. Of course it gets messy! You're getting sucked into a frickin' black hole FFS!

Can't argue with that logic.

 

[Forostar]

Well said, Mckindog!

Mosh and Cornfed: How is Cygnus X1: Book II: Hemispheres not a soundtrack? How is it not out of place? Only because it is 7 and a half minutes longer, it fits better on the album?

The worded criticism on Cygnus X1: Book I: The Voyage sounds to me like making an mountain out of a molehill.
Rime of the Ancient Mariner is also out of place on Powerslave, because the rest of the album is not about adventurous sea travel?

edit:
Just listened to both Cygnus "Books" and Book I keeps me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. There's nothing messy about it. It gets aggressive and intense, and Lee's vocals are very high, but people who are used to listen to such ought to stand that. All the while it keeps being precise. Every beat is in place, and sounds like it was meant to be. So it is not messy. Rather too heavy or fast for the softhearted or people who cannot take such intensity in music.

The parts starting @ 3:21 (which is the basis for the same parts some of you call messy), 3:36 & 8:07 are some of the best rhythmic parts they ever did. There are cool changes throughout the whole song. And there are some damn heavy riffs.

But it has another side: The atmosphere is unbeaten, and unique because of the earlier mentioned interruptions.
In the end, from a musical stance, this is a very impressive and complete song, full of suspense and surprise.

 

[Mosh]

Mosh and Cornfed: How is Cygnus X1: Book II: Hemispheres not a soundtrack? How is it not out of place? Only because it is 7 and a half minutes longer, it fits better on the album?

I'm not gonna argue semantics, but Hemispheres is not a soundtrack piece in the same way Xanadu isn't, or 2112. Mckindog already explained the cinematic qualities of it, which is what sets it apart from other Rush epics. Hemispheres is less of a thematic album than AFTK. Kings has a lot of old timey Renaissance themes, throwing in a futuristic sci-fi themed song at the end is going to seem out of place. I'd even argue that Alexander the Great, from a lyrical standpoint only, is a bit out of place on Somewhere In Time*. But even from a musical standpoint, Cygnus X-1 is much more aggressive than the rest of the album. Especially Side B, which is very mellow. With Hemispheres, musically it fits in perfectly with the rest of the album and the lyrics have more variety than AFTK, so it sticks out less.

The worded criticism on Cygnus X1: Book I: The Voyage sounds to me like making an mountain out of a molehill.

I could say the same about this reaction.

Rime of the Ancient Mariner is also out of place on Powerslave, because the rest of the album is not about adventurous sea travel?

What is that album about? Its lyrics span sword fighting, the arms race, dogfights, and ancient Egypt. It's not like AFTK which is filled with renaissance themes, as previously pointed out.

The parts starting @ 3:21 (which is the basis for the same parts some of you call messy)

No, it's not. The first 7 minutes are great, it's when the vocals come in that things start to get messy.

I don't dislike Cygnus. It's my 3rd favorite song on the album, behind Xanadu and the title track. It being out of place is more of an observation than a criticism. Its uniqueness is one of its good qualities, but the piece is not without its flaws.

*Nothing against ATG though, it's in my top 5 by Maiden.

 

[Forostar]

Perhaps I get this wrong but saying it is an observation sounds like you think it is a fact. In that case I'll continue this a bit.

Book II (Hemispheres) also has cinematic moments.

No, it's not.

Yes it is. The music is. I know that the intensity of the vocals put you off, but that's something else.

Calling a song out of place while it's your third favourite? I find that comment out of place.

The song too aggressive? Mckindog already pointed out that a ride into a black hole is no schooltrip.

Variation is what's going on here, and it helped the album.

I agree that the lyrics are very different, and that's why the other aspects are different. But I really can't see why that is a problem. It happens on lots of albums, even on some that have themes running in it.

And Rush might have done this on purpose: to make a link between the albums, using a story (which is damn good, so I am glad we're having it the way it is).

 

[Brigantium]

I knew a lot more Rush than I realised. Really enjoying the videos!

 

[Forostar]

There are more themes. I'd say roughly two:
Madrigal, Xanadu and Cygnus have to do with some kind of quest or search for a certain paradise or mystery of some kind. These songs are the main bulk (two third!) of the album, so it can even be seen as the main theme.

The other 3 songs are about the effects of human nature in a society.

 

[Mosh]

Perhaps I get this wrong but saying it is an observation sounds like you think it is a fact. In that case I'll continue this a bit..

No, it's saying that it's an observation. My own observation, which is my own opinion. If you'd like to take that as fact then I'd be flattered.

 

[Forostar]

Just in case: Don't forget to read the second post, not sure if you saw it (we posted at the same time).

 

[Mosh]

Yes it is. The music is.

No..it's not. I quite like that part.

I know that the intensity of the vocals put you off, but that's something else.

Actually they don't. You're making a lot of assumptions here. Just the entire arrangement is sort of, tacked on.

Calling a song out of place while it's your third favourite? I find that comment out of place.

Why? If it's out of place then it's out of place. Doesn't mean I can't like it.

 

[Cornfed Hick]

I stand by my statements: Cygnus I is ill-fitting with the rest of this great album, and I don't love that track nearly as much as you other guys do. I'll give them points for ambition, but the quality of the song doesn't quite match its pretentiousness. Plus, the one thing Foro wrote that scored points with me was his observation that Part I contains unconventional, jazz-like rhythms. But even that doesn't fit, either with the rest of the album or with the theme of the song itself. Look, I don't mean to knock it too badly: it's still good, it's just not GREAT, like the rest of the album is (even "Madrigal" ).

As for comparing it to Part II, even though we aren't yet to Hemispheres, I just listened to Cygnus Parts I and II back-to-back tonight, and had the following two thoughts: (1) Part II is significantly more interesting (and less irritating), so much so that it caused me to like Part I even less than I did when I wrote my review above, and (2) that half-hour would have been better spent listening to the other songs on Kings and Hemispheres again.

I won't even dignify the attempt to compare Cygnus I to Rime.

EDIT: Waiting for the Mosh/Foro debate to get to the point where the posts are just "Yes" and "No".

 

[Forostar]

Plus, the one thing Foro wrote that scored points with me was his observation that Part I contains unconventional, jazz-like rhythms. But even that doesn't fit, either with the rest of the album or with the theme of the song itself.

This display of receptiveness to new ideas in Rush's music and the approach to how ideas are woven into songs and albums surprises me a bit.

I guess that people can find the parts Cornfed mentions annoying. I am thinking of people who are less into drumming (how the hell can a metalfan not enjoy Peart at his most explosive?) or people who simply can't take such changes, complex rhythms and intensity mixed in one epic song.

Personally, I love those awesome rhythms. They are the cream of the cake in Rush's music. I am into drumming, I am into drummers. What Peart shows here is just phenomenal and a joy to the ears.

Maiden is a frontrunner when it comes to sudden changes in music. And they did quite some special rhythms as well. We were brought up by this.

We're here on a Maiden forum. I am talking to people who showed their pleasure about Opeth, a band that is full of contrasts. And Mosh: you even like Zappa.

No..it's not.

HUH?

This feels like I am showing a picture of Adrian Smith. I say it is Adrian and the answer by the Maiden fan is: "No it is not".

Another attempt. If someone can't observe this then I better not want to know if they hear which parts from Book II came from Book I.

The music in the first part is the basis for the second. Actually, the music in both parts is the same, apart from the a capella drum break in part 1-we get different breaks in part 2- and part 2 also features double timing by Peart.

Go here:

play part 1: 3.21 til 3.30 and then play the 'messy' into the black hole part and the music preceding it, part 2: 8:33 - 9.27.

About the Book I and II comparison, I'll gladly join, later.