CARESS OF STEEL

Rush's third album is good, a little better than Fly by Night but not as good as what's to follow. There are five tracks on this album, three shorter ones and two longer ones (one taking up the entire side).

First we start off with Bastille Day, a great way to kick off the album! Although it isn't prog rock, it's one of the better hard rock songs I've heard and almost too catchy. I remember having this tune stuck in my head the entire day after first hearing it. Next is I Think I'm Going Bald, which is my least favorite track on the album. It's a bluesy song with humorous lyrics about growing up. Lakeside Park is a nice song and the last of the shorter songs on the album. It's a chill type song that's pleasing to the ears. The first side is concluded with The Necromancer. The lyrics are good and inspired by the Lord of the Rings, but the song itself is mediocre. Although it was good at parts, it was boring at others and the narration really seemed to water it down.

The second side is one 20 minute song, The Fountain of Lamneth that could have been six short tracks instead of one long one. Part I starts off slow, but builds up and has some great parts. Part II is pretty much a drum solo where each of the members shout out lyrics. Parts III and IV are both slower and pretty lackluster in my opinion. The final two parts are also slow, but then go back to the catchy riffs of part one. Overall, The Fountain of Lamneth is a pretty average song.

Conclusion: 3/5 stars. Slight improvement from their first two albums, but I'd recommend some of their later stuff first. The two epics might each have good points, but overall they're weak compared to what's to follow.