CARESS OF STEEL

Probably much of my high rating of Caress of Steel is due to the fact that I am a Rush fanatic. And to be honest, I believe only a Rush fan would really like this album. That said, I think this is an outstanding piece of work.

Rush, at this point in their career were a struggling band. Young, and with only a modest following, they were trying to find a unique sound that said "Rush" to them. Earlier influenced by the bluesy rock scene (Cream, Led Zeppelin, etc.), they were getting into the pioneering prog rock bands of the late 60's/early 70's such as Yes and Genesis. Although they toyed with this direction in their previous album (Fly by Night), this was their first solid prog album (even without keyboards).

The first three songs are shorter pieces that I like quite a bit (well, maybe not I Think I'm Going Bald so much).

Then comes a true scifi/fantasy prog piece, The Necromancer. Others have dismissed this song, but I think it is amazing, mainly for the music itself. The first part is really different, with Alex Lifeson playing around with a pedal steel guitar (he admits he had no idea how to play the thing), and some slow but great drumming and bass. The second part is a jam-fest, with all three going at it. The third part (Return of the Prince) is a happy feeling piece with perhaps my favorite guitar solo Alex has ever done; it's simple, but very soulful and fits the song perfectly.

The second side of the album is a single concept song (The Fountain of Lamneth), which actually contains numerous seperate songs. They are all good, my favorite being Bacchus Plateau (maybe because I make wine for a living?).

Overall, the musicianship is awesome. Although the sound may be a bit raw and less produced than is typical today, I really like the way it was produced. It sounds real. Geddy Lee's bass playing is great as always, and he experimented with various sounds for his bass. His voice is really high and screechy, even for him, but I happen to like his voice. Neil Peart's drumming is amazing as always, and his lyrics are really cool (no, I don't spend hours trying to figure out the hidden meanings of his lyrics, I just enjoy them for the fun).

It's funny. Rush were pressured by their record company after this album because it sold so poorly, and they even called the supporting tour, the Down the Tubes Tour, because they feared it was the end for them. Then they followed it up with the album 2112, that starts with a 20+ minute first song (2112), basically telling their record company "Oh yeah, you didn't like that last one, well up yours, we're going to make the music WE want!".

I give it 4 stars because there are no keyboards (kind of a requirement for prog), and a Rush fan wouldn't get it. However, as a huge Rush fan, who has numerous favorites from this amazing Canadian band, I find myself listening to this album more than any other Rush album for some reason, even though I think Hemispheres and A Farewell to Kings ae better prog and Rush albums. An awesome piece of work.