A FAREWELL TO KINGS

Rush has such a passion when they play. A great majority of their songs touch me, whether by lyrical intelligence, musical adrenaline, or just the atmosphere. A Farewell To Kings is an extremely intelligent, moving, and plainly entertaining piece. Xanadu has an absolutely astounding introduction, segments that make you jump out of your seat and head bang, and more sections that send chills through you. Cygnus X-1 is deeply thought provoking, darkly mysterious, and serves as a jagged prequel to Hemispheres. True, it is uneven in places: there's a guitar segment that could easily have been its own song and felt a little light for such a malevolent song, but nonetheless, is great.