A FAREWELL TO KINGS

As a Canadian who has been listening to Rush for eons (essentially since I began collecting albums), I will go out (slightly) on a limb here and claim this to be Rush's best album, although by a hair (over Moving Pictures). It contains what I think are three of Rush's best compositions (Farewell to Kings, Xanadu, and Cygnus X-1), as well as one of Rush's best and best known hit singles (Closer to the Heart). Indeed, Xanadu is a classic, and although I think it works even better live (e.g. the version on Exit Stage Left), it fits very well on this album. I also think this is where Neil Peart's lyric writing matured sufficiently that it does not get in the way of the music (many of his lyrics are previous albums gratingly ideological), even to the point that the lyrics on 'Closer to the Heart' can resonate (positively) with anyone. The music is sufficiently diverse to keep the album interesting and flowing. The guitar chords/progression on Cygnus X-1 for me defines the Rush sound perfectly. I also think Cygnus X-1 is Rush's most successful epic. Why not a five-star rating? Well, not all of the songs are 5-star quality (Cinderella Man, Madrigal), and even though I love this album, it is not in the top 50, and when I compare it to other 5-star albums (like Close to the Edge, or Harmonium's albums), well it can't quite make it. I give this 8.8 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which is just a bit short of the level needed for 5 stars. So, PA 4 stars.