A FAREWELL TO KINGS

This was Rush's first real attempt to move towards the prog genre and it doesn't really work that well. There are some good moments, such as the title track and Closer to the Heart, but there is too much which doesn't reallly sound fully completed or thought through properly. Both the long tracks, Xanadu and Cygnus X1, have good moments but don't really hang together convincingly and sound slightly (dare I say it, yes I dare) - pretentious. Madrigal and Cinderella Man are pleasant and show the lighter side of the band well and, as ever, the playing is top notch. Their earlier albums were better because they stuck more to hard rock which is what they did best. But honestly, to see Rush at their best, you had (have?) to see them live, where they are unforgettable. Buy All the World's a Stage instead for a taste of them at their best.