A FAREWELL TO KINGS

What I WON'T say about this album is that it's their best, reserving that accolade for 2112. The epics are great, beginning with "Xanadu". What a creepy tune. So is Cygnus, which manages to be eerie and creepy without being scary. The production is raw, but, guys, think about it...it was the SEVENTIES! We didn't have things like computers and ProTools at our disposal. If we did, do you really think that albums like COS and 2112 would have been even half as good? Heck no! My personal favorite on the album...yeah, I know; everyone and their mother likes this track...CLOSER TO THE HEART. Cool acoustic/synth intro, good bass work and melodic guitaring that leads into a blistering lead. Geddy's voice wasn't the polished throat we've come to expect from him, but I don't believe that we should fault him. After all, everyone in music was singing in the castrati range. Instrumental interplay is good, but the drum work is a bit buried, and that's why my rating is a bit low.