A FAREWELL TO KINGS

This is the first RUSH record I bought when I was around 16 years old, many years ago. I didn't know it was considered Prog back then but I was always fascinated with "Xanadu", and would describe it back then as being like songs within a song, a journey, a story. So yeah, I was being prepared by the masters for the prog world I would one day enter. RUSH does make me proud to be a Canadian, and they have been my favourite band for a long, long time.

I love the way this record starts off with the title track that is a straight ahead in your face rocker. The song starts off so quietly with classical guitar, and then it's like someone turns the volume to ten a minute in. I remember rushing over to turn it down the first time I played this on my record player in my bedroom, knowing my mom would soon be yelling at me if I didn't. Geddy's vocals are at their best on this track, and the guitar is amazing. "Xanadu" is truly a RUSH classic with Geddy playing moog to open, and there is an abundance of tempo and mood shifts. The lyrics for me are like reading a short novel, they're great ! The drumming is incredible and Geddy's bass playing is prominant.

"Closer To The Heart" is a beautiful song with some great bass lines. I love when Geddy goes "Wooooooh" and Alex comes in guitar just a blazing. Priceless. "Cinderella Man" is one of my favourite RUSH songs, that for some reason has popped into my head over the years, and I just will start singing "Cinderrella man, doing what you can..." Just out of the blue this happens. The instrumental passage 2 1/2 minutes in is fabulous. "Madrigal" features Alex on the bass pedal synths, and is a reserved tune giving us time to prepare for "Cygnus X-1". The first 5 minutes of this song are instrumental and the drumming is fantastic ! This is a ride folks. And not your typical spacerock either, parts of this song will peel the paint off your spaceship.The story of an astronaut who travels to the constellation Cygnus in order to go into the black hole. His ride is described in this song. Interesting that the second part of this story is continued with the first song of the next record "Hemispheres".

From the cover of the record to what we hear inside, this record is pure genius.