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Rush - A Farewell To Kings (1977)
Cover Front Album Cover Back
Artist/Composer Rush
Length 37:13
Format Vinyl to CD
Genre General Rock; Progressive Rock
Label Mercury
Index 391
Collection Status In Collection
Packaging Vinyl Record
Track List
01 A Farewell To Kings 05:51
02 Xanadu 11:08
03 Closer To The Heart 02:53
04 Cinderella Man 04:21
05 Madrigal 02:35
06 Cygnus X-1 10:25
Personal Details
Album Lookup1 R
Details
Spars DDD
Rare No
Sound Stereo
Notes
On 1977's A Farewell to Kings it quickly becomes apparent that Rush had improved their songwriting and strengthened their focus and musical approach. Synthesizers also mark their first prominent appearance on a Rush album, a direction the band would continue to pursue on future releases. With the popular hit single "Closer to the Heart," the trio showed that they could compose concise and traditionally structured songs, while the 11-minute "Xanadu" remains an outstanding accomplishment all these years later (superb musicianship merged with vivid lyrics help create one of Rush' s best all-time tracks). The album-opening title track begins with a tasty classical guitar/synth passage, before erupting into a powerful rocker. The underrated "Madrigal" proves to be a delicately beautiful composition, while "Cinderella Man" is one of Rush's few songs to include lyrics penned entirely by Geddy Lee. The ten-minute tale of a dangerous black hole, "Cygnus X-1," closes the album on an unpredictable note, slightly comparable to the two bizarre extended songs on 1975's Caress of Steel. A Farewell to Kings successfully built on the promise of their breakthrough 2112, and helped broaden their audience.