Rush - A Farewell to Kings
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Free Music Notes for A Farewell to Kings
Free Music Review: Rush starts to mature in this 1977 classic
Hit: 5 Stars
While it was their album 2112 that caught the public's attention, it was with 1977's A FAREWELL TO KINGS that Rush began to mature into the perfection they would show in the early 1980's. The transition from drawn-out (and often over-long) concept suites to concise, nearly radio-friendly songs started here.The album's opener, which may suprise the listener with Alex Lifeson playing the acoustic guitar, an instrument never before featured so prominently for Rush. It also suprises with its excellent production. Rush and producer Terry Brown succeeded in making this a crystal-clear album with all instruments perfectly balanced.
In "Xanadu", the second track, Rush's drummer and lyricist Neil Peart rips off the poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Geddy Lee's vocals, in relating this tale of a man who sought immortality and became mad as a result. Over the 11 minutes of the songs, Peart's drumming is obviously more mature than on earlier albums. Why he might not be as furiously moving about the drum kit as on 2112, Peart shows a greater understanding of timing and when *not* to hit a note.
"Closer to the Heart" is probably the most popular Rush song in that it's all many people know of Rush because of its frequent play on the radio in the late 70's. The first radio-friendly song wrote, less than three minutes long, the song nonetheless goes through several movements and some incredible musicianship (Lifeson had to invent a new kind of guitar stand to move from acoustic to electric guitar so quickly). While undoubtedly there were fans who believed Rush was selling out, for them making a song short did not mean doing away with quality.
"Cinderella Man", Lee's only lyrical contribution to the album, is the low point of the album. While only four minutes long, it seems to drag on forever because it is musically plain and lackluser. While Peart's lyrics have often been called pretentious, they are at least thought-provoking. Lee, however, is clearly a lesser songwriter.
In "Madrigal", the album's shortest track, is a short ditty in which Peart thanks a special someone in his life. It's rather insubstantial,
"Cygnus X-1" is the standout of the album, and one of Rush's finest and most ambitious songs. Lyrically it is about an astronaut daring to enter a black hole (Cygnus X-1 was the first black hole discovered, in the late 1960's), and musically it is a maze of shifting time signatures, some of Peart's finest drumming, and group musicianship more consistent than anything Rush has put out before. The song along is enough to recommend the album.
While I'm partial to Rush's output of the early 80's, A FAREWELL TO KINGS should be the first of Rush's albums from the 1970's you pick up.
Free Music Review: Rush - Phase 2 - Farewell to Kings
Hit: 5 Stars
This is the beginning of the second phase of Rush, in which they begin to shift towards their more Dystopian lyrics and bigger arrangements musically. At this point in their lives, Alex, Geddy, and Neil have expanded their musical arsenal and added percussion and keyboards to their sound, making good use of the multi-track recording systems of the day and making for bigger sounding albums.
A FAREWELL TO KINGS - Unlike previous albums, this album begins with acoustic guitars, bells, and keyboards instead of straight ahead rock. At about 1:10, the band kicks in to the harder part of the song, and builds to the first verse. I love this song, however i wish that they would have hit you in the face with a big sound from the first chord instead of building into it.
XANADU - This song begins with low keys and Neil on percussion and volume swells from Alex. It takes a few minutes to build the track up to the song, and at about 2:57 the groove kicks in, and the themes of this song will eventually become the themes within the Hemispheres album. This song appears to be instrumental, however at the 5 minute mark, the lyrics actually begin. Chiming in at just over 11 minutes, this is still a fun song to listen to.
CLOSER TO THE HEART - A fan favorite for years, and just recently dropped from the band's set list because they actually got burned out on playing it. This is still a great song, with a catchy melody and singable chorus.
CINDERELLA MAN - Lyrics by Geddy - this has the signature sound of Progressive rock with changing time signatures, syncopation, and multiple parts strung together to make the verse sections. The chorus also has a staple from the Rush catalog of making the chorus softer than the rest of the song for reverse emphasis. The guitar solo is a fun blend on a whirl effect moving it from left to right speaker, with the Classic Alex tone and wah solo.
MADRIGAL - Starting with the typical Acoustic on the left, clean electric on the right, and keyboard introduction. This is one of Rush's shorter songs, and very Ballad-like in structure and tone.
CYGNUS X-1 - This songs stars off with the Synthesized vocals and reverse bells, giving it a very space sound backdrop for the story of the travel through space to find the signal from Cygnus, which may or not be another black hole. The bass groove on this can be heard blending in at about 1:40, and it is in full swing at about 2:14. This is one of my first "Cool Groove" moments listening to Rush some 20 odd years ago. I still love the syncopation and rhythmic diversity of this track. The lyrical story begins at about 5:05. As far as Rush epics go, this is an over-looked, yet wonderful one to listen to.
Free Music Review: The start of phase two for Rush and one of Rush's classics
Hit: 5 Stars
Canadian power trio Rush released their sixth album A Farewell to Kings in September of 1977.
A Farewell to Kings was the band's first to be recorded in England at Rockfield Studios in Wales (and would not be their last).
I first heard this album in the summer of 1987 as an 11 year old on the radio and loved it at first listen and sent me to the record store looking for this album. I have the remastered CD today.
This album had matured musicianship and Rush experimenting with synthesizers (with bass player/singer Geddy Lee using them more and more) even more than on 1976's classic 2112 (which went Gold on the same day as Farewell to Kings and All the World's a Stage by the way).
The album begins with the title cut which sounds like it is gonna be a folk song thanks to guitarist Alex Lifeson's classical guitar work but then BANG into a full hard rock with electric guitars, drummer Neil Peart's lyrics about politicians being hypocrites and bigots and Geddy's voice wailing away. Next is the first of two epics, the 11-minute "Xanadu" (not the Olivia Newton John track but a grand epic) which is arguably one of Neil's best drum performances and Geddy starting the song at a lower octave in his singing then going to the high registers and Alex's guitar work just being excellent.
The second half kicks off with "Closer to the Heart", which was the first Rush track to get massive radio airplay, and some complained said the band sold out with this track but is a classic. "Cinderella Man" and "Madrigal" follow, both songs are great with Geddy writing lyrics for a change on the former and the latter a love song in disguise but beautiful. The album concludes with "Cygnus X-1 (Book One: The Voyage)", which starts off as if you were going into a spaceship and each instrument coming to life and rocking out for five minutes before the first vocal part appears and Geddy's just wailing on here and Alex's guitar just was amazing. Just when you thought it would get soft, they come in full throttle for the finale with Geddy's screaming like he is being pulled through a black hole and Alex's closing, ringing guitar chords being a reminder that this story would continue on 1978's follow-up Hemispheres.
A Farewell to Kings was their first album to hit the US Top 30 hitting #24 and going Gold in 1977. Because of this, its predecessors 2112 and All the World's a Stage would go Gold as well. A Farewell to Kings would subsequently hit Platinum in US sales.
This remaster buries the original CD released in the 80s. Bob Ludwig did a great job with the remastering and Mercury I commend for repackaging it just like the original album.
A great disc and highly recommended!
Free Music Review: One of Rush's Finest Moments
Hit: 5 Stars
A Farewell To Kings came out in 1977 and was Rush's first album to achieve Gold status (2112 was right after). It was 2112's follow-up, and a good one at that.
The only album that pleases ME more than this one is the one that follows it (read my Hemispheres review). Together these two albums are the best things I own (IMO, you may prefer my Dark Side of The Moon or Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, but these are my favorites).
It may not be for the first time Rush listener....
but if you like rock music then you WILL buy this. I guarantee positive results.
If you are a Rush virgin, no harm done. Closer To The Heart should be the first thing on this album that touches your ears. I consider this their signature song. It shows what they are capable of musically and shows what they are about lyrically (this may be the first time Neil finally steps away from his Randian roots). I LOVE this guitar solo.
You could listen to Cinderella Man next for just an average rock song that is probably the most accessible thing here. Madrigal should also be listened to at this time. This song is short and soft. It can be very pretty if you are in the mood.
Now your ears may be ready for my favorite -8 minute song, the title track. This song never ceases to amaze me. It starts with a time-changing classical guitar into a majestic loud riff pounding. Then the riff speeds up into another riff that leads into the verse. The verse then leads into the most satisfying chorus I have yet to experience. OMG I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!!! This song is basically about the concept of the album (if there is one) it's about talking absolute rulers out of power and making the society closer to the heart (there you go).
Once you have gulped that enough try on the album's epic centerpiece, Xanadu. This song is impossible to describe except to say that it changes pace a lot and it's about a guy who searches for immortal life at the price of not being able to live it (or at least that's what i got from it).
The final gulp is the lead-in to the next album, Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage. It's my favorite song on this album and one of my favorite songs that are between 8 and 12 minutes. It is about a black hole. My favorite part is when it speeds up into the 1-4-2-5 chord progression and Geddy Lee sings so high you can barely hear him. It is quite amazing. For effect, I highly reccomend listening to this and right at the end when the chords fade out listen to Hemispheres. It is the perfect transition. (They probably did it on purpose).
You need the album...
Free Music Review: Rush At Their Peak And Most Pure
Hit: 5 Stars
Just before the bulging excesses of 'Hemispheres', and having just shrugged off the anchor of traditional hard rock on '2112', "A Farewell to Kings" is Rush's most explosive, beautiful, heartfelt and dramatic album. Its as close to the nature and power of the band Rush as one can get out of any of their albums. Beginning with the title track, three things are jarringly apparent: (1) Alex Lifeson has bloomed into a true virtuoso guitar player, (2) lyrically the band matured to the point where imagery and allegory seamlessly join with appropriate musical backdrops, and (3) Neil Peart's drums become "instruments" rather than mere things to pound on.
The second song, Xanadu, recalls the story by Samuel T. Coleridge and his hallucinations on Kubla Khan's pleasure dome. Rush pays close attention to the small details such as the ending riff with the xylophone, and the sounds of nature at the top of the song. Like the rest of the album, this song should be listened to on all levels to glimpse how each arrangement works in perfect balance with the others.
Closer to the Heart is a classic by any definition. Its a Rush benchmark in songwriting and proved to the doubters that Rush obviously could write neatly packaged songs, they simply chose not to most of the time.
Cinderella Man is an underrated song and perhaps, one of their finest. The bridge section (much like the one in the title track) is a patented Rush song-within-a-song, and shows nice bass work by Geddy. Lyrically and musically, this is challenging song for the listener and rewards on many levels.
Madrigal is a clean, simple ballad again displaying Rush's ability to be effective on any level. The fretless bass line carries the song over almost indetectable drums and a shimmering guitar.
Cygnus X-1, simply put, is the most powerful of any Rush song, ever. Its downright frightening, and conveys the terror of space exploration. Taking an appropriate page from Don Quixote, the spaceship "Rocinante" sets out with high hopes and the music is raw, energetic and suddenly met with dread. The resulting spiral of the music crescendos along with absolutely savage drumwork and vocals.
This albums proves that Rush was, for a moment, the most terrifying, talented, subtle and sublime bands to decend on the barren late-70s musical landscape. Its no wonder during that time they were met with some resistance. Like throwing a computer to a bunch of cavemen, people just weren't ready.