Rush - A Farewell to Kings
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Free Music Notes for A Farewell to Kings
Free Music Review: To taste my bitter triumph. As a mad immortal man.
Hit: 5 Stars
Of all the albums I have heard or listened to over the years this may well be my favorite of all time. This is the kind of album you can listen to a thousand times (and believe me I have) and still find something new in the music or lyrics that somehow escaped you the time before. Setting the mood and contrast for the entire album, the first and title track begins with an acoustic guitar and background of singing birds that eventually soar into stark and grim warnings of where current societal paths may lead.
We turned our gaze from the castles in the distance.
Eyes cast down on the path of least resistance.
The second track, Xanadu, is quite simply, a masterpiece, and tells the tale of a man who regrettably gets his wish of immortality.
A thousand years have come and gone
But time has past me by,
Stars stopped in the sky
Frozen in an everlasting view.
Waiting for the world to end
Weary of the night.
Praying for the light.
Prison of the lost - Xanadu.
As with most of RUSH's work, Neil Peart's lyrics are powerful, but never more articulate and profound than here. The overriding theme of the album involves implementation of the heart into decision making. The last song on the album, Cygnus X-1 tells the tale of a space traveler who sails his ship into a black hole only to emerge in their subsequent album "Hemispheres" as a god arbiter of the heart vs. the mind, where reason makes it's argument.
Food and wine they had aplenty
And they slept beneath the stars.
The people where contented
And the gods watched from afar.
But the winter fell upon them
And it caught them unprepared.
Bringing wolves and cold starvation
And the hearts of men despaired....
What makes these two albums work is the fact that they are not poetry set to music, nor are they music accompanied by poetry. The two are as one and fit together seamlessly. The emotion of the two rise and fall and fit together perfectly as one.
Free Music Review: One of their best
Hit: 5 Stars
What an album! Sometimes overlooked because of the classics like 2112 and Moving Pictures, but what a followup to one of the greatest rock epics ever.
I came to the Rush a little late, at 2112. I had that album and All the World's a Stage. When I slapped AFTK on the 'ol turntable, I was at first taken aback, but as I got through the first listen, I think that is when I REALLY became the Rush fan I am today
In retrospect, I think it was pretty easy to be a Rush fan after 2112. I was hooked, but AFTK blew me away, it became my favorite Rush album. The gentle classical guitar intro of the title track, panning from one side to the other, and then BLAM! Here we go!
"Xanadu" is incomparable. The chimes, bells, Neil's birds, the lyrics, what a mini-epic. What a way to end an album side.
Side 2 continues with "Cinderella Man", with some killer rippage by the best bassist in rock.
"Closer to the Heart" is the obvious "hit" from the album, and would find its way into their live sets for3 decades.
"Madrigal" is the gentle precursor to "Cygnus X-1". I love how it slowly fades and Cygnus quietly enters, eventually becoming a frantic spasm of jamming, to end with a "...to be continued" tease.
It is mixed with a bit of muteness to it, and the addition of the Taurus pedals and Mini Moog added a dimension that I loved, until it became too much in the forefront on later albums. As everyone asked themselves after this album, how do they play all those instruments?
I realize that when this was recorded, they had restraints on where a song could be placed on the album, yet I think that if someone planned the way it plays out, it was genius. I think that if they changed the track order around on a CD, it wouldn't be the same. The way the title song greets you, that this will be different than you've heard before, and how "Madrigal" eases into "Cygnus", which is the grand finale of this awesome gem.
Bravo, Rush and Terry Brown. A masterpiece followed by another masterpiece.
Free Music Review: Even Better Than 2112
Hit: 5 Stars
After experiencing their first commercial success with their 1976 landmark breakthrough 2112, Rush continued to further push the progressive envelope with 1977's A FAREWELL TO KINGS. In my opinion, this is probably the most progressive album of Rush's career, as well as the album that proved that they would soon be heading in a new direction as the '80s came in.The album begins with the expertly crafted title track, which starts off as a mellow acoustic piece and quickly erupts into a furiously played rocker. The song squeezes as much complexity as it can in 5 minutes, paving the way for future Rush classics such as "Free Will" and "Tom Sawyer." "Xanadu" is probably my favorite Rush epic of them all, next to "The Camera Eye" from MOVING PICTURES. Clocking in at 11 minutes, the song features the most intense and exciting instrumental build-up I've ever heard and it also features some of Neil Peart's most inventive drumming. "Closer to the Heart" is Rush's most popular song and rightfully so (listen to it). "Cinderella Man," the last song Geddy Lee wrote for the band, is the hidden gem off this album and it has some pretty unpredictable musicianship (a funky rhythm section!). "Madrigal" is the weakest song but it serves as a nice, mellow surprise. "Cygnus X-1" is the most complex and complicated song Rush has ever recorded. Written in three movements and clocking in at 10 minutes, it tells a brief and spooky tale of a spaceman entering a black hole. The first part is dark and forbidding, the second part is fun and exciting, and the third is a relentless onslaught of thunderous drums, menacing guitar riffs, and Geddy Lee's glass-shattering vocals.
A FAREWELL TO KINGS is the best album Rush released in the '70s. Period. The musicianship and the songwriting are tight as always, but it also serves as a blueprint for what Rush would do on their '80s releases by combining progressive epics with shorter, more streamlined songs. One of their best and one of my faves.
Free Music Review: Rush reaching their Musical peak
Hit: 5 Stars
Although I am a new fan to RUSH I do believe with this album 'A Farewell to Kings' is where the band started to reach their Musical peak along with their next 'Hemispheres'. Before "A Farewell.." RUSH released '2112' and I don't think it compares to 'A Farewell to Kings' at all. This one has more matured songwriting.
I say that I am a new fan because years ago I never cared for Geddy Lee's voice. I remember turning the Radio off or changing the station when a song like "Tom Sawyer" from 'Moving Pictures' came on.
Over time and with recent purchases I have learned to appreciate Geddy Lee's incredible vocals. No one sings like this guy. I now think he truly does have an amazing voice.
The first two songs on 'A Farewell to Kings' are pure classics and favorites of mine -title track- and the epic "Xanadu" -transporting me into another world (of paradise) filled with immensely superb prog rock scailing the Mountain Tops of sound to enlighten your pleasure dome. A full 11 minutes of monumental scope and sound quality. Apocalyptic intensity!
Next is "Closer to the Heart" and another RUSH song I remember hearing on the Radio years ago. Alex Lifeson does some really good acoustic work on this one. Simple lyrics, but direct and highly felt.
"Cinderella Man" is a pleasant heart felt song including Top-notch bass playing.
"Madrigal" is the shortest track out of the six on 'A Farewell..' at 2:33. It's a song of love lost, my least favorite on this, but it's still better then anything found on '2112' besides the title track.
"Cygnus X-1" is out of this World at over 10 minutes and truly a spacey prog-rock Masterpiece.
~ Glad I finally got into RUSH after all these years after not paying much attention to them. I knew my Music collection was lacking something, so I filled it with two incredible prog-rock bands with YES and now RUSH.
- I highly recommend 'A Farewell to Kings' to anyone who likes progressive Rock or is thinking about buying a RUSH record.
Free Music Review: Putting the "class" in classic rock.
Hit: 5 Stars
This my friends is a treasure. Even though I have not heard one Rush album I dislike, A Farewell to Kings is the album that establishes the band's signature sound. It shows the band moving ever so slightly away from the realm of hard rock and more into the keyboard friendly 80s. However, AFtK is not what you would call a "wimp out" album. If anything the riffs are just as heavy as ever and the song structures are more innovative. AFtK contains these six brilliant songs:1. A Farewell to Kings - It stars out with a beautiful classical acoustic guitar intro before kicking into gear. The lyrics are about how our descendents will view us. By the way things look in the song, not too good.
2. Xanadu - An eleven minute epic about someone who seeks eternal life and finds it. The only problem is that the person cannot leave Xanadu without losing his immortality. Has nice bells and oriental keyboard effects.
3. Closer to the Heart - Probably the most famous song because of repetitive FM radio airplay. But still a great song with a message about everyone's role in society.
4. Cinderella Man - An optimistic and funky song that really shows how well the band plays. I'm surprised this song didn't get more airplay.
5. Madrigal - Maybe the least popular song. And I think the reason most people don't like it is because it doesn't rock out. It is a love ballad penned by Peart with medieval imagery, the way all songs should be.
6. Cygnus X1 - This clocks in at ten and a half minutes and is the first part of the Cygnus story. The second part is on the next album HEMISPHERS. Part I deals with a space traveller whose ship is sucked into a black hole. Perhaps the most complex song the band has ever accomplished.
Only one more thing to say before I submit my review. If you have any intentions on buying this album, you should also buy HEMISPHERES as well. The Cygnus story is told in two separate parts on both albums and it can't be called complete if you only own one.