Rush - A Farewell to Kings
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Free Music Notes for A Farewell to Kings
Free Music Review: This underrated album is also Rush's Best.
Hit: 5 Stars
The title of this album says it all. In this album, Rush finally manages to finally distance themselves from their blatant Led Zeppelin roots heard in previous albums. The Hard Rocking riffs still appear without shame, but here Rush mixes in synth and complex time signatures and inventive song structures. And while they've continued to evolve since this release I still believe this to be their best.
In terms of songwriting this album kills. Xanadu, based on the opium-induced Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem Kubla Khan is in my mind unquestionly the best song this band ever penned. It opens with ethreal moog synthesizer sounds, and builds up into a complex 11 minute rocking tale of the search for immortality. The lyrics are mindblowingly vivid and the musicianship is absolutely stellar. Elsewhere the title track with its crazy solos and classical guitar opener are excellent. Cygnus X-1 has one of the greatest Rush intros ever, and Closer to the Heart and Cinderella Man are both excellent short rockers, something which Rush up until this point struggled with.
While their Early 80s releases where their most popular, most fans of true "progressive rock" actually prefer their late 70s output. And this is probably the pinnacle of Rush's progressive era, even with stiff competition from other LPs like 2112 and Hemispheres
Free Music Review: Pure Rush at their finest
Hit: 5 Stars
A Farewell To Kings is Rush in their purest form. This album has it all. Great guitar, great keyboards, great synthesizers, great percussion, and great vocals. The album's songs also vary in subject matter. Everything from the end of kings, to a tropical paradise, to a semi-ballad, to a sinister sounding space song. Short songs and long songs. There are only six songs on the album, but all are great. The best three songs in my opinion are Xanadu, Cinderalla Man, and Cygnus X-1. Xanadu is epic length, full of keyboards and synthesizers. Great sound effects and awesome percussion by Neil Peart. I saw Rush play this live in 1994 and was blown away. During that same concert Rush teased the crowd a little by playing a brief part of Cygnus X-1, Geddy Lee's bass line near the beginning of the song. Cygnus X-1 is a song that has everything. It is actually quite scary sounding. Combine Lee's high pitched vocals with heavy guitar mixed with keys, synths, sound effects, Neil Peart's masterful drumming and Lee's familiar classic bass line at the beginning of the song, and you've got one terrifying sounding song. It is one of my favorite Rush songs ever. Do yourself a favor and buy this album. If you want to hear Rush in their purest form and arguably their finest hour, get this album.
Free Music Review: The beginning of true greatness....
Hit: 5 Stars
...this album begins Rush's "classic period", which I define as 1977-1984. A Farewell to Kings is a dramatic leap forward from 1976's 2112, and a great one at that. This is where the beast that is known as Rush, which was born with Fly By Night, and took it's first wobbly steps on Carress of Steel and 2112, matures fully. The title track starts out with classical guitar before bludgeoning you beautifully, with great lyrics to boot, in one of the most savage solo sections in the middle. Rush's epic Xanadu, based on an unfinished poem by Samuel Coleridge Taylor, is pure perfection, all 11 minutes of it. Fantastic, atmospheric, and awesome. Some shorter songs follow, including the fan (and radio) favorite, Closer to the Heart, Madrigal, and the vastly underrated Cinderella Man. The album then ends with one of the greatest epics ever, the amazingly intense Cygnus X-1. This song is so heavy, intense, and downright dark that it freaked me out the first time I heard it. Powerful, powerful stuff, and one of their finest moments, from the menacing opening to the tight instrumental work, the ethereal lyrics, Geddy's bloodcurdling scream at the end, and the haunting chords ringing out and fading over minutes to end the song. Great stuff, great album. Get this!Free Music Review: Masterpiece with an Achilles Heel...
Hit: 5 Stars
5 Stars but flawed? Yes and the song is Madrigal, an obvious attempt at filler but it has no place on a record with such high standards. Similar to Tears on 2112, Madrigal is slow, quiet, acoustic, and depressing. Nevertheless, ALL of the other tracks on A Farewell to Kings are amazing. The title track is probably Rush's most overlooked song and is followed by one of the greatest Rush songs ever written, Xanadu. Lee's bass playing literally takes over on this track and anchors Farewell. This is the era in which Neil had the handlebar mustache and was wearing robes. But the coolest part about this era was Neil's ability to incorporate almost every facet of percussion known to man including gongs, chimes, wood blocks and any other contraption known to man. His drumset at this point was any drummers wet dream. Closer to the Heart is a concert standard and a great acoustic track. Cinderella Man is another hidden Rush song that only the most ardent fan comes to treasure. And finally, Cygnus X-1, the best song Rush EVER recorded which makes this album a must have for any fan. 1977's A Farewell to Kings finds Rush on the upswing toward prog-rock immortality, one step closer to Hemispheres (the culminating masterpiece of the Rush catalog). Highest Recommendation.Free Music Review: A Farewell To Kings, one of Rush's best
Hit: 5 Stars
A Farewell To Kings was Rush's 5th studio album (6th overall album), which was released in September of 1977. Here is the song list:
1. A Farewell To Kings) This song has great guitar work by Alex and a very fast tempo. Good lyrics by Peart. A+
2. Xanadu) Although it's 11 minutes long, it's still a wonderful song. The first 5 minutes are instrumental followed by some singing by Geddy. A+
3. Closer To The Heart) This song is one of the shorter Rush songs and is often played on the radio. Good pace and good singing. A+
4. Cinderella Man) This is the only song on the album written by Geddy Lee. This song is not my favorite because of the song's tempo. B
5. Madrigal) This is not a fast song like Cinderella Man, so again not my favorite. C+
6. Cygnus X-1) Like Xanadu because of the length and the instrumental start. This song has a great start and has great singing in the later half of the song. A+
Overall it is a great album. The CD booklet contain some early photos of the band and the lyrics to every song. This is the remastered edition of the CD so it sounds a little better than the original.
Great Album, 5 Stars!