Rush - Caress of Steel
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.26 You Save: $3.68 (62%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.75 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Caress of Steel
Free Music Review: My favorite Rush album
Hit: 5 Stars
Riding on the coat tails of Fly By Night, which was a very successful album, released just 10 months prior, Caress of Steel took Rush into a new and epic direction. Unfortunately, it took the fans and media a while to warm up to the mystical lyrics and dynamic melodies that Caress of Steel had to offer. 1.) Bastille Day: 5/5. This song is driven by two sources - Alex's grinding, heavy-set guitar licks and Geddy's falsetto vocals that reach heights few mortals can obtain. While its done expertly live, the studio version includes subtleties that a live version simply can contain. A fan favorite for many years, this was a great way to start of the album, albeit not a reflection of what was yet to come.
2.) I Think I'm Going Bald: 5/5.
"But even when I am gray, I'll still be gray my way..." This song is about Rush now, Growing old with style.
3.) Lakeside Park: 5/5
Taking on a slower pace, this highlights Alex's classical guitar playing and Geddy's ability to tone down his vocals when required.
4.) The Necromancer: 5/5. My favorite of all of the epics (including '2112')
A dark and brooding tale that shows how intricately this Canadian trio can weave their musical magic into true works of art. Geddy Lee's singing is put to the test as he puts his own interpretations of the masterful lyrics handed to him by percussionist Neil Peart. Alex Lifeson has his hands full as well as The Necromancer calls for challenging time changes and effects that he pulls off beautifully. The track is segmented into three sections: I. Into Darkness, II. Under The Shadow and III. Return Of The Prince.. Each deliciously vibrant on their own, but formed together, they create magic. One of Rush's best early epics.
5.) The Fountain of Lamneth: 5/5.
But if the epic The Necromancer wasn't enough for you, enter the final piece of magic on Caress called The Fountain of Lamneth Clocking in at almost 20 minutes in length, Lamneth shows Rush at their pinnacle thus far. Highlighted by the heart-wrenching Panacea mini-track/ballad, Lamneth pulls you into a story board tale of times past. Some may say it's somewhat disjointed, but I totally disagree. From the opening chord, to the final `book closing' effect, The Fountain of Lamneth remains one of Rush's finest, and seriously underrated works of art. As with the preceding track, The Fountain of Lamneth is broken into segments - six in all: I. In The Valley, II. Didacts And Narpets, III. No One At The Bridge, IV. Panacea, V. Bacchus Plateau and VI. The Fountain.
Free Music Review: CARESS AN EXCELLANT RECORDING
Hit: 5 Stars
I first became a RUSH fan in 1980 with their release of "The Spirit Of Radio" from "PERMANENT WAVES". It was my Junior year in high school. 1981's "MOVING PICTURES" solidified me as a RUSH fan. From there, I backed up into 1977's "A FAREWELL TO KINGS" and 1976's "2112". The latter, "2112", was supposed to be the ultimate prog rock effort by the band, but I could just never get into it. I think it was just too over the top for me. I also think it kept me from exploring even earlier recordings like "CARESS...", "FLY BY NIGHT", and their debut "RUSH" I then turned forward and purchased 1981's "EXIT STAGE LEFT", and then 1982's "SIGNALS". By 1983, my interests were changing and I didn't give Rush's future releases much thought. 13 Years later, I would purchase 1996's "TEST FOR ECHO" and rekindle my interest in RUSH, and I became a fan again. I still had never gone far enough back into Rush's past to even try 1975's "CARESS OF STEEL". Another 5 years later, today, June 29, 2001, I purchased "CARESS...". All I can say is I should have tried this recording back in the eighties. This is RUSH like I've never heard them. This is GUITAR RUSH. This is MELODIC RUSH. This has become my favorite RUSH recording after only one listen. IT IS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. FIRST CLASS ALL THE WAY. I still can't believe I've been missing this the last 21 years, since I first became interested in RUSH. Why had I not heard more about this recording? UNDERRATED? NEGLECTED? OVERLOOKED? Yes, and I'm guilty of it too.THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SHAKY ABOUT THIS RECORDING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
If you are a RUSH fan, or are interested in RUSH'S music, then purchase this CD. Don't make the mistake I made and wait 21 years. THIS IS MUSIC THAT DESERVES TO BE HEARD, over and over again.
BASTILLE DAY is a wonderful intro to this amazing recording. I'm sure I've heard this one somewhere some other time.
I THINK I'M GOING BALD is completely unexpected. I started laughing out loud when I heard it. This is just plain FUN!
LAKESIDE PARK is a beautiful composition. This song took me somewhere else, I just haven't figured out where it was. It was sure a pleasant trip though.
THE NECROMANCER is ... is ... is ... I can't come up with the words to describe this. You'll have to experience this for yourself. THE GUITAR GOD MUST HAVE BEEN PLEASED!
THE FOUNTAIN OF LAMNETH is ... is ... is ... WELL DITTO!
Free Music Review: Underrated. Underrated. Underrated.
Hit: 5 Stars
Underrated is what Caress Of Steel is. Rush's third studio album, Caress Of Steel was released in 1975. It was the second album featuring drummer Neil Peart. When Peart replaced John Rutsey on drums, he also brought an ability to write intelligent and sophisticated lyrics. Caress Of Steel was really the first Rush album to have epic length songs. This album contains two of them - The Necromancer and The Fountain Of Lamneth. Bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee's vocals might be at their highest pitch ever on this album. Sometimes his voice sounds like that of a wicked witch, but this is an awesome thing because it fits in with the dark subject matter of this album, or at least when it comes to the two epic length songs.
The album begins with Bastille Day, a solid heavy rock & roll song about the French Revolution. It has a great guitar riff, something that sadly is in short supply these days in rock & roll music. The next song also has a great guitar riff, I Think I'm Going Bald. This song is definitely on the lighter side, with quirky lyrics, but it rocks with a great melody and riff. The next song is Lakeside Park, a personal song about a park in their hometown. Next is the three-part song The Necromancer, clocking in at 12:30. This is a great song with Lee's high pitched vocals and creepy metal music. The last song is the six-part epic length The Fountain Of Lamneth. This song varies a great deal throughout. It alternates between heavy metal, softer rock, melodic hard rock, and even features a one minute drum solo by Peart. It pretty much sounds like five different songs amongst the six parts. The last part, (Part VI The Fountain), wraps up the song, sounding like Part I (In The Valley). The Fountain Of Lamneth is one of my favorite Rush songs ever, clocking in at 19:59.
If you're a true Rush fan you owe it to yourself to own this album. This album's stature has been elevated over time, so if you don't have it, you should consider buying it. It has been severely underrated over the last 34 years. Very highly recommended.
Free Music Review: One of Rush's Five Best Albums
Hit: 5 Stars
This early Rush album has a wonderful experimental quality to it as though they are enjoying themselves too much to be self-conscious about releasing their raw ideas. Their second album with Neil Peart (third over-all), it feels like they have found their sound and hit their stride on the last two epic pieces (Fountain of Lamneth and Necromancer). But this is an adventerous album and took me two or three listenings to get used to it enough to fully enjoy it.
The Fountain of Lamneth and The Necromancer are two of the longest songs Rush has ever written (Comprable to 2112, Cygnus X-1, and Xanadu). These long pieces are the highlight of this album for me. They are programmatic, jumping between styles and moods they explode with technical musicality and creativity. Alex's guitar solos are as good as any in his career.
Of the shorter songs on this album, I like the delightfully mellow Lakeside Park the best. The guitar riff in I Think I'm Going Bald is so darn rockin' that I hardly notice the silly lyrics and long ending. Bastille Day is a great heavy metal tune, though I've mellowed over the years and it's probably my least favorite now.
My top 5 rush albums are A Farewell to Kings, Permanent Waves, Caress of Steel (this album), Hemispheres, and Moving Pictures. If you like any of them, buy them all! Particularly if you liked Fly By Night or 2112, you'll love this album because it sits between them both chronologically and stylistically.
Free Music Review: This album shows the band on the verge of greatness
Hit: 5 Stars
In order to appreciate this album, you must understand there were three "lives" of Rush. Their first two albums, in 1974 and early 1975, kind of represented them in their Led-Zeppelin-isque sounding age with songs containing heavy guitar riffs and only hinted at the mystical messages yet to come. Then, beginning with "Caress of Steel" and ending with "Hemispheres," each album contained one or more "opus," i.e., long story-like songs, with social messages masked behind fantasy or science fiction themes. Then, 1980's "Permanent Waves" saw them immerse themselves back into reality with music that combined the shorter songs with more direct social messages aimed at that so-called male 18-34 demo. If you are like me, then it is that middle life you appreciate the most. Their first two albums made me a fan, but "Caress of Steel" made me a fanatic. Alas, once the "Spirit of Radio" from "Permanent Waves" made it to top 40 AM radio, I felt abandoned and bypassed purchasing their albums to simply sit and listen to what radio would latch onto.
Though their fourth studio album, "2112" is considered their masterpiece, it is "Caress of Steel" that I still keep in my car and listen to. Although I do not care much for the first three songs, "Bastille Day," "..going bald," and "Lakeside Park," the longer tracks, "Necromancer" and "Fountain of Lamneth" are easily listened to over and over. I think these two opus' stand up very well with anything in that middle life though arguably the three albums that followed after "Steel" may be a notch above in production, song quality and just plain "way-out-there"-ness.
I guess the best way to sum up this album is to use a football comparison where a team just misses the playoffs with a 9-7 record, and then comes out the next season with a serious run at the championship. If "2112" is the championship run, then "Caress of Steel" is the year Rush went 9-7 and made us all take notice.