A Farewell to Kings [Original recording remastered, Import]

I looked briefly at this band's CD Hemispheres and today I will look at A Farewell to Kings also one of the band's greatest a very ambitious cd which attempts to poetically look at the cosmos from their own unique standpoint and they are really given their long standing at the top of the entertainment industry one of canada's top artists along with Shania Twain who's performing again(at Vegas). There are countless others media stars tells much about not only the entertainment industry but the business..however some stay at the top of the field not only in a business sense and at concerts but also in terms of creative product. In this sense I will look at this cd and then at alater point compare it with more recent offerings by the trio. The group like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones come from lower class origins..and their music like these other groups(and they are different in their own ways) tries to make sense of their world find something worthwhile and to point to, and open up an expanse and here we have the world of poetry and here there poetry has never been better as we go to the ends of the universe in a cosmic expanse as the band probes man's past looks at present culture(197?)and what the future holds..the ancient world of the gods.."A farewell to Kings" cities full of hatred..fears lies..is an excellent tune the music is good and the lyrics point to our globalized world and the plight of the culture of cities. "XANADU" an ancient story(se the olivia newton john film..musical)."whispered tales of mystery..immortal men.."..looking for something beyond our sense world.."closer to the heart"..something to live by closer to our inner reality..having our outward experiences match the heart of the matter(a famous novel)..and having our cities resemble this?.."Cinderella Man"..a man of newly found wealth like the old tale of GREAT EXPECTATIONS..a person of goodness morals honor and decency wanting to do something..and
...travels to the city...here we have in this CD a great metaphysical drama picturing the ancient battle of the gods like MIlton the poet..and their writing has never been better..perhaps its best..in youth..no quick answers..no resolutions..but describing the present tension..are this and hemispheres there best work..trying to come to terms with their world is an attemt to be artists something beyond our fleeting world beyond the cosmic world here envisioned..to wherever your mind brings you. Music and lyrics combine to set your mind free on a journey and its the band at their best..years ago..at a later date I will look at mor eof their music. travels

my first introduction to the band as a high school kid. Closer to the Heart just blew me away , fan ever since
Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage is kinda heavy ( but still good) but the rest of the album was amazing

Canadian power trio Rush released their sixth album A Farewell to Kings in September of 1977. AFtK was their first album to go Gold and first to be recorded in England. 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. This album had matured musicianship and Rush experimenting with synthesizers(with bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee using them more and more) even more than on 1976's classic 2112(which went Gold on the same day as Farewell 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 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. 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!