Rush Farewell To Kings CD

Rush: Geddy Lee (vocals, keyboards, bass); Alex Lifeson (guitar); Neil Peart (drums, percussion).
Recorded at Rockfield Studios, Wales in June 1977.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Personnel: Geddy Lee (vocals, guitar, 12-string guitar, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, bass guitar); Alex Lifeson (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar); Neil Peart (drums, cowbells, temple blocks, triangle, tubular bells, vibraslap, bells, chimes).
Audio Mixer: Terry Brown.
Recording information: Rockfield Studios, Wales (06/1977).
Photographers: Yosh Inouye; Fin Costello.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Bob King ; Alex Lifeson; Neil Peart.
On 1977's A Farewell to Kings it quickly becomes apparent that Rush had improved their songwriting and strengthened their focus and musical approach. Synthesizers also mark their first prominent appearance on a Rush album, a direction the band would continue to pursue on future releases. With the popular hit single "Closer to the Heart," the trio showed that they could compose concise and traditionally structured songs, while the 11-minute "Xanadu" remains an outstanding accomplishment all these years later (superb musicianship merged with vivid lyrics help create one of Rush's best all-time tracks). The album-opening title track begins with a tasty classical guitar/synth passage, before erupting into a powerful rocker. The underrated "Madrigal" proves to be a delicately beautiful composition, while "Cinderella Man" is one of Rush's few songs to include lyrics penned entirely by Geddy Lee. The ten-minute tale of a dangerous black hole, "Cygnus X-1," closes the album on an unpredictable note, slightly comparable to the two bizarre extended songs on 1975's Caress of Steel. A Farewell to Kings successfully built on the promise of their breakthrough 2112, and helped broaden their audience. ~ Greg Prato
Taking a cue from other art-rock groups like Yes and Genesis, Rush expressed a penchant for fantasy and science fiction themes on A FAREWELL TO KINGS. Coupling the increasingly intricate arrangements of Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson with the creative lyrics of Neil Peart, the power trio format is stretched beyond recognition on epic tracks like the sensational "Xanadu," a masterful re-telling of Kubla Kahn's "Pleasure Dome" along the river Alph.
KINGS also introduced a more lyrical side of the group with "Closer To The Heart," a work of sheer beauty that would become a concert mainstay. The lesser-known rocker "Cinderella Man" and the graceful "Madrigal" offer creative tangents that explore the mysteries of the human psyche and emotions. The grand finale is a work of magnificent complexity and fantasy known as "Cygnus X-1." This multi-part suite introduces an unnamed space traveler who descends into a mysterious black hole in his rocket ship, the "Rocinante," to an uncertain end. The character would later emerge to star in the group's follow-up album, HEMISPHERES.

Remastered