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Music > Albums > Rush - A Farewell to Kings (1997) Retail CD
added on February 3, 2007, at 01:26 by allcdcovers

In their early years, Rush were very much a band of their time - the 70's - and were unmistakably "prog rock". From their third album "Caress of Steel" to their sixth, "Hemispheres", Rush reached the zenith of their ambition in terms of lengthy, musically complex song suites. Although their outstanding musical talent was really never in doubt it can fairly be argued that at times their ambition exceeded their ability. As a result, some of their work now feels uncomfortably dated.However, with "A Farewell To Kings" they reined in their excesses just a little and created an album of enduring worth and listenability. Okay, this album contains two long, musically complex pieces and totals only six tracks, but it manages to stay interesting by constant changes in theme and musical style both between tracks and within them. The range here is staggering - from the two-minute "Madrigal" to the 14-minute-plus "Xanadu", from blistering full-on rock through folk, Spanish and classical guitar, and from complex chord changes and and twiddly bits to the perfect pop-rock of "Closer To The Heart".Even the most obvious target for critics, "Xanadu", works as well today as it did 25 years ago. The tale of someone seeking Kublai Khan's fabled pleasure dome and the terrible fate which befalls them as a result is a masterclass in writing decent lyrics and then surrounding them with ever-changing, ravishing music - an object lesson in how to do "prog" well. Oh, and anyone who thinks abrupt "quiet-loud" dynamic changes were invented by the Pixies or Nirvana should listen to this.Much that seemed like a good idea in the 70's has turned out not to be. "A Farewell To Kings" is one of the rare exceptions.

Back 1068 x 800 px

Front 829 x 800 px