Rush Retrospective: Album 05- A Farewell to Kings

 

Album:  A Farewell to Kings

Year Released:   1977

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – vocals, bass and twelve-string guitar, Minimoog, bass pedal synthesizers
• Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic six- and twelve-string guitars, classical guitar, bass pedal synthesizers
• Neil Peart – drums, orchestra bells, wind chimes, bell tree, vibraslap, triangle, tubular bells, temple blocks

Overall Thoughts:

After the critical and commercial success of 2112, the band recorded their first live album (All the World's A Stage), then went back to the studio for the fifth album.  

With A Farwell to Kings, Rush expanded their sound- adding several new instruments to their repetoire.  2112 had only a few instruments (by comparison.  A Farewell to Kings also brought in Synthesizers to the group, which would grow (controversially) to be a bigger part of the music over the next several albums.

Rush continued basing the trend of basing their albums around epic themes-  "A Farewell to Kings" and "Closer to the Heart" could bookend each other- the title track showing the dark path that leaders could take, and "Closer to the Heart" singing about an optimistic alternative.  This not subtle- the final line of "A Farewell to Kings" is:

Whoa, can't we raise our eyes

And make a start?

Can't we find the minds

To lead us closer to the heart?

The album ends with "Cygnus X-1 (Book One- The Voyage)".  It seems to continue the theme of the album- "A Farewell to Kings" is about the past, while "Cygnus" is about the future.  It's a ten minute song... and it's the first half.  The second half is on the next album.  

Epic songs are difficult to pull off, and Cygnus lacks something that made 2112 so appealing.  Relatability, maybe?  You can identify with the protagonist on 2112, in a way that is more difficult to do so on Cygnus.  And the epic songs require a commitment- Book One is over ten minutes long (and Book Two is even longer).

Overall, there are good songs on the album, and they blazing a new trail muscially.  It doesn't reach the heights of their previous albums, but it's the first step on their next evolution musically.

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. 2112
2. Fly By Night
3. Rush
4. A Farewell to Kings
5. Caress of Steel

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Working Man", Rush
2. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
3. "2112", 2112
4. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
5. "Making Memories", Fly By Night
6. "A Passage to Bangkok", 2112
7. "A Farewell to Kings", A Farewell to Kings
8. "Here Again", Rush
9. "Finding My Way", Rush
10. "Anthem", Fly By Night