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A Farewell to Kings | 
 enlarge | Artist: Rush
Label: Island / Mercury
Category: Music
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $7.97
You Save: $2.01 (20%)
New (50) Used (17) from $4.40
Rating:  149 reviews
Sales Rank: 2856
Format: Original Recording Reissued, Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 534628
UPC: 731453462823
EAN: 0731453462823
ASIN: B000001ESJ
Release Date: May 6, 1997
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | A Farewell To Kings | | • | Xanadu | | • | Closer To The Heart | | • | Cinderella Man | | • | Madrigal | | • | Cygnus X-1 |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 144 more reviews...
 This underrated album is also Rush's Best. July 17, 2008
The title of this album says it all. In this album, Rush finally manages to finally distance themselves from their blatant Led Zeppelin roots heard in previous albums. The Hard Rocking riffs still appear without shame, but here Rush mixes in synth and complex time signatures and inventive song structures. And while they've continued to evolve since this release I still believe this to be their best.
In terms of songwriting this album kills. Xanadu, based on the opium-induced Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem Kubla Khan is in my mind unquestionly the best song this band ever penned. It opens with ethreal moog synthesizer sounds, and builds up into a complex 11 minute rocking tale of the search for immortality. The lyrics are mindblowingly vivid and the musicianship is absolutely stellar. Elsewhere the title track with its crazy solos and classical guitar opener are excellent. Cygnus X-1 has one of the greatest Rush intros ever, and Closer to the Heart and Cinderella Man are both excellent short rockers, something which Rush up until this point struggled with.
While their Early 80s releases where their most popular, most fans of true "progressive rock" actually prefer their late 70s output. And this is probably the pinnacle of Rush's progressive era, even with stiff competition from other LPs like 2112 and Hemispheres
Masterpiece April 17, 2008
This is not only one of Rush's best albums, but one of the greatest progressive rock albums of all time. The mix & mastering are great, and the songwriting is incredibly creative. You can tell that these guys were really having fun and enjoying their creative work. This album also set the bar high for future works, some of which equal this album, but none surpass it.
Now for the songs:
FAREWELL: Intriguing opening with the classical guitar, great riffs into the verses, and a driving yet catchy chorus. Glad they included this on Chronicles and Different Stages.
XANADU: What can you say? This is the best song on the album, and perhaps their best song, period. It's certainly the best progressive rock song of all time, building from the soft nature setting to some of the best riffs and counter-melodies they've composed. Sparing use of keyboards accents the chorus parts perfectly. You really can't put it into words. It's an essential track for any prog-rock lover.
CLOSER TO THE HEART: Fun little song. Yes, overplayed, but for a reason -- it's great!
CINDERELLA MAN: A really driving song with a neat tempo-change in the chorus, and a really fun instrumental section before the second chorus. Rather experimental for Rush at the time, and they nailed it. Great song.
MADRIGAL: A love-ballad. Hard to tell if it was written to a woman, a homestead, or simply to a previous way of life (or all three!). Great change of pace.
CYGNUS X-1: The most incredible, not-to-be-believed song ever written by these guys. A space fantasy that really works musically (only these guys could have pulled this off so masterfully). The final vocals are so over-the-top, they actually work. Incredibly creative, fun, and never tiring to listen to again.
Progressive rock at its best -- easily 5+ stars.
Rush CD February 18, 2008
It's a Rush cd. What else needs to be said. Excellent vocal and music. Perfect for driving or just listening to.
The best of Rush, and the best of classic rock February 8, 2008
Rush is now on the uprising of their goodness and talent. 2112 was incredible, but what next? Of course they break the boundaries with a mix of good classic sounds and hard rock, A Farewell to Kings is a stirring album, and frankly one of my all time favorite albums. Lifeson on Guitar, Lee on Bass, and of course the acclaimed Peart on Drums. A Farewell to Kings is a blend of hard rock and epic sounding power, such as the beautiful remedy of "Xanadu". With one of their best singles on the album "Closer to the Heart" is a good rendition of awesome guitar while songs like "Xanadu" and "Cinderella Man" and all the other songs on the album shine through with Peart's legendary style this album weaves one of the best renditions of songs anyone could make. Though there are only six songs on the album, all of them make it worth the money and they are Rush's masterpieces. This is my favorite album, I put it even above Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves, and 2112 though those are incredible albums as well! 5/5 to the best Rush album that is flawless in their style. If you want talent in all three instruments check these guys out, powerful drumming, tight bass guitar, and unique cord structure from the guitar you won't be disappointed.
A great progressive rock album December 18, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This album is often overlooked, even though it contains some of the best Rush classics--Closer to the Heart, and Xanadu.
Closer to the Heart is one of the all time Rush Classics--great melody and inspiring lyrics flowing seemlessly in a beautiful song. If you've ever experienced this song live in concert, you understand that it can be an emotional experience listening and signing along to this track.
Cinderella man is a great story perserverance, and the title track has a great baroque quality to it. The only bad part is a track called Madrigal. Even all these years later, it sounds terrible-I don't know what they were thinking.
Cygnus X-1, is an incredible epic song that is continued on the entire first side of their next album-Hemispheres. Cygnus X-1 and Hemispheres represent the peak of Neil Peart's fantasy concept album epics-a bit difficult to digest and take in all at once, but the creativity and the music are top notch.
This album is a must for any real Rush fan if only for the inclusion of the epic Xanadu. Although dated from an instrumental standpoint (old school synth etc), this song represents a culmination of the early efforts of Rush, screaming vocals, heavy guitars, complex drumming and percussion, coupled with an ambitious undertaking in presentation and songwriting. Xanadu will take you far away, and spark your imagination. That is what art does. And that is why Rush is one of the premier artists of all recorded music.
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