Artist: Rush
Album: A Farewell To Kings
Genre: Rock
Release Date: 1977/2015
Audio Format:: FLAC (tracks) 24 bit, 192 kHz
Duration: 37:28
Total Tracks: 6
Total Size: 1,20 GB

Tracklist:

01. Rush – A Farewell To Kings (05:55)
02. Rush – Xanadu (11:11)
03. Rush – Closer To The Heart (02:55)
04. Rush – Cinderella Man (04:23)
05. Rush – Madrigal (02:35)
06. Rush – Cygnus X-1 (Book I: The Voyage) (10:27)

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This 1977 release, the band’s fifth studio album, was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and mixed in London’s Advision Studios. It became the band’s first U.S. gold-selling album within two months of release, and went platinum. The singles included “Closer to the Heart” and “Cinderella Man” while the album peaked at #33 on the Billboard 200 and #22 on the U.K. album charts.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