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. [
Farewell to Kings was re-released on LP in 2015.] ~ Greg Prato