CARESS OF STEEL

Caress of Steel is right in the middle of RUSH's first five releases of what I call "Early RUSH". These albums are: Rush I (1974), Fly By Night (1975), Caress of Steel (1975), 2112 (1976), and All the World's a Stage "Live" (1976).

Caress of Steel, Rush's third album, was put out very quickly on the heels of their former release, Fly By Night. Both were released in 1975. This was not an uncommon thing in the mid-seventies. Elton John released four albums in two years from 1973 to 1974. This is just a reaction from the record company to "strike while the irons hot". Sometimes it is successful and other times it leads to disaster. I give Caress of Steel an honest 3 ½ stars. Caress has some good songs on it. The opening track, Bastille Day, is a Rush classic. So is Lakeside Park, a more melodic song with distinct mood-changes. The Necromancer is another epic multi-part song that continues to indicate Rush's progressive rock leaning's. But, Caress of Steel also includes an even more adventurous song, the six-part "Fountain of Lamneth". Unfortunately, it seemed to only drag the album down under it's own epic-length weight. Clocking in at almost 20 minutes, it was simply a matter of a little too much too early on. This was Rush's first attempt at an epic-lengthed concept story. You've got to start somewhere. We all know they pulled it off much better a little later.

Caress generated poor record sells, and subsequently, their record company and even the band's own management put pressure on them about the next album. The band was told if the next album failed, they might be dropped by the label. It was even "suggested" that they not make any more epic length concept songs, but just go back to the basics. Well, we all know that didn't happen.