CARESS OF STEEL

One of the last few Rush albums left in my collection to be reviewed. Until the new one comes out or if I get Test For Eco, Vapor Trails, or Presto. Anyways I'll be rambling on about how Rush is an amazing band, everyone should listen to them, blah blah blah. Feel free to skip a bit if you feel the need to.

The third album. A predecessor to 2112. And a bit more progressive than the last one since it contains two (yes two) songs over the ten minute mark. This was also the album that kind of flopped and made the record companies tell Rush not to make any more epic songs like they just did. I'm glad Rush decided to ignore that piece of (bad) advice.

The first song is a really good opening song, as can be heard on All The World's A Stage and the third disc of Different Stages. Bastille Day is (obviously if you know a bit about French history) about the day that set off the French Revolution the storming of the Bastille which is a prison. Or was. It's no longer around. Anyways the song contains the famous (misquoted I believe - if I believe some history books I've read) quote from Marie Antoinette "There's no bread, let them eat cake". Anyways the song contains catchy riffs from Lifeson.

The next song "I Think I'm Going Bald" has a strange title. It is another hard rock song that shows the Led Zeppelin influences. The third song "Lakeside park" is about Victoria Day, a Canadian holiday, and gives references to a park in Port Dalhousie, St. Catharines, Ontario, which is where Neil Peart grew up. The first three songs are the hard rock songs of the album with Led Zeppelin influences and the next two songs are more of Rush's developing style.

"The Necromancer" is a song that takes referenced from J.R.R. Tolkien. The Necromancer is another title for Sauron and is mentioned in The Hobbit. It also mentions three travelers "journeying into the dark and forbidding lands of the Necromancer" which is a reference to Frodo, Sam, and Gollum as they enter Mordor to destroy the One Ring. This is also the second song to mention By-Tor (the first one being on the previous album, Fly By Night, on the song By-Tor and the Snow Dog). But in this song By-Tor is the protagonist, not the antagonist he was in the last one.

"The Fountain of Lamneth" seems to be about a man searching for the Fountain of Youth. It takes up all of side two on the album and is 34 seconds shorter than 2112. Rush was warned to stop making these types of songs after the album Caress of Steel sold less than Fly By Night and is considered a failure because of mediocre sales. Luckily Rush did not heed this and actually defied this by putting a side long epic on side one of the next album, 2112.

The last two songs show the typical progressive rock song (in my opinion). They both have long instrumental sections and fantasy lyrics subdivided into separate parts.

This is the album where Rush seems to create a sound that is unique to Rush. Catchy riffs from Alex, great drumming form Neil, and bass lines high in treble. Most likely with Geddy's Rickenbacker.

I give this album 4/5 stars. It is a great follow up of Fly By Night and a great predecessor to 2112. It is a great progressive rock album from Rush. 4/5 stars.