CARESS OF STEEL

I have to say that I was disappointed when I first heard this album. I anticipated another pair of '2112's with 'The Necromancer' and 'The Fountain...' but I was sorely disappointed. They both do have their moments, but I don't think the band was quite ready for such epic and ambitious tracks at the time. The album does have, in my opinion, one of the best early Rush tracks, 'Bastille Day', but it also has the track which I'm sure was recorded as a joke 'I Think I'm Going Bald'. That track is sheer filler, but is followed by 'Lakeside Park' which just about rescues it. Then come the epics, which I don't think fulfilled what I expected. They are overall quite messily executed, and while still musically sound, they don't seem to quite fit together. This album is worth getting, but I'd go for 2112 if you're looking for an unforgettable epic.