RUSH
CARESS OF STEEL (1975)
320 KBPS
After heavily displaying their influences throughout their first two albums, Rush decided on Caress of Steel that it was time to break away from the pack. And seemingly at the same time, Neil Peart's lyrical genius really began to shine through for the first time. This is the first great Rush album, and I have no idea how so many people have overlooked it. As always, the band's playing is stunning (though it would get to be even more so in following years), and their great song ideas were really starting to come through. While the group's compositions would still get better with their next few albums, these were the first signs of their brilliance, and it blows away their first two records.
"Bastille Day" is a fantastic rocker with very meaningful and direct lyrics. The riffs are more powerful than anything they'd done up to that point, and Geddy's vocals are at their most agressive. "I Think I'm Going Bald' may have a catchy riff, but it's really somewhat of an unremarkable, goofy track. This is more than made up for by the mellow "Lakeside Park", which is extremely well performed, and really just a very enjoyable track. However, it's after these three songs that the record gets ambitious. "The Necromancer" is their first 10+ minute song, and while it has some great moments and does a fantastic job at establishing different moods, the narraration really causes me to lose some interest in the track. Still, some of Alex Lifeson's best early guitar work can be found on this track, and it's well worth the time it takes to listen to it. However, it gets blown out of the water by their first sidelong track, the stunning "Fountain of Lamneth". While it doesn't flow seamlessly like their later epics, the band is in top form for the entire thing, and never has Geddy's high pitched screaming worked so well. Add Neil Peart's brilliantly descriptive lyircs to the equation, as well as the always flawless guitar work of Alex Lifeson, and you've got yourself a hell of a song. It doesn't drag at any point, and it made it extremely obvious that Rush had great things ahed of them.
I'm one of the select few who actually preffers Caress of Steel to 2112. While 2112 has one stunning track and then a whole side of mediocre ones, Caress is fairly consistent, and really shows the band coming into their own in every sense. While I don't suggest making it one of your first Rush albums, don't be concerned that you won't like it either.
"Bastille Day" is a fantastic rocker with very meaningful and direct lyrics. The riffs are more powerful than anything they'd done up to that point, and Geddy's vocals are at their most agressive. "I Think I'm Going Bald' may have a catchy riff, but it's really somewhat of an unremarkable, goofy track. This is more than made up for by the mellow "Lakeside Park", which is extremely well performed, and really just a very enjoyable track. However, it's after these three songs that the record gets ambitious. "The Necromancer" is their first 10+ minute song, and while it has some great moments and does a fantastic job at establishing different moods, the narraration really causes me to lose some interest in the track. Still, some of Alex Lifeson's best early guitar work can be found on this track, and it's well worth the time it takes to listen to it. However, it gets blown out of the water by their first sidelong track, the stunning "Fountain of Lamneth". While it doesn't flow seamlessly like their later epics, the band is in top form for the entire thing, and never has Geddy's high pitched screaming worked so well. Add Neil Peart's brilliantly descriptive lyircs to the equation, as well as the always flawless guitar work of Alex Lifeson, and you've got yourself a hell of a song. It doesn't drag at any point, and it made it extremely obvious that Rush had great things ahed of them.
I'm one of the select few who actually preffers Caress of Steel to 2112. While 2112 has one stunning track and then a whole side of mediocre ones, Caress is fairly consistent, and really shows the band coming into their own in every sense. While I don't suggest making it one of your first Rush albums, don't be concerned that you won't like it either.
1. Bastille Day
2. I Think I'm Going Bald
3. Lakeside Park
4. The Necromancer:
I) Into The Darkness
II) Under The Shadow
III) Return Of The Prince
5. The Fountain Of Lamneth:
I) In The Valley
II) Didacts And Narpets
III) No One At The Bridge
IV) Panacea
V) Bacchus Plateau
VI) The Fountain
2. I Think I'm Going Bald
3. Lakeside Park
4. The Necromancer:
I) Into The Darkness
II) Under The Shadow
III) Return Of The Prince
5. The Fountain Of Lamneth:
I) In The Valley
II) Didacts And Narpets
III) No One At The Bridge
IV) Panacea
V) Bacchus Plateau
VI) The Fountain
1 comment:
Bonjour et merci,
s'agit-il également d'un cd remastérisé ? Je possède l'intégrale en cd (sauf l'inondation de ces dernières années en live divers), et suis très heureux de ne pas devoir racheter tous ces remasters.
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