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Caress of Steel

Rush - Caress of Steel Audio CD

A fair review of the Rush "Caress of Steel" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Rush reviews here, or go back to the Rush tabs.

Band: Rush
Title: Caress of Steel
Rating:

Release Date: 1997-05-06
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Bastille Day 2: I Think I'm Going Bald 3: Lakeside Park 4: Necromancer: Into Darkness/Under the Shadow/Return of the Prince 5: Fountain of Lamneth: In the Valley/Didacts and Narpets/No One At

A Caress of Steel indeed.
I do have to take a stand at rating it 5 stars to offset anyone that would give it lower than. Ok this album may not be the complete best ever, but it is a very good one. . well. . . . . 5 stars. Man, it's so great.

Amazing.
It's as good as 2112, Fly By Night, and all of Rush's other albums from the era. Definitely get this album. The two epic songs are both amazing and evoke such brilliant fantasy imagery. The three shorter songs are fantastic too. No filler here - this album is gold from the first note to the last.

Yes, I'm Going Bald While I'm Listening to This Album!
The band members were probably thinking that this is their breakthough - now they're gonna success. Between classic albums "Fly by Night" and "2112" Rush made this album which was both critically and commercially a downfall. Well, the truth is awful. Although Rush is a great band and this album has a couple of good songs - it doesn't save it. "Bastille Day" and "Lakeside Park" are great songs - but "All the World's a Stage" proved that they are much better played live. My favorite song in this album is "I Think I'm Going Bald" - I guess that most of the rockers are afraid of going bald. They are not afraid of monsters or hell. No - losing hairs is the worst thing! Then, "The Necromancer" which is one of the most boring songs I've ever heard from Rush. It has it moments but 12 minutes and 29 second of boring solos and dark melodies are too much for me. The closing track - which takes about 20 minutes. At first I thought that "The Fountain of Lamneth" could be most boring song I've ever heard but when I listened to it for the seventh time I started to realize that there's some great melodies - still it is too long. I have nothing against the long songs but if you write a long one - make sure it is an awesome one! The best part in the closing track is "Didacts and Narpets" which is actually one-minute drum solo. So - this is defintely the least favorite Rush album in the period 1974-1982.
Stars: I Think I'm Going Bald, Bastille Day.

Dark Music!!!!!! And so good!!!!!
When Neil Peart joined the band in the summer of '74, he brought a new approach to writing songs (intellectual lyrics, and epic-length songs)that irritated critics and some fans. Rush has always been one of those bands that just does their own thing, (despite what the critics or the record companies suggest), and this album is no exception. Though Fly by Night sold reasonably well, the band was headed in an entirely new direction, and re-defining itself quickly. Fly by Night was released in 1975, and later that same year, Caress of Steel followed, and the latter proved to be a dismal failure, after it was said that Caress of Steel would be their "breakthrough" album. A tour followed, dubbed the "Down the Tubes" tour, and Rush was done. Or were they? We all know what happened the following year when they released 2112 (again shaking off the pressure from critics and fans to create a more mainstream, radio-friendly album). To put it into perspective, think of Fly by Night and Caress of Steel as 2 warm-up albums for their breakthrough album (2112). With these 2 releases, we were introduced to one of the greatest lyricists and drummers in the business (Peart), and these were a springboard for great albums to come for the remainder of the decade. When it comes to Caress of Steel, the most appealing part of the album (besides the obvious creativity with songwriting) is its darker tone and mood. Even the song, "I Think I'm Going Bald" is somewhat dreary at times. It's an upbeat song in general, but listen to it again, and you may find it to have a certain darkness to it. I'll list the songs and rate them:
BASTILLE DAY: A raw, fast-paced rocker with in-your-face singing/screaming that's sure to delight any metal fan. (9/10)
I THINK I'M GOING BALD: Great 12-string solo by Alex on this one. It's a song that's meant to be funny, and shows a different side to the band. (9/10)
LAKESIDE PARK: A nice song about an amusement park that Neil worked at as a teenager, and has a catchy drum intro and fills throughout that give the song its identity. (8/10)
THE NECROMANCER: By far the DARKEST song ever recorded by the band, and my all-time favorite. It starts out with a vivid narration leading into eerie guitar sounds that establish the fact that it's going to be a very different type of song that will keep one's attention. This song is a 3-part epic that transitions nicely. I often think that this song could be easily integrated into a session of D&D!!!! (10/10)
THE FOUNTAIN OF LAMNETH: Such an interesting piece of music!!! The first part, "In the Valley" starts with acoustic guitar with soft vocals by Geddy, followed by a super-fast drum part in part 2 "Didacts and Narpets". The rest of the parts (3-6) alternate with dark and heavy-sounding stuff, and soft, melodic stuff which gives this song a feel of one that has 6 songs within 1 song. This epic is so varied and doesn't transition well, but perhaps that's what makes it unique. (7/10) I recommend purchasing this CD, because it's one of those acquired tastes that any Rush fan will appreciate, as well as one who craves something different. If dark music is your thing, then this CD is for you!!!.

Underrated. Underrated. Underrated.
Rush's third studio album, Caress Of Steel was released in 1975. Underrated is what Caress Of Steel is. It was the second album featuring drummer Neil Peart. When Peart replaced John Rutsey on drums, he also brought an ability to write intelligent and sophisticated lyrics. Caress Of Steel was really the first Rush album to have epic length songs. This album contains two of them - The Necromancer and The Fountain Of Lamneth. Bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee's vocals might be at their highest pitch ever on this album. Sometimes his voice sounds like that of a wicked witch, but this is an awesome thing because it fits in with the dark subject matter of this album, or at least when it comes to the two epic length songs.

The album begins with Bastille Day, a solid heavy rock & roll song about the French Revolution. It has a great guitar riff, something that sadly is in short supply these days in rock & roll music. The next song also has a great guitar riff, I Think I'm Going Bald. This song is definitely on the lighter side, with quirky lyrics, but it rocks with a great melody and riff. The next song is Lakeside Park, a personal song about a park in their hometown. Next is the three-part song The Necromancer, clocking in at 12:30. This is a great song with Lee's high pitched vocals and creepy metal music. The last song is the six-part epic length The Fountain Of Lamneth. This song varies a great deal throughout. It alternates between heavy metal, softer rock, melodic hard rock, and even features a one minute drum solo by Peart. It pretty much sounds like five different songs amongst the six parts. The last part, (Part VI The Fountain), wraps up the song, sounding like Part I (In The Valley). The Fountain Of Lamneth is one of my favorite Rush songs ever, clocking in at 19:59.

If you're a true Rush fan you owe it to yourself to own this album. This album's stature has been elevated over time, so if you don't have it, you should consider buying it. It has been severely underrated over the last 34 years. Very highly recommended.

You can see a complete list of all Rush discography, or go back to the Rush tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.