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A Farewell to Kings
Released: August 29th, 1977
Certified Gold by RIAA: November 16, 1977
Certified Platinum by RIAA: December 1, 1993
View All Album Certifications
Highest Billboard Chart Position: 33
| Comments | -- | Lyrics | -- | Liner Notes | -- | Articles | -- | Singles | -- | Album Artwork | -- | Album Review | -- | Tour Dates | -- | Purchase |
Liner Notes
Neil Peart - Drums, orchestra bells, tubular bells, temple blocks, cowbells, wind chimes, bell tree, triangle, vibra-slap
Geddy Lee - Bass guitar, twelve string guitar, Mini Moog, bass pedal synthesizer, vocals
Alex Lifeson - Six and twelve string electric guitar, six and twelve string acoustic guitar, classical guitar, bass pedal synthesizer
Produced by Rush and Terry Brown
Recorded at Rockfield Studios, Wales, June 1977
Engineered by Pat Moran and Terry Brown (Broon)
Mixed at Advision Studios, London
Engineered by Terry Brown, Assisted by Declan (not Norman!) O'Doherty and Ken Thomas
Art direction and graphics by Hugh Syme
Cover photography by Yosh Inouye
Sleeve photography by Roger Stowell
Liner photographs by Fin Costello
Design assistance by Bob King
Mastered at JAMF, Toronto by George Graves
(Remastered by Bob Ludwig and Brian Lee at
Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, Maine)
Management by Ray Danniels, SRO Management, Inc., Toronto
Executive Production--Moon Records
Roadmaster and lighting director--Howard (Herns) Ungerleider
Concert sound engineer and effects consultant--Major Ian Grandy
Stage right technician--Liam (Elfbjörn) Birt
Stage left technician--Skip (Slider) Gildersleeve
Centre stage technician--Larry (The Saint) Allen
Stage Manager--Mike (Lurch) Hirsh
Chauffeur extraordinaire--(Ms.) Jorge Hoadley
Hello and thank you to National Sound and Crew, See Factor
Lighting and Crew (U.K. too!), Electrosound U.K. and Crew,
Graham The Coach Driver, Alans Moore and Kearsley, all at
Rockfield and Pat (Duffo) Moran, (Farewell to Kingsley),
Max Websters' Dancing and Crew, The Cult and Crew, Fabrissio,
The Percussion Centre, Tony (Old School Thai) Kelly,
Continental Tom Berry, and all our friends in the U.K.
(and everywhere!) we remember Brooklyn.
A special thank you to Dirk, Lerxst, and Pratt.
Our thanks also go out to the good people of Gibson Guitars,
Rickenbacker Guitars, and Slingerland Drums for their personal
help and consideration.
Dedicated to Nancy, Charlene, and Jacqueline
© 1977 Mercury Records © 1977 Anthem Entertainment
Articles
Rush Judgement - Sounds Magazine [UK], July 1977
A Farewell to Kings (Review) - The Ottawa Journal, September 1977
A Farewell to Kings (Review) - Coe Cosmos, September 1977
A Farewell to Kings Album Review - The Racquette Diversions of NY, September 1977
Canadians, from Quebec to Tokyo - The Leader-Post (Regina, SK), September 1977
Rush - An International Happening - RPM Weekly Magazine, September 1977
Rush: Canada's Most Successful (and Least Recognized) Rock Band - Georgia Straight Magazine, September 1977
A Farewell to Kings (Review) - Daily News Miner (Alaska), October 1977
Rush - Performance Newspaper, October 1977
A Farewell to Kings Album Review - The Rice Thresher of Houston TX, October 1977
Latest Rush release displays recent musical maturity - The Daily Collegian of PA State, October 1977
Stylish Yes Imitation Hurts Rush's 'Kings' - Signal Press - GA State Univ, October 1977
Heavy Metal is Back - Corpus Christi Times, October 1977
A Farewell to Kings (Review) - Rome (GA) News Tribune, October 1977
Rush Scores Gold Albums Without Top 40 Radio Play - Winnipeg Free Press
, October 1977
The Rush Tapes, Part 1 - Circus Magazine, October 1977
The Rush Tapes, Part 2 - Circus Magazine, October 1977
The Rush Tapes, Part 3 - Circus Magazine, November 1977
'Kings' Imaginative - The Michigan Daily, November 1977
A Farewell to Kings (Review) - The Village Voice, November 1977
Rush Reiteration - Stagelife Magazine [Canada], December 1977
A Farewell to Kings Album Review - The Racquette Diversions of NY, December 1977
Rush predicted fame but no one was listening - The Winnipeg Tribune, December 1977
Rush wears crown, but it's old hat - Columbus Dispatch, January 1978
Recognition is Only Half the Fun - Circus Magazine, January 1978
To Hell With Bob Dylan. Meet Rush. They're In It For The Money - Maclean's Magazine, January 1978
Black Holes: Close Encounters With RUSH - Sounds Magazine, February 1978
Heavy Side of Rush - Melody Maker Magazine, February 1978
Is The Canadian Rush On? - Music Week Magazine, March 1978
Power Pop? 'What's That' Say the Rush Fans - Record Mirror Magazine, March 1978
Toronto Group is in a 'Rush' to the Top - The Montreal Gazzette, March 1978
Rush'n Around - Beat Instrumental UK, April 1978
Singles
Closer to the Heart b/w Madrigal
Closer to the Heart b/w Madrigal - Record Store Day 2017 Edition
Cinderella Man b/w A Farewell to Kings
Track Listing
1.
A Farewell to Kings (5:51)
2.
Xanadu (11:08)
3.
Closer To The Heart (2:53)
4.
Cinderella Man (4:21)
5.
Madrigal (2:35)
6.
Cygnus X-1: Book I: The Voyage (10:25)
A Farewell to Kings
Music: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart / Lyrics: Neil Peart
When they turn the pages of history
When these days have passed long ago
Will they read of us with sadness
For the seeds that we let grow
We turned our gaze
From the castles in the distance
Eyes cast down
On the path of least resistance
Cities full of hatred
Fear and lies
Withered hearts
And cruel, tormented eyes
Scheming demons
Dressed in kingly guise
Beating down the multitude
And scoffing at the wise
The hypocrites are slandering
The sacred halls of Truth
Ancient nobles showering
Their bitterness on youth
Can't we find
The minds that made us strong
Can't we learn
To feel what's right and wrong
Cities full of hatred
Fear and lies
Withered hearts
And cruel, tormented eyes
Scheming demons
Dressed in kingly guise
Beating down the multitude
And scoffing at the wise
Can't we raise our eyes
And make a start
Can't we find the minds
To lead us closer to the Heart
Xanadu
Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson / Lyrics: Neil Peart
"To seek the sacred river Alph
To walk the caves of ice
To break my fast on honey dew
And drink the milk of Paradise..."
I had heard the whispered tales
Of immortality
The deepest mystery
From an ancient book. I took a clue
I scaled the frozen mountain tops
Of eastern lands unknown
Time and Man alone
Searching for the lost --- Xanadu
Xanadu --- To stand within The Pleasure Dome
Decreed by Kubla Khan
To taste anew the fruits of life
The last immortal man
To find the sacred river Alph
To walk the caves of ice
Oh, I will dine on honey dew
And drink the milk of Paradise
A thousand years have come and gone
But time has passed me by
Stars stopped in the sky
Frozen in an everlasting view
Waiting for the world to end
Weary of the night
Praying for the light
Prison of the lost --- Xanadu
Xanadu --- Held within The Pleasure Dome
Decreed by Kubla Khan
To taste my bitter triumph
As a mad immortal man
Nevermore shall I return
Escape these caves of ice
For I have dined on honey dew
And drunk the milk of Paradise
Closer to the Heart
Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson / Lyrics: Neil Peart and Peter Talbot
And the men who hold high places
Must be the ones to start
To mould a new reality
Closer to the Heart
The Blacksmith and the Artist
Reflect it in their art
Forge their creativity
Closer to the Heart
Philosophers and Ploughmen
Each must know his part
To sow a new mentality
Closer to the Heart
You can be the Captain
I will draw the Chart
Sailing into destiny
Closer to the Heart
Cinderella Man
Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson / Lyrics: Geddy Lee
A modest man from Mandrake
Travelled rich to the city
He had a need to discover
A use for his newly-found wealth
Because he was human
Because he had goodness
Because he was moral
They called him insane
Delusions of grandeur
Visions of splendour
A manic depressive
He walks in the rain
Eyes wide open
Heart undefended
Innocence untarnished
Cinderella Man
Doing what you can
They can't understand
What it means
Cinderella Man
Hang on to your plans
Try as they might
They cannot steal your dreams
In the betrayal of his love he awakened
To face a world of cold reality
And a look in the eyes of the hungry
Awakened him to what he could do
He held up his riches
To challenge the hungry
Purposeful motion
For one so insane
They tried to fight him
Just couldn't beat him
This manic depressive
Who walks in the rain
Madrigal
Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson / Lyrics: Neil Peart
When the dragons grow too mighty
To slay with pen or sword
I grow weary of the battle
And the storm I walk toward
When all around is madness
And there's no safe port in view
I long to turn my path homeward
To stop awhile with you
When life becomes so barren
And as cold as winter skies
There's a beacon in the darkness
In a distant pair of eyes
In vain to search for order
In vain to search for truth
But these things can still be given
Your love has shown me proof
Cygnus X-1: Book One: The Voyage
Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson / Lyrics: Neil Peart
Prologue
In the constellation of Cygnus
There lurks a mysterious, invisible force
The Black Hole
Of Cygnus X-1
Six Stars of the Northern Cross
In mourning for their sister's loss
In a final flash of glory
Nevermore to grace the night...
1
Invisible
To telescopic eye
Infinity
The star that would not die
All who dare
To cross her course
Are swallowed by
A fearsome force
Through the void
To be destroyed
Or is there something more?
Atomized --- at the core
Or through the Astral Door ---
To soar...
2
I set a course just east of Lyra
And northwest of Pegasus
Flew into the light of Deneb
Sailed across the Milky Way
On my ship, the 'Rocinante'
Wheeling through the galaxies,
Headed for the heart of Cygnus
Headlong into mystery
The x-ray is her siren song
My ship cannot resist her long
Nearer to my deadly goal
Until the Black Hole ---
Gains control...
3
Spinning, whirling,
Still descending
Like a spiral sea,
Unending
Sound and fury
Drowns my heart
Every nerve
Is torn apart....