A Farewell To Kings

Following the unexpected success of 2112, Rush bid farewell to the first phase of their career with a live album before rolling into their proper progressive rock mode. A Farewell to Kings was maybe the finest release of that era because it combined two of their biggest strengths: longer (but not too long) pieces and lovely pop tunes. Of the former, “Xanadu” (theoretically inspired by Coleridge but actually by Welles) stands out the most, building its stately pleasure dome around the listener over the course of 11 minutes. Of the latter, “Closer to the Heart” remains one of the highlights of their entire catalog; proof that sometimes the direct approach is best.