A Farewell to Kings is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on Anthem Records on August 29, 1977. The album reached No. 11 in Canada and marked a growth in the band's international fanbase. It became the band's second Top 40 album in the United States, after their 1976 double live album All the World's a Stage, and was their first Top 40 album in the United Kingdom.
After reaching a critical and commercial peak with 2112 and touring the album, Rush decided to record the follow-up outside Toronto for the first time and settled in Rockfield Studios in Wales after their debut European tour. A Farewell to Kings is noted for the band expanding their sound with greater use of synthesizers and each member playing more instruments than before, and having long and short tracks such as the 11-minute "Xanadu" and the under-3-minute "Closer to the Heart", both of which became live favourites. The closing science-fiction-themed "Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage" ends on a cliffhanger which concludes on the next album, Hemispheres.
A Farewell to Kings received a generally positive reception from critics. "Closer to the Heart" was released as the album's first single, which reached No. 36 in the UK. Rush supported the album with their most extensive tour at the time, headlining major venues across North America and Europe for over 140 dates. A 40th-anniversary remastered edition with bonus tracks and a 5.1 surround sound mix was released in 2017.
Background and recording
In June 1977, Rush ended their tour supporting their breakthrough album 2112 and subsequent live release, All the World's a Stage. The tour culminated in the band's first European dates with shows in England, which attracted widespread praise from fans and critics. It was around this time when Rush decided against their usual post-tour break to continue momentum and produce a follow-up album, but wanted to record somewhere other than Toronto, Canada. Following what drummer and lyricist Neil Peart described as an "extremely difficult" search for a studio that suited the band, their longtime producer and engineer Terry Brown discovered Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire, Wales. His enthusiasm at the idea of recording at the facility convinced the band to work there. Apart from early ideas for "Closer to the Heart", the songs were put together at Rockfield. Once recording finished, the album was mixed at Advision Studios in London. Lee was particularly excited at visiting that studio, for it was where Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer had recorded hit albums.
In 2017, Lee considered the album as a particularly important one in regard to his musical development. "I learned a lot; I was learning a lot. I was always challenged and I was very stimulated and the result was A Farewell to Kings, so I guess it was a pivotal record in that regard."
Songs
Side one
thumb|right|Rockfield Studios
The album's title track features an acoustic guitar introduction from Lifeson that was recorded outside the studio building as he walked around a stereo microphone, with Lee outside with him playing a Minimoog. Lifeson picked the song as an example of Lee devising melodic bass lines on an acoustic guitar, such as the song's opening riff, which caught his attention and asked Lee to teach it to him. It was the first Rush song in which Peart collaborated with someone on the lyrics; the title and first verse was written by Peter Talbot, a friend of the group who, in addition to being a writer, worked in the media. In regard to its meaning, Peart noted that as "A Farewell to Kings" deals with the idea of problems, "Closer to the Heart" addresses the solutions. The words "To be continued" are written on the album liner notes, revealing the group's decision to conclude the story on their next record, which became the 18-minute opener "Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres" on 1978's Hemispheres. A resident of the Niagara region, Syme had spotted a "beautiful, dilapidated" building in ruins in nearby Buffalo, New York, and visited it with guitarist Josh Anderson, his bandmate in the Ian Thomas Band. The setting was used for the cover and Syme had Anderson pose as the puppet as his thin figure was ideal for the character. In post-production Syme altered the mouth, jaw, and eyes, and added the sky, smokestack and strings, plus a prosthetic to make the character appear more mechanical.
|rev2 = Record Mirror
|rev2score =
On release, Billboard wrote that "this trio has abated its heavy metal thunder somewhat for a lavishly orchestrated extravaganza that has a rock opera feel to it".
AllMusic's Greg Prato said that Rush "had improved their songwriting and strengthened their focus and musical approach". He took notice of the synthesizers that were creeping into the arrangements, "a direction the band would continue to pursue on future releases". He said "Xanadu" "remains an outstanding accomplishment all these years later".
In 2021, American funk metal band Primus embarked on their "A Tribute to Kings" Tour. At each show, Primus played their original material in the first set before covering the entire "A Farewell to Kings" album in their second set.
Tour
A Farewell to Kings was supported with a tour of Canada, the US, and Europe between August 1977 and May 1978. The 140-date tour was particularly taxing on the group, who dubbed it the Drive 'til You Die Tour. It was their most extensive tour since their formation, and marked the group headlining major venues for the first time and a growth in their international fanbase. Early into the tour, Rush performed a sold-out show at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium that was attended by over 22,000 people. Tickets for a 16-date leg across the UK in February 1978, double the size of their first visit one year prior, quickly sold out.
| title1 = Bastille Day
| length1 = 6:03
| title2 = Lakeside Park
| length2 = 4:30
| title3 = By-Tor & The Snow Dog
| length3 = 5:07
| title4 = Xanadu
| length4 = 12:21
| title5 = A Farewell to Kings
| length5 = 6:19
| title6 = Something For Nothing
| length6 = 4:11
| title7 = Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage
| music7 = Lee, Lifeson, Peart
| length7 = 10:25
Personnel
Rush
- Geddy Lee – vocals, bass, twelve-string guitar, Minimoog, bass pedal synthesizers
- Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic six- and twelve-string guitars, classical guitar, bass pedal synthesizers
- Neil Peart – drums, orchestra bells, tubular bells, temple blocks, cowbell, wind chimes, bell tree, triangle, vibraslap
Additional personnel
- Terry Brown – spoken vocals on "Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage"
Production
- Rush – production, arrangement
- Terry Brown – production, arrangement, recording engineer, mixing
- Pat Moran – recording engineer
- Declan O'Doherty – mixing assistant
- Ken Thomas – mixing assistant
- George Graves – mastering at JAMF, Toronto
- Bob Ludwig – remastering
- Brian Lee – remastering
- Yosh Inouye – cover photography
- Hugh Syme – cover artwork and graphic direction
- Roger Stowell – sleeve photograph
- Fin Costello – liner notes photograph
Charts
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! scope="col"| Chart (1977–1978)
! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position
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Certifications
Notes and references
;Notes
;References
;Sources