Customer Reviews

Caress Of Steel

5 star:		(84)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This wrongly overlooked album is a treasure trove of early 70's heavy prog rock. The second album with the amazing Neil Peart behind the pen and drum kit, Caress has the raw intensity and sincerity that the band launched their career on. Fast moving tracks like "Bastille Day" and "I Think I'm Goin' Bald" balance the two slower concept pieces, "The Necromancer" (thinly veiled Tolkien, gotta love it!) and "The Fountain of Lamneth." Both of the concept pieces are classic, and preview the band's move into the full-blown, hard rock must-have concept album 2112 (and later, "Hemispheres"). If you're exploring the sonic world of Rush, don't forget Caress of Steel!

If you see many people on this site saying that this album is underrated, then shouldn't that be a wake up call?

Caress Of Steel seems raw and under-produced, but I think that's what gives the album it's appeal. It stars of with "Bastille Day", a rocker with imaginative lyrics. "I Think I'm Going Bald", despite it's quirky lyrics, is still a great song. If anything, on this particular track, it's the music that counts, which rocks and is catchy. "Lakeside Park", which is probably my least favorite on here, is still a great mellow tune. "The Necromancer", is the bands first attempt at a 10+ minute epic. Check out the middle section with furious guitar solos. "The Fountain Of Lamneth", Rush' first 20 minute epic, once again, if not for the lyrics, the music more than makes up for it. It goes from hard rock, to soothing clasical guitar to pop/hard rock to all out hard rock again. It's the most progressive on here.

Overall, a great effort from Rush. This is what I call the start of Rush's heavy progressive rock, and it would get more refined as the later releases indicate.

I cannot believe people who claim to call themselves "Rush Fans" don't dig this album. This brilliant album is probably the most "Tolkien-ish" or "fantasy-like" out of the whole Rush catalog (along with "Xanadu" from Kings and "By-Tor" and "Rivendell" from Fly By Night). The "Necromancer" is oustanding, classic Rush! I believe "The Fountain of Lamneth" ranks as one of the greats along with "Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres", "2112", "Cygnus X-1", and "Xanadu". Anybody with any open mind and digs prog such as early Crimson, Genesis, Yes, Tull, and Gentle Giant will LOVE this album! For me this album ranks with "Brain Salad Surgery", "Relayer", "Larks' Tongues", "A Passion Play" - on that level!

P.S.- I have not yet heard the newly remastered version, but I'm sure it will not disappoint.

I love Rush. I listen to their music pretty regularly. For some reason, I always seem to pull out a different CD to listen to: Hemispheres, A Farewell To Kings, Grace Under Pressure, 2112, etc.

The other day I pulled out Caress Of Steel (thinking, gee when was the last time I gave this a spin). I had forgotten this album was so good. Just 5 tunes, no suprise to anyone who knows Rush.

If you do not own this or like me just haven't blown the dust off of it lately, you must. Of course Bastille Day and Lakeside Park are the ones we know and love on this disc. Caress Of Steel has so much more to offer.

The Necromancer: This is ten minutes of what built the foundation for the many epics to follow.

The Fountain Of Lamneth: Vinyl buffs?, this is an album side long string of songs run together that show just how COMPLETELY talented Lee, Lifeson and Peart were and still are.

I Think I'm Going Bald: Another great tune.

I love our boys from the north!

If you can't take the whimsical side of RUSH without getting overly analytical (emphasis on anal), you will miss out on THE BEST RUSH songs! Necromancer is no sillier than 2112, The Trees, Bytor and the Snow-Dog, Hemisheres, Xanadu or what about Cygnus X-1 (many of Rush's BEST songs)? This is trademark RUSH in their heyday folks...and younger fans out there, don't listen to the naysayers examining their own navels. Put on , turn up, and rock out with one of the best rock albums!! Fountains of Lamneth is for the more intelligent among you who don't get by with three chord songs all day long. This is a song with beauty, intensity and depth! No album is sheer perfection, but Caress is one of the most satisfying from RUSH to me. I have been a musician (guitar, bass) for almost 30 years and this was one of my inspirational favorites (guitar players: listen to the guitar on Necromancer and hear Lifeson on fire, and many other harmonic/melodic gems scattered throughout). You can see the progressive genius starting to shine through here. I mined a lot of goodies from this recording. RUSH members put on their thinking hats on this one! Many later albums suffer from overproduction, Caress of Steel is before the commercialitis set in (to the music world). ENJOY!!

I admit it took me a long time to get into this album, but once I did it opened doors for me as far as listening to more progressive rock(King Crimson, Genesis,Yes). The textures of this album are marvelous, especially Alex Lifeson's balance of both acoustic and electric guitar playing on 'The Fountain Of Lamneth', Rush' second best side long piece to 'Hemispheres'(2112, while okay, in my mind doesn't hold a candle to either). The other tunes are worthy also, and I don't care that some people hate 'I Think I'm Going Bald', I like it personally and it's not stupid, it's a reflective type song as much about individuality as 2112 ("Even when I am gray, I'll still be gray my way, yeah !"). 'The Necromancer' is another foreboding, powerful epic with many mood changes in it's 11 plus minutes. 'Lakeside Park' and 'Bastille Day' were live staples in Rush' best era. A truly adventurous, creative record that I understand they almost lost their record deal over. It's a shame that there aren't more live recordings of the material on this record. 'Fountains..' deserved play as much as '2112'.

Rush's album "Caress Of Steel" is by far the greatest Rush album and the greatest album of all time.Right off the bat,it grabs you with the excellent "Bastille Day", a song about the French Revolution. The second song, "I think i'm going bald" is a bit quirky, but has an excellent sound.The third track, "Lakeside Park", starts off with great drums and awesome lyrics. Then there are the story songs. These two songs are what make this album. "The Necromancer" is by far the heaviest Rush song, with at least a 7 minute workout from the trio, the best that I have ever heard. This song is very mystic at times, which is a nice touch. The twenty minute "The fountain of lamneth" blows 2112 out of the water. With an awesome theme, great lyrics, and even a drum solo, this is the greatest epic that Rush has ever made. A must buy. (Note: if you think that I am wrong, email me. I also happen to love "Natural Science and "The Camera Eye"

I first became a RUSH fan in 1980 with their release of "The Spirit Of Radio" from "PERMANENT WAVES". It was my Junior year in high school. 1981's "MOVING PICTURES" solidified me as a RUSH fan. From there, I backed up into 1977's "A FAREWELL TO KINGS" and 1976's "2112". The latter, "2112", was supposed to be the ultimate prog rock effort by the band, but I could just never get into it. I think it was just too over the top for me. I also think it kept me from exploring even earlier recordings like "CARESS...", "FLY BY NIGHT", and their debut "RUSH" I then turned forward and purchased 1981's "EXIT STAGE LEFT", and then 1982's "SIGNALS". By 1983, my interests were changing and I didn't give Rush's future releases much thought. 13 Years later, I would purchase 1996's "TEST FOR ECHO" and rekindle my interest in RUSH, and I became a fan again. I still had never gone far enough back into Rush's past to even try 1975's "CARESS OF STEEL". Another 5 years later, today, June 29, 2001, I purchased "CARESS...". All I can say is I should have tried this recording back in the eighties. This is RUSH like I've never heard them. This is GUITAR RUSH. This is MELODIC RUSH. This has become my favorite RUSH recording after only one listen. IT IS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. FIRST CLASS ALL THE WAY. I still can't believe I've been missing this the last 21 years, since I first became interested in RUSH. Why had I not heard more about this recording? UNDERRATED? NEGLECTED? OVERLOOKED? Yes, and I'm guilty of it too.

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SHAKY ABOUT THIS RECORDING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

If you are a RUSH fan, or are interested in RUSH'S music, then purchase this CD. Don't make the mistake I made and wait 21 years. THIS IS MUSIC THAT DESERVES TO BE HEARD, over and over again.

BASTILLE DAY is a wonderful intro to this amazing recording. I'm sure I've heard this one somewhere some other time.

I THINK I'M GOING BALD is completely unexpected. I started laughing out loud when I heard it. This is just plain FUN!

LAKESIDE PARK is a beautiful composition. This song took me somewhere else, I just haven't figured out where it was. It was sure a pleasant trip though.

THE NECROMANCER is ... is ... is ... I can't come up with the words to describe this. You'll have to experience this for yourself. THE GUITAR GOD MUST HAVE BEEN PLEASED!

THE FOUNTAIN OF LAMNETH is ... is ... is ... WELL DITTO!

THE BAND: Geddy Lee (bass, vocals), Alex Lifeson (acoustic & electric guitars), Neil Peart (drums & percussion).

THE DISC: (1975) 5 tracks clocking in at approximately 45 minutes. Included with the disc is a minimal 2-page foldout containing song titles/credits/times, song lyrics, and band photos. Remastered version released in 1997 (no bonus tracks). This is the band's 3rd studio album. Label - Anthem Records (Canada), Mercury (US).

COMMENTS: "Caress Of Steel" - an often times neglected and forsaken Rush album... but, never a forgotten one. At least it shouldn't be. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, if you ask a diehard Rush fan what his favorite album is, "Caress Of Steel" will never be mentioned. There are three outstanding tracks here - "Bastille Day" (In French history - the storming of the Bastille occurred on July 14th, 1789), an upbeat song with some historical references - a brisk start to the album; "Lakeside Park" with it's slow melodic pace - Lifeson's guitar work shines here; and the epic 6-section 20-minute marathon "The Fountain Of Lamneth", which took up the entire side-2 of the old vinyl record. "I Think I'm Going Bald" is a cool tune musically (great rhythm guitars), but the lyrics are perhaps the lamest to date. The 12-minute "The Necromancer" is a decent tune as well - "Part I : Into The Darkness" is my favorite section here - bluesy, dark and moody, once again Lifeson's guitar takes center stage. On Rush's first live album "All The World's A Stage", the record opened with "Bastille Day", and "Lakeside Park" was track 5 - both sounded awesome. "Caress Of Steel" was a sign of things (and greatness) to come - the lengthy tracks, the progressive song structure, the cool fables... and their turning point "2112" was only 7 months away. Not a classic Rush album, but still an essential one (3.5 stars).

Caress of Steel brings back so many memories. It was the first Rush album I ever bought and to this day continues to be in heavy rotation in my cd player. The songs are nothing short of amazing. Bastille Day is perhaps the hardest piece of rock that Rush ever produced(this side of Working Man). Didacts and Narpets is amazing display of power by Neil Peart. But the real heart of Caress is The Fountain of Lamneth which is nothing short of breathtaking. Fountain is the one of Rush's earliest documented experimentations with extended suites (the first being By-Tor and the Snow Dog) and it is a smashing success. Lee and Lifeson's music is raw and powerful on the aforementioned tracks but substantially more subdued on the track Lakeside Park about a park that Neil used frequent as a teenager. The addition of Peart in '75 on the Fly by Night album transformed Rush into an intelligent PROGRESSIVE rock band and Caress of Steel(also released in '75) continues their ascent upward towards greatness. A must have for even the casual fan. Highly Recommended.