A Farewell to Kings - Definition

A Farewell to Kings
Album by Rush
Released	September 1977
Recorded	June 1977 at Rockfield Studios in South Wales, England
Genre	Progressive Rock
Length	37 min 13 sec
Record label	Mercury Records
Producers	Terry Brown and Rush
Professional reviews
RollingStone	2½/5	link (http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/cd/review.asp?aid=58558)
Artistdirect	3/5	link (http://www.artistdirect.com/store/artist/album/0,,157484,00.html)
Rush Chronology
All The World's a Stage (1976)	A Farewell to Kings (1977)	Hemispheres (1978)

A Farewell To Kings is the fifth studio album by the Canadian band Rush, released in 1977 (see 1977 in music). The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and mixed at Advision Studios in London.

The lyrics of the long cut "Xanadu" were inspired by the 56-line poem Kubla Khan, written in 1798(?) by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In this respect there is a link to Welcome To The Pleasuredome by English pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

The lyrics of Cinderella Man are based on the Frank Capra film "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town."

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" - 10:25

All music and lyrics by Lee, Lifeson and Peart except "Closer To The Heart" where the lyrics were co-written with Talbot.

Personnel

• Geddy Lee - bass guitar, twelve string guitar, Mini-Moog Synthesizer, vocals
• Alex Lifeson - electric and acoustic guitars, synthesizer
• Neil Peart - drums, cowbells, orchestra bells, wind chimes, triangle, tubular bells

• Terry Brown - engineer
• Hugh Syme - art direction and graphics
• Yosh Inouye - cover photography
• Fin Costello - band photograph