STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - RUSH - A FAREWELL TO KINGS

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Good morning record enthusiasts and welcome back to the Thursday edition of Stuck In The Vinyl Again. Today we joyfully celebrate the 67th Birthday of Canadian guitarist, songwriter, record producer, and founding member of iconic progressive rock band Rush. Happy Birthday Alex Lifeson (given name
Alexandar Živojinović)! With him in mind, we spotlight the trio's fifth studio album, A Farewell To Kings. A Farewell To Kings was released September 1, 1977 on the Anthem label and produced by the band and Terry Brown. The disc reached #33 on the Billboard 200 and #22 in the UK. This outing saw the band members experiment with other instruments in addition other than the ones they normaly played, like Neil Peart using orchestra bells, Geddy Lee on a double neck bass and Minimoog, and Alex on a a bass pedal synthesizer. Two singles were released ; "Closer To The Heart" (#76 Hot 100, #45 Canada,#36 UK) and "Cinderella Man". The last track on the record,"Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage" is a part one of a conceptual space opera that concludes on their next album Hemispheres, with the track "Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres".

1. "A Farewell to Kings" Lee, Lifeson, Peart 5:51

2. "Xanadu" 11:05

Side two

3. "Closer to the Heart" Peart, Peter Talbot 2:54

4. "Cinderella Man" Lee 4:20

5. "Madrigal" 2:35

6. "Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage"
"Prologue"
"1"
"2"
"3"
10:25

Rush

Geddy Lee – vocals, bass and 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, wind chimes, bell tree, vibraslap, triangle, tubular bells, temple blocks

With :

Terry Brown – spoken vocals on "Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage"

Rush – production, arrangement
Terry Brown – production, arrangement, mixing, recording engineer
Pat Moran – recording engineer
Declan O'Doherty - mixing assistant
Ken Thomas – mixing assistant

George Graves – mastering
Bob Ludwig – remastering
Brian Lee – remastering
Yosh Inouye – cover photography
Hugh Syme – art and graphic direction
Roger Stowell – sleeve photograph
Fin Costello – liner notes photograph