[TR24][OF] Rush - Caress Of Steel - 1975/2015 (Rock)

Geddy Lee - lead vocals, bass guitar
Alex Lifeson - electric and acoustic guitar
Neil Peart - drums, percussion

The third studio album by Rush, Caress Of Steel was released in 1975 and featured the singles "The Necromancer: Return of the Prince" and "Lakeside Park". The album was certified Gold in the US and Canada by the RIAA and CRIA.

Although the band initially had high hopes for Caress of Steel, it was considered a disappointment by the record company. The album eventually became known as one of Rush’s most obscure and overlooked recordings. Die hard fans feel the record is underrated.
Caress of Steel featured long pieces broken up into various sections and long solo passages. It is often considered notable for the inclusion of the band’s first two epic pieces, “The Necromancer” and “The Fountain of Lamneth.”
“I Think I’m Going Bald” was written for Kim Mitchell, who at the time was the frontman of the band Max Webster and a close friend of the band. Track three, “Lakeside Park,” was a reference to a park in St. Catharines, Ontario where Neil grew up and worked during the summer as a teenager.

When Rush finished their third album, Caress of Steel, the trio was assured that they had created their breakthrough masterpiece. But when the album dropped off the charts soon after its release, it proved otherwise. While it was Rush's first release that fully explored their prog rock side, it did not contain the catchy and more traditional elements of their future popular work -- it's quite often too indulgent and pretentious for a mainstream rock audience to latch onto. And while Rush would eventually excel in composing lengthy songs, the album's two extended tracks -- the 12½-minute "The Necromancer" and the nearly 20-minute "The Fountain of Lamneth" -- show that the band was still far from mastering the format. The first side contains two strong and more succinct tracks, the raging opener, "Bastille Day," and the more laid-back "Lakeside Park," both of which would become standards for their live show in the '70s. But the ill-advised "I Think I'm Going Bald" (which lyrically deals with growing old) borders on the ridiculous, which confirms that Caress of Steel is one of Rush's more unfocused albums. --Greg Prato

Produced by Rush & Terry Brown
Engineered by Terry Brown
Arrangements by Rush & Terry Brown
Recorded and mixed at Toronto Sound Studios, Toronto, Canada