The album begins with the semi-famous classic "Bastille Day". The homage to the French Revolution is probably the most well-known track on the album. The song is fairly standard for early Rush in terms of sound. Numerous time signature changes permeate the song, resulting is a tremendous racket of thumping bass, thundering drums, and jagged guitar. The "anthem-like" section at the end of the song adds a regal quality. Next, Rush continue to get the "Led" out on the Zeppelin-esque "I Think I'm Going Bald". The song is a fairly straightforward rocker with not nearly as much complexity as later Rush material on this album and over their career in general. The song is about confronting the aging process in your own way. It's hard to believe that a group of young men could write such a genuine song about aging when they had barely reached adulthood themselves. Next is "Lakeside Park". I personally love this song, and it recalls long-weekends on "Victoria Day" in Canada. The song is about the fireworks, music, and celebration of early spring in Canada amid family and friends. A true Canadian classic with beautiful and honest lyrics from master bard Neil Peart.
Side one concludes with the controversial "Necromancer". The song is considered one of Rush's first major conceptual works. The song is certainly not for the faint of patience. At almost thirteen minutes, the song is certainly an earful. The song begins with an eerie spoken voice, narrating the story of the titular character. This song is Rush at their most Dungeons and Dragons-like. The fantasy-inspired lyrics draw to mind the works of Tolkein and other fantasy writers. After the slow mostly instrumental first movement, the song picks up with a heavy riff-based second section that echoes battle in a musical form. Then, the second movement concludes the epic musical "battle" by reaching a crashing climax of rapid drum pounding and lightning-fast guitar and bass. The third and final movement is a "Sweet Jane" like mellow groove of a song about the aftermath of the successful battle that the heroes engaged in.The Necromancer is Rush at their nerdiest. Seeing that most of their fans (myself included) are nerds, there is nothing wrong with that and this style of lyrical content works quite well for them. A great song.
Side two is where most of the controversy concerning this albums lays. The whole side is a six-part conceptual titled "The Fountain of Lamneth". The song concerns a young man's journey to find a mystical fountain. The various sections deal with the different stages of the journey. The story of each section tells a small part of the overall story. The first movement is by far the mostly musically pleasing of the six parts. A short and mostly acoustic number, it tells us the story of our hero as he is born and sets out on his voyage to find the fountain. At almost twenty minutes, "The Fountain of Lamneth" is at times beautiful, at times baroque, and at times downright frustrating both lyrically and musically. However, the song was a bold experiment at the time of its release. Rush were truly pushing the limits of their audience and themselves both musically and lyrically. I quite enjoy an occasional listen-through of this song, although I would not recommend it for those who shun progressive rock and fantasy. "The Fountain of Lamneth" is a great companion to "2112" and other side-long conceptual tracks by Rush.
In conclusion, "Caress of Steel" is my favorite Rush album. It represents their accessible side (Lakeside Park and Bastille Day) as well as their complex and conceptual side (Necromancer, Lamneth) equally. I think it is their most balanced effort in terms of showcasing their complex and varying sides. Highly recommended for those with a love of either Rush, prog rock, fantasy, or any combination of those elements.
Rating-9.5/10
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