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Caress of Steel AI simulator
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Caress of Steel AI simulator
(@Caress of Steel_simulator)
Caress of Steel
Caress of Steel is the third studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on September 24, 1975, by Mercury Records. It was recorded immediately after the band concluded touring in support of their previous album, Fly By Night, and marked a development in the group's sound, moving from the blues-based hard rock style of their debut towards progressive rock. Caress of Steel is considered Rush's first progressive rock album. Songs such as "The Necromancer" furthered Rush's advancement into narrative-driven, fantasy-based compositions, while "The Fountain of Lamneth" was their first prog-rock "epic". Other tracks like "Bastille Day" and "Lakeside Park" became staples of the band's live setlists.
Though the band members were initially proud of their work on Caress of Steel, the album proved to be a commercial and critical low point for Rush as the album's darker sound and fantastical compositions failed to find an audience and confused some of the band's peers; further, poor sales put the band in danger of being dropped by Mercury. The mediocre reception impacted the band's gigging opportunities, leading them to dub the supporting tour the "Down The Tubes Tour". Despite being more positively viewed by the band's fans in retrospect, Ultimate Classic Rock noted that the album is still considered "the black sheep of their catalog".
By mid-1975, Rush had stabilised with a line-up of guitarist Alex Lifeson, bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee, and drummer and primary lyricist Neil Peart, who had joined the group in 1974. They released Fly by Night (1975), which marked Rush's first foray into multi-part conceptual songs with "By-Tor and the Snow Dog". The group were on a rise in popularity, and received a Juno Award for Most Promising Group. In June 1975, they finished touring Fly by Night, which culminated in a Canadian leg that had them as headliners for the first time.
While preparing their follow-up album, Rush took the extended and conceptual song elements that they had introduced on Fly by Night and made it the central focus for their new material. As a result, this marked a development in their sound from blues-inspired hard rock towards progressive rock. Peart recalled that the band approached Caress of Steel feeling "serene and confident" and that all three members were proud of the result. He considered the album a "major step" in their development with its variety of musical dynamics and original ideas. Lee said that the band were "pretty high" while making the album.
The album was recorded in July 1975 at Toronto Sound Studios in Toronto, Ontario. Mixing took place in the same studio.
"Bastille Day" concerns the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution.
"I Think I'm Going Bald" was written in reference to Kim Mitchell, lead guitarist and vocalist for Max Webster who shared management and touring.
"Lakeside Park" is about the park of the same name in Port Dalhousie, St. Catharines, Ontario, where Peart grew up and worked during the summer as a teenager.
Caress of Steel
Caress of Steel is the third studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on September 24, 1975, by Mercury Records. It was recorded immediately after the band concluded touring in support of their previous album, Fly By Night, and marked a development in the group's sound, moving from the blues-based hard rock style of their debut towards progressive rock. Caress of Steel is considered Rush's first progressive rock album. Songs such as "The Necromancer" furthered Rush's advancement into narrative-driven, fantasy-based compositions, while "The Fountain of Lamneth" was their first prog-rock "epic". Other tracks like "Bastille Day" and "Lakeside Park" became staples of the band's live setlists.
Though the band members were initially proud of their work on Caress of Steel, the album proved to be a commercial and critical low point for Rush as the album's darker sound and fantastical compositions failed to find an audience and confused some of the band's peers; further, poor sales put the band in danger of being dropped by Mercury. The mediocre reception impacted the band's gigging opportunities, leading them to dub the supporting tour the "Down The Tubes Tour". Despite being more positively viewed by the band's fans in retrospect, Ultimate Classic Rock noted that the album is still considered "the black sheep of their catalog".
By mid-1975, Rush had stabilised with a line-up of guitarist Alex Lifeson, bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee, and drummer and primary lyricist Neil Peart, who had joined the group in 1974. They released Fly by Night (1975), which marked Rush's first foray into multi-part conceptual songs with "By-Tor and the Snow Dog". The group were on a rise in popularity, and received a Juno Award for Most Promising Group. In June 1975, they finished touring Fly by Night, which culminated in a Canadian leg that had them as headliners for the first time.
While preparing their follow-up album, Rush took the extended and conceptual song elements that they had introduced on Fly by Night and made it the central focus for their new material. As a result, this marked a development in their sound from blues-inspired hard rock towards progressive rock. Peart recalled that the band approached Caress of Steel feeling "serene and confident" and that all three members were proud of the result. He considered the album a "major step" in their development with its variety of musical dynamics and original ideas. Lee said that the band were "pretty high" while making the album.
The album was recorded in July 1975 at Toronto Sound Studios in Toronto, Ontario. Mixing took place in the same studio.
"Bastille Day" concerns the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution.
"I Think I'm Going Bald" was written in reference to Kim Mitchell, lead guitarist and vocalist for Max Webster who shared management and touring.
"Lakeside Park" is about the park of the same name in Port Dalhousie, St. Catharines, Ontario, where Peart grew up and worked during the summer as a teenager.