The Rush album for week 4 is Caress of Steel. I have to say, this is not my favorite. I am aware that this is a common sentiment.

Bastille Day is just a weird topic for a band to write about. And Geddy’s voice in this is just so shouty.

I think I’m going bald is … cute. But as a teenager, it just didn’t strike me as a relevant topic. I tried to see the deeper meaning in it, and I suppose that now that I’m 50 I can see the “I’m getting older” theme here. And now that I’m grey, I’m definitely grey my way. Although I remember distinctly that in the album liner (which I no longer have, for some reason!) grey was spelled differently (grey/gray) the two times it was mentioned, which I wanted to be profound somehow, but just wasn’t.

And I was confused as to why there were two fantasy stories, that seemed unrelated, on the same album.

Looking back on it, I still love Fountain. I listened to that thousands of times that summer (not 1975 – it was probably 86 when I got my copy), and still find it beautiful.

Necromancer, less so. It wants to be about LOtR, but isn’t, somehow, and as a huge Tolkien geek, I find that very offputting.

So, I guess I’m saying, I like Lamneth, and I like Lakeside Park, but this just doesn’t hold together as an album, and I’m always disappointed when I try to listen to it as one. Just let me enjoy Lamneth, and leave it at that.

HOWEVER, I want to add, emphatically, that you should like what you like. I have zero time for the people on Rush Reddit that insist that their preference is the only truth. If you love it, that’s freaking awesome. Tell me everything about why.