By-Tor.com

Last week I went to India, and to prepare for the 20 hours of flying time I loaded up some more Rush CDs on my iPod. One of them was Caress of Steel, which I listened to on the way there. I probably haven't listened to the entire album at once in over 15 years.

Anyway, it was better than I remebered. It had a more "basic" feel to it than I expected to hear. Bacchus Plateau was particularly enjoyable. One thing I realized was that this album was one that Geddy was referring to when he said "you could just smell the hash oil coming off them."

Hmm, I think they should have done more hash!

Personally, I am a big fan of Caress of Steel despite its short-coming. The main one of these is the average production job on the album (this seems to be one of my major gripes with some Rush albums).

Bastille Day, The Necromancer and The Fountain of Lamneth are awesome and, while I like Lakeside park, I much prefer the ATWAS version. The only song I'm not to keen on is I Think I'm Going Bald which, to me, sounds too much like a filler.

All in all, Caress has got to go down as being a little overambitious and not having enough pre-production time alloted to it. Needless to say, I still love it even though I think it's probably the most dated sounding Rush album of all.

Caress Of Steel is a fabulous album and in my opinion is the first "great" album that Rush recorded.
Yes, the production at times is very"seventies", but lets face it, thats the time it was made!

Lifeson in particular shines on this offering, and he shows a beautiful lightness and subtlety in his rhythm play that I am afraid he has been steadily losing for a long time now.

Compare the exquisite modulation in the middle eight of "lakeside Park" with the bludgeon, adolescent schoolboy metal riffing of (say) One Little Victory

When I hear I think I'm going bald I think it's a parody!

This album is great, my beef is this, the naration on the necromancer is so faint and altrerred, it sounds nearly unintelligible

Sir Myghin wrote:This album is great, my beef is this, the naration on the necromancer is so faint and altrerred, it sounds nearly unintelligible

Agreed. It seems even worse on the Remasters edition. I seem to remember being able to hear this when I was a kid listening to this on LP. Then again it could be because my hearing is shot from ~40 Rush and B?C concerts over the years.

true i've only the remastered version

I have it on vinyl, I'll give it a spin sometime

*Lifesonite wrote:I have it on vinyl, I'll give it a spin sometime

I also have it on vinyl as i do many Rush albums but the wife says they are staying in the loft.I now have them all on CD hearing them all over again is too good to miss.

LOVE that album!!! There's a lot more too it that just hash oil though...the cask of 43'

I wish they would play it live, even if it is just instrumental, IT WOULD KICK ASS!!!!