Gompers Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 (edited) When I was in high school, my very good friend discovered that I was quickly becoming a huge Rush fan and learning all their stuff. We'd hang out and listen to music after school, usually his favorite band Kansas, but one day he played Xanadu for me, without me knowing it was Rush and of course it was yet another Rush tune that was incredible. He ended up giving me the album (he put it on cassette for himself). AFTK, to me was much more musically Progressive than 2112 because it ventured into more complex time signatures. This era of Rush music is that one that captivated me most. The Great -A Farewell to Kings -Xanadu -Closer to the Heart -Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage -Madrigal The Good -Cinderella Man I rate this 9.5 (rounded up to 10). Edited April 30, 2012 by Gompers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormtron Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 10. My favorite. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animate Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 I give AFTK a total score of eleventy billion. Rounded down to "10" for this poll. Xanadu is progressive epic rock perfection. Those terms are overused in reference to other songs. Xanadu, however, defines progressive epic rock. The crunching yet ethereal bass and guitar, the time switches from sultry to urgent, the incorporation of naturalistic elements with the birdsong and temple blocks. All tieing together a storyline covering 1,000 years in the life of a single man from youthful driven adventurer to pathetic prisoner. Do you still remember the first time you finally got the real horror of what the protagonist was experiencing in this story? "Stars stopped in the sky"? Oh yeah, the other songs don't take away anything from the album. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
default236 Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 My third favorite behind Counterparts and Hemispheres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALifeson85 Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 (edited) Gave it an 8 (more like 8.5). The Good A Farewell To Kings Xanadu Closer To The Heart Cygnus X-1 The OK Cinderella Man The "Meh..." Madrigal Edited April 30, 2012 by ALifeson85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J2112YYZ Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielmclark Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 7. AFTK is good. Xanadu is great. CTTH is good bordering on great. Cygnus X-1 is great. Maybe good++. Madrigal is boring. Cinderella Man is bloody awful. Just terrible. Good + great + really good + really really good + boring + one of the worst songs they've ever recorded = 7/10. (Seriously, I put Cinderella Man down at the bottom along with dreck like Dog Years, Virtuality and I Think I'm Going Bald.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushlady23 Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metaldad Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 10 . Masterpiece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadianice Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 10, truly superb, regardless of what the wannabe blogclown say's. A gem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D3strukt Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 The Great: AFTK Xanadu Cygnus X-1 Cinderella Man The Good: Madrigal Not so Good: Closer to the Heart (So tired of this song. It's Rush's Iron Man.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bastille Dave Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 growing up I liked this album alot but didn't love it. It has grown on me tremendously, probably more than any Rush album has. For years I was so sick of hearing "Closer To The Heart" that I kinda tuned out this whole album. I still wouldn't give it a 10 but closer to 9.5. I voted 9, but it is an incredile 9. When I think about this era for Rush, it makes me smile and think about how awesome they were in this period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
English Muffin Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 When the classical guitar opens the album. When the bells/chimes accompany the guitar. When the classical guitar ends... You know it's gonna be epic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReRushed Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 It's a 9 in my book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Presto-digitation Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 I'll go 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughedatbytime Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 One of the four 10s (hopefully soon to be 5) in the Rush catalog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Avatar Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Just reading the responses, I know I'm in the minority (if not the only one ), but I gave it a 5. I absolutely love Xanadu, but none of the rest. I actually don't listen to this one very much at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrossedSignals Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 QUOTE (danielmclark @ Apr 30 2012, 08:30 AM) 7. AFTK is good. Xanadu is great. CTTH is good bordering on great. Cygnus X-1 is great. Maybe good++. Madrigal is boring. Cinderella Man is bloody awful. Just terrible. Good + great + really good + really really good + boring + one of the worst songs they've ever recorded = 7/10. (Seriously, I put Cinderella Man down at the bottom along with dreck like Dog Years, Virtuality and I Think I'm Going Bald.) Wow, you pretty much read my mind! 7 for me as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAccountant Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Here goes: The Great Xanadu (a top 10 Rush song for me) Closer To The Heart (overplayed but it still great) Cygnus X-1 (Some of Geddy's wailing at the very end of the song hurts it - still great) The Good A Farewell to Kings Cinderella Man Madrigal This album is a sold 9+. Much better than Hemispheres. Not enough of a + to push it to a 10 so it gets a 9. Don't take me wrong - I really like Rush's music. I am just a hard reviewer. Tough to get a 10 from me. But one album will. Basically every album from AFTK through Presto gets a 9 from me. Originally I gave Presto a very strong 8 but just over the last week or 2 I have reconsidered and would bump it up to a 9. Actually it would be an 8+ with the + being enough to push it past 8.5 and hence rounded to a 9. Anyway, a 9 it is for AFTK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagegrace26 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 (edited) 9 Love the medieval flavor of this album. Cinderella Man and Madrigal aren't as strong as the other songs, but the album feels cohesive and strong and rates higher than the sum of it's parts. I enjoy listening to this more than Hemispheres (which I also rated a 9). I also like the back cover more than the front: http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/rush/images/albums/afarewelltokings-back.jpg Edited May 1, 2012 by savagegrace26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 of the 7 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 9 for me, only because there are albums I like even more. AFTK has the distinction of being the only Rush album where I like all the songs equally, though. Every other album, I have favorites. This one, all six are my favorites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclonus X-1 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I remember thinking of the title track as a so-so rocker with a fantastic acoustical intro. I've since wisened up to the appeal of the heavier segments and now view the tune as being almost as incredible as the mega-excellent Xanadu. I also like Closer to the Heart very much, though I wish the band hadn't gone out of their way to make everyone sick of it by including it on about eight million different live releases. Madrigal is nice. Cinderella Man and Cygnus X-1 are where things get a little shaky for me; each tune has some guitar work and vocal bits that I dig, but they're hardly essential on the whole. As good as the good stuff is here, I can't give the album higher than a 7 since a full third of it fails to do much for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat 3 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 http://www.bartsbookshelf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/ten.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 QUOTE (Captain Avatar @ Apr 30 2012, 06:49 PM) Just reading the responses, I know I'm in the minority (if not the only one ), but I gave it a 5. I absolutely love Xanadu, but none of the rest. I actually don't listen to this one very much at all. Xanadu's music is absolute perfetion. The story...well, I'll take the poem anyday. The middle jam sections of the title track and Cinderella Man are great, but the songs as a whole seem forced. The keys on the title track sound like a 7-year old is playing them. Same with Madrigal. Musically, Cygnus X-1 rocks. Again, the theme and the lyrics are a problem for me. Space stories are better read than sung. I love Closer to the Heart. It's a great anthem, with a fabulous arpeggio and positive message. Album is a 6 for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Not Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 A Farewell to Kings, 5/5, 1 Xanadu, 4/5, .8 Closer to the Heart, 3/5, .6 Cinderella Man, 4/5, .8 Madrigal, 3/5, .6 The Voyage, 5/5, 1 80% 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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