Wow so much to say about this album. I wasn't expecting much going in, with there only being 5 tracks.. only did I realize two of them were over 10 minutes!! I got excited and realized this is no ordinary Rush album indeed! I was treated to some of the most unique, fascinating songs yet by them! Overall this album varied in energy and styles. Starting out in typical Rush fashion and even throwing in some Western/Blues vibes. And then transitioning DRASTICALLY once we reach The Necromancer. Always a surprise around every corner. Thanks for joining me as we listen to a full album this time! The Necromancer is a personal fave!
@@seanroberts6485, John's already heard their best in my opinion since he's reacted to Signals, Hemispheres and Power Windows, but his mind will be blown when he finally gets to Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, A Farewell To Kings and Presto.
This is the most underrated album from the early part of their career, it’s become one of my favorites. Geddy’s vocal on No One At the Bridge is incredible. The Necromancer is my favorite track.
Mine too. I can totally picture Paul Stanley listening to this and going ... What? It will never sell. And yet today, I love this album and apparently I am not the only one.
The Fountain of Lamneth is in my humble opinion the single most underappreciated musical piece in the whole Rush catalogue, and It amazes me how Neil Peart could have been so perceptive at such a young age.
Alex’s guitar tone on this album is in my top 5 of guitar tones, ever. When I first heard the guitar assault in the Necromancer I was speechless. The guitar tells a story; from the haunting notes as they travel towards their doom, to the fierce playing during their battle, to the majestically joyful solo at the end to denote the vanquishing of evil. The ending guitar solo is so incredibly beautiful. I can never play it loud enough.
I love this period of their career, where they would tell epic stories with the words and music in harmony with one another. It was more important to them to tell a story than to show off any technical skills. They celebrated being cerebral and painting pictures with sound.
Alex was / is a master of 6 strings (and sometimes 12). What a player. In this one song alone, he could and did turn his hand and dials to anything. A monster musician and one of my all time favourite guitarists.
Because it's my first Rush album, I've listened to it thousands of times in a row and even today, after 47 years, I'm still surprised and brought to tears. Thank you John for bringing Caress Of Steel here in full. A big hug to all Rush fans from Brazil!🙏🏻 ✨ 🇧🇷
and also *my* first rush album: it blew my young mind coming from the crap i was exposed to from the adults in my life. think the ”annie” soundtrack, adult contemporary (lite rock: 33% less entertaining) or air supply to... rush. quite but the life-changing experience :)
Bom dia e um grande abraço de Exeter no Reino Unido. Sou britânico mas estou a aprender português. Quelinda lingua! Fico feliz que haja tantos no Brasil que gostem de Rush. Rush in Rio foi um concerto inesquecível!
Fountain of Lamneth. Is a voyage of a persons life from birth to school to young adult and the first time running your own life (the ship represents his life and the rough see is life throwing difficulty his way) he has no one to fall back on now as an adult!! Then Panacea is his first great love and how it gives us all respite in the difficulty of life. Then middle age and then old age and death!
Also I'm sorry for the Audio issues in this one! I had an effect on the sound which gave it a slight echo effect. I'll manage and fix this for future uploads! Sorry again haha.
I’m just glad you heard the original, unaffected audio. I heard the difference right off, having enjoyed this album dozens of times. Can’t wait for 2112 and their live masterpiece “All The World’s A Stage”, the perfect summation of the band thru this time period!
The album of what they called the "Down The Tubes" tour. A fan favorite, at the time almost ended the band. Smaller crowds & stages. Sleeping anywhere they could. Took the next album, 2112 to bring them back.
Sad huh Chris? Knowing what we do now about Rush it would have been an AMAZING concert to see. I think that Rush was simply ahead of their time with their mystic lyrics and sounds which a lot of people couldn't fully grasp because they were so unique compared to the majority of pop and rock bands at the time. In some ways Rush's "lack of pop sound" threw a lot of people off because it wasn't what the status quo expected. .
Can’t wait until you get to the Necromancer there’s even a reference to “Bytor and the Snowdog at the very end of the song. The song “The Fountain Of Lamneth will blow your mind. Another “epic story” from the epic brain of the Professor. We miss him dearly.
The Necromancer did indeed blow my mind. So happy Rush decided to get super creative in this album! But sad that it almost ended them ha. And I did catch the By-Tor reference! Very cool. Rest in peace Neil.
@@JohnSlopReacts the best part of 2112 album is the song itself, it was their F.U. To record labels wanting short radio friendly songs and trying to pressure the band to do more of them
Lakeside Park is in St.Catherines Ontario Canada , where Neil grew up !!!!....they have a statue there ,that was erected after Neil's death !!!!...and on the Necromancer, they mention Willowdale....that's a suburb that Alex and Geddy lived , in Toronto !!!!
Like I said, each Rush album is a different planet.... Some civilized, some not so much, but all worthy of the journey. There is simply nothing else like Rush. Their growth over the years is simply unparalleled. Whatever inspired them they just took to the extreme and from each experiment they planted the seeds that inspired millions of musicians to pickup an instrument and create music beyond the realm of what is common or expected from the listeners. Bands like Tool, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins and so many others were spawned by Rush. The musical landscape still grows today because of these 3 over talented Canadian artists. Their legacy will live on !!!!!
I’ve never heard a better analysis of caress of steel on TH-cam in all my years of watching. You are spot on in your analysis and yes, it is all symbolic of a life from beginning to end, Rush style! LOL Caress of steel is my favorite Rush album, although there can’t necessarily be an all-time favorite, because so much of their catalog is great music. Rush is definitely a one of a kind band, and Neil’s mastery of lyrics writing is, IMHO, unparalleled. Thanks so much for posting this and I look forward to more of your Rush analyses. A bit of advice. Try Hemispheres next or 2112. Once again, you’re mine will be blown, and sent into a new and unique realm. Cheers Addendum: It’s pronounced Pan-a-say-a I see you’ve reacted to Hemispheres already…SO, do 2112 and/or A Farewell to Kings
I really like this album as well. Just some info. The 24th of May is Queen Victoria Day here in Canada. It is the first long weekend to start off the summer. Panacea is actually the goddess of health. I really like this whole album but I would say the Fountain of Lamneth is my favourite song off of it. 2112 coming up...you are going to love it!! Cheers
Agreed I have seen a lot of Rush fans discuss how Caress of Steel was their least favorite album but honestly I just can't see it... I have thoroughly enjoyed the album ever since I was a teen.
Ah, 2112 next. The label told them to go back to radio-friendly singles like their first album. Let's see how that works out! I've not heard CoS in years and I was struck over and over by deja vu as so many of the sounds and riffs from Necromancer and Fountain are hints of whats to come in the upcoming albums. I feel like I've dug up the common ancestor of some of their middle-era gems.
It's interesting how I was underwhelmed by Lamneth when I was 15 but I could hear that every style and trick that made the next 5 albums so good were in that one track. It ages very well, especially in the context of what else was coming out at that time. I like to listen to Alex Lifeson and David Gilmore side by side and try to figure out who got to "that new sound" first.
I friggin' love this album. I really enjoyed watching your reaction, very pleased that you liked and understood what they were saying and doing. Thanks John!
I'm so happy you liked "The Necromancer" so much, because I think it's just so awesome. Those middle 2 guitar solos are just epic. I'm a Rush fan from back in 78/79, but I only discovered this song in the early 2000s. The album was not successful for some reason, and back in the day I never bought it or had a chance to listen to it (and of course you never heard it on the radio). When I heard the whole album, I thought "WTF - why wasn't this more popular. I shoulda been listening to the hell out of this back in 1982".
For decades I've frustratingly failed to accurately communicate to others how I felt when I brought this new album home from the record store in 1975 and listened to it for the first time. FInally, somebody gets it.👍🤗
Necromancer is sure;ly part of the genesis of many a future heavy metal group. So many musicians from Rock have cited Rush as a major influence. Now you know how. Hard to believe how many years it took for them to get into the Hall.
The Fountain of the Lamenth a most beautiful piece of music that touches the soul deeply, I have loved Rush since I was 16 and now 59 and their music especially the early stuff stays in my heart forever❤
Lord of the Rings and reincarnation are two inspirations for this album. Sauron of LOTR is the Necromancer "the evil prism eye..."the eye of Sauron" "looking over his lands from his tower". The 3 travelers are themselves. I would guess Frodo was Neil, ha ha At the end a tinge of being reborn or reincarnated... "Though I've reached a signpost It's really not the end Like Old Sol behind the mountain I'll be coming up again" I'm in motion I am still I am crying I am still I'm together I'm apart I'm forever At the start Still I am.
Great reactions! Full Rush album! Thank you, John. Rush will get even better and evolve incredibly. It's hard to pick a favorite album yet alone a favorite song. I guess mine is Moving Pictures album and Hemispheres song. A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres are the last really fantasy types and are kind of companion pieces 👑🧠
On I Think I'm Going Bald, they toured with Kiss on their Hotter Than Hell tour and there was a song on that album called Goin' Blind with the line I think I'm going blind, so they rewrote it as I Think I'm Going Bald. 😅
I like your "whole album in 1 video" approach. This how so many of old dudes listened to something new, sitting down and listening to the entire album. It's certainly a lot to take in, but you navigated the journey nicely. You know, it occurred to me for the first time in all these many years that the crazy growling gurgling sounds right before Alex's long solo section in The Necromancer is the same sound heard during By-Tor and the Snow Dog on the last album. The sound, created by Geddy's bass and effects described as "everything but the kitchen sink", is the moment By-Tor arrives to do battle and save the day!
I love all of their old stuff the best!!! I'm such a 70s child and love the sound and experimentation. Can't wait till you do these upcoming albums! 2112 Will always be my favorite with their the 4 albums after a close 2nd, lol. Great reaction!
Probably my favorite Rush album. Truly great to see it's still got long legs and people are still getting into it even now. Just curious what is up with all the compression or normalization Happening Here though? It's making those Reverb tales in the pauses go absolutely crazy. It really isn't how this album sounds
Necromancer gives me goose bump every time Ilisten to it, deep emotional response to all that painting they build through the skill and use of their instruments. An all fave of myself, Rush or otherwise.
I turned on to Rush when Permanent Waves came out (older brother bought the album), and then they followed that with Moving Pictures. My friends turned me on to other Rush, but I never had any of their albums until after I gaduated HS and started working. I went out and bought "Archives," which was their first three albums packaged as one. I wore out the grooves on this one more than the other two without question. To me, "The Fountain of Lamneth" is the pinnacle. Birth-->life-->death...rebirth?
The Necromancer and I Think I'm Going Bald are two of my guilty pleasure Rush songs. There's a definitely an element of them just goofing off on both these tracks, but the Necromancer is some of the most badass goofing off you'll find anywhere.
Loved your review of the fan favorite album, COS! You are officially a RUSH FAN when you’ve been to “The Fountain”. Looking forward to your journey!! Be well and God bless… from Texas!!
Yep, love at first hear, your face says it all. great reaction to an awesome song! The Necromancer is one of my faves, as well! Carress of Steel is a Love/Hate album, Fans/Musicians LOVE, critics hate. Magic is right, my friend! Dude, your face was in shock listening to endless Alex and Neil, going OFF. Again, this song is WAY underplayed. It is amazing! I was right there with you. The Vibes!! At 1:08:00, you close your eyes and just let Alex take you away. Hippocampus at peace and alert as you process the final section of "Fountain", Well Done. This album deserves several plays to truly absorb. Two thumbs up!! "Life is just a candle, and a dream, must give it Flame" (Dark Souls reference).
The best part about this..seeing your mind blown on necromancer and knowing their masterpiece is about to happen...my favorite rush song...im tearing up.as I type this. I love Rush so much. They teach you how to love yourself
yes john this album was almost the end of Rush..its all about ticket sales, album sales and record execs needing to buy bigger belts in those days..But, TA- DA----- Along comes 2112....I still and always will love this album or any Rush Album.I'm so happy to see the same is happening for you.
If you were born in Toronto or had been living there in '75, There are lines in "The Necromancer" that can't help but make you smile. Just like Lakeside Park was an actual place, the "three travellers from Willowdale" are the members of Rush and Willowdale is the TO subdivision where Alex and Geddy grew up. I suppose it's a little TO in-joke or, if not quite a joke then simply a reference that only locals, or those who had looked into Rush's history, could suss. Famous last words: "The Necromancer" lyrics blend autobiographical elements with allusions to "The Lord of the Rings," but these self-references both peaked and ended with the "Caress of Steel" album or, if they did occasionally pop up, they became even more personal and obscure. I'm glad that you're enjoying the album! 😎 If more people had your musical tastes in 1975, "Caress of Steel" might have been a hit and "2112" may never have been created. You win, you lose, timelines form or they don't. Existence is essentially arbitrary. ✌️
John I'm a new sub. I love this album. Lakeside Park, and the Necromancer are special. Panacea also another fav. I'm loving yer take on Rush. Do you have a band? Album? Could we hear you play?
I only have small experimental songs on my SoundCloud right now! But I am working on a video of my guitar and piano playing. soundcloud.app.goo.gl/zHyYd
Lakeside Park is on the shores of Lake Ontario, in St. Catharines Ontario in an area known as Port Dalhousie, That's where Neil grew up, From the 1800's to the 1970's the park used to have a midway. The Merry Go Round still exists and will forever only be 5 cents to ride. There is also a Neil Peart memorial pavilion down there now. Although a shadow of what it used to be, its still a very special place, I live 5 min from there,
Your reaction to the Necromancer is simply amazing!!!!!! Caress of steel, such an underrated album in the seventies, but definetely one of my favorites........thank you John!!!!
My favorite Rush album. Wow. Great to see it giving some love here, I cannot remember what it was like the first time I heard it except that I did hear it post 2112 which made this one seemed a bit tame. But the truth is, while caress of Steel has some Peaks and valleys it is clearly the learning curve test run for the Masterwork that was to become the subsequent record 2112. Overtime though I have to say this album has growing to gain a great deal of respect because you really can hear the path that Rush were on at the time and what they were aspiring towards.
Did you notice that the rhythm guitar riff that begins around the 40min mark of your video (in the final movement of "The Necromancer") sounds an awful lot like (a copy of) the rhythm guitar in the chorus of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane?"
The Fountain is my fav Rush Song I learned it on guitar during lockdown its not that hard to learn the rhythm parts that is I dont have the leads though
There were a # of people who didn’t totally get this album, I did! An loved it, still one of my favs for sure! Buckle up Jon, 2112 will take you on the wildest journey, and you will get too see all their creative juices flowing on every cut!!
🥰 Lakeside Park is 1 of my favorite 'Cinema Strangiato' songs. 🤗 The entire Movie Theater always sings "Some memories last forever" 😒🙄 then we all get teary eyed remembering the 1st time we heard this song & 1st time we saw them play it! 😊🐰
Caress of Steel is a good album but it also points out the areas of their songwriting that greatly improved as Rush moved forward, both musically and lyrically. Musically, they are experimenting with shifts into different time signatures but you can hear how much smoother those transitions are on later albums. And Neil takes the kinks out of his lyrics (like at the end of "The Necromancer" our heroes are out for "revenge" on that dark thaumaturge but we're not told revenge for what). It's an early album and part of its charm is its brash rawness which is a part of why the album is so energetic. Even "Lakeside Park."
Like playing the panacea guitar. Simple and catchy with the panacea intro was the trickiest part to learn for me. Crossover to playing it on electric works well also.
I’m so excited you did the whole album. I can’t wait till 2112 and holy cow then Permanent Waves eek you are in for a treat. My favorite is 3 I can’t pick one lol The Necromancer The Fountain of Lamneth Bastille Day Have a great day
I got this record as a get-well gift when I was 11 [skateboarding accident], but I had only really heard Tom Sawyer at this point. I instantly loved it, and it still remains one of my faves of theirs. Was also my gateway album to all things prog.
I’ve NEVER understood the ambivalence this album receives. It’s un-fucking-believable! Geddy’s vocals, Alex’s tone and solos, and Neil’s lyrics about life and the transition to death. Top 10 album for me. Legendary!!!!!
It is interesting to hear different versions than what I am used to. It seems like The Necromancer is remastered or something? All the echoes in the vocal section weren't on the album version I had so this is the first time I'm hearing that. It is quite different. Necromancer was my favorite track on the first side but then along came The Fountain of Lamneth and I've loved that since my first spin of that side. Not that the rest of the album wasn't good. I liked it all including the silly song I Think I'm Going Bald. Glad you enjoyed it. :)
very good job . I fell in love with this album in high school it was a very nice walk back in time. thank you for that . some people back in the day didn't like them or didn't understand them . I really liked Rush up to kill the kill the king album and moving pictures was good but Rush went a little techo. for me . I seen them live in 1978 all the world a stage. man they killed it it was very cool. I seen Rush before that consert it was opening act ckick this out Rush open the show then Mott the Hoople was next then came Aerosmith 3rd band to play. Headlining this avent was Ted Nugent. rap your head around that 7$ standing room only. at 16 years of age I was mesmerized! thank for walk back in time . liked your insight. I will watch your take again on other videos. good job
Thanks for pointing it out it was an effect I had mistakenly added to the audio during recording. I'll manage it better during future uploads. Thanks for commenting!
What really impressed me about Alex’s playing in this piece is his pull offs and big boy bends. Just terrific and considering his age at the time , even more impressive.
I am glad John you are such a fan of Rush. They are very underrated as a band. I saw Rush in concert as a kid in the late 1970s and it was a revelation on how good music could be. Most rock musicians will state Rush was an major musical influence. If you haven't seen the documentary "Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage" (2010) I would highly recommend it.
"The Necromancer" basically kicked off their ascent into the realm of prog-rock godhood. While they did make some great, rock tunes in succeeding albums, nobody remembers them until "The Spirit of Radio" and "Freewill" came along in the 1980 release, Permanent Waves.
John for 2112 you have to have the animated video up while you listen to it. It will help you understand whats going on. I think it will get blocked if you have it on screen but just for you to watch it would be very helpful. Can't wait.
Hey Festo! Seen you on my Twitter also. Thanks for the heads up. I was told this by another person but I decided to just go with listening to the song without a visual story. That's just how I like listening to music at first! Hope you can understand. I will be watching it for a future video!
Everybody says the fountain of lamneth and the necromancer has several different songs in one, but I like to think of it as chapters of a story and also call it chapter music
The band is on record as saying that the Caress of Steel project got the best of them and they just weren't up to the challenge of it at that point in their career. I agree up to a point. It could have used a lot more polish and production values, and the music sounded thin in parts and could have been filled in much better. They got it right by the time they got to Hemispheres. Fans like to criticize their overdependence on synthesizers later in their career, but they really missed them here. The lyrics seem a little slapdash and the long form songs could have used more story development. This album is definitely bottom 10 in my rankings, but no way is it their worst, like many Rush fans think.
Bear in mind that this album caused their record label to demand more "radio-friendly" music or they would get dropped, and the band's response to this was...2112. Just keep that in your mind as it's getting blown by 2112. CAN. NOT. WAIT.
REMEMBER JOHN, ( THE NECROMANCER ) IS PART 2 OF BY-TOR AND THE SNOW DOG! 😊 I FIGURED YOU'D TRIP SOME ON THIS MASTERPIECE ALBUM, MOST PEOPLE DO JOHN! 😊 I PLAYED THE SHIT OUT OF THIS 8 TRACK TAPE AND YES IT WAS MY FAVORITE, YOU GET THE ANGRYYYYY DESPONDENT RUSH, RIGHT BEFORE THEY EXPLODED INTO THE NEXT STRATOSPHERE WITH ( 2112 ) 😊
Bastille Day is referencing the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette talking of the poor and hungry, "Let them eat cake." And the guillotine beheadings of the ruling class.
I love the medieval times feel of the album. Man I admit I thought I lost you in that middle jam section of the necromancer, yeah it can shock people the first time and they often hate all that jamming and often put the album down because of that one part but if you hang in there it grows on you and you see that it's just part of a long necromancer story
@@JohnSlopReacts awesome. You remind me of myself about 40 years ago when I was getting heavy into Rush. They didn't need to grow on me, loved it right away
Fountain of Lamneth is standard tuning. The chords you like? play full bar chord at 7th fret, except let the B and E string s ring....slides down to 5th fret.
@@JohnSlopReacts and now you know about half of Alex lifeson’s chords 😉. J/k… but that same chord structures used in many, many rush tunes. Same fingering and move up and down the neck and you will figure out most of Hemispheres by ear.
Bastille Day is a national holiday in the French Republic, like America’s Independence Day. Canada has a huge French minority concentrated in the province of Quebec. Canadians grow up with a lot more of a cultural French influence than Americans do.
It is Lam-neth. A clue is it rhymes with breath. This album gets a lot of crap, but I love it. The Necromancer is my 2nd favorite Rush song behind 2112.
Wow so much to say about this album. I wasn't expecting much going in, with there only being 5 tracks.. only did I realize two of them were over 10 minutes!!
I got excited and realized this is no ordinary Rush album indeed! I was treated to some of the most unique, fascinating songs yet by them! Overall this album varied in energy and styles. Starting out in typical Rush fashion and even throwing in some Western/Blues vibes. And then transitioning DRASTICALLY once we reach The Necromancer. Always a surprise around every corner.
Thanks for joining me as we listen to a full album this time! The Necromancer is a personal fave!
You ain't seen nothing yet haha. They just keep getting better after this!
@@seanroberts6485, John's already heard their best in my opinion since he's reacted to Signals, Hemispheres and Power Windows, but his mind will be blown when he finally gets to Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, A Farewell To Kings and Presto.
You need to do 2112 next, then Farewell To Kings.
I have been jamming to this LP for decades. Drumming tracks are great!
my first love on this album was just like you: Necromancer... but over 30 years, The Fountain of Lamneth is the ONE!!!!
This is the most underrated album from the early part of their career, it’s become one of my favorites. Geddy’s vocal on No One At the Bridge is incredible. The Necromancer is my favorite track.
My fav … FOL!!!
Mine too. I can totally picture Paul Stanley listening to this and going ... What? It will never sell.
And yet today, I love this album and apparently I am not the only one.
The Fountain of Lamneth is in my humble opinion the single most underappreciated musical piece in the whole Rush catalogue, and It amazes me how Neil Peart could have been so perceptive at such a young age.
Alex’s guitar tone on this album is in my top 5 of guitar tones, ever. When I first heard the guitar assault in the Necromancer I was speechless. The guitar tells a story; from the haunting notes as they travel towards their doom, to the fierce playing during their battle, to the majestically joyful solo at the end to denote the vanquishing of evil. The ending guitar solo is so incredibly beautiful. I can never play it loud enough.
I love this period of their career, where they would tell epic stories with the words and music in harmony with one another. It was more important to them to tell a story than to show off any technical skills. They celebrated being cerebral and painting pictures with sound.
Alex’s ability to tell stories thru his melodies and phrasing is fantastic
Alex was / is a master of 6 strings (and sometimes 12). What a player. In this one song alone, he could and did turn his hand and dials to anything. A monster musician and one of my all time favourite guitarists.
Because it's my first Rush album, I've listened to it thousands of times in a row and even today, after 47 years, I'm still surprised and brought to tears. Thank you John for bringing Caress Of Steel here in full. A big hug to all Rush fans from Brazil!🙏🏻 ✨ 🇧🇷
Also my first Rush album and my favorite. Seen them in concert 2 years after. Was 2112.✌️from 🇨🇦
and also *my* first rush album: it blew my young mind coming from the crap i was exposed to from the adults in my life. think the ”annie” soundtrack, adult contemporary (lite rock: 33% less entertaining) or air supply to... rush. quite but the life-changing experience :)
Bom dia e um grande abraço de Exeter no Reino Unido. Sou britânico mas estou a aprender português. Quelinda lingua! Fico feliz que haja tantos no Brasil que gostem de Rush. Rush in Rio foi um concerto inesquecível!
Fountain of Lamneth. Is a voyage of a persons life from birth to school to young adult and the first time running your own life (the ship represents his life and the rough see is life throwing difficulty his way) he has no one to fall back on now as an adult!! Then Panacea is his first great love and how it gives us all respite in the difficulty of life. Then middle age and then old age and death!
Also I'm sorry for the Audio issues in this one! I had an effect on the sound which gave it a slight echo effect. I'll manage and fix this for future uploads! Sorry again haha.
No problem, sounded good anyway
I’m just glad you heard the original, unaffected audio. I heard the difference right off, having enjoyed this album dozens of times. Can’t wait for 2112 and their live masterpiece “All The World’s A Stage”, the perfect summation of the band thru this time period!
I thought you were playin' with it to avoid a copyright strike. ;)
I was going to ask about the wierd production, and began to fear they'd done a later remix that ruined some of the best bits! Thanks for the heads up.
The album of what they called the "Down The Tubes" tour. A fan favorite, at the time almost ended the band. Smaller crowds & stages. Sleeping anywhere they could. Took the next album, 2112 to bring them back.
Sad huh Chris? Knowing what we do now about Rush it would have been an AMAZING concert to see. I think that Rush was simply ahead of their time with their mystic lyrics and sounds which a lot of people couldn't fully grasp because they were so unique compared to the majority of pop and rock bands at the time. In some ways Rush's "lack of pop sound" threw a lot of people off because it wasn't what the status quo expected.
.
Can’t wait until you get to the Necromancer there’s even a reference to “Bytor and the Snowdog at the very end of the song.
The song “The Fountain Of Lamneth will blow your mind. Another “epic story” from the epic brain of the Professor. We miss him dearly.
The Necromancer did indeed blow my mind. So happy Rush decided to get super creative in this album! But sad that it almost ended them ha. And I did catch the By-Tor reference! Very cool. Rest in peace Neil.
@@JohnSlopReacts the best part of 2112 album is the song itself, it was their F.U. To record labels wanting short radio friendly songs and trying to pressure the band to do more of them
you said "I love every single time they connect us with each other" and tears came to my eyes. YES!
Lakeside Park is in St.Catherines Ontario Canada , where Neil grew up !!!!....they have a statue there ,that was erected after Neil's death !!!!...and on the Necromancer, they mention Willowdale....that's a suburb that Alex and Geddy lived , in Toronto !!!!
I love this album, especially the part of Fountain of Lamneth called No One at the Bridge…such a great guitar solo. So raw.
Like I said, each Rush album is a different planet.... Some civilized, some not so much, but all worthy of the journey. There is simply nothing else like Rush. Their growth over the years is simply unparalleled. Whatever inspired them they just took to the extreme and from each experiment they planted the seeds that inspired millions of musicians to pickup an instrument and create music beyond the realm of what is common or expected from the listeners. Bands like Tool, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins and so many others were spawned by Rush. The musical landscape still grows today because of these 3 over talented Canadian artists. Their legacy will live on !!!!!
Haha overtalented indeed!
Paul Stanley still doesn't "Get it".
I’ve never heard a better analysis of caress of steel on TH-cam in all my years of watching. You are spot on in your analysis and yes, it is all symbolic of a life from beginning to end, Rush style! LOL
Caress of steel is my favorite Rush album, although there can’t necessarily be an all-time favorite, because so much of their catalog is great music. Rush is definitely a one of a kind band, and Neil’s mastery of lyrics writing is, IMHO, unparalleled. Thanks so much for posting this and I look forward to more of your Rush analyses. A bit of advice. Try Hemispheres next or 2112. Once again, you’re mine will be blown, and sent into a new and unique realm. Cheers
Addendum: It’s pronounced Pan-a-say-a
I see you’ve reacted to Hemispheres already…SO, do 2112 and/or A Farewell to Kings
I really like this album as well. Just some info. The 24th of May is Queen Victoria Day here in Canada. It is the first long weekend to start off the summer.
Panacea is actually the goddess of health.
I really like this whole album but I would say the Fountain of Lamneth is my favourite song off of it. 2112 coming up...you are going to love it!!
Cheers
Actually more like Remedy than health. Universal Remedy.
Agreed I have seen a lot of Rush fans discuss how Caress of Steel was their least favorite album but honestly I just can't see it... I have thoroughly enjoyed the album ever since I was a teen.
Ah, 2112 next. The label told them to go back to radio-friendly singles like their first album. Let's see how that works out!
I've not heard CoS in years and I was struck over and over by deja vu as so many of the sounds and riffs from Necromancer and Fountain are hints of whats to come in the upcoming albums. I feel like I've dug up the common ancestor of some of their middle-era gems.
I love this album 💖😻
My First Rush álbum!!! FANTASTIC songs.🙏🏻✨💫 🇧🇷
It's interesting how I was underwhelmed by Lamneth when I was 15 but I could hear that every style and trick that made the next 5 albums so good were in that one track. It ages very well, especially in the context of what else was coming out at that time. I like to listen to Alex Lifeson and David Gilmore side by side and try to figure out who got to "that new sound" first.
I friggin' love this album. I really enjoyed watching your reaction, very pleased that you liked and understood what they were saying and doing. Thanks John!
I'm so happy you liked "The Necromancer" so much, because I think it's just so awesome. Those middle 2 guitar solos are just epic. I'm a Rush fan from back in 78/79, but I only discovered this song in the early 2000s. The album was not successful for some reason, and back in the day I never bought it or had a chance to listen to it (and of course you never heard it on the radio). When I heard the whole album, I thought "WTF - why wasn't this more popular. I shoulda been listening to the hell out of this back in 1982".
For decades I've frustratingly failed to accurately communicate to others how I felt when I brought this new album home from the record store in 1975 and listened to it for the first time. FInally, somebody gets it.👍🤗
Necromancer is sure;ly part of the genesis of many a future heavy metal group. So many musicians from Rock have cited Rush as a major influence. Now you know how. Hard to believe how many years it took for them to get into the Hall.
The Fountain of the Lamenth a most beautiful piece of music that touches the soul deeply, I have loved Rush since I was 16 and now 59 and their music especially the early stuff stays in my heart forever❤
Lord of the Rings and reincarnation are two inspirations for this album. Sauron of LOTR is the Necromancer "the evil prism eye..."the eye of Sauron" "looking over his lands from his tower". The 3 travelers are themselves. I would guess Frodo was Neil, ha ha At the end a tinge of being reborn or reincarnated... "Though I've reached a signpost It's really not the end Like Old Sol behind the mountain I'll be coming up again"
I'm in motion
I am still
I am crying
I am still
I'm together
I'm apart
I'm forever
At the start
Still I am.
Now you know why is Rush fans are fans for life and so fanatical.
Have you ever come across a more multi talented, multi faceted band ?
Preach Sean!!!
They are setting a new standard for sure.
Great reactions! Full Rush album! Thank you, John. Rush will get even better and evolve incredibly. It's hard to pick a favorite album yet alone a favorite song. I guess mine is Moving Pictures album and Hemispheres song. A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres are the last really fantasy types and are kind of companion pieces 👑🧠
Bastille Day is about the French Revolution. This is the album that the record company did not like.
🐐🐐🐐
On I Think I'm Going Bald, they toured with Kiss on their Hotter Than Hell tour and there was a song on that album called Goin' Blind with the line I think I'm going blind, so they rewrote it as I Think I'm Going Bald. 😅
You nailed it. The album shows what Rush can do. Always thought that I Think I'm Going Bald would have made a better opener. The riff! Wow!
I like your "whole album in 1 video" approach. This how so many of old dudes listened to something new, sitting down and listening to the entire album. It's certainly a lot to take in, but you navigated the journey nicely.
You know, it occurred to me for the first time in all these many years that the crazy growling gurgling sounds right before Alex's long solo section in The Necromancer is the same sound heard during By-Tor and the Snow Dog on the last album. The sound, created by Geddy's bass and effects described as "everything but the kitchen sink", is the moment By-Tor arrives to do battle and save the day!
I love all of their old stuff the best!!! I'm such a 70s child and love the sound and experimentation. Can't wait till you do these upcoming albums! 2112 Will always be my favorite with their the 4 albums after a close 2nd, lol. Great reaction!
It is clear that you get it! Not many do but I can tell you do and it’s awesome to see because they are awesome
I don't understand how anyone could play guitar like this in his early 20s. Alex Lifeson, take a bow (one of so many over more than 40 years).
Probably my favorite Rush album. Truly great to see it's still got long legs and people are still getting into it even now. Just curious what is up with all the compression or normalization Happening Here though? It's making those Reverb tales in the pauses go absolutely crazy. It really isn't how this album sounds
Necromancer gives me goose bump every time Ilisten to it, deep emotional response to all that painting they build through the skill and use of their instruments. An all fave of myself, Rush or otherwise.
I turned on to Rush when Permanent Waves came out (older brother bought the album), and then they followed that with Moving Pictures. My friends turned me on to other Rush, but I never had any of their albums until after I gaduated HS and started working.
I went out and bought "Archives," which was their first three albums packaged as one. I wore out the grooves on this one more than the other two without question. To me, "The Fountain of Lamneth" is the pinnacle. Birth-->life-->death...rebirth?
The Necromancer and I Think I'm Going Bald are two of my guilty pleasure Rush songs. There's a definitely an element of them just goofing off on both these tracks, but the Necromancer is some of the most badass goofing off you'll find anywhere.
I love this album, one of my favorites
Loved your review of the fan favorite album, COS! You are officially a RUSH FAN when you’ve been to “The Fountain”. Looking forward to your journey!! Be well and God bless… from Texas!!
I never understood why this album didn't sell well. The label told them if the next one didn't sell or have radio hits they would not have a contract.
Yep, love at first hear, your face says it all. great reaction to an awesome song! The Necromancer is one of my faves, as well! Carress of Steel is a Love/Hate album, Fans/Musicians LOVE, critics hate. Magic is right, my friend! Dude, your face was in shock listening to endless Alex and Neil, going OFF. Again, this song is WAY underplayed. It is amazing! I was right there with you. The Vibes!! At 1:08:00, you close your eyes and just let Alex take you away. Hippocampus at peace and alert as you process the final section of "Fountain", Well Done. This album deserves several plays to truly absorb. Two thumbs up!! "Life is just a candle, and a dream, must give it Flame" (Dark Souls reference).
The best part about this..seeing your mind blown on necromancer and knowing their masterpiece is about to happen...my favorite rush song...im tearing up.as I type this. I love Rush so much. They teach you how to love yourself
yes john this album was almost the end of Rush..its all about ticket sales, album sales and record execs needing to buy bigger belts in those days..But, TA- DA----- Along comes 2112....I still and always will love this album or any Rush Album.I'm so happy to see the same is happening for you.
people did not like it when it came out i did ,now its a classic
If you were born in Toronto or had been living there in '75, There are lines in "The Necromancer" that can't help but make you smile. Just like Lakeside Park was an actual place, the "three travellers from Willowdale" are the members of Rush and Willowdale is the TO subdivision where Alex and Geddy grew up. I suppose it's a little TO in-joke or, if not quite a joke then simply a reference that only locals, or those who had looked into Rush's history, could suss. Famous last words: "The Necromancer" lyrics blend autobiographical elements with allusions to "The Lord of the Rings," but these self-references both peaked and ended with the "Caress of Steel" album or, if they did occasionally pop up, they became even more personal and obscure.
I'm glad that you're enjoying the album! 😎 If more people had your musical tastes in 1975, "Caress of Steel" might have been a hit and "2112" may never have been created. You win, you lose, timelines form or they don't. Existence is essentially arbitrary. ✌️
John I'm a new sub. I love this album. Lakeside Park, and the Necromancer are special. Panacea also another fav. I'm loving yer take on Rush. Do you have a band? Album? Could we hear you play?
I only have small experimental songs on my SoundCloud right now! But I am working on a video of my guitar and piano playing.
soundcloud.app.goo.gl/zHyYd
This is where the Professor started writing ALL the lyrics,
and it shows
Lakeside Park is on the shores of Lake Ontario, in St. Catharines Ontario in an area known as Port Dalhousie, That's where Neil grew up, From the 1800's to the 1970's the park used to have a midway. The Merry Go Round still exists and will forever only be 5 cents to ride. There is also a Neil Peart memorial pavilion down there now. Although a shadow of what it used to be, its still a very special place, I live 5 min from there,
Your reaction to the Necromancer is simply amazing!!!!!! Caress of steel, such an underrated album in the seventies, but definetely one of my favorites........thank you John!!!!
Thank you very much :) glad you enjoyed!
I'm crying from sentimental nostalgia
My favorite Rush album. Wow. Great to see it giving some love here, I cannot remember what it was like the first time I heard it except that I did hear it post 2112 which made this one seemed a bit tame. But the truth is, while caress of Steel has some Peaks and valleys it is clearly the learning curve test run for the Masterwork that was to become the subsequent record 2112. Overtime though I have to say this album has growing to gain a great deal of respect because you really can hear the path that Rush were on at the time and what they were aspiring towards.
Did you notice that the rhythm guitar riff that begins around the 40min mark of your video (in the final movement of "The Necromancer") sounds an awful lot like (a copy of) the rhythm guitar in the chorus of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane?"
I am so glad your enjoying your RUSH journey. You have a lot more to go...
When I played it .. I barred A on 2nd fret and alternated 4th fret bar of 234 strings..letting all strings (open e 6string) ring out when strumming A
Thank you!
The Fountain is my fav Rush Song I learned it on guitar during lockdown its not that hard to learn the rhythm parts that is I dont have the leads though
There were a # of people who didn’t totally get this album, I did! An loved it, still one of my favs for sure!
Buckle up Jon, 2112 will take you on the wildest journey, and you will get too see all their creative juices flowing on every cut!!
🥰 Lakeside Park is 1 of my favorite 'Cinema Strangiato' songs. 🤗 The entire Movie Theater always sings "Some memories last forever" 😒🙄 then we all get teary eyed remembering the 1st time we heard this song & 1st time we saw them play it! 😊🐰
Caress of Steel is a good album but it also points out the areas of their songwriting that greatly improved as Rush moved forward, both musically and lyrically. Musically, they are experimenting with shifts into different time signatures but you can hear how much smoother those transitions are on later albums. And Neil takes the kinks out of his lyrics (like at the end of "The Necromancer" our heroes are out for "revenge" on that dark thaumaturge but we're not told revenge for what). It's an early album and part of its charm is its brash rawness which is a part of why the album is so energetic. Even "Lakeside Park."
Like playing the panacea guitar. Simple and catchy with the panacea intro was the trickiest part to learn for me. Crossover to playing it on electric works well also.
Ooooooooooh you"re gonna LOVE 2112!!!!!
I can almost hear this running through Neil's head when he was passing away.
I’m so excited you did the whole album. I can’t wait till 2112 and holy cow then Permanent Waves eek you are in for a treat. My favorite is 3 I can’t pick one lol
The Necromancer
The Fountain of Lamneth
Bastille Day
Have a great day
The swell at the end of the Fountain is the best part of the song, representing one's passing.
I got this record as a get-well gift when I was 11 [skateboarding accident], but I had only really heard Tom Sawyer at this point. I instantly loved it, and it still remains one of my faves of theirs. Was also my gateway album to all things prog.
I’ve NEVER understood the ambivalence this album receives. It’s un-fucking-believable! Geddy’s vocals, Alex’s tone and solos, and Neil’s lyrics about life and the transition to death. Top 10 album for me. Legendary!!!!!
My brother-in-law said this album gave him "Ear gasims"!! ; )
Best album they ever made. Guitar in no one at the bridge is epic, so emotional.
It is interesting to hear different versions than what I am used to. It seems like The Necromancer is remastered or something? All the echoes in the vocal section weren't on the album version I had so this is the first time I'm hearing that. It is quite different.
Necromancer was my favorite track on the first side but then along came The Fountain of Lamneth and I've loved that since my first spin of that side. Not that the rest of the album wasn't good. I liked it all including the silly song I Think I'm Going Bald.
Glad you enjoyed it. :)
It was actually an effect I added on accident! The echoes are not supposed to be there haha. My bad.
very good job . I fell in love with this album in high school it was a very nice walk back in time. thank you for
that . some people back in the day didn't like them or didn't understand
them . I really liked
Rush up to kill the kill the king album
and moving pictures
was good but Rush went a little techo.
for me . I seen them live in 1978 all the world a stage.
man they killed it
it was very cool.
I seen Rush before
that consert it was
opening act ckick this out Rush open the show then Mott the Hoople was next then came Aerosmith 3rd band to play. Headlining this avent was Ted Nugent. rap your head around that
7$ standing room only. at 16 years of age I was mesmerized!
thank for walk back in time . liked your insight. I will watch
your take again on other videos. good job
Great album....glad you're experiencing it. There is an echo effect coming through, that is not attributed to the album recording.
Thanks for pointing it out it was an effect I had mistakenly added to the audio during recording. I'll manage it better during future uploads. Thanks for commenting!
@@JohnSlopReacts Oh, glad to hear it wasn't something else as that sure wasn't what I heard all those years ago. :)
Geddy mentioned in the live album all the world's a stage, Neil was born near Lakeside Park in Canada 🇨🇦
What really impressed me about Alex’s playing in this piece is his pull offs and big boy bends. Just terrific and considering his age at the time , even more impressive.
This is what Rush Music is ,,, The greatest music there is !
Yeah that's probably the main thing that makes me love this album is the guitar effects
I am glad John you are such a fan of Rush. They are very underrated as a band. I saw Rush in concert as a kid in the late 1970s and it was a revelation on how good music could be. Most rock musicians will state Rush was an major musical influence. If you haven't seen the documentary "Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage" (2010) I would highly recommend it.
"The Necromancer" basically kicked off their ascent into the realm of prog-rock godhood. While they did make some great, rock tunes in succeeding albums, nobody remembers them until "The Spirit of Radio" and "Freewill" came along in the 1980 release, Permanent Waves.
John for 2112 you have to have the animated video up while you listen to it. It will help you understand whats going on. I think it will get blocked if you have it on screen but just for you to watch it would be very helpful. Can't wait.
Hey Festo! Seen you on my Twitter also. Thanks for the heads up. I was told this by another person but I decided to just go with listening to the song without a visual story. That's just how I like listening to music at first! Hope you can understand. I will be watching it for a future video!
OMG best review ever!!!
Great reaction & commentary John!!
Thanks Rich :]
Everybody says the fountain of lamneth and the necromancer has several different songs in one, but I like to think of it as chapters of a story and also call it chapter music
🥰 Sleeper Rush Album due to Bastille Day & Lakeside Park. Necromancer is a fan fave also! 😁🐰
Moving Pictures, Moving Pictures, Moving Pictures!! No, but really... Waiting for you to do the most epic album ;)
The band is on record as saying that the Caress of Steel project got the best of them and they just weren't up to the challenge of it at that point in their career. I agree up to a point. It could have used a lot more polish and production values, and the music sounded thin in parts and could have been filled in much better. They got it right by the time they got to Hemispheres. Fans like to criticize their overdependence on synthesizers later in their career, but they really missed them here. The lyrics seem a little slapdash and the long form songs could have used more story development. This album is definitely bottom 10 in my rankings, but no way is it their worst, like many Rush fans think.
Wait till you get to 2112!
🎸🥁🎸
Volume pedal and cry baby wah wah pedal invented by the guitarist for Boston on track 3
Oops it was the rockman he invented
Bear in mind that this album caused their record label to demand more "radio-friendly" music or they would get dropped, and the band's response to this was...2112. Just keep that in your mind as it's getting blown by 2112. CAN. NOT. WAIT.
REMEMBER JOHN, ( THE NECROMANCER ) IS PART 2 OF BY-TOR AND THE SNOW DOG! 😊 I FIGURED YOU'D TRIP SOME ON THIS MASTERPIECE ALBUM, MOST PEOPLE DO JOHN! 😊 I PLAYED THE SHIT OUT OF THIS 8 TRACK TAPE AND YES IT WAS MY FAVORITE, YOU GET THE ANGRYYYYY DESPONDENT RUSH, RIGHT BEFORE THEY EXPLODED INTO THE NEXT STRATOSPHERE WITH ( 2112 ) 😊
Bastille Day is referencing the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette talking of the poor and hungry, "Let them eat cake." And the guillotine beheadings of the ruling class.
I love the medieval times feel of the album. Man I admit I thought I lost you in that middle jam section of the necromancer, yeah it can shock people the first time and they often hate all that jamming and often put the album down because of that one part but if you hang in there it grows on you and you see that it's just part of a long necromancer story
I thought it was all cool! Wasn't gonna fall off. I appreciate the creativity too much!
@@JohnSlopReacts awesome. You remind me of myself about 40 years ago when I was getting heavy into Rush. They didn't need to grow on me, loved it right away
Fountain of Lamneth is standard tuning. The chords you like? play full bar chord at 7th fret, except let the B and E string s ring....slides down to 5th fret.
Thank you very much!
@@JohnSlopReacts and now you know about half of Alex lifeson’s chords 😉. J/k… but that same chord structures used in many, many rush tunes. Same fingering and move up and down the neck and you will figure out most of Hemispheres by ear.
my fav album
Bastille Day is a reference to the French revolution.
Bastille Day is a national holiday in the French Republic, like America’s Independence Day. Canada has a huge French minority concentrated in the province of Quebec. Canadians grow up with a lot more of a cultural French influence than Americans do.
Some kind of weird reverb on your version of recording. LISTEN!!! haha
It is Lam-neth. A clue is it rhymes with breath. This album gets a lot of crap, but I love it. The Necromancer is my 2nd favorite Rush song behind 2112.
great vid... whats with the strange compression/reverb??
Avoiding a copyright block.
I think I'm going bald
Bummer
Last line … GET A HAIR CUT … Neil!!!