THE HIDDEN ROOM: Rush : 2112 / A Farewell To Kings/Live 1978

AND MEN WHO HOLD

HIGH PLACES

MUST BE THE ONES WHO START

TO MOLD A NEW REALITY

CLOSER TO THE HEART

NOTES :

With This

I Had

2112

and

A Farewell To Kings

On One CD

But Then I Got The

40th

ANNIVERSARY

VERSION

Farewell To Kings

With The Concert At

Hammersmith Odeon,

February 20, 1978

and

Bonus Disc

So Now I Added

THAT ALSO

TRIPLE SHOT !!!

2112

(pronounced "twenty-one twelve")

is the

fourth

studio album

by Canadian Rock Band

Rush

released in

March 1976

by Mercury Records.

It reached No. 5

in Canada

and became the band's

commercial breakthrough

in America,

peaking at No. 61.

The band was in

financial hardship

due to the disappointing

sales of 1975's

Caress of Steel,

which also got an

unfavourable critical reception

and a decline in attendance

at its shows.

Mercury,

their international label,

considered dropping them

but granted one more album

following negotiations

with manager

Ray Danniels.

Rush

were pressured to

deliver more commercial material

but decided to continue

developing its

progressive rock direction

they had explored on

Caress of Steel

and made the

20-minute futuristic

science-fiction title track

occupy side one of

2112

with a

collection of

shorter songs

on side two

that display their

hard rock roots.

2112

was released to

favourable reviews

from music critics

and quickly outsold

the band's previous albums.

Rush

toured the album

extensively in

1976 and 1977,

which culminated in

their debut concerts

in Europe.

2112

remains the band's

second-highest-selling album

Behind

Moving Pictures

A Farewell to Kings

is the fifth

studio album

by Canadian

Rock Band

Rush

released on

Anthem Records

on August 29, 1977.

The album reached No. 11

in Canada

and marked a growth

in the band's

international fanbase,

becoming their first

Top 40 album

in the US

and the UK.

After reaching a critical

and commercial peak

with 2112

and touring the album,

Rush

decided to record

the follow-up

outside Toronto

for the first time

and settled in

Rockfield Studios

in Wales

after their debut

European tour.

A Farewell to Kings

is noted for the band

expanding their sound

with greater use

of synthesizers

and each member

playing more instruments

than before,

and having long

and short tracks

such as the

11-minute

"Xanadu"

and the under 3-minute

"Closer to the Heart",

both of which became

live favourites.

The closing

science-fiction themed

"Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage"

ends on a cliffhanger

which concludes

on the next album,

Hemispheres.

A Farewell to Kings

received a generally

positive reception from critics.

"Closer to the Heart"

was released as the

album's first single,

which reached No. 36

in the UK.

Rush

supported the album

with their most

extensive tour at the time,

headlining major venues

across

North America

and Europe

for over 140 dates.

A 40th anniversary

remastered edition

with bonus tracks

was released in 2017.

Background and Recording

In June 1977,

Rush ended their tour supporting

their breakthrough album

2112

and subsequent live release,

All the World's a Stage.

The tour culminated

in the band's first

European dates

with shows in England,

which attracted

widespread praise

from fans and critics.

It was around this time

when Rush decided

against their usual

post-tour break

to continue momentum

and produce a

follow-up album,

but wanted to record

somewhere other than

Toronto, Canada.

Following what drummer

and lyricist

Neil Peart

described as an

"extremely difficult"

search for a studio

that suited the band,

their longtime producer

and engineer

Terry Brown

discovered

Rockfield Studios in

Monmouthshire, Wales.

His enthusiasm

at the idea of recording

at the facility

convinced the band

to work there.

Rush

were keen to work in

England

as they were fans

of British pop music,

and the seclusion

eliminated the distractions

they usually faced at home.

Peart felt the seclusion

and mellow atmosphere

at the studio created a

productive environment,

with the album

put down in three weeks.

Apart from

early ideas for

"Closer to the Heart",

the songs were

put together at Rockfield.

A Farewell to Kings

marked a development

in the group's sound,

with greater use of

synthesizers and each member

playing additional instruments.

Peart said it was the result

of the decision to put out

All the World's a Stage,

which caused an

extended creative hiatus

that gave the band time

"to think about ourselves as musicians."

In addition,

Rush

declared the release

of the latter as

"the close of chapter one"

of their history,

further suggesting a shift

in the group's approach.

2112/

A FAREWELL TO KINGS

TRACKLIST

2112

A Passage To Bangkok

The Twilight Zone

Lessons

Tears

Something For Nothing

A Farewell To Kings

Xanadu

Closer To The Heart

Cinderella Man

Madrigal

Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage

A FAREWELL TO KINGS

Live at Hammersmith Odeon,

February 20, 1978

TRACKLIST

CD 1

Intro /Bastille Day