Following the amazing success of their '2112' album and a grueling 18 month tour to support it, the band decided to skip taking a break and get right back into the studio to record their 5th album. On the advice of producer Terry Brown, the group convened in Rockfield studios in Wales. This would be their first experience recording outside the safe confines of their beloved Toronto and it would prove to be a valuable lesson in recording. The beaucolic setting and relaxed atmosphere would serve to make the song writing and recording less stressful and more creative.
While '2112' had been an experiment that worked on all levels, the music they would produce for this album would go beyond even that. The marathon tour for '2112' had them playing and refining their instrumental skills and broadening their approach to writing.
'A Farewell To Kings' would be the first of many changes the band would go through and it was solid step in the direction that would make them a cult favorite for decades to come.
The members all chose to add new instruments to their arsenals which would ultimately expand their sound. Geddy added more keyboard textures, Alex added a synth pedal and Neil added a variety of percussion elements that immediately gave the band a more orchestral sound and feel.
They were virtually reinventing themselves into the mold that would come to be the hallmark of their musical career as a band. Never content with resting too long on a specific sound or on their last success, they charted a new course in writing that would surpass the success of '2112'.
'2112' was an amazing album but the music, while technically challenging, followed some very basic ideas as far as music theory was concerned.
I must pause and say that as a musician, I learned every song on '2112' on guitar and apart from how fast some of the songs were, it was relatively easy to learn in that it followed the rules I had learned about theory.
'A Farewell To Kings' exploded those rules and had them playing not only in odd times but in odd keys and with a fair amount of key changes that left me in the dust. It was truly experimental in its approach and a giant leap forward in their writing.
While 2112 may have been their breakthrough album, it was AFTK that set them on the path to eternal glory in the annals of rock music.
The presence of 'Closer To The Heart' and 'Xanadu' cemented their place both on the radio and in the hearts of their faithful fan base.
My own personal favorite is a gem called 'Cygnus X-1', a tale of space travel into a black hole and the invention of what I like to call the 'mini epic' that would arise again on 'Permanent Waves' and 'Moving Pictures'.
'A Farewell To Kings' was the first of their true 'prog' records with grand themes and sweeping arrangements to go with them. The album was certified platinum quickly as they came into their own with this breakthrough album.
All in all, it was a solid album that increased their fan following and lent them even more credibility in the world of prog rock.
