Caress of Steel - Rush

11 months ago
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Caress of Steel is the third studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on September 24, 1975, by Mercury Records. It marked a development in the group's sound, moving from the blues-based hard rock style of their debut towards progressive rock. The shift proved to be a commercial and critical low point for Rush, however, as the album's darker sound and fantastical compositions initially failed to find an audience and confused some of the band's peers, while poor sales put the band in danger of being dropped by Mercury. Despite being more positively viewed by the band's fans in retrospect, Ultimate Classic Rock noted that the album is still considered "the black sheep of their catalog".
The album cover for Caress of Steel was intended to be printed in a silver colour to give it a "steel" appearance. A printing error resulted in giving the album cover a gold colour. The error was not corrected on subsequent printings of the album.] The cover artwork for Caress of Steel was designed by Hugh Syme, the first Rush album to feature his work. Syme has designed the cover artwork for every Rush album since.
On the inside gatefold of the album, just below the lyrics to "The Necromancer", the Latin phrase "Terminat hora diem; terminat auctor opus" appears, which translates (loosely) to:
"[as] The hour ends the day; the author ends his work."
The source of this phrase is Christopher Marlowe's play Doctor Faustus (1592).

Bastille Day – 00:00
I Think I'm Going Bald – 04:40
Lakeside Park – 08:21
The Necromancer (A Short Story by Rush) – 12:29
I. Into Darkness – 12:32
II. Under the Shadow – 16:44
III. Return of the Prince – 21:10
The Fountain of Lamneth – 25:01
I. In the Valley – 25:04
II. Didacts and Narpets – 29:22
III. No One at the Bridge – 30:24
IV. Panacea - 34:43
V. Bacchus Plateau – 37:58
VI. The Fountain – 41:12

Production

Rush – production, arrangements
Terry Brown – production, engineer, arrangements
Howard "Herns" Ungerleider – roadmaster
Ian "Rio" Grandy – roadcrew
Liam "L.B.L.B." Birt – roadcrew
J.D. "Kool Mon" Johnson – roadcrew
AGI – art direction
Hugh Syme – graphics
Terrance Bert – photography
Gerard Gentil – photography
Barry McVicker – photography
Ray Danniels – management
Moon Records – executive production
Dedicated to the memory of Rod Serling

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