Album
A Farewell to Kings
A Farewell to Kings is Rush's fifth studio album, released on 29 August 1977. Coming after the success of 2112 and a first European tour, the Canadian trio left Toronto to record for the first time, settling at Rockfield Studios in Wales. It reached No. 11 in Canada, became their first Top 40 album in the UK, and was their second in the US after the live set All the World's a Stage.
The sound opens out here, with more synthesizers and each member playing more instruments than before. The record pairs the 11-minute "Xanadu" with the under-3-minute "Closer to the Heart", which reached No. 36 in the UK as a single, and both became live favourites. It closes with the science-fiction epic "Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage", which stops on a cliffhanger that Hemispheres picks up in 1978.
A Farewell to Kings: tracklist, credits and charts
6 tracks · 37:13Tracklist
- 1A Farewell to KingsLee, Lifeson, Peart5:53
- 2XanaduLee, Lifeson, Peart11:06
- 3Closer to the HeartLee, Lifeson, Peart, Talbot2:52
- 4Cinderella ManGeddy Lee and Alex Lifeson4:20
- 5MadrigalLee, Lifeson, Peart2:35
- 6Cygnus X-1Lee, Lifeson, Peart10:27
- Produced by
- Terry Brown, Rush
- Recorded at
- Rockfield Studios, Rockfield (Rockfield, Wales, United Kingdom)
- Recorded
- June–July 1977
- Mixed by
- Terry Brown
- Mixed at
- Advision Studios
- Engineered by
- Terry Brown, Pat Moran
- Labels
- Mercury Records, Anthem
- Length
- 37:13
Line-up
- Geddy Lee · bass guitar, Minimoog, bass pedals, 12 string guitar, vocals
- Alex Lifeson · bass pedals, 12 string guitar, acoustic guitar, classical guitar, electric guitar
- Neil Peart · drums (drum set), triangle, cowbell, vibraslap, tubular bells, temple blocks, bell tree, wind chime
Singles
- “Closer to the Heart” · October 1977
- “Cinderella Man” · January 1978
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1977–1978 | 22 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1977–1978 | 33 |
| UKProgressive · 2017-2018 | 6 |
| US Hard Rock · 2017-2018 | 6 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 2020 | 7 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1977–1978 | 11 |
| US Top Rock Albums · 2017-2018 | 30 |
| Swedish Albums · 1977–1978 | 41 |
| Scottish Albums · 2020 | 74 |
| Dutch Albums · 1977–1978 | 150 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada · 1978 | Platinum |
| United Kingdom · 1982 | Gold |
| United States · 1993 | Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
82.3
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
4.8k
ListenBrainz listeners
199k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
16k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 29 August
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More from Rush
Full discography →
Rush
1974
Fly by Night
1975
Caress of Steel
1975
2112
1976
All the World’s a Stage
1976
Cygnus X‐1
1977
Archives
1978
Hemispheres
1978
Rush Through Time
1979
Permanent Waves
1980
Moving Pictures
1981
Exit… Stage Left
1981
Signals
1982
Grace Under Pressure
1984
Power Windows
1985
Grace Under Pressure Tour
1986
Hold Your Fire
1987
A Show of Hands
1989
Presto
1989
Chronicles
1990
Roll the Bones
1991
Counterparts
1993
Test for Echo
1996
Retrospective I: 1974–1980
1997
Retrospective II: 1981–1987
1997
Different Stages Live
1998
Vapor Trails
2002
The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974–1987
2003
Rush in Rio
2003
Feedback
2004
R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour
2005
Gold
2006
Replay X3
2006
Snakes & Arrows
2007
Snakes & Arrows Live
2008
Retrospective 3
2009
Working Men
2009
Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland
2011
Clockwork Angels
2012
The Studio Albums 1989–2007
2013
Clockwork Angels Tour
2013
R40 Live
2015
The best of 1977
All of 1977 →
Rumours
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Pink Floyd · 1977
“Heroes”
David Bowie · 1977
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AC/DC · 1977
Low
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Sex Pistols · 1977
The Clash
The Clash · 1977
News of the World
Queen · 1977
Love Gun
KISS · 1977
Rocket to Russia
Ramones · 1977
Leave Home
Ramones · 1977
Smoke on the Water
Deep Purple · 1977
More on Mercury Records
The label →
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Bon Jovi · 1986
The Man Who Sold the World
David Bowie · 1970
David Bowie
David Bowie · 1969
Hysteria
Def Leppard · 1987
2112
Rush · 1976
New Jersey
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Crazy World
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The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re‐Revisited
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Permanent Waves
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These Days
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia only
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | June 1977 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 29 August 1977 | |
| Wikidata | 1 September 1977 | |
| US release | September 1977 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 1977 | earliest UK or European date |
25 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | JP | Anthem Records | 602547219220 | other |
| — | CA | Columbia House | 066825101025 | other |
| — | DE | Mercury Records | 042282254627 | other |
| 1977 | GB | Mercury Records | other | |
| June 1977 | CA | Anthem Records | original | |
| September 1977 | US | Mercury Records | other | |
| 1987 | US | Mercury Records | 042282254627 | other |
| 1987 | CA | Anthem Records | 066825101025 | other |
| January 1987 | US | Mercury Records | 042282254627 | other |
| January 1987 | US | Mercury Records | 020831424929 | other |
| 28 November 1991 | JP | Atlantic | 4988029031945 | other |
| 1997 | CA | Anthem Records | 066825107928 | other |
| 1997 | US | Mercury Records | remaster | |
| 1997 | XE | Mercury Records | 731453462823 | other |
| 1997 | US | Mercury Records | 02083119442649 | other |
| 1997 | US | Mercury Records | 731453462823 | remaster |
| 10 June 2009 | JP | Anthem Records | 4943674090518 | remaster |
| 21 April 2015 | CA | Anthem Records | 602547117632 | remaster |
| 21 April 2015 | CA | Anthem Records | 602547117571 | other |
| 21 April 2015 | US | Mercury Records | 00602547219213 | remaster |
| 1 December 2017 | — | Island Def Jam Digital Distribution | 602567045687 | deluxe |
| 1 December 2017 | XE | Anthem Records | 602557886924 | deluxe |
| 1 December 2017 | GB | Mercury Records | 602557886849 | deluxe |
| 2019 | CA | Anthem Records | 602547117632 | other |
| — | — | Island Mercury | 00731453462823 | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 900×900 | upscaled |