In late 1975, Rush were feeling confident. Their previous album Fly By Night had taken a step forward from their eponymous debut and new drummer Neil Peart had not only set a new standard for drumming but was ready to become the band's lyricist thanks to his voracious appetite for reading. Thanks to Neil, the lyrics could become more introspective while also walking into a fantastic fantasy world of conquering heroes and their journies.

But not everything they did was relatable for the average teenage rock fan. Bastille Day, a triumphant rocker that opens the album, harkens back to the French Revolution. I Think I'm Going Bald was a bit of an inside joke but was truly a song about growing up and growing older. While the nostalgic Lakeside Park recalled times from Neil's youth, it was a mellow tune about innocence vs. experience.

However the epic Necromancer, a nod to Neil's JRR Tolkien worship, and The Fountain of Lamneth were 12 and 20 minute suites of music more suited to the likes of 70s Yes or Genesis than the Led Zeppelin's of the world who Rush seemed to be more like on their first two outings.

While these long, proggy songs are to be admired for their musicianship and the boys maturity at around 22 years old to be able to write and play mature stories, it falls short of what they would achieve on their next record, 2112. Sales, radio play and concert turnouts were so bad that the record company demanded the next album feature more radio friendly material or they'd be dropped. While Rush stuck to their guns and made 2112 their own way, which led them to their greatest success to that point and put them on their own path, Caress of Steel is a bit of an outlier beloved by very few in the #RushFamily. As it turns 50, we finally give it our track x track review.

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