When Rush finished their third album, Caress of Steel, the trio was assured that they had created their breakthrough masterpiece. But when the album dropped off the charts soon after its release, it proved otherwise. While it was Rush’s first release that fully explored their prog rock side, it did not contain the catchy and more traditional elements of their future popular work — it’s quite often too indulgent and pretentious for a mainstream rock audience to latch onto. And while Rush would eventually excel in composing lengthy songs, the album’s two extended tracks — the 12½-minute “The Necromancer” and the nearly 20-minute “The Fountain of Lamneth” — show that the band was still far from mastering the format. The first side contains two strong and more succinct tracks, the raging opener, “Bastille Day,” and the more laid-back “Lakeside Park,” both of which would become standards for their live show in the ’70s. But the ill-advised “I Think I’m Going Bald” (which lyrically deals with growing old) borders on the ridiculous, which confirms that Caress of Steel is one of Rush’s more unfocused albums. – Greg Prato
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