Caress of Steel

<h2 id="background-and-recording">Background and recording</h2>
By mid-1975, Rush had stabilised with a line-up of guitarist <a href="/facts/Alex_Lifeson/2tNfGfaH">Alex Lifeson</a>, bassist and vocalist <a href="/facts/Geddy_Lee/X4DdF637">Geddy Lee</a>, and drummer and primary lyricist <a href="/facts/Neil_Peart/VEsw1RLS">Neil Peart</a>, who had joined the group in 1974. They released <a href="/facts/Fly_by_Night_(album)/DPs8YfsQ">Fly by Night</a> (1975), which marked Rush's first foray into multi-part <a href="/facts/Concept_album/QAyolfv8">conceptual</a> songs with "By-Tor and the Snow Dog".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a> The group were on a rise in popularity, and received a <a href="/facts/Juno_Award/7GsTvmJf">Juno Award</a> for Most Promising Group.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a> In June 1975, they finished touring Fly by Night, which culminated in a Canadian leg that had them as headliners for the first time.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a>
While preparing their follow-up album, Rush took the extended and conceptual song elements that they had introduced on Fly by Night and made it the central focus for their new material. As a result, this marked a development in their sound from blues-inspired hard rock towards <a href="/facts/Progressive_rock/79MRoIU7">progressive rock</a>. Peart recalled that the band approached Caress of Steel feeling "serene and confident" and that all three members were proud of the result. He considered the album a "major step" in their development with its variety of musical dynamics and original ideas.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a> Lee said that the band were "pretty high" while making the album.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a>
The album was recorded in July 1975 at Toronto Sound Studios in Toronto, Ontario. Mixing took place in the same studio.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a>

<h2 id="songs">Songs</h2>
<h3>Side one</h3>
"<a href="/facts/Bastille_Day_(song)/vKgte1hW">Bastille Day</a>" concerns the storming of the <a href="/facts/Bastille/ITL1E1CF">Bastille</a> during the <a href="/facts/French_Revolution/PIkDlrC0">French Revolution</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a>
"I Think I'm Going Bald" was written in reference to <a href="/facts/Kim_Mitchell/DtF8eoQ3">Kim Mitchell</a>, lead guitarist and vocalist for <a href="/facts/Max_Webster/meyQKHVQ">Max Webster</a> who shared management and touring.
"<a href="/facts/Lakeside_Park_(song)/QtDrQg26">Lakeside Park</a>" is about the park of the same name in <a href="/facts/Port_Dalhousie/qBs90jfs">Port Dalhousie</a>, <a href="/facts/St._Catharines/Ebfa9DSK">St. Catharines</a>, <a href="/facts/Ontario/HUkxk5Rf">Ontario</a>, where Peart grew up and worked during the summer as a teenager.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a>
"The Necromancer" is a 12-minute track in three parts. It concerns a necromancer, someone who practices <a href="/facts/Necromancy/NLkPGRxI">necromancy</a>, a type of <a href="/facts/Divination/b8gLkFfv">divination</a> involving the summoning of spirits of the deceased. The song was influenced by the works of author <a href="/facts/J._R._R._Tolkien/41HPhk5C">J. R. R. Tolkien</a>; the necromancer is an alias used by the character <a href="/facts/Sauron/Jat03nTw">Sauron</a> in Tolkien's novel <a href="/facts/The_Hobbit/Tt5fpB1m">The Hobbit</a> (1937).
The introduction contains the lyric, "Three travelers, men of Willow Dale", a reference to the band itself, as Lifeson had formed the first incarnation of Rush in the Toronto suburb of <a href="/facts/Willowdale%2c_Toronto/yMUem1P0">Willowdale</a>. The final section, "Return of the Prince", sees the return of the character By-Tor from the song "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" on Fly by Night, but in "The Necromancer", the character is a hero and not a villain.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a> "Return of the Prince" was released as a single in Canada.

<h3>Side two</h3>
"The Fountain of Lamneth" is the band's first of three side-long tracks, the others being the <a href="/facts/2112_(song)/nIHdBEyW">title track</a> of <a href="/facts/2112_(album)/tBajCmMc">2112</a> in 1976 and "Cygnus X-1, Book II: Hemispheres" from <a href="/facts/Hemispheres_(Rush_album)/98syTlyF">Hemispheres</a> in 1978. It consists of six parts and tells the story of a man in search of the Fountain of Lamneth as he chronicles the occurrences on his journey. The second part, "<a href="/facts/Didacts_and_Narpets/Tqw8P46c">Didacts and Narpets</a>", consists mostly of a drum solo. In 1991, Peart said that the shouted words heard are an argument between the central character and the Didacts and Narpets (anagrams of "addicts" and "parents", respectively). He could not remember what the words were, "but they took up opposite positions like: 'Work! Live! Earn! Give!' and like that."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a>

<h2 id="cover">Cover</h2>
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. This error has never been corrected on subsequent printings of the album.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a> The cover artwork for Caress of Steel was designed by <a href="/facts/Hugh_Syme/lwMLRwxC">Hugh Syme</a>, 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 <a href="/facts/Christopher_Marlowe/7MqLkX1S">Christopher Marlowe</a>'s play <a href="/facts/Doctor_Faustus_(play)/IGSbVajf">Doctor Faustus</a> (1592).

<h2 id="release">Release</h2>
Caress of Steel was released on September 24, 1975.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15">15</a> By March 1976, it had sold around 40,000 copies in Canada.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16">16</a> Although the band initially had high hopes for the album, it sold fewer copies than Fly by Night and was considered a disappointment by the record company. The album eventually became known as one of Rush's most obscure and overlooked recordings, consequently being considered under-rated by fans.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17">17</a>: 24 
Due to poor sales, low concert attendance and overall media indifference, the 1975–76 tour supporting Caress of Steel became known by the band as the "Down the Tubes" tour. That, in addition to the record company's pressure to record more accessible, radio-friendly material similar to their <a href="/facts/Rush_(Rush_album)/mrq1pNGJ">first album</a> – something Lee, Lifeson and Peart were unwilling to do – made the trio fear that the end of the group was near. Ignoring their record label's advice and vowing to "fight or fall", the following year's 2112 album would ultimately pave the way for lasting commercial success, despite opening with a 20-and-a-half-minute conceptual title track.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18">18</a>: 24 
Caress of Steel did not attain gold certification in the United States until December 1993, nearly two decades after its release. It remains one of the few Rush albums to not go platinum in the United States.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19">19</a>
The complete album, along with the self-titled debut and Fly by Night, was included as part of the 1978 Anthem release Archives. <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20">20</a>

<h2 id="reception">Reception</h2>
Professional retrospective ratings<table><tbody><tr><th scope="col" colspan="2">Review scores</th></tr><tr><th scope="col">Source</th><th scope="col">Rating</th></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/AllMusic/Hb8cU8Fb">AllMusic</a></td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21">21</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Martin_Popoff/oA1wfysS">Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal</a></td><td>6/8<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22">22</a></td></tr><tr><td>The Daily Vault</td><td>C+<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:23" href="#fn:23">23</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Martin_C._Strong/dCPf0vV8">The Essential Rock Discography</a></td><td>5/10<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:24" href="#fn:24">24</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/The_Encyclopedia_of_Popular_Music/W9YQ0u46">The Encyclopedia of Popular Music</a></td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:25" href="#fn:25">25</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/MusicHound_Rock/FRGypYFY">MusicHound Rock</a></td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:26" href="#fn:26">26</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/The_Rolling_Stone_Album_Guide/RRNrAt8J">The Rolling Stone Album Guide</a></td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:27" href="#fn:27">27</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Sputnikmusic/VTRq6mnr">Sputnikmusic</a></td><td>4.0/5<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:28" href="#fn:28">28</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Colin_Larkin/ft5ob0MF">The Virgin Encyclopedia of 80s Music</a></td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:29" href="#fn:29">29</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
Caress of Steel received mixed reviews from professional critics. <a href="/facts/AllMusic/Hb8cU8Fb">AllMusic</a>'s Greg Prato described the album as "one of Rush's more unfocused albums",<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:30" href="#fn:30">30</a> while Daily Vault's Christopher Thelen called it "a tentative step for Rush, one which would lead to their masterpiece in conceptual work", in reference to the group's next album, 2112.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:31" href="#fn:31">31</a>

<h2 id="remasters">Remasters</h2>
A remaster was issued on CD in 1997.

<ul><li>The tray has a picture of the star with man painting (mirroring the cover art of <a href="/facts/Retrospective_I/Rw73T1U2">Retrospective I</a>) with "The Rush Remasters" printed in all capital letters just to the left. All remasters from Rush through <a href="/facts/Permanent_Waves/ull0TkI2">Permanent Waves</a> (1980) are like this.</li>
<li>The remaster adds the album's back cover and gatefold (which included band pictures and lyrics) to the packaging which was not included on the original CD.</li></ul>
Caress of Steel was remastered again in 2011 by Andy VanDette for the "Sector" box sets, which re-released all of Rush's Mercury-era albums. Caress Of Steel is included in the Sector 1 set.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:32" href="#fn:32">32</a>
Caress of Steel was remastered for vinyl in 2015 as a part of the official "12 Months of Rush" promotion.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:33" href="#fn:33">33</a> The high definition master prepared for this release was also made available for purchase in 24-bit/96 kHz and 24-bit/192 kHz formats, at several high-resolution audio online music stores. These masters have significantly less <a href="/facts/Dynamic_range_compression/oVSzPxFY">dynamic range compression</a> than the 1997 remasters and the "Sector" remasters by Andy VanDette.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:34" href="#fn:34">34</a>

<h2 id="track-listing">Track listing</h2>
All songs written by <a href="/facts/Geddy_Lee/X4DdF637">Geddy Lee</a>, <a href="/facts/Alex_Lifeson/2tNfGfaH">Alex Lifeson</a>, and <a href="/facts/Neil_Peart/VEsw1RLS">Neil Peart</a>, except where noted.

Side one<table><tbody><tr><th scope="col">No.</th><th scope="col">Title</th><th scope="col">Length</th></tr><tr><th scope="row">1.</th><td>"<a href="/facts/Bastille_Day_(song)/vKgte1hW">Bastille Day</a>"</td><td>4:34</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">2.</th><td>"I Think I'm Going Bald"</td><td>3:41</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">3.</th><td>"<a href="/facts/Lakeside_Park_(song)/QtDrQg26">Lakeside Park</a>"</td><td>4:09</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">4.</th><td>"The Necromancer" <ul><li>I. "Into the Darkness" (<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:35" href="#fn:35">35</a>)</li><li>II. "Under the Shadow" (<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:36" href="#fn:36">36</a>)</li></ul> III. "Return of the Prince" (3:51)</td><td>12:28</td></tr></tbody></table>
Side two<table><tbody><tr><th scope="col">No.</th><th scope="col">Title</th><th scope="col">Length</th></tr><tr><th scope="row">1.</th><td>"The Fountain of Lamneth"<ul><li>I. "In the Valley" (4:18)</li><li>II. "<a href="/facts/Didacts_and_Narpets/Tqw8P46c">Didacts and Narpets</a>" (1:00)</li><li>III. "No One at the Bridge" (4:21)</li><li>IV. "Panacea” (Lee/Peart) (3:16)</li><li>V. "Bacchus Plateau" (Lee/Peart) (3:15)</li></ul> VI. "The Fountain" (3:50)</td><td>19:57</td></tr></tbody></table>
The cassette track listing varies greatly from the original vinyl release. "Didacts and Narpets" is on side 1, sandwiched between "Bastille Day" and "Lakeside Park". "I Think I'm Going Bald" is on side 2, falling in between "In The Valley" and "No One At The Bridge".

<h2 id="personnel">Personnel</h2>
Rush

<ul><li><a href="/facts/Geddy_Lee/X4DdF637">Geddy Lee</a> – vocals, bass</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Alex_Lifeson/2tNfGfaH">Alex Lifeson</a> – 6 and 12-string electric and acoustic guitars, classical guitar, steel guitar</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Neil_Peart/VEsw1RLS">Neil Peart</a> – drums, percussion, lyrics, spoken word on "The Necromancer"</li></ul>
Technical

<ul><li>Rush – co-producers, arrangements</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Terry_Brown_(record_producer)/lSzH1YUd">Terry Brown</a> – co-producer, engineer, arrangements</li>
<li>AGI – art direction</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Hugh_Syme/lwMLRwxC">Hugh Syme</a> – graphics</li>
<li>Terrance Bert – photography</li>
<li>Gerard Gentil – photography</li>
<li>Barry McVicker – photography</li></ul>
<h2 id="charts">Charts</h2>
<table><tbody><tr><th scope="col">Chart (1975)</th><th scope="col">Peak position</th></tr><tr><th scope="row">Canada Top Albums/CDs (<a href="/facts/RPM_(magazine)/FqFN5o4x">RPM</a>)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:37" href="#fn:37">37</a></th><td>60</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">US <a href="/facts/Billboard_200/XtbnoFSM">Billboard 200</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:38" href="#fn:38">38</a></th><td>148</td></tr></tbody></table>
<h2 id="certifications">Certifications</h2>
<table><tbody><tr><th scope="col">Region</th><th scope="col">Certification</th><th scope="col"><a href="/facts/List_of_music_recording_certifications/6CPQFNNn">Certified units</a>/sales</th></tr><tr><th scope="row">Canada (<a href="/facts/Music_Canada/aLB7HHJo">Music Canada</a>)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:39" href="#fn:39">39</a></th><td>Gold</td><td>50,000^</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">United States (<a href="/facts/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America/8a7K0Ubf">RIAA</a>)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:40" href="#fn:40">40</a></th><td>Gold</td><td>500,000^</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<h2 id="notes">Notes</h2>

<h3>Citations</h3>

<h3>Sources</h3>
<ul><li>Popoff, Martin (2020). Anthem: Rush in the '70s. Toronto: ECW Press. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-1-77041-520-1.</li></ul>
<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.discogs.com/master/7427">Caress of Steel</a> at <a href="/facts/Discogs/wdyMoREv">Discogs</a> (list of releases)</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">Stylized in all caps <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Reed, Ryan (September 24, 2015). "When Rush Delved Into Prog With 'Caress of Steel'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020. <a href="https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rush-caress-of-steel-album/" target="_blank">https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rush-caress-of-steel-album/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">"When Rush Delved into Prog with 'Caress of Steel'". September 24, 2015. <a href="https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rush-caress-of-steel-album/" target="_blank">https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rush-caress-of-steel-album/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">"Before/After" from the self-titled debut, named on the sleeve "Before and After", was Rush's first recorded suite, but not their first conceptual epic. <a href="/wiki/Rush_(Rush_album)" target="_blank">/wiki/Rush_(Rush_album)</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">"Caress of Steel Press Kit". Power Windows. August 29, 1975. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2019. <a href="http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19750829mercurybio.htm" target="_blank">http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19750829mercurybio.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">"Caress of Steel Press Kit". Power Windows. August 29, 1975. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2019. <a href="http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19750829mercurybio.htm" target="_blank">http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19750829mercurybio.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">Peart, Neil. "Rush – World Tour 77–78 – Exclusive Concert Edition – "A Condensed Rush Primer"". Power Windows. Archived from the original on January 8, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2019. <a href="http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/afarewelltokings.html#tourbook" target="_blank">http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/afarewelltokings.html#tourbook</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">Chaney, Jen. "A Rush documentary filled with 'The Spirit of Radio'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2010. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/29/AR2010062902741.html" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/29/AR2010062902741.html</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"Caress of Steel Press Kit". Power Windows. August 29, 1975. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2019. <a href="http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19750829mercurybio.htm" target="_blank">http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19750829mercurybio.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">Popoff 2020, pp. 204–205. - Popoff, Martin (2020). Anthem: Rush in the '70s. Toronto: ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-520-1. <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">Popoff 2020, p. 206. - Popoff, Martin (2020). Anthem: Rush in the '70s. Toronto: ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-520-1. <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">Popoff 2020, pp. 207–208. - Popoff, Martin (2020). Anthem: Rush in the '70s. Toronto: ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-520-1. <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">Popoff 2020, pp. 208–209. - Popoff, Martin (2020). Anthem: Rush in the '70s. Toronto: ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-520-1. <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">Wagner, Jeff; Wilson, Steven (2010). Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal. Brooklyn, New York: Bazillion Points. ISBN 978-0-9796163-3-4.: 23
 <a href="978-0-9796163-3-4" target="_blank">978-0-9796163-3-4</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:15">Reed, Ryan (September 24, 2015). "When Rush Delved Into Prog With 'Caress of Steel'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020. <a href="https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rush-caress-of-steel-album/" target="_blank">https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rush-caress-of-steel-album/</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:16">Harrigan, Brian. "RUSH by Brian Harrigan". Power Windows. Archived from the original on January 10, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020. <a href="http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19820000harriganrush.htm" target="_blank">http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19820000harriganrush.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:17">Wagner, Jeff; Wilson, Steven (2010). Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal. Brooklyn, New York: Bazillion Points. ISBN 978-0-9796163-3-4.: 23
 <a href="978-0-9796163-3-4" target="_blank">978-0-9796163-3-4</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:18">Wagner, Jeff; Wilson, Steven (2010). Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal. Brooklyn, New York: Bazillion Points. ISBN 978-0-9796163-3-4.: 23
 <a href="978-0-9796163-3-4" target="_blank">978-0-9796163-3-4</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:19">"RIAA Database Search for Rush". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on June 26, 2007. Retrieved January 29, 2012. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070626050454/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20070626050454/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:20">"Rush – Archives (1978, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1978. Archived from the original on February 20, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021. <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Rush-Archives/release/1513445" target="_blank">https://www.discogs.com/Rush-Archives/release/1513445</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:21">"Rush Caress of Steel Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020. <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/album/caress-of-steel-mw0000650729" target="_blank">https://www.allmusic.com/album/caress-of-steel-mw0000650729</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:22">Popoff, Martin (October 2003). "Rush — Caress of Steel (Anthem '75)". The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 236–237. ISBN 978-1-8949-5902-5. <a href="978-1-8949-5902-5" target="_blank">978-1-8949-5902-5</a> <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:23">"Rush: Caress Of Steel". Daily Vault. Archived from the original on July 25, 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2017. <a href="http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=1600" target="_blank">http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=1600</a> <a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:24">Strong, Martin Charles (2006). "Rush". The Essential Rock Discography (8th ed.). Open City Books. pp. 938–939. ISBN 1-84195-860-3. <a href="1-84195-860-3" target="_blank">1-84195-860-3</a> <a href="#fnref:24" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:25">Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734. <a href="978-0195313734" target="_blank">978-0195313734</a> <a href="#fnref:25" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:26">Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). "Rush". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 965. ISBN 1-57859-061-2. <a href="1-57859-061-2" target="_blank">1-57859-061-2</a> <a href="#fnref:26" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:27">"Rush: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 4, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2013. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130704223108/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/rush/albumguide" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20130704223108/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/rush/albumguide</a> <a href="#fnref:27" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:28">Schroer, Brandon (January 25, 2021). "Review: Rush - Caress of Steel". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved February 14, 2025. <a href="https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/82737/Rush-Caress-Of-Steel/" target="_blank">https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/82737/Rush-Caress-Of-Steel/</a> <a href="#fnref:28" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:29">Larkin, Colin (2003). "Rush". The Virgin Encyclopedia of 80s Music. Virgin Publishing. pp. 414–415. ISBN 1852279699. <a href="1852279699" target="_blank">1852279699</a> <a href="#fnref:29" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:30">"Caress of Steel - Rush". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 26, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2017. <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/caress-of-steel-mw0000650729" target="_blank">http://www.allmusic.com/album/caress-of-steel-mw0000650729</a> <a href="#fnref:30" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:31">"Rush: Caress Of Steel". Daily Vault. Archived from the original on July 25, 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2017. <a href="http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=1600" target="_blank">http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=1600</a> <a href="#fnref:31" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:32">"Andy VanDette On Remastering 15 Rush Albums". The Masterdisk Record. November 23, 2011. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140823055546/http://www.themasterdiskrecord.com/2011/11/andy-vandette-on-remastering-14-rush-albums/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20140823055546/http://www.themasterdiskrecord.com/2011/11/andy-vandette-on-remastering-14-rush-albums/</a> <a href="#fnref:32" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:33">"12 Months of Rush: 14 Albums From Mercury Era for Release in 2015". Rush.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015. <a href="http://www.rush.com/12-months-of-rush-14-albums-from-mercury-era-for-release-in-2015/" target="_blank">http://www.rush.com/12-months-of-rush-14-albums-from-mercury-era-for-release-in-2015/</a> <a href="#fnref:33" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:34">"History of The Dynamic Range of Rush's Caress of Steel". dr.loudness-war.info. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024. <a href="https://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list/1/year/desc?artist=Rush&album=Caress%20of%20Steel" target="_blank">https://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list/1/year/desc?artist=Rush&album=Caress%20of%20Steel</a> <a href="#fnref:34" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:35">"Into the Darkness" is 3:50. The times marked on the vinyl and CD releases differ but are both inaccurate, as they count the opening narration of "Under the Shadow" as the end of "Into the Darkness". The vinyl marks it as 4:20, which would include the drum roll following the narration, the CD 4:12 which is the point the narration ends. <a href="#fnref:35" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:36">"Under the Shadow" is 4:55. On both the vinyl and CD, the lengths of "Under the Shadow" are presented as 4:20, not factoring its opening narration due to being counted as part of "Into the Darkness". The 4:20 length is even more mathematically inaccurate on the CD, marking "Into the Darkness" differently from the vinyl that counted the drum roll after the narration. In essence, the eight-second drum roll is not factored into any of the section lengths on the CD. <a href="#fnref:36" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:37">"Top RPM Albums: Issue 4041b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 6, 2022. <a href="https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4041b&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4041b.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4041b" target="_blank">https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4041b&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4041b.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4041b</a> <a href="#fnref:37" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:38">"Rush Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2022. <a href="https://www.billboard.com/artist/Rush/chart-history/TLP" target="_blank">https://www.billboard.com/artist/Rush/chart-history/TLP</a> <a href="#fnref:38" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:39">"Canadian album certifications – Rush – Caress of Steel". Music Canada. Retrieved July 3, 2020. <a href="https://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/?_gp_search=Caress+of+Steel%20Rush" target="_blank">https://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/?_gp_search=Caress+of+Steel%20Rush</a> <a href="#fnref:39" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:40">"American album certifications – Rush – Caress of Steel". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 3, 2020. <a href="https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Rush&ti=Caress+of+Steel&format=Album&type=#search_section" target="_blank">https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Rush&ti=Caress+of+Steel&format=Album&type=#search_section</a> <a href="#fnref:40" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Caress of Steel open-in-new

Caress of Steel