Rush Prep Unreleased Songs for ‘A Farewell to Kings’ Reissue

Rush will include previously unreleased live recordings on the 40th anniversary reissue of the 1977 album, A Farewell to Kings. The box sets come out December 1st.

The new collection will be available in several configurations, available to pre-order. All of them will include the 2015 remastered version of A Farewell to Kings and a full Rush concert recorded February 1978 at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. The live concert includes previously unreleased performances of their “2112” suite, “Closer to the Heart,” “Lakeside Park” and a Neil Peart drum solo. Rush engineer and original A Farewell to Kings producer Terry Brown newly mixed the Hammersmith Odeon concert from the multi-track live tapes.

For the new reissue, Rush also enlisted Dream Theater, Big Wreck, the Trews and Alain Johannes to record new cover versions of four A Farewell to Kings songs. Capping off the set is a previously unreleased instrumental studio outtake of sound effects titled, “Cygnus X-2 Eh” (a play on A Farewell to Kings closer, “Cygnus X-1”).

The 40th anniversary edition of A Farewell to Kings will be released digitally and as a three-CD or four-LP vinyl set. There will also be a super deluxe edition that comes with the three CDs, the four LPs and a Blu-ray audio disc with a new 5.1 surround mix of the album and three 1977 promo videos.

The three physical iterations of the 40th anniversary collection will also include new artwork from Rush’s longtime creative director Hugh Syme and new liner notes from rock historian Rob Bowman. The super deluxe edition comes with several exclusive items as well, such as a “King’s Ring” with a custom velvet pouch and neck chain, two lithographs featuring original artwork from Syme, a 12-inch turntable mat (also included in the four-LP set) and a reproduction of Rush’s 1978 A Farewell to Kings tour program.

Prior to the release of the 40th anniversary edition of A Farewell to Kings, Rush will release a new seven-inch single featuring “Closer to the Heart” with a custom large-hole adapter and new artwork from Syme. The seven-inch will be available November 24th for Record Store Day’s annual Black Friday event.

Rush A Farewell to Kings 40th Anniversary Edition Track List

Disc One – Original Album 
1. “A Farwell to Kings”
2. “Xanadu”
3. “Closer to the Heart”
4. “Cinderella Man”
5. “Madrigal”
6. “Cygnus X-1”

Disc Two – Live at Hammersmith Odeon, February 20, 1978
1. “Bastille Day”
2. “Lakeside Park”
3. “By-Tor & the Snowdon”
4. “Xanadu”
5. “A Farewell to Kings”
6. “Something for Nothing”
7. “Cygnus X-1”

Disc Three – Live at Hammersmith Odeon, February 20, 1978
1. “Anthem”
2. “Closer to the Heart”
3. “2112”
4. “Working Man”
5. “Fly By Night”
6. “In the Mood”
7. Drum solo
8. “Cinderella Man”

Covers
9. “Xanadu” – Dream Theater
10. “Closer to the Heart” – Big Wreck
11. “Cinderella Man” – The Trews
12. “Madrigal” – Alain Johannes
13. “Cygnus X-2 Eh”

Disc Four – Blu-ray audio 
1. “A Farewell to Kings”
2. “Xanadu”
3. “Closer to the Heart”
4. “Cinderella Man”
5. “Madrigal”
6. “Cygnus X-1”
1977 Promo Videos
1. “A Farwell to Kings”
2. “Xanadu”
3. “Closer to the Heart”