10 Underrated Classic Rock Albums Of The '70s

If you're a Rush fan, Caress of Steel is one of the reasons we can't have nice things. While the band had an impressive venture into prog with Fly By Night and reached a breakthrough with 2112, Caress of Steel feels eternally condemned as the moment the band went too far. The only question is...why?

I will concede and say that the epics "Fountain of Lamneth" and "Necromancer" pale in comparison to the band's later musical journeys, but that doesn't necessarily make them horrible. These 19 minute odysseys aren't going to win you over from the outset, but the other tracks on the record may be some of the band's best work from the '70s. The breezy atmosphere of something like "Lakeside Park" puts you in the middle of a summer celebration, while "Bastille Day" might be one of the greatest openers on any Rush album period.

Is it a touch misguided? Sure...but for this power trio's second time up to the plate, it's far from a nosedive in quality. At a time where Rush were just starting to come into their own, Caress of Steel is a great snapshot of those long-winded birthing pains. They may have nicknamed the shows the "Down-the-Tubes Tour," but this hit-and-miss Rush album stills has plenty of kickass to go around.