Rush - Bastille Day

Caress of Steel is the third studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1975. The album shows more of Rush's adherence to the hard rock and progressive rock styles of the band's first two albums. Long pieces, pieces broken up into parts, and solo passages of speed and agility are all included. The album is often considered notable for the inclusion of the band's first two epic pieces, "The Necromancer", and "The Fountain of Lamneth", which runs to nearly 20 minutes and comprised the whole of side two of the original vinyl release. Intended to be Rush's breakthrough album, it sold fewer copies than their previous record and was considered a disappointment by their record company. The subsequent tour became known by the band as the "Down The Tubes Tour", as they feared the album's poor sales might mean the end of their career.