Xanadu

Inspired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 1797 poem "Kubla Khan," this 11-minute epic is widely considered one of Rush's finest compositions. It tells of a man's quest for the mythical pleasure dome of Xanadu and the price of achieving immortality. The song opens with an extended atmospheric introduction featuring birdsong (recorded outside at Rockfield), synthesizers, and shimmering guitar textures before building into one of the band's most powerful crescendos.

The instrumental demands were extraordinary — Lee, Lifeson, and Peart each utilized multiple instruments to create the orchestral scope. In live performances, both Lee and Lifeson wore double-neck guitars to accommodate the complex orchestration, one of the most iconic visual images of Rush in concert.

The piece is often cited as a crucial influence on the development of progressive metal. One reviewer noted its similarity to what Iron Maiden would later achieve with literary-based epics like "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," making it arguably one of the birthsongs of the prog-metal genre. It remained a live staple throughout the band's career.