Rush - 2112

Rush
2112
Mercury, 1976


Bass, vocals - Geddy Lee
Percussion - Neil Peart
Guitars - Alex Lifeson


1. 2112: Overture, Temples of Syrinx, Discovery, Presentation, Oracle: The Dream, Soliloquy, Grand Finale
2. A Passage to Bangkok
3. The Twilight Zone
4. Lessons
5. Tears
6. Something for Nothing


For my first review, I figured I'd do something fairly well-known. So here goes. When this album came out, Rush NEEDED this album. After three decent but uneven albums, they were close to giving up and calling Rush a failure. However, they have it one last try, putting all their hopes in 2112, and were greatly rewarded.

The first half of this album consists entirely of the epic 2112 suite, the story of a man in a futuristic society where the religion-based government has strict control over everything that people are allowed to see and hear. The man in question threatens this when he finds a guitar and learns how to create his own music. However, he is unaware of how strictly he is controlled, and takes his discovery to the priests. They, of course, discourage him from making his own music and take his instrument away. He goes home, dreams of a time when people can express themselves freely. When he awakes, he kills himself, realizing he could never get the chance to live in such a world.

So how's the music? As far as the epic 2112 goes, I have no complaints. Lifeson lays down excellent guitar work in the overture, shifting through various odd-timed riffs and a great solo before Geddy Lee comes in, his banshee-wailing voice at full force. Lifeson lays down a couple more great solos, and the song concludes with a musical explosion. (Literally.)

As for the rest of the album, it's a bit more hit-or-miss. While the drug anthem "A Passage to Bangkok" features a great riff, this ode to marijuana is quite dated lyrically. The Twilight Zone gets quite silly lyrically at times, and when I hear it, I find myself waiting for the guitar solo, partially because it's a great solo, and partially so Geddy Lee will shut up about giant boys and leather-faced men. Lessons is enjoyable, unless you can't stand Geddyshriek. (Which, personally, I love.) Tears didn't do very much for me, but some like it. Something for Nothing is by
far the best song on the second half of the album, with it's shift in dynamic shortly after the beginning of the song, "deep" lyrics, and great instrumental work all around.

So the verdict? Any Rush fan should have it for musical AND historical value, and any fan of classic rock or progressive rock would find something, if not plenty, to enjoy here. However, Rush could do, and would come to do, much better work than this.