Album Review - 2112

2008-06-12T12:40:00.001-07:00

Album Review

2112 - Rush

1976, Anthem, Mercury.

Track Listing

Side one

1. "2112" – 20:37
I: "Overture" (music: Lifeson, Lee, Peart) – 4:32
II: "The Temples of Syrinx" – 2:13
III: "Discovery" (music: Lifeson) – 3:29
IV: "Presentation" (music: Lifeson) – 3:42
V: "Oracle: The Dream" – 2:00
VI: "Soliloquy" – 2:21
VII: "Grand Finale" (music: Lifeson, Lee, Peart) – 2:14

Side two

1. "A Passage to Bangkok" – 3:34
2. "The Twilight Zone" (Peart) – 3:17
3. "Lessons" (Lifeson) – 3:51
4. "Tears" (Lee) – 3:31
5. "Something for Nothing" (music: Lee) – 3:59

- Attention all planets of the solar federation. We have assumed control.

Take your minds back to a glorious spring afternoon, way back in 1976. A couple of computer geeks named Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak go into business together, to create the Apple Computer Company. James Callaghan became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. And, most importantly, the Canadian progressive rock band Rush released what would become their definitive Album.

The Album itself is more of a suite - plus a few extras. Side one is the complete recreation of a fictional war fought under a totalitarian government in space, in the year 2112. Most fans would think of this as a concept album, as the album takes its name from the suite. Technically, it isn't, as Side B contains tracks completely unrelated to the events of the story found on side A.

However, there have been many disputes - for example, The Twilight Zone was written and performed in just one day, giving the impression that perhaps the second side of the album was thrown in as "assurance", after the studio pressured the band because the previous album, Caress of Steel, containing two concept songs, failed commercially.

The Lyrical prowess heard in the suite reminded me somewhat of a sort of Queen/Bohemian Rhapsody dialogue, between a weak unknown, portrayed by acoustic/light sound, and a monstrous behemoth, which was shown by an overdriven series of guitar and pitched, Led Zeppelin-esque lyrics.

It is completely possible to listen to 2112 without listening to the lyrics and understanding what is being said, however I think it would greatly benefit your experience with the song if you were to keep a close eye, or ear for that matter, out, even if only for the first time.

The lyrics themselves chronicle the discovery of an “Ancient Miracle” (a guitar), which was found by a nobody, during a time of Orwellian fascist dictatorship, set in the year 2112. The priests of the temples, whom are the leaders in this time, control everything.

He then proceeds to show the priests what he had found, but the priests destroy it, as they fear it will bring a downfall to their race and ideals. The man, shocked at what he has discovered, goes into hiding, but reemerges a few days later and commits suicide.

I won’t comment too much on the other tracks, as I believe that the album should have been set up into two parts, released at different times. Most follow the general soft verse/ hard chorus pattern found in many Rush songs.

However, it is worth noticing that this album is the first Rush album to contain music from a non-band member. I couldn’t quite agree with the very soft lyrical and musical tones on the track “Tears”, but I thoroughly enjoyed the other tracks. I, however, would primarily buy the album for the title track, as these others feel just a little tacked on and out of place.

Overall Rating: 9,7 out of 10.

A definite purchase for all progressive and alternate fans out there, and worth checking out if you’re even the slightest bit interested.

Reviewed by: Charlie

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Album Review - 2112