Ok, so I've been chomping at the bit to review 2112, so I managed to get this done before I go out and get drunk. Ladies and gentelmen,
2112 (1976)
Despite the poor reception for “Caress of Steel”, it was obvious Rush would gain some recognition at some point. They had so much obvious raw talent that it was bound to happen. Due to the failure of the last album, Rush's record label pressured them into staying away from concept based songs. However, Rush stuck to their guns and produced their first hit, “2112”. This would prove to be one of their iconic albums, and the starman logo found on the back cover art would become the Rush logo, which lasts even today.
With “2112”, Rush has yet to let go of their hard rock based songs. The general vibe is very much similar to their preceding releases, but it is obvious they are really getting their footing with the progressive direction they wanted to take. Alex's guitar playing is that much smoother, which is very much needed to compliment Geddy's chugging bass lines. Neil continues to shine as well. His drumming on the song “2112” never fails to inspire air drums whilst listening. This demon makes drumming sound incredibly easy. The image I have of Neil in my head is that Geddy and Alex present him with some music, he ponders for a moment, and says “Ok, got it...let's do this beast.” 10 seconds later everyone's minds are blown.
“2112” is quite an intense slice of progressiveness. The story is loosely based on Ayn Rand's book “Anthem”, and it is quite straightforward so I will let the listener check it out on their own. The first segment, “Overture”, sets the stage nicely with some ominous synth. The notes just kind of hang in the air, leaving you anticipating the music to come. What follows is some of the most intense riffwork ever to come out of the prog genre. The following segment, “The Temples of Syrinx”, follows the same theme, only slightly modified. These two segments are nothing short of perfect. “Discovery” is where things get a little sketchy to me. It just feels very out of place, despite the relevance to the story. The overall song is much better about the flow from one segment to the next, but Rush are still obviously working out the kinks. “Presentation” is another solid bit of music, but is really only interesting in how it moves the story along. The same goes for “Oracle” and “Soliloquy”. They are really good and fit nicely into the song, but definitely do not compare to the first two segments. “Grand Finale” is where it picks up again. This segment is incredibly intense and ends the song perfectly. Once it is all done, you will be quite amazed 20 minutes has just gone by.
The rest of the songs are more or less just backup for “2112”. Don't get me wrong, they really are some of the best pop structured songs Rush has produced up until this point, but after such a mammoth of a song like “2112”, it's really hard to impress much more. Although, “A Passage to Bangkok” is a really good song. I have a soft spot for any song about traveling around Asia testing out all the different strains of weed. Nicely done, Rush. The next 3 songs are honestly a bit forgettable, but Rush closes out the album with the stellar “Something For Nothing”. It has a driving riff that just gets me all pumped up.
This marks the end of a very specific Rush sound. Though they have obviously toyed around with progressive rock (duh), their sound has remained quite Zeppelin-esque. There will be no more of that from here on out. Though they remain rooted in hard rock, their next studio album welcomes a sound that is truly unique to Rush.
This album gets a solid
8/10 from me. You might be asking, “If this album is so iconic, why not a 9 or 10?” Well, the reason is because they still have issues with transitioning segments in their epics, and it was pretty obvious the other songs didn't get as much attention. The album as a whole isn't as good as it could have been. But hey, 8/10 is still good, and Rush is about to hit a string of albums that would prove these guys know exactly what they are doing. This would also be a fine starting point for someone who has never listened to Rush (as long as you enjoy prog epics). Thost who don't, wait a couple albums. Your time will come.