2112 by Rush
March 24, 2007Toronto rock band Rush is well known for sporting percussion virtuoso Neil Peart, but the high-pitched, shrieking vocals of lead singer Geddy Lee are what really set the group apart. And it’s usually a hit or miss factor – people love or hate Geddy. His voice has deepened with age, and his concert vocals are strained when they play older songs where he had wailed so readily. Hearing him falter during a concert rendition of 2112 isn’t a horrible experience; it just makes hearing the polished sound of the album more nostalgic.
2112 was released in 1976. Though the album has six tracks, the bulk of the music is in the twenty minute suite, “2112”. The suite is an ambitious tale, divided into seven movements, and set in a futuristic dystopia. Geddy Lee provides the narration through song, alternating between a citizen who stumbles upon an ancient artifact (which is actually a guitar) and dictating Priests of Syrinx. His vocals shift along with the perspective, varying from the gentle, melodious voice of the citizen to the cacophonous screams of the Priests. Meanwhile, Peart and Lifeson are hard at work providing matching cadences and rhythms that aid in the storytelling. The suite ends with the suicide of the protagonist citizen and an explosive repetition of the words “We have assumed control!” from an alien conqueror.
“2112” could have been an album itself, but the other five tracks grant a musical reprieve after such an extended session. The completely unrelated “A Passage to Bangkok” seems at first like a superfluous or “filler” addition, but provides an easy return to an average track length. The strong guitar presence and laid back story are a change of pace from “2112”. “Lessons” is even simpler, with a straightforward acoustic rhythm and a blues-esque solo three quarters of the way through. The arrangement “2112” sends the listener through the behemoth first track and yanks them back to reality with less progressive tracks and stronger “pop rock” sound. This “return to normalcy” approaches cheesy in “Tears” – Geddy Lee is too sentimental in his delivery – but returns to a thrashing “Something for Nothing” to end the album strongly.
I’ve never really gotten into Rush. For a few days last year, all Jeremy and Nick were watching were live Rush recordings – and I’d had enough.
I think this is one of your weaker reviews – not because of the content, but because of your opening paragraph. You didn’t have to spend nearly as much time there as you did with the actual body of your post. I still enjoy your posting, however. Don’t forget your author’s note!
Btw, how long is 2112?
I will agree with Whit on the openning. It is okay, but not your standard.
I also agree that Jeremy has burned me out on Rush. I know too much about them. Ahhhhhhhh.
Good review though.
Nice Job! Your conclusion is a little weak. It kind of just stops rather then ends but other then that great job on describing the music.
I like that your post is set up chronologically, with discussion about the first track first and so on. It’s like you’re holding the reader’s hand and gently leading them through the Rush forest. Good job!
I really like your openning here. It grabs your attention right away. The whole of the piece makes me really want to listen to 2112. It sound awesome.
Klosterman says this is the best Rush album there was. (Were we even supposed to read that chapter? Not sure, but it’s in there.) Although I think the intro could have been shortened, I do admire the way you used it to lead into the actual review. Yeah, I think it could have been managed a little more effectively, but it’s not a travesty or anything. Not bad.