2112

This is Rush at their studio best, though to see them at their very best, you have to see them live. They are far more hard rock than prog on this album and that is what they do best. In view of the grading criteria, perhaps they shouldn't get 4 stars but the album is good enough to ignore the lack of prog content. 2112 is full of great guitar riffs and solos and the rhythm section is amongst the best around. The only weak bit is the lyrical content (which hints at some slightly right wing views and sounds a bit naive) and Geddy Lees voice falls into the "love it or hate it" category. The second side is all short songs, a Passage to Bangkok and the excellent Something for Nothing being the highlights. Tears is entirely forgettable and should have been omitted. Definitely worth buying overall, but not for its prog content alone.