2112

After an incredibly shaky start, and then a massive commercial flop in the form of Caress of Steel, on the verge of going entirely bankrupt, Rush decided that if they were going to go out, they'd do it with a bang, subsequentally causing them to skyrocket into popularoty and eventually become one of the most iconic progressive rock bands. When looking back on it, it's quite clear to see why 2112 would do that, as it's such a drastic leap forward in their sound, taking the ambition of Caress of Steel, and not only turning it into something actually listenable, but refining it into such an incredible prog epic that fully deserves to be as beloved as it is. The second side is less good, but still overall provides a decent array of hard rock tracks that mostly surpass what came before in the band's discography, bar a few highlights. This second side also stops this album from actually being a concept album, despite what so many people will tell you.

The undoubted highlight of the album is the title track, as the iconic 20+ minute suite that it is, with strong science fiction imagery bleeding through the entire song, in terms of lyricism, grandiose tone, and the use of synths that can be found throughout, but are especially prominent in the intro, sounding as if an intergalactic spaceship has just blasted off. The first 7 minutes of this song, which covers the first 2 sections of it, are definitely some of the greatest music that I think Rush have ever put out, which is saying a lot when looking at the next few albums past this point. Every moment of this has incredible energy and some absolutely incredible riffs, backed up by extremely tight, intricate interplay from both the bass and drums, making this both impresive in terms of composition, and the amazing playing. Overture continues in such a way, never dropping its energy at all and just bombarding the listener with excellent riff after excellent riff, all ending quietly as Geddy finally kicks in. The Temples of Syrinx takes this energy from Overture, and then ups it dramatically, especially with the high energy vocal performance dominating everything else that Geddy had done so far, and definitely still stands as one of his best vocal moments, absolutely belting it out without the abrasive quality that sometimes can come with his higher notes, especially when sung loudly. The chorus in particular is something that will stick in my head for hours after I've given this album a spin, and is definitely nothing short of breathtaking. The next 2 sections play out much slower, with a stronger focus on melody and storytelling, but still adding some flair here and there, especially with Neil Peart's drum fills. I in particular love Presentation, acting as a converation between the protagonist and antagonists, Geddy Lee putting on a more intense voice to represent the antagonists, and a lovely, melodious one for the protag. As the section draws to an end, the pace picks up once again and brings back some power, stopping the song from going on too long without some sort of climactic part. The Oracle serves as this climax, having a grandiose, uplifting tone to it that is once again absolutely incredible, before dying down into Soliloquym which maintains a lot of the passion, while slowing down and upping the intensity dramatically, all culminating in an absolutely stunning guitar solo, before ending with a gradual crescendo as more and more elements are introduced, becoming somewhat chaotic as a robotic voice penetrates the wall of noise that's being created, before the song then dies down and ends.

The second side of the album is a lot more conventional and straighforward, none of the songs going over 4 minutes and all following a very basic structure, just being fun rock tracks. A Passage To Bangkok is a catchy song and another one that I find myself humming at random points in time, mid paced and with a decent riff and hook. The Twilight Zone is what I'd consider the best song on this side other than Something For Nothing, having a bit more variety to it and having a great, galloping rhythm that's nicely broken up by the softer bridges, while Something For Nothing is at the opposite end of the spectrum, and simply works well as a great, fast paced rocker. The two songs, Lessons and Tears are nothing to write home about, although I'd still say that they're passable, despite te fact that they're easily the low point here, being fairly generic and not really carrying anything all too special to justify their existence here.

It's easy to see how this album managed to save Rush from bankruptcy, as it blows all their previous material out of the water, especially the absolute masterpiece of a title track, which singlehandedly provides great merit to the album. The creativity and ambition of the band was pushed extremely far here, this time becoming fully developed and realised, rather than falling flat on its face like the two epics on Caress of Steel did. The second side drags this album down a bit, especially with its two middle tracks being as underwhelming as they are, but even with this, on the whole, the album is extremely good, and deserves its popularity and acclaim.

Best songs: Something For Nothing, 2112 (this one especially)

Weakest songs: Tears, Lessons

Verdict: The first of the great Rush albums that would continue for quite some time, being filled with great energy and amazing technicality being presented from all members of the band, displaying intricate interplay and a lot of instrumental passages that never end up feeling overwrought. While the second side is definitely weaker than the first, both are good, and the first side is amazing enough that it's my first recommendation for people wanting to get into the proggier side of Rush, even if I'll tell them not to bother with the rest.