2112

This is the album that got me into Progressive Rock. I remember vividly listening to it for the first time, and thinking how incredible it was. I had never heard of a 20 minute track before, it seemed ludicrous to me. From the first listen, I was hooked.

At this point in time, with the failure of Caress of Steel, Rush recorded this album in a do-or- die fashion. They pulled out all the stops in their creative arsenal, and created a landmark album for progressive music, and a breakthrough in their careers.

The opening of the first track, the overture of 2112, is a memorable experience for me. The opening buzz and the long pause, then the band crashes in, changing time signatures with each transition. The instrumental is superbly crafted, with elements of all the parts coming in to play. A crash comes in and the overture is over, and Geddy says, "And the meek shall inherit the earth". The Temples of Syrinx is another fan favorite, and it is a superb part, with a singable chorus, the song goes straight into Discovery, a quiet guitar only piece that symbolizes the character's discovery of the guitar. The rest of the song is perfect, with wailing guitar, perfect bass, precision drumming, and the mother of all endings, "Attention all pilots of the solar federation, we have assumed control" ringing over and over throughout the speakers, and the song is over.

The second side is a collection of songs, the best being A Passage to Bangkok, The Twilight Zone, and Something for Nothing. The other two tracks, Tears and Lessons, while both good, aren't up to par to the rest of the songs. A Passage to Bangkok has a memorable chorus and introduction, and a great guitar solo. Something for Nothing has great Lifeson riffing, great bass from Geddy, and great lyrics from Peart.

Overall, this is an incredible achievement. While not my favorite album by Rush, it is the one that got me into the band, and it features one of the best songs that they ever did. I give it a 4.5/5.