2112

Going into 2112, I would rate myself a level 4. I have had the album, in one form or another since the mid-to-late 80s. I was in a band in around 1987 or so that played Overture & Temples of Syrinx. While have always liked the album, I have never considered it my favorite. I do understand the importance of the album as their big breakthrough album. However, in terms of playing and style it really isn't too different from its predecessor Caress of Steel, except that 2112 is a bit more immediately accessible for many listeners. I always thought of the 2112 suite on side one of the album as really being 7 short songs that tell a story, much like the various songs on the Who's Tommy, instead of one cohesive epic, a la Close to the Edge. Let's take a deep dive and see how I rank it in the end.

Track 1 - 2112

A suite in 7 sections as follows:

I. "Overture" ? 4:31

II. "The Temples of Syrinx" ? 2:16

III. "Discovery" ? 3:25

IV. "Presentation" ? 3:41

V. "Oracle: The Dream" ? 2:00

VI. "Soliloquy" ? 2:19

VII. "Grand Finale" ? 2:16"

Overture: We begin with spacy synth sounds played by album cover artist and longtime band associate Hugh Syme. These last for about 45 seconds before the band comes in with accents that have some of the synth sounds in between initially. The second round of the accents utilize delays and echoes. Then at 1:17 they play some fanfare type tunes. This leads up to a galloping rhythm section that kind of sounds like the cavalry coming to the rescue. (I wonder if Iron Maiden's Steve Harris was inspired by this part?) At 1:45 we can hear Geddy singing ahhs in the background. Just before 2 minutes, Alex begins a chord section with accents from Geddy & Neil and overdubbed rhythm guitar by himself. By 2:45 he is playing a low string melody, again with accents. At around 3:00 we get a half time feel for Alex to solo over. At 3:35, there is a section tailor-made for audience participation. At around 4:05 Alex plays the theme from the 1812 Overture and then the movement comes to a close with 5 big power chords then Alex backs Geddy singing: "...and the meek shall inherit the earth."

The Temples of Syrinx: This fast rocker introduces us to the antagonists of the story: "The Priests of the Temples of Syrinx." They are the overlords of this dystopia, whose "great computers, fill these hallowed halls." Neil's drum fill at 4:40 is legendary. Geddy's bass is really groovin' behind his high shrieky vocals in the chorus. Yeah, Geddy was still in his shriek like a banshee phase, but no one does it better. After 2 verses and choruses the movement comes to a close with a brief classical guitar bit from Alex.

Discovery: Now we meet our nameless hero who discovers a long-lost guitar and figures out how to tune and play it in under 3 and a half minutes! Talk about a natural talent! (I know, "suspension of disbelief" and all that?) It begins with the sound of flowing water (perhaps a gentle waterfall) and our hero tuning the guitar using harmonics then strumming some chords. Geddy begins singing gently around 8:35 ("What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it gives forth a sound?"). The tempo begins increasing around 8:55, with our hero's skills rapidly increasing.

Presentation: I'll say that this section begins around 9:45. Our hero brings the guitar before the Priests to show them what an amazing thing he has found, only to be shot down at his suggestion that he share this magical device with the common people. Heavy guitar kicks in around 10:15 with another epic Peart drum fill. The clean guitar sections accompany the Hero, while the Priests have the heavy guitars and high vocals. ("Forget about your silly whim, it doesn't fit the plan!") On the second round of being rebuked by the Priests there is another amazing drum fill from the master at around 12:30. The Temples of Syrinx theme returns at the end of this section with a faster tempo for a wild Lifeson wah-wah so, lo.

Oracle: The Dream: This part begins at just under 14 minutes. Dreamy effects are added to clean guitar arpeggios. Our hero falls asleep after escaping the wrath of the Priests. He goes into a dream state, then after an ascending sound, The tempo increases with heavier guitars and Geddy sings "I stand atop a spiral stair, an Oracle confronts me there?) I enjoy the chords and rhythm here. The oracle explains how the "elder race" fled the planet long ago, taking all creativity with them.

Soliloquy: The realization spins him into a deep depression, and he takes his own life. As big of a downer as that is, Alex plays a wonderful solo in this part.

Grand Finale: If he could only have held onto hope. This great instrumental section represents the Elder Race defeating the Solar Federation (The Priests) and announcing, "Attention all planets of the Solar Federation?We have assumed control."

Track 2 - A Passage to Bangkok

Onto side 2 of the original LP. This song is famously a travelogue about visiting the great pot producing areas of the world. It begins with a guitar riff from Alex and includes the stereotypical, slightly cringy, "Oriental riff". The vocals begin following that with the rhythm section just behind. This is a good, tight, hard rockin' tune. The instrumental section begins around 1:50 and has interesting rhythms and a fine Lifeson solo, which concludes with a restating of the "Oriental riff." Then we have a couple of rounds of the chorus. A good Rush song but I wish they had left the "Oriental riff" out; it hasn't aged well.

Track 3 - The Twilight Zone

A good track, based on the classic TV show of the same name. The series was an anthology of various mind-f*ck, creepy stories, created and hosted by Rod Serling that initially ran from 1959-1964. This one begins with a high guitar riff supported by the rhythm section. Geddy plays some nice bass double-stops (2-note chords) in the intro, creating a very full sound. After a jaunty opening verse, there is a nice twisting riff, and we go into a more floaty chorus. There are nice panning effects on the vocals adding to the eerie vibe. The opening riff repeats and connects us to a second verse-chorus cycle. At around 2:30, Alex begins a brief outro solo with several "pinch harmonics",

Track - 4 Lessons

This one begins with an upbeat acoustic strumming riff with the rhythm section fading in. Geddy joins with vocals. At 1:08 the electric guitar kicks in and Geddy goes back into the vocal Stratosphere. Another verse chorus pattern follows. Alex plays a solo at just before the 3-minute mark and the song begins a slow fade. A good, but not great Rush song.

Tack 5 - Tears

A slow ballad that begins with a clean guitar part and Geddy's vocals. The bass joins at around 25 seconds the drops back out before returning. Hugh Syme returns with a nice mellotron part, the first one on a Rush track. Neil joins at 2:15. The mellotron plays alone in the last few seconds of the song.

Track 6 - Something For Nothing

Along with the 2112 suite, this track is inspired by the writings of Ayn Rand. While I am no expert on Rand's works, I know she is a conservative icon these days. I don't tend to focus too much on the implications of her influence here. To me, this song is simply saying that if you want to succeed in life, you have to work for it. Even as liberal as I am, I don't disagree with that concept. I believe that Neal was a voracious reader, and he had recently read some of her books and it inspired a few ideas. I don't think it was a life-long obsession with her ideas. That being said, this is probably my second favorite track on the album after the title epic. The band is really cooking on this one, and I believe, if I am not mistaken (a distinct possibility) this and Passage to Bangkok are the only "side 2" tracks that got regular play in live sets. Cue epic Peart fill at 3:28. Alex has great solos on this one as well.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

This is definitely a very strong album that set the stage for what was to come. It, along with the subsequent live album, All the World's a Stage, closed out what is known by Rush fand as Chapter 1. The Chapter 2 albums, however?A Farewell to Kings through Moving Pictures, and capped off by the live Exit?Stage Left? are a quantum leap beyond 2112 in my book. This is probably about in the middle third of my Rush album rankings. Again, it's significance in the Rush canon cannot be downplayed, and I do like it quite a bit, but AFTK absolutely blows me away. I'll give this on a 4.25 out of 5.

Clicking 4, but really 4.25!