2112

This is the album that turned me into a Rush fan for 3 decades and counting. The title track is a work of pure genius musically and lyrically, telling the story of a world where creativity is subverted and life is controlled by the Solar Federation. A stark vision perhaps but one that has been translated into a musical masterpiece.

The remaining five tracks are of a more "traditional" length, adding up in total to a little less than the length of the first. But it is hard to see any of them as weak. A Passage To Bangkok is a colourful trip which propels you along at a fair clip. Next up is The Twilight Zone which perhaps alludes to the consequences of that trip to Bangkok, with its refernce to a pleasant faced man with three eyes.Alex Lifeson's Lessons is softer by comparison but no less compelling. Tears is a ballad which slows things down more and draws out some sorrowful, even painful emotions, showing what Geddy Lee is capable of musically, lyrically and vocally. Finally, the album closes with another anthem, Something For Nothing, which both rocks and uplifts.

I'm tempted to give this one five stars but that would be more for the special fondness I have for the album rather than for its content. Also, it's not Rush's best album in my opinion. So, I'm giving it four stars because it is excellent and shows how, by this point, Rush were well on the way to greatness.