2112

By the mid seventies Rush was starting to get noticed, their first album "Rush" (while not very prog) had given them some major credit in the hard rock world, while their sophomore "Fly By Night" had gone on to prove that Rush was not Zeppelin wannabes. Then came the controversial "Caress Of Steel", which sold just as much as it's predecessors, but was called "a dog" by the press. The band, feeling they were onto something with that album, and had put their all into it, were fairly disappointed, and, fearing the worst, named the corresponding tour the "Down the Tubes Tour". They may have thought it was the end, but no. They stil had one album left on their contract. Ignoring the advice of producers, and getting all their anger and angst out of their system, Rush released 2112. Expecting little, Rush was surprised to find that this was their highest selling album to date, the record companies also extended their contract. This was the beginning to Rush's classic era.

Let's start with the opening side. 2112 is a bombastic, apocalyptic epic that starts with the instumental "Overture", which twists and winds as Rush shows just how good of musicians they would eventually be known to be. It all comes to a slow as Geddy's voice comes in, ("...and the meek shall inherit the Earth...") and is soon blasted away by the metal riff that opens "Temples of Syrinx". This part is brief and soon we're into some quiet time until we're introduced to the main character nd the story really takes off. Now, I'm not going to get right into the story, nor will I explain the rest of the song, but I will mention some highlights. "Oracle: The Dream" is a nice part, and "Finale" finishes the song off with the same kind of force it was started with, not to mention the increadibly creepy "ATTENTION: All planets of the solar federation; We have assumed control...". Indeed, this is an epic that essential for any prog lover.

The rest of the album is a mixture of hard rock tunes, nothing really progressive there. For us classic rock fans, however, this side is almost as good as the first! PASSAGE TO BANKOK and SOMETHING FOR NOTHING are both classic Rush tunes, while others such as LESSONS or TWILIGHT ZONE are great as well.

So while this album may not be Rush's best, it certainly is great, and definately the start of something beautiful. 4.5 stars, excellent!

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