A Great Discovery in Rush's "2112": Prog Review #22
Rush - 2112
Though less impactful upon me than Foxtrot (1972), 2112 (1976) constitutes the prehistory of my love of prog.
While I was discovering music in my early teens in the late 90s, Rush was unavoidable on Canadian rock radio. I quickly grew to love their idiosyncratic hits, though I did have a hard time distinguishing Rush from Heart and even Sass Jordan at first.
Before I got to 2112, though, I immersed myself in the triple live album, Different Stages (1998). Although this contains a live version of the entire "2112," I was wary of a song divided into 7 parts totalling about 20 minutes, so I typically skipped it. Even after I bought a used copy of 2112, I was more enthralled by the 2 other albums I got at the same time: Presto (1989) and Counterparts (1993) remain among my top 5 Rush albums, while 2112 ranks somewhere in the middle.
Over time and with careful listening, I've grown more appreciative of 2112 of course, but it will never be my go-to Rush album. I betray my poseur status as a prog fan by stating publicly that I prefer 80s synth Rush to the earlier prog stuff.
The appeal of this album is immediate, however, and it was an appropriate choice as one of the first additions to my Rush collection. After a spacey intro, the "Overture" of the title track hits hard with its unmistakable staccato eruptions that eventually lead up to the explosive and expository "Temples of Syrinx."
It's rare for these 20-minute prog epics to have a story this coherent, with a tone and mood to the music that so perfectly matches the narrative. I'm especially partial to the 3rd movement, "Discovery," in which the protagonist discovers an ancient guitar and gradually sings his pleasure at bending the strings to his will. As he describes his growing musicianship, the guitarwork becomes increasingly complex: the section begins with some tentatively plucked notes and chords, and then on to more and more intricate chord progressions. The live version of this section from Different Strings is even better, though it supersedes the buildup with Alex Lifeson showing off what he can do with a guitar right from the start.
After "Discovery," there's a plot twist in the 4th movement: the leaders of this dystopian society are well aware of music, but they keep it from the people, lest the untalented become jealous of the gifted, creating dissatisfaction. Or something. (Neil Peart was apparently way into Ayn Rand at the time.) The accompanying sense of betrayal is developed beautifully, with the next two sections providing a moodily defiant fallout as the protagonists confronts the truth of his world. The ambiguously forceful finale is then dissatisfying from a narrative point of view—we don't know which forces have "assumed control"—but wonderfully cathartic in the way it brings back the riffs and the bombast of the "Overture" and "Temples of Syrinx" sections.
Enough has been said by others about "2112." The story, while well-developed considering the medium, is ultimately less interesting than the countless dystopian novels and short stories dealing with similar ideas about the conflict arising from a false dilemma of volatile individualism versus peaceful conformity.
We have assumed control. We have assumed control. We have assumed control. - “2112 (Finale)”
What else is there?
"2112" itself is an undeniable classic. Had the second side been an equally powerful epic, this album would easily rank in the top 3 of both Rolling Stone's list and my own. But the question of 2112 always comes down to whether the other 5 songs are all that good or not. I don't think anyone says they're better than the title track, but many would say they are a fitting counterpoint. The album begins as Rush's breakthrough statement about their place in the cannon of prog—are they perhaps the musical genius whom a jealous hierarchy cannot abide? The second half more modestly proclaims that the band is still comfortable and quite competent with a mainstream rock sound as well.
"A Passage to Bangkok" is a fan favourite, but I find it the worst part of the album by far. The veiled references about where in the world to score good weed is sophomoric, and the music is not that exciting, plus it employs the Oriental riff, with all its racist connotations. Its simplicity and lifelessness is a disappointing follow up to "2112."
Things get a little better on "The Twilight Zone," a song that, like "2112," vacillates between aggressive and wistful to great effect and contains some beautiful soloing from Lifeson.
Although it's the most conventionally classic rock song on the album, "Lessons" somehow schools the two tracks that precede it. It's just a great jam.
The acoustic ballad "Tears" is one of the most beautiful and understated songs in Rush's discography, and far less nerdy than the Lord of the Rings inspired "Rivendell" off their first album or the similar fantasy reflection "Madrigal" from A Farewell to Kings (1974). Nor is it as self-indulgent as the later "Second Nature" and "Tai Shan," both from Hold Your Fire (1987). Rush actually has a hard time with soft, heartfelt songs, and "Tears" is the clear standout.
And then there's "Something for Nothing." The album closes with the only among the shorter tracks to match the power and brilliance of "2112," even if its message is commonplace.
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
Rush - Moving Pictures
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Yes – Close to the Edge
Genesis - Selling England by the Pound
Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
Can - Future Days
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Yes - Fragile
Rush - Hemispheres
ELP - Brain Salad Surgery
Pink Floyd - Animals
Genesis - Foxtrot
King Crimson - Red
Gentle Giant - Octopus
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
Frank Zappa - One Size Fits All
Premiata Forneria Marconi - Per Un Amico
King Crimson - Larks’ Tongue in Aspic
Camel - Mirage
Rush - 2112
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Genesis - Foxtrot
Camel - Mirage
Yes – Close to the Edge
King Crimson - Red
Gentle Giant - Octopus
Genesis - Selling England by the Pound
Rush - 2112
Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
ELP - Brain Salad Surgery
Rush - Moving Pictures
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
Premiata Forneria Marconi - Per Un Amico
King Crimson - Larks’ Tongue in Aspic
Pink Floyd - Animals
Frank Zappa - One Size Fits All
Yes - Fragile
Rush - Hemispheres
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Can - Future Days
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here