Lifeson and Geddy Leeeach take a rare turn writing lyrics, respectively on “Lessons” and “Tears,” both unusually gentle and reflective songs. “A Passage to Bangkok” is something of a weed travelogue while “Twilight Zone” is about their love for that show. Indeed, the first two songs were about the most down-to-earth topics Rush ever addressed: namely, smoking pot and watching TV. With its lighter mood and shorter songs (all under four minutes, if just barely) it almost sounds like a different band. The concept of Side Two of 2112 was…its lack of a concept. Finally, the idea that a government would regulate artistic expression proved to be prophetic, since the days of stickered albums and the PMRC were only a few years away. The idea of being rebuffed for playing music was especially relevant to them since they were at risk of losing their record deal. The theme of the individual against totalitarianism was right out of the Ayn Rand playbook, but Rush personalized the story by giving it a young, idealistic hero – the same sort of misfit they’d salute in the later hit single “Subdivisions.”Īs the band explained in the accompanying booklet to an anniversary reissue, there was personal relevance as well. After an instrumental finale with a vicious Lifeson solo, the listener is left with an ominous announcement, “We have assumed control.” A new beginning or a totalitarian clampdown? You decide. The ending is left ambiguous: the singer may have committed suicide, but his struggle may have led to a toppling of the empire. Knowing he’ll never see that world, he gives in to despair. After the priests of the temple destroy the guitar and send him packing, he envisions a world where music and creativity flourish. Stability is threatened when a young man finds a guitar, learns to make music on it, and believes the world needs to hear of his great discovery. The title suite of Rush’s 2112 album is set in a totalitarian society where the evil priests of the Temples of Syrinx keep everyone in line. Drummer/lyricist Peart was a great admirer of the novelist-philosopher Ayn Rand (specifically her championing of the individual, not so much her right-leaning politics) and the lyric sheet carries a dedication to “the genius of Ayn Rand.”Ĭlick to load video What’s 2112 all about? The album’s main lyrical influence proved more controversial. Lifeson told Rolling Stone in 2016 that the Who-like moments in 2112, especially the Pete Townshend-style strumming in the “Discovery” section, were no accident.Īlso notable is the Tchaikovskyquote in the closing “Overture” solo that leads to a cannon blast (as it did in Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”) which makes the opening lyrics, “And the meek shall inherit the earth,” all the more ironic. So it’s no wonder they were also big fans of The Who, since Tommy and Quadrophenia both proved that a hard rock band could write epic pieces. In their minds, they were still a hard-rock band, with Jimi Hendrix and Cream roots. Musically Rush was still enamored with prog rock – the band had discovered Genesis and King Crimson as well as Yes – but didn’t put themselves in that category. It remains Rush’s longest studio track, clocking in at 20:34, but each section stands out on its own. But the “2112 Overture” charges right out of the gate with an Alex Lifeson fanfare riff. The side-long Caress track “Fountain of Lamneth” was brilliant but dense, requiring a few listens to get your head around. Recorded at Toronto Sound Studios, 2112 proved as accessible as it was ambitious. Characteristically, they chose to do both on separate album sides, but it was the epic that really got noticed. So it left Rush with two choices: streamline everything and get more straightforward, or do another epic and make sure they got it right. A fan favorite in retrospect, it was a career-threatening flop at the time. With Fly by Night, drummer Neil Peart came in and broadened their musical reach by adding his own lyrical ambitions, informed at the time by a love of sci-fi.Īmbition went through the roof on the third album, Caress of Steel, which was apparently inspired by seeing Yes on their Topographic Oceans tour and sported two epics, one of which covered Side Two. Every Rush album had been a departure: The first was solid hard rock, minus the intellectual streak, but with a couple of numbers (“Working Man,” “In the Mood”) that would stay in the setlist for keeps. A prime influence of 2112 was three years of constant touring, which made the band sharp enough to carry out its grandest ideas.

Rush classic albums