Sunday, October 28, 2012

2112 Review



2112
RUSH
1976
Anthem/Mercury
Prod. by Rush and Terry Brown

It’s obviously worth noting that I come into these Rush reviews with a slightly predetermined mindset. In any review of the band Rush’s music, I will do my best to displace my previous distaste for the band, but I will repeatedly make it clear that, in the past, Rush has most certainly not been my thing, and I am here to challenge that idea and try to enjoy a band millions around the world revere.

Well, I did it. I finally finished my guided tour through Rush’s highlights. It’s been a long time coming, but I’ve made it to the other end. Some probably expected I’d learn something really edifying or vindicating in listening through Rush’s albums.

But, ultimately, all I’ve come to discover is that this band is not for me. At least, not in the 70’s. Maybe one day I’ll check out their later material, but none of the three albums impressed me far beyond my expectations.

2112, the half-concept album of Rush’s early years, is by far the album I liked least in my experience with the band. It’s ultimately just the 2112 suite coupled with a pretty significant list of filler that refuses to fit into the concept. Everything on the album other than the suite is lower in innovation and quality than anything on Fly By Night or Moving Pictures, including the kind-of-terrible-but-still-endearing “By-Tor and the Snow Dog.” There’s nothing to point out as especially notable on the back half. It’s all just completely bland. The only piece worthy of any kind of note is 2112.

Alone, as an album, that ultimately dictates the kind of score I’m going to give it. So, I’m going to tell you, absolutely don’t buy the album unless you’re a hardcore fan of the kind of music Rush releases on their 20-or-so other albums. But, I’m going to tell you that you should absolutely listen to “2112.” It’s at times a beautiful acoustic piece that showcases the best Geddy Lee vocals I’ve yet witnessed by Rush. At other times, it’s a relatively high-energy but ultimately boring prog anthem, but these sequences move without consequence. And, last but certainly not least, it’s a master-class in displaying when singing “in-character” can go too far.

It’s kind of amazing, really. The ultimate obstacle to me enjoying Rush has been Geddy Lee’s voice, and yet his singing in the “discovery” sequences of 2112 is actually quite pretty, so far as rock singers are concerned. And they also destroy the piece, as the sections in which he sings as the “monks” scared me away years ago with their extremely shrill screaming. I refuse to believe someone can enjoy the sound of Lee’s screech on “2112.” It’s believably in character, helping to establish that the monks are oppressive and nobody should like them. But it’s absolutely too much, and the fact that it gets equal share with the discovery sequences causes the song to fall apart.

The prog sections make up most of the transitions between the “monk” sequences and the “discovery” sequences, and they’re mostly bland. There’s some more really great technical guitar work by Alex Lifeson, but these sequences just don’t add much to the soul or thematic content of the piece. As a result, the 2112 suite is ultimately as flawed as the record it sits upon in my eyes, but it’s a musically solid song with some absolute highs.

Listen to 2112. But skip the album.

2/5
HIGHLIGHTS: "2112"
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES: "2112"
NEXT STOP: Pink Floyd, “Animals”
AFTER THAT: The Who, “Tommy”