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”
