How Rush used a rock odyssey to give us an understanding of the future
By Nicholas Del Buono
What would life be like in the year 2112? We can’t tell, but artistically, we can make some interpretations. In 1976, the Canadian rock band Rush asked this question, and their drummer, Neil Peart, came up with quite the answer. The album, 2112, opens up with a 20-minute song of the same name. The song takes on a future, where galaxies have been discovered, spaceships travel through the stars, and a planet, the setting of the song, is ruled by strict, angry priests. The anthem starts with an amazingly written Overture, and then it transfers into several different sections. The Temples of Syrinx introduce the rulers and the priests. The Discovery shows our main character finding a strange device behind a waterfall, an instrument that makes music. In this world, music is an old art and it is highly disliked by the priests. The Presentation shows our character presenting the instrument to the priests, but they ferociously shove it away. Oracle: The Dream displays our character’s dream where an oracle tells him that an elder race is coming back from space to retake their planet and tear the temples down. Then, our character has a soliloquy saying how he wants a change. He hopes for the coming of this “elder race” to bring back what once was but now is lost. Finally, The Grand Finale arrives, and so do the elders. “Attention all planets of the Solar Federation, we have assumed control…”
There are five other tracks on the album, each one is its own, distinct masterpiece. These songs have impressive guitar riffs provided by Alex Lifeson, technical, skillful, and intricate basslines as well as sharp, stinging vocals from Geddy Lee, and masterful percussion and songwriting from Peart.
Overall, I think this is an outstanding album and a staple of 70s rock. After a failure with their previous album, Caress of Steel, Rush was suggested to make radio hits, but they neglected the offer and did quite the opposite. They bounced back the release of 2112, leading with a stellar 20-minute story/rock anthem, quite the opposite of a radio hit. Rush had always been one of the most skilled and experimental bands in the business, and 2112 is a centerpiece of not only their success but their dedication and mastery of the art.