2112 (album)
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- For the year 2112, see 22nd century.
2112 is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1976 (see 1976 in music). The Toronto dates of the 2112 tour were recorded and released as All The World's a Stage in September 1976.
Since the album got its name from its famous side-long suite on side one, many fans think of it as a concept album, but technically it is not, as the songs on the second side are not connected to the suite on the first side.
The album 2112 features an eponymous seven-part suite with lyrics written by Neil Peart. The suite tells a dystopic story set in the year 2112.
Contents |
The Story of 2112
In the year 2062, a galaxy-wide war results in the union of all planets under the rule of the Red Star of the Solar Federation. The world is controlled by computers, called Temples, which determine all reading matter, songs, pictures . . . everything connected with life during the year 2112 ("The Temples of Syrinx").
In the midst of this assembly line living, a man discovers what was once known years before as a guitar ("Discovery"). The man begins to pluck the strings and turn the knobs, discovering that he can make his own music - a music much different than that of the Temples. He rushes to tell the priests of his discovery, ("Presentation") but to the man's dismay, the priests destroy the instrument, saying it doesn't fit the plan of the Solar Federation.
The man returns to the cave in which he found the guitar and, during a dream, is led by an oracle to a land of incredible beauty and serenity ("Oracle: A Dream"). Upon awakening, he can not believe it was a dream — the beauty was so real.
He remains in the cave for several days, becoming more and more depressed with each passing hour ("Soliloquy"). The man decides he can not go on as part of the Federation and takes his life to move on to a better one. As he dies, another planetary battle begins ("Grand Finale") with the outcome to be determined in the mind of the listener.
- edit* In the song after the protagonist commits suicide, a battle does not begin, a battle takes place and ends. His dream was not only of a beautiful world, he dreamt that the Elder Race of Men's power was growing and they planned on returning to take back the Federation which was once theirs. At the end of the song the lyrics "Attention all Planets of the Solar Federation/ We have assumed control" are repeated. In the song we have already heard what the Priests sound like and this is a different voice. Also the Priests were already in control so if they had won the battle they wouldn't say "we have ASSUMED control" they would say something closer to "We have KEPT control". These are all reasons to prove that the Elder Race of Men took back the federation from the Priests.
Overture
2112 commences with a lengthy instrumental section ("Overture") which concludes with the spoken phrase "And the meek shall inherit the Earth" (a reference to the Beatitudes of the New Testament.) The "2112 Overture" contains a guitar adaptation of a familiar part of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.
The Priests
Section two, "The Temples of Syrinx", sets an immediate counterpoint to this line by introducing the arrogant villains of the story. The Priests of the Temples of Syrinx, characterized by an uncharacteristically high, even shrieking singing voice by Geddy Lee, boast that "All the gifts of life are held within our walls." The Priests, who rule over the Earth, have united the surviving human colonies, after a long war, under "the red star of the Solar Federation", supposedly under the principles of equality and brotherhood. The "meek" mentioned in the opening line seem to be the contented people of the Solar Federation who have submitted to the rule of the Priests.
The Protagonist
The third section, "Discovery", introduces our main character, who finds a guitar in a remote cave behind a waterfall. Alex Lifeson builds up from simple open string guitar playing into increasingly complex patterns and chords, showing us the man's progress as he teaches himself to play the guitar.
Confident that the Priests will be impressed with his discovery, he brings the guitar before them in part four, "Presentation". The dialogue between the man and the Priests alternates between the gentle guitar work and clear pitch of the man, and the hard-rocking guitars and shrieking pitch of the Priests. Ultimately, the Priests dismiss the instrument and destroy it, saying that it was just 'another toy that helped destroy the elder race of man'.
The protagonist returns home, discouraged. In part five, "Oracle: The Dream", he has a dream where an oracle takes him on a journey to see the Elder Race's "wondrous land" graced by "the works of gifted hands". He is amazed by its wonder and beauty, and the way in which the people were free to do and create what they please. In the dream he sees the Elder Race growing in power and preparing to return to destroy the temples.
He then awakens in part six, "Soliloquy", and is distraught by the fact that such a world, so perfect for him, will never exist. In the cave where he first discovered the guitar, he kills himself, unable to bear the thought of a life without the wonders he knows are possible of the human race. However, there is debate over whether or not that's actually what Neil Peart intended. The last line merely says that his 'life blood spilled over.'
Part seven, "The Grand Finale", is a grand instrumental concluding with the spoken words "Attention, all planets of the Solar Federation: We have assumed control". Some fans interpret the Grand Finale as the victorious return of the Elder Race while others interpret it as the establishment of absolute power by the Priests.
The band, pressured by their record company not to write another concept piece (after the previous album, Caress of Steel, containing two such songs, failed commercially), stuck to their guns and created what is hailed as their first masterpiece. It garnered them their first US Top 100 album and would reach Gold status on November 16, 1977 and Platinum on February 25, 1981 shortly after the release of Moving Pictures in 1981).
Remaining songs
Image:Starman.jpg The other songs on the album stand alone from the title track, with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson writing lyrics for one song each ("Tears" and "Lessons", respectively). All other lyrics were penned by Peart.
"Tears" would be one of the first Rush songs to feature string arrangements (synthesized or orchestrated). "A Passage to Bangkok" and "The Twilight Zone" are songs typical of this time period of Rush. "Something For Nothing" closes out the album.
In the liner notes, the title song is annotated "With acknowledgement to the genus [sic] of Ayn Rand", as it contains many parallels to her novelette Anthem.
In 1999, in the same spirit that discovered "Dark Side of the Rainbow" (playing Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" while watching "The Wizard Of Oz"), it was a similar strain of serendipity that uncovered "Willy Wonka's 2112" - playing the "2112" CD, beginning at a point near the entrance into the factory. Specific instructions and instances of synchronicity can be found online at The Willy Wonka & 2112 website.
Track listing
- "2112" - 20:34
- "I: Overture" - 4:32
- "II: The Temples of Syrinx" - 2:13
- "III: Discovery" - 3:29
- "IV: Presentation" - 3:42
- "V: Oracle: The Dream" - 2:00
- "VI: Soliloquy" - 2:21
- "VII: Grand Finale" - 2:14
- "A Passage to Bangkok" - 3:34
- "The Twilight Zone" - 3:17
- "Lessons" - 3:51
- "Tears" - 3:31
- "Something for Nothing" - 3:59
Personnel
- Geddy Lee - bass, keyboards, vocals
- Alex Lifeson - guitar
- Neil Peart - drums, percussion
Charts
Album
Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Pop Albums | 61 |
Singles
Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
Remaster Details
A remaster was issued in 1997.
- The tray has a picture of star with man painting with THE RUSH REMASTERS printed in all caps just to the left. All remasters from Rush through to Permanent Waves are like this. This is just like the cover art of Retrospective I.
- The remaster album art has all of the elements including the back cover, the story of 2112, lyrics and gatefold shots of the band and The star with man logo which were absent from the original CD.
| Rush |
| Geddy Lee | Alex Lifeson | Neil Peart |
| John Rutsey |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums: Rush | Fly by Night | Caress of Steel | 2112 | A Farewell to Kings | Hemispheres | Permanent Waves | Moving Pictures | Signals | Grace Under Pressure | Power Windows | Hold Your Fire | Presto | Roll the Bones | Counterparts | Test for Echo | Vapor Trails |
| Live albums: All the World's a Stage | Exit...Stage Left | A Show of Hands | Different Stages | Rush in Rio | R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour | Rush Replay X 3 |
| Compilations: Archives | Chronicles | Retrospective I | Retrospective II | The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974-1987 | Gold |
| Other records: Not Fade Away (Single) | Feedback (Cover album) |
| Related articles |
| Burning For Buddy | Burning For Buddy, Vol. 2 | Victor | My Favorite Headache | A Work In Progress | Anatomy of A Drum Solo |
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