2112
Studio album by Rush
Released	April 1976
Recorded	Toronto Sound Studios in Toronto, 1975
Genre	Progressive rock, hard rock, heavy metal
Length	38:46
Label	Anthem (Canada), Mercury
Producer	Rush and Terry Brown
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Rush chronology
Caress of Steel (1975) 2112 (1976) All the World's a Stage (1976)

2112 ("Twenty-One Twelve") is the fourth studio album by Canadian progressive rock band Rush, released in 1976. A studio album is an original collection of new tracks by a recording artist Rush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968 in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, currently comprised of Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Anthem Records is an Independent record label based in Toronto Ontario. Mercury Records is a Record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US and are both subsidiaries of In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Terry Brown is a Record producer involved in a variety of work but most noted for his involvement with the Canadian rock band Rush and the British/Canadian band allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. Rush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968 in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, currently comprised of Caress of Steel is the third Studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1975 All the World's a Stage is a double Live album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in A studio album is an original collection of new tracks by a recording artist Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Rush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968 in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, currently comprised of Events January-February January 5 - Bob Dylan releases Desire January 6 - Peter Frampton The Toronto dates of the 2112 tour were recorded and released as All The World's a Stage in September 1976. All the World's a Stage is a double Live album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in In 2006 a poll of Planet Rock listeners picked 2112 as the definitive Rush album. Planet Rock is a Sony Award winning digital radio station in the United Kingdom.

The album 2112 features an eponymous seven-part suite written by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, with lyrics written by Neil Peart. 2112 is the title track from Canadian Progressive rock band Rush 's album of the same name, released in 1976 Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib on July 29, 1953 in Willowdale Toronto) is a Canadian musician best known as the lead vocalist Alex Lifeson, OC (born Aleksandar Živojinović on August 27 1953 in Fernie, British Columbia) is a Canadian Musician Neil Peart (ˈpɪərt OC, (born Neil Ellwood Peart, September 12, 1952, Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian Musician The suite tells a dystopian story set in the year 2112. A dystopia (from the Greek δυσ- and τόπος alternatively cacotopia, kakotopia, cackotopia, or anti-utopia) is the vision of a society Since the album is named after the suite it is mistakenly thought of as a concept album. In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical" Technically it is not, as the songs on the second side are completely unrelated to the plot of the suite. Rush repeated this arrangement in Hemispheres. Hemispheres is the sixth Studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1978.

Sticking to their principles

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 principles and created what is hailed as their first masterpiece. Caress of Steel is the third Studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1975 It garnered them their first U. S. Top 100 album and would reach Gold status on November 16, 1977 (along with the band's then current release A Farewell to Kings and All The World's a Stage) and Platinum on February 25, 1981 (shortly after the release of Moving Pictures in 1981). Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays A Farewell to Kings is the fifth Studio album by Canadian rock band All the World's a Stage is a double Live album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1981

The 2112 suite

Main article: 2112 (song)

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. 2112 is the title track from Canadian Progressive rock band Rush 's album of the same name, released in 1976 The world is controlled by the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx, who determine the content of all reading matter, songs, pictures - every facet of life during the year 2112 ("The Temples of Syrinx").

A man discovers a guitar (ancient miracle) and learns to play new, different music from what he has ever heard. When he goes to present this to the priests of the Temples, they destroy the guitar. He goes into hiding and dreams of music; upon awakening he becomes severely depressed and commits suicide after a few more days in hiding. As he dies, another planetary battle begins ("Grand Finale") resulting in the (perhaps deliberately) ambiguous ending "Attention all planets of the Solar Federation: We have assumed control. " (This spoken section was created by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson reportedly "messing around with a tape recorder". )

On the album, Neil Peart credits "With acknowledgment to the genius of Ayn Rand. Ayn Rand, a Russian-born American novelist and Objectivist philosopher, wrote a novella entitled Anthem (itself the title of another Rush song from the album, Fly By Night) from which Peart borrowed the broad strokes of the plot. Ayn Rand (ˈaɪn ˈrænd &ndash March 6 1982 born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum (Алиса Зиновьевна Розенбаум was a Russian born American Anthem is a Dystopian fiction Novella by Ayn Rand, first published in 1938 Fly by Night is the second studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in February 1975. In Anthem, instead of finding a guitar, a boy conducts scientific experiments and re-invents the electric light bulb. When he brings the discovery to the elder council, he is rebuffed; the strongly anti-technology council members deride the invention and point to the candle as being a perfectly fine provider of light. He flees with his girlfriend to the forest, where they rediscover individuality, give each other names (Prometheus and Gaia), and live happily ever after. 2112, obviously, ends more darkly.

Remaining songs

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). Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib on July 29, 1953 in Willowdale Toronto) is a Canadian musician best known as the lead vocalist Alex Lifeson, OC (born Aleksandar Živojinović on August 27 1953 in Fernie, British Columbia) is a Canadian Musician All other lyrics were penned by Peart.

"Tears" would be the first Rush song to feature an outside musician. Hugh Syme, who would play keyboards on a number of Rush songs in the future (ie. Hugh Syme is a Graphic artist who is best known for his artwork and cover concepts for rock and metal bands "Different Strings" on Permanent Waves and "Witch Hunt" on Moving Pictures) contributes a multi-tracked Mellotron string part to the track. Permanent Waves is the seventh Studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released January Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1981 The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical polyphonic keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s "A Passage to Bangkok" and "The Twilight Zone" are songs typical of this time period of Rush. "Twilight" was written and recorded in one day. "Something for Nothing" closes out the album. Neil Peart states: "All those paeans to American restlessness and the American road carried a tinge of wistfulness, an acknowledgment of the hardships of the vagrant life, the notion that wanderlust could be involuntary, exile as much as freedom, and indeed, the understanding that freedom wasn't free. In the mid-'70s, the band was driving to a show in downtown Los Angeles, at the Shrine Auditorium, and I noticed some graffiti splattered across a wall: 'Freedom isn't free,' and I adapted that for a song on 2112, 'Something for Nothing'".

Cultural significance

The Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada, a non-profit Canadian charitable organization dedicated to promoting the preservation of Canada's audio-visual heritage, has sponsored MasterWorks, which annually recognizes 12 culturally significant Canadian classics from the film, radio, TV and music industries. The Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada (or the AV Trust was a charitable Non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the preservation of Canada ’s In 2006, 2112 was one of the albums chosen to be preserved.

Track listing

All music by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson and lyrics by Neil Peart except where noted. Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib on July 29, 1953 in Willowdale Toronto) is a Canadian musician best known as the lead vocalist Alex Lifeson, OC (born Aleksandar Živojinović on August 27 1953 in Fernie, British Columbia) is a Canadian Musician Neil Peart (ˈpɪərt OC, (born Neil Ellwood Peart, September 12, 1952, Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian Musician

Side one

1. "2112" – 20:37
   • I: "Overture" (music: Lifeson, Lee, Peart) – 4:32
   • II: "The Temples of Syrinx" – 2:13
   • III: "Discovery" (music: Lifeson) – 3:29
   • IV: "Presentation" (music: Lifeson) – 3:42
   • V: "Oracle: The Dream" – 2:00
   • VI: "Soliloquy" – 2:21
   • VII: "Grand Finale" (music: Lifeson, Lee, Peart) – 2:14

Side two

1. "A Passage to Bangkok" – 3:34
2. "The Twilight Zone" (Peart) – 3:17
3. "Lessons" (Lifeson) – 3:51
4. "Tears" (Lee) – 3:31
5. "Something for Nothing" (music: Lee) – 3:59

Credits

• Geddy Lee - bass, keyboards, vocals
• Alex Lifeson - guitar
• Neil Peart - drums, percussion
• Hugh Syme - Mellotron on "Tears"

Charts

Album

Billboard (North America)

Singles

Remaster Details

Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs issued a Gold CD remaster in 1993. 2112 is the title track from Canadian Progressive rock band Rush 's album of the same name, released in 1976 The Canadian rock band Rush has written recorded and performed several instrumentals throughout its career The Canadian rock band Rush has written recorded and performed several instrumentals throughout its career " A Passage to Bangkok " is the second song on Rush 's album 2112. "The Twilight Zone" is the third track on Rush's album 2112. Lessons is the fourth song from Rush 's fourth album 2112. It is the only song in Rush's entire catalog to be written entirely by Alex Lifeson (not Tears is the fifth song from Rush 's fourth album 2112. It is the only song from the album (and one of the few songs in the band's whole catalog to " Something for Nothing " is the sixth and final song from Rush 's fourth album 2112. Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib on July 29, 1953 in Willowdale Toronto) is a Canadian musician best known as the lead vocalist Alex Lifeson, OC (born Aleksandar Živojinović on August 27 1953 in Fernie, British Columbia) is a Canadian Musician Neil Peart (ˈpɪərt OC, (born Neil Ellwood Peart, September 12, 1952, Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian Musician Hugh Syme is a Graphic artist who is best known for his artwork and cover concepts for rock and metal bands The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical polyphonic keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry "The Twilight Zone" is the third track on Rush's album 2112. Rush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968 in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, currently comprised of Terry Brown is a Record producer involved in a variety of work but most noted for his involvement with the Canadian rock band Rush and the British/Canadian band 2112 is the title track from Canadian Progressive rock band Rush 's album of the same name, released in 1976 Rush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968 in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, currently comprised of Terry Brown is a Record producer involved in a variety of work but most noted for his involvement with the Canadian rock band Rush and the British/Canadian band " A Passage to Bangkok " is the second song on Rush 's album 2112. Rush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968 in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, currently comprised of Terry Brown is a Record producer involved in a variety of work but most noted for his involvement with the Canadian rock band Rush and the British/Canadian band That release is now out of print. [1]

A Mercury Records 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. Retrospective I 1974 to 1980 is a compilation Album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1997 (see 1997 in music)
• 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.

External links

• antiMUSIC.com Classics 2112 review.