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Rating: The first thing I asked myself when listening to Rush (from various mp3s freely downloadable from www.progarchives.com, a highly recommended site for those approaching the genre) is: how have I not heard them before?
All I knew, from reading the "dear old Metal Hammer" a few years ago, was that they were one of the fundamental references for Iron Maiden at first, and for the orgy of similar bands that would later emerge. For someone like me, an "old" metalhead raised on "Kill'em All," "Covenant," and "Morbid Visions," it becomes natural to listen to this genre: not because I'm tired of the fury of death/black (which I still listen to and follow with passion), but because... I've aged, and I'm becoming nostalgic!! And because I believe I understand - in part, of course - where the epic gallops and heavy outbursts we've been accustomed to for about 20 years originate from.
The Rush of "2112" perfectly combines vocals akin to Led Zeppelin, music that the best King Crimson knew (and know) how to play, and a concept that I read is sci-fi (which I haven't translated yet and don't know as I should). To say that at their debut they were considered so lacking in creativity that they were taken for a cover band (!) of Plant's group: not here, our guys create a new musical world, apart, I would say almost dreamlike, rich in ideas, spiced with the wise use of effects and extremely original riffs. And how can we not talk about the power and vocal range of Geddy Lee?
A style that reminded me, in its entirety, of certain Iron Maiden albums. And if you're curious, dear metalheads, you should listen to them too: we were in 1974...
Listening to the long and intricate suite "I Overture, II The Temples Of Syrinx, III Discovery, IV Presentation, V Oracle-The Dream, VI Soliloquy, VII Grand Finale," with strong progressive accents and numerous tempo changes, the catchy "A Passage to Bangkok" with its evident Zeppelin influence, you can't remain indifferent. The subsequent semi-acoustic "The Twilight Zone" (tell me it reminds you of something!) evokes melancholy and nostalgia, while "Lessons" provides, needless to say, a great lesson in rock music, with heart-stopping solos (and to think that they were only THREE creating that "mess" - in a good sense!).
What do you expect then from the first notes of "Tears"? The same sadness from a rock ballad, that unique atmosphere that only a great ’70s album can give... and you arrive at "Something For Nothing," my favorite: of which I just want to give you an excerpt from the lyrics:
"What you own is your own kingdom
What you do is your own glory
What you love is your own power
What you live is your own story
In your head is the answer
Let it guide you along
Let your heart be the anchor
And the beat of your own song"
In short, once again my thought is confirmed and reinforced (and here there will be much to discuss): today's metal bands - from the '90s onward, with few exceptions, have invented (almost) nothing, because (almost) everything was written, rewritten, carved, and prominently displayed 30 years earlier. Forgive the "almost," but at this moment I might be missing some fundamental band... That's why, then, it's so difficult to make metal today without being trendy, copycats, anachronistic, or simply "false metal," meaning out-of-tune (!): because ideas are lacking, you inevitably have to strive to invent something, as Rush did with 2112.
And the question becomes: what would I be listening to now if I had found this CD 10-15 years ago?
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 2112: I. Overture / II. The Temples of Syrinx / III. Discovery / IV. Presentation / V. Oracle: The Dream / VI. Soliloquy / VII. Grand Finale (20:33)
02 A Passage to Bangkok (03:34)
A Passage To Bangkok
Our first stop is in Bogota
To check Colombian fields
The natives smile and pass along
A sample of their yield
Sweet Jamaican pipe dreams
Golden Acapulco nights
Then Morocco, and the East,
Fly by morning light
We're on the train to Bangkok
Aboard the Thailand Express
We'll hit the stops along the way
We only stop for the best
Wreathed in smoke in Lebanon
We burn the midnight oil
The fragrance of Afghanistan
Rewards a long day's toil
Pulling into Katmandu
Smoke rings fill the air
Perfumed by a Nepal night
The Express gets you there
We're on the train to Bangkok
Aboard the Thailand Express
We'll hit the stops along the way
We only stop for the best
03 The Twilight Zone (03:19)
A pleasant faced man steps up to greet you
he smiles and says he's pleased to meet you
Beneath his hat the strangeness lies
Take it off he's got three eyes
Truth is false and logic lost
Now the fourth dimension is crossed
You have entered the twilight zone
Beyond this world strange things are known
Use the key, unlock the door
See what your fate might have in store
Come explore your dreams' creation
Enter this world of imagination
You wake up lost in an empty town
Wondering why no-one else is around
Look up to see a giant boy
You've just become his brand new toy
No escape no place to hide
Here where time and space collide
You have entered the twilight zone
Beyond this world strange things are known
Use the key, unlock the door
See what your fate might have in store
Come explore your dreams' creation
Enter this world of imagination
04 Lessons (03:52)
Sweet memories
Flashing very quickly by
Reminding me
And giving me a reason why
I know that
My goal is more than a thought
I'll be there
When I teach what I've been taught
And I've been taught...
You know we've told you before
But you didn't hear us then
So you still question why
No! You didn't listen again!
You didn't listen again!
Sweet memories
I never thought it would be like this
Reminding me
Just how close I came to missing
I know that
This is the way for me to go
You'll be there
When you know what I know
And I know...
You know we've told you before
But you didn't hear us then
So you still question why
No! You didn't listen again!
You didn't listen again!
05 Tears (03:34)
All of the seasons
And all of the days
All of the reasons
Why I've felt this way
So long
So long
Then lost in that feeling
I looked in your eyes
I noticed emotion
And that you had cried
For me
I can see
What would touch me deeper
Tears that fall from eyes
That only cry?
Would it touch you deeper
Than tears that fall from eyes
That know why?
A lifetime of questions
Tears on your cheek
I tasted the answers
And my body was weak
For you
The truth
06 Something for Nothing (03:57)
Waiting for the winds of change
to sweep the clouds away
Waiting for the rainbows end
To cast it's gold your way
Countless ways, You pass the days
Waiting for someone to call
and turn your world around
Looking for an answer
to the questions you have found
Looking for, an open door
You don't get something for nothing
You can't have freedom for free
You won't get wise with the sleep still in your eye's
No matter what your dream might be
What you own is your own kingdom
What you do is your own glory
What you love is your own power
What you live is your own story
In your heart is the answer
Let it guide you along
Let your heart be the anchor
and the beat of you song
You don't get something for nothing
You can't have freedom for free
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Other reviews
By vellutogrigio
"2112 appears, even today, futuristic, beyond trends and time."
‘‘Something For Nothing’’ is the band’s manifesto and, in my opinion, Rush’s masterpiece in short tracks.
By splinter
"2112 presents a definitely much more experimental attitude compared to its predecessors."
"Twenty minutes of true prog-rock, a very experimental start with strange sound effects... designed to leave you speechless."
