http://www.strawberrybricks.com/The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive RockCopyright 2017-2020 © Charles Snideren-ushttp://www.strawberrybricks.com/guide/releases/2112Rush were a Canadian trio who, in just a few short years, went from riff-laden heavy metal (read: Led Zeppelin-style) to British progressive rock (read: Yes-style). The band had an excellent and versatile guitarist in Alex Lifeson, while Geddy Lee was known for both his trebly bass and high-pitched vocals. Drummer par excellence Neil Peart, who joined for the band's second album, also provided lyrics for the band's music. Their sound had steadily "progressed," both artistically and commercially, over a few albums, culminating here on 2112. Based in part on the writings of Ayn Rand's novella Anthem, the album takes its title from the suite of songs that comprises the first side of the record. Of course, it isn't that different from "The Fountain of Lamneth" on the previous Caress Of Steel, just more refined. The opening movement "Overture" is a blistering run-through of Rush's brand of heavy rock. But as the band weaves its guitar-based rock through the suite's discrete sections offering a tale of a dystopian future, Rush certainly have more to offer than your average head bangers, both musically and intellectually. The second side kicks off with the ultimate hemp homage, "A Passage to Bangkok." Subject matter aside, it's a classic Rush song, combining their pop sensibility with a great melody-and that great oriental riff-in a heavy metal anthem. The closing "Something for Nothing" follows in the same mold. This album was their first commercial success, managing to reach No. 61 on the UK charts. Their US breakthrough took a little longer though, and was the result of continuous touring with the likes of Kiss and Aerosmith. The live double-album All The World's A Stage, released in the fall, rose to No. 40 in the US.http://www.strawberrybricks.com/guide/releases/2112Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:58:26 -0500