to commemorate my first dorm room
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This was the first Rush album (non-compilation) that I bought. I was like, "I'd really like to hear the rest of that there 2112, why don't I go get the album." So I did, foolishly unaware that the entire Rush catalogue on Mercury Records was being remastered. A couple of months later, I saw an ad in Rolling Stone or someplace for the new remastered Rush CD's.....d'oh! So I am doing this review from the un-digitally remastered CD. The only really bummerish thing is that on the remastered, it has more of the little text narration stuff ("I lie awake, staring out at the bleakness of Megadon...." Wait, maybe the lack of cheesy text is a *good* thing =) I had always thought that was all there was, but according to the site above that has they cover & lyrics, there is more to the story. Another thing about my copy of the album is that it looks kind of funny in my CD tower in the midst of all of the others I have on that label because they are the remastered ones and have a nice format and font to them. But hey, man, I thought it was supposed to be about the music. You're right. Let's go... |
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Image created by me to commemorate my first dorm room |
2112
I was trying to remember if this or Close to the Edge was
the first side-long
song I ever heard. I'm thinking it was 2112 actually.
Not a bad song for an
epic. But, if it was 2113 it would be one louder.
(acknowledgement). That
reminds me, this song is probably Rush at their most Spinal-Tappy.
Like the
other day I heard Stonehenge on the radio, and I just thought
"If you cranked
those vocals up a couple octaves, this could be a Rush
song!" But I'd probably
get punched for saying that so we'd better move
on.
I really enjoy this
song. It definitely shows a growth from FoL;
it fits together better and is
more dramatic. Not that getting played
on the radio is any indication of how
good a song is, but I just think
it's neat to hear Overture and Temples on
KGGO....not like on the Fort
Dodge station how they used to have that little
promo that featured the
"whooshing" sounds from the intro! I'd get all
excited and think, "Cool,
they're gonna play 2112!" and it would just say
"The evolution of Z94
continues," and then I'd be sad.
The story that
is told is very cool. I especially like the line "What
can this strange device
be?" Sometimes I look at my computer when it is
acting up and ask the same
thing. You really have sympathy for the guy.
He's probably not as tough as
the guy from Cygnus, what with flying his
ship into a black hole and all. But
we still love him, especially during
the quasi-blues section at the end of
Soliloquy where his spirits are low
in the depths of despair.
The Grand
Finale is pretty cool too, thanks to the mixed tempos and psycho
guitar
sounds. And of course the weird talking voice again. Gotta love that.
A Passage to Bangkok This song's not about drugs, no way! What gave you that idea ;-) Well I didn't pick up on it right away, don't feel bad. Anyway this is a very cool song. It's my favorite of the "other" side of this record. Just a nice little rock song, with very cool percussive sounds. I believe it was ESL's contribution to Chronicles, and you can't argue with that. You could have a theme set with "A Passage to Bangkok", and "One Night in Bangkok" from Chess and, uh, that would be it. So maybe not the most popular international city to be immortalized in popular music, but what can you do?
The Twilight Zone Time for a little change of pace, with the this semi-depressing tune. All right, it's not a bad song, it's just that the whispering is, well, quite unsettling. Maybe some day I'll come to appreciate it, but until then it'll just be another song that I hear but don't really listen to. You dig?
Lessons Ok, it's the third time for me listening to this song while trying to write the review. I forget to pay attention to it. I keep getting distracted, must be all the squirrels around. Anyway, this song is also an asset to side 2. It's just dang happy! Then it gets kinda heavy-metalish and makes you wanna scream "Yeaah!!! Rock!!" Ok.....
Tears Now this song I don't mind if I forget to listen to it. It's *really* depressing, yes, I know that's the point but still. Hey I just noticed this, from looking at the lyrics, that it is "What would touch me deeper," whereas all this time I thought it was "One word touched me deeper." Sorry, Neil, but I think we're going to have to give the lyrical edge to me on this one. And it looks like in the next song you rip off Sesame Street too, great! Sorry. Did I mention how much this song irritates me? It's slow, but it's not a power ballad, so what's the point?
Something For Nothing Now this song is definitely cool. It makes
me want to go out and kick some butt! Or at least, go down to the Friley
C-Store and buy a bottle of delicious chocolate Yoo-Hoo. (Note to self:
when finished with this review, go down to the Friley C-Store and buy a
bottle of delicious chocoalte Yoo-Hoo)
I especially enjoy the groove we get into during the first verse.
The rest of the music is enjoyable as well. The "What you..." section
looks kind of lame when you read it, but in the context of the song it is
pretty effective. It's a fine song with which to end the album.