Rush

2112 (Mercury)

This is only 104 years away, people. And, seeing how it houses a future so dystopian that the simple discovery of a musical instrument threatens to destroy world order, there better be a Syrinx on the world map in the next 10 years and huge temples going up shortly thereafter. So maybe it’s just half a sci-fi concept record, since 1976’s 2112 suite only encompasses what was once side one of the record. Sure, the lyrics inspired by Ayn Rand’s moist dreams have acquired a cartoonish bombast, but damned if the Canadian power trio’s fury on the “Overture” doesn’t still spark a Pavlovian desire to pack a bong. Moreover, after getting through the boring bits of “Discovery” and “Presentation,” the rock-prog ratio stays high enough to keep this a largely guilt-free pleasure 32 years on.

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This article appears in July 25 • 2008.

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