This was their FU to the record company. And they were 22 years old!

Welcome to Rush! Once you enter this world you will never leave... and never want to leave.

Alex Lifeson is easily one of the most underrated and undermentioned guitarists ever. He’s a genius. He always played exactly what the song needed. First solo in La Villa Strangiato is one of best solos ever. Enjoy hearing for the first time! Lucky!!

The record company wanted Radio friendly songs this was the band’s response

It's called "Twenty-one twelve," the year of this sci fi story.

Imagine 50 yrs later, and you meet someone who has never even heard of Rush and you must show him the way. Just think about that.

Rush drummer and lyricist, Neil Peart, got the inspiration for "2112" after reading "Anthem" by Ayn Rand. Anthem is a story of a dystopian future where individuality has been suppressed in favor of the collective. All personal achievement is abolished, if not criminalized, and there is no individual identity. Then one day the protagonist of the story discovers several things in a long-abandoned tunnel that he believes are artifacts leftover from the "Unmentionable Times" - a trove of lost inventions and a library full of old books and art - creations of the previous society that had thought to have been destroyed under the rise of the current regime. He uses paper and pencil he stole from the Home of the Clerks to keep a journal by candlelight of his discoveries and experiments, eventually figuring out how to make electricity and a light bulb. The novel ends with the protagonist discovering the word, "I".

In "2112", The Priests of Syrinx are the stewards of all the information that society is allowed access to, and that info is contained in their great computers. In order to maintain their tight control over their "utopia" they have removed from memory all relics of the Elder Race of Men. Then one day, the protagonist discovers a guitar, an item which was left behind by the "Elder Race" prior to the wars that led to the founding of their current society. He believes he can make music and bring beauty, creativity, and individual expression and achievement to his world that so desperately needs it.

In both stories - Anthem and 2112 - the protagonists rightly feel that their contributions to society through these discoveries would help their fellow man.  Moreover, these contributions are a representation of the individual, and the satisfaction one has in being able to produce something from within himself is its own end.

Not only does "2112" parallel the story arc of "Anthem", but it is also a personal statement for the band who had been under pressure from the record company to produce more "radio-friendly" cuts that were shorter in length and had mass appeal. The response was an album whose opening track was 20 minutes long and was a defiant statement to the record company that they were not going to conform to the collective wishes of the industry, and they were going to make the music THEY wanted to make!

"Listen to my music, hear what it can do.
There's something here that's as strong as life,
I know it will reach you."
RIP Neil😇

Yes, they can do it live, even fifty years later.  Welcome to the family.  Just wait until you hear “Xanadu” … and the ONLY version to watch is Live at Montreal 1981 (“Exit: Stage Left”). You will not believe three musicians can play it live.  I call it Three Geniuses with Seven Necks!

THE BEST 3 PIECE ORCHESTRA OF ALL TIME!!

In 1977, 14-year-old me traded a George Carlin album for this with a friend. He liked YES and traded a friend of his for this, and he did not like it. I liked Queen and Styx, so he thought I would like this. I sat alone in my living room one afternoon and looked at the picture of the band on the back cover and thought negatively of them in their Kimonos as I dropped the needle on side 1. I was not prepared for themusical awakening that happened to me that day. I became a lifelong RUSH fan that afternoon. I have seen them on every tour since 1981. I  have taken one of my daughters and my son-in-law to see them. Next week, I am retiring from my nursing job of 34 years on Tuesday, and on Thursday, I am taking one of my granddaughters to see them with me at MSG.  In October, my other granddaughter will accompany me to see them in DC. I have seen them on every tour since 1981. I play bass guitar because of them. Attention All Planets of the Solar Federation., 7 words repeated 3 times=21. We Have Assumed Control, 4 words repeated 3 times = 12...2112

My 2 sons are musicians, both saw rush for their first rock concert. My youngest made it his mission to perfect "discovery". He played it for young lady about 8 years ago, and made her cry.  I now have a wonderful daughter in-law rush fan!

So nice to see someone recognize the brilliance of Alex Lifeson amongst this obvious brilliance.

The greatest band of all time.

Hehe you caught the nod to Tchaikovsky there.  1812… 2112…. These guys have many levels.

When Geddy sings as the man who found the guitar, his voice is gentle and sweet, but as the Priests his voice is sharp angry and mean. Perfection!

To hear Neal Peart for the first time…. Those fills are something, aren’t they?

In 1976 I heard my first Rush song.... It was 2112. In 1978 I saw my first Rush show. August 1st 2015 I saw my 53rd Rush show and watched Neil take his final bow.... I waited outside the Forum that night until 3:30am by Alex's limo and a handful of us got to meet him and hang out with him for around 20-30 minutes.... Best live band ever.... I wish I could afford to see them with Anika..... Liked and subscribed.... Prayers up ❤️🙏

I saw Rush in Chicago last night. Literal tears were falling from my eyes. After Neil died, I figured that it was over.

During the Tyler Hawkins memorials, Geddy and Alex had conversations with Sir Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, etc. and decided to honor Neil’s memory (and continue with the music they also created) by putting a band back together and going on the road.

The concert last night was brilliant. Geddy is so effortless on bass. He makes the impossible look easy. Alex is the heart and soul. Finding and adding Annika Nilles on drums was a stroke of fortune and genius. She is astonishing. I couldn’t imagine a better result after such a tragic “end”.

As a Canadian teen in the 70s every boy I knew had this record.  It is one of those albums you can listen to over and over again.  Iconic cover.