2112 [Remastered] - Rush > Reviews > this album may make you cry

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	an all time experience
Disadvantages:	you may be a bit embarassed due to its outdated nature

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I am not a massive prog rock fan..i listened to a bit of led zep when i was about 13 after discovering the doors and falling in love with morrison...but really i was just too young...the band 'yes' put me off exploring this path any further and thank god for punk rock I put all this stuff in the category of old hippy music. However...now that I am an old hippy(sob) and the years of punk, thrash, techno, hardcore and whatever else just makes me weary,i discovered this in the collection of an old time metal dinosaur friend. And wow! I was blown away. Also a fan of musicals(i know this is not cool to admit, but there you go) i love the concept album concept...a rock opera???whatever...the opening to this is best experienced lying down in the dark imagining space. This is a journey to another realm...a world where music is prohibited and sound is controlled by the priests of syrinx(great titles in here for trekkie types) but the magic is in the guitar! the layering of fretwork upon chord upon warp sound...this album forced me to adjust my top 3 guitarists of all time list, so you know what that means. before this album I never understood the reason for the metal screechie voices of bands like guns n roses and even maiden, but here...it all makes sense. The priests could only sound this way. Drums! for all lovers of speed drummers, this rocks! the drum rolls are so fast and the rhythm , well if i wasnt knackered I'd just have to rock it out!
After the thrill of the intro, the first track begins the journey of the character within this album finding a guitar. You can begin to think beyond the sound to imaginethis experience...to find the first 'ancient miracle' of musical sound. To feel the pain of rejection and the angst of knowing WE ARE ALL CONTROLLED BY THE POWERS THAT BE, by the way in which the priests recieve this news. Its an excellent conspiracy mindscramble.(see Ayn Rand's philosphical work upon which this album was based.)
There are periods where you could lose interest in the plot if you havent studied the lyrics as the vocal style is a bit difficult to decipher at times. However, the power of the lead vocals rip you back into the musical progression as the interplay of synthesizer with guitar build to make the sounds of the AUTHORITY that are almost frightening.
A highly sensualised imginative trip, if you havent found this yet (in the words of another legend) you are yet to be experienced...buy it now!