Attention all planets of the Solar Federation:
We have assumed control.
We have assumed control.
We have assumed control.
On the date 21/12 (at least in Canadian format), there could be no other song to highlight but—drum roll please—"2112.”
I’ve already highlighted bits and pieces of this magnum opus several times this year (here, here, here, and here, for starters). But today we listen to the whole damn thing in its twenty-minute entirety.
So many others have waxed poetic about how formative “2112” was in the prog landscape and the musical ecosystem that I will spare your attention spans now. I’ll just note that this song, for all its quirks and flaws, deserves all the endless praise it gets. It really freakin’ rocks.
I do highly recommend watching the official VEVO video from Rush’s YouTube channel, as linked to below. It sets the song to the comic book that accompanied the 2112 Deluxe Edition, matching lyrics and musical movements to panels to give new life to the song. (Keep an eye out for the trio’s cameo!)