With an us-against-them mentality, Peart borrowed from author Ayn Rand’s Anthem novelette for the concept part of the album that comprises the title track and side one of the record.
The portion of the documentary devoted to 2112 shows how the band was almost dropped by its record label, and that the 1976 release was nearly a last-ditch effort - but one that Rush would only have if it was done their way. Rush: 2112 and Moving Pictures offers tremendous backstories behind those great and very different recordings, from the perspective of the band’s Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart, as well as others such as 2112 producer and engineer Terry Brown and David Fricke of Rolling Stone magazine. The Classic Album interviews are perfect for that, and the Rush installment, especially because the band only has three players, is ideal.
One way to “critically listen” to songs is by following the individual instruments, whether it’s a bass line, guitar riff or drum tracks, and then playing the song again and focusing on another instrument. But they also do a great job of sitting with the artists, picking their brains and also letting them illustrate how certain tracks were engineered and mixed together, which really provides another level of appreciation for the music - as well as an excellent lesson for listening like an audiophile. I’ve seen about a half dozen of these Classic Album docs, and they’re nothing short of masterful for music fans who want a behind-the-scenes look at what went into such epic recordings.
#Rush classic albums series
So when I think of demo material, critical listening and audiophile sound systems, it may be unusual but I think of Rush - I’ve been to many demos with Bob and heard La Villa soar through top-notch electronics and speakers from the likes of Revel, RBH, Paradigm, Anthem, Snell, Mark Levinson, Classe, B&W and others.Īnd I also had that in mind when I sat down to watch (and hear) one of the latest in the excellent Classic Albums series of documentaries, Rush: 2112 and Moving Pictures, which was recently released on Blu-ray from Eagle Rock Entertainment, which specializes in music docs and concert films. Bob can speak to any form of music, from classical to hair bands to traditional audiophile fare such as Krall, but when he brings his own demo material you can bet there’s a good dose of guitar from the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Monty Montgomery and Steve Morse - and among his favorite tracks is a killer Morse cover of the Rush instrumental La Villa Strangiato. He’s reviewed and listened to audio systems that cost as much as people’s houses, but he’d prefer to watch grass grow than hear another selection from Diana Krall.
It is a fantastic diagnostic look at two quintessential Rush albums.One of my colleagues, and our most knowledgeable A/V guy here, Bob Archer isn’t your typical audiophile. I recommend this for those who love the CA series and all Rush addicts such as myself. This is a great supplement to the Beyond the Lightest Stage documentary. The band take out the scalpel and dissect each other in a kiss and tell section with humorous anecdotes. The unseen unaired footage is of particular interest including the influences of 2112, footage of performances of Something For Nothing, Neil warming up, Red Barchetta, Tom Sawyer, and YYZ, why they called it such and what it really is about. The transformation from prog to commercial sound is discussed and there is a section on the production of the YYZ classic. Moving Pictures is of course a masterpiece and we get to indulge in how songs were written and the overall sound was generated. The three members have a lot to say as usual, as do their managers and friends and rock commentators spouting on about what it was like to record these albums. This gives a real insight into how the Rush sound is formed. Songs are stripped down so we can hear hidden sections or just bass by itself, vocals, guitar or drums respectively. We hear how songs were created and can learn about the recording industry, as is always the case in the Classic Albums documentary series. We hear about the influences and inspiration behind 2112 and how the album was put together. I picked this DVD up at a generous price recently and enjoyed hearing about these classic albums that have always favoured strongly in my Rush collection.
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