Even though many of the original pressings are mastered at Masterdisk (by HW, BK and GK), some of the reissues from 1979 on the “skyscraper” label are too.
But none of the later pressings we played sounded very good. Audiophiles looking for top quality sound should stick to the domestic originals.
What We’re Listening For On 2112
- Energy for starters. What could be more important than the life of the music?
- Then: presence and immediacy. The vocals aren’t “back there” somewhere, lost in the mix. They’re front and center where any recording engineer worth his salt would put them.
- The Big Sound comes next — wall to wall, lots of depth, huge space, three-dimensionality, all that sort of thing.
- Then transient information — fast, clear, sharp attacks, not the smear and thickness so common to these LPs.
- Tight punchy bass — which ties in with good transient information, also the issue of frequency extension further down.
- Next: transparency — the quality that allows you to hear deep into the soundfield, showing you the space and air around all the instruments.
- Extend the top and bottom and voila, you have The Real Thing — an honest to goodness Hot Stamper.
AMG 4 1/2 Star Review
Whereas Rush’s first two releases, their self-titled debut and Fly by Night, helped create a buzz among hard rock fans worldwide, the more progressive third release, Caress of Steel, confused many of their supporters. Rush knew it was now or never with their fourth release, and they delivered just in time — 1976’s 2112 proved to be their much sought-after commercial breakthrough and remains one of their most popular albums.
Instead of choosing between prog rock and heavy rock, both styles are merged together to create an interesting and original approach. The entire first side is comprised of the classic title track, which paints a chilling picture of a future world where technology is in control (Peart’s lyrics for the piece being influenced by Ayn Rand). Comprised of seven “sections,” the track proved that the trio members were fast becoming rock’s most accomplished instrumentalists.
The second side contains shorter selections, such as the Middle Eastern-flavored “A Passage to Bangkok” and the album-closing rocker “Something for Nothing.” 2112 is widely considered by Rush fans as their first true “classic” album, the first in a string of similarly high-quality albums.
Further Reading