Geddy Lee interview - the making of 2112

[sithwriter]

The song IS The Anthem, except its a guitar instead of a light bulb, the priests instead of the council, etc. It was more or less a play by play. I was really disappointed in Peart when I read the book.

[MrButtlettuce]

These dudes are like my religion.

[Fabishobbies]

I never had to watch an interview to understand Rushes music. To all fans out there listen to the music and you'll understand the song it's an amazing thing!!

RUSH ON!!!

[ANOMTOfficial]

Rush thought that 2112 would be their last album so they wanted to go out with a big "FUCK YOU" to the industry.

[DissentingVoice]

"2112" isn't terribly different to the preceding album, "Caress Of Steel," stylistically, but it's a lot more focussed. Thank God "2112" finally broke them open...my teenage years would have SUCKED even WORSE without Rush!

[michaelvj50]

Great musician..... Creepy lookin' character.

[Legionbass19]

@michaelvj50 My mom says he looks like the witch from "The Wizard of Oz". :)

[queenville]

@Legionbass19 that's exactly what i thought

[ejgiv]

What the hell has Geddy got against Bad Company?!

[RipperSB]

@ejgiv

Got nothin against Bad Company... just didn't want to be like them.

[maluminse1]

"The spirit of the individual still survives"

Awesome. Look up the story of Syrinx.

Odd that end of days is so close to 21 12 12-21 2012

[Legionbass19]

@maluminse1 I noticed that too. Weird, huh?

[maluminse1]

@Legionbass19 Yea it is. I always found the album cover, the lyrics and the music to be greater than it is.

[stonergeo33]

Read Ayn Rand! She is to writing like rush is to music!

[djamo1969]

It sounds like you are taking a bong hit at times throughout the recording. Probably the first time anyone has ever done that in conjunction with 2112. *_*

[HSTVProducer]

I was thinking the exact same thing!

[gorillabelly1]

Well, I can see why Ayn Rand's three big books, Atlas/Fountainhead/Anthem are still popular right to this day considering how people can probably relate to them thanks to endless new regulations/fees/taxes from the government and tightening/increasing of existing policy.

[Slipstream6130]

I had to read Anthem by Ayn Rand this year for English class! haha

[dragonyoshi1]

if only every musican kept there music as pure as rush has then music would be good nowdays instead of sucking BIG TIME

[exsees2112]

It's funny that Ged talks about the "individual's spirit surviving" when in their song he kills himself.

[zappaflorida]

take 100 year from that...it's more like 2012 lol

[maluminse1]

@zappaflorida Not in terms of Europe. They dont state month day. They state day then month. 21 12

[TOSportsFan1990]

Great job guys, they chose not to sell out and became successful as a result. Awesome.

[ePhilosopher9]

sECONDLY, IT OUGHT TO BE HUMAN NATURE, AT LEAST THAT'S A BIRD IN FLIGHT

[GeddyRules2112]

2/2: At it's core, 2112 is simply prose of Rand's 'Anthem', and this does not necessarily indicate that the members, specifically Peart, hold ties to collectivism or totalitarianism. Many of his lyrics depict the constant struggle between the two, with the former typically victorious, yet at the same time, as we all know--changes aren't permanent, but change is.

[GeddyRules2112]

1/2: I personally feel that people couple Ayn Randy and her "objectivist" views a little too closely with Rush. Remember now, Peart is an avid reader of all type of literature. Like many of us, he went through phases at an early age, and 2112 is merely a manifestation of Peart's interest in her as an author at that time.

[xxxH1N1xxx]

@GeddyRules2112 In a later interview in the 90's on the radio Neil mentioned that he believed that he was into an author called ayn rand at the time.

I think like most people who read her terrible works, he grew up, and grew out of it.

[wvskrj]

@xxxH1N1xxx terrible works? c'mon man!!! Rand's works were not terrible, they were not only revolutionary, they were poignant for the time, not to mention insightful and overall good reads. you don't have to agree with somebody's politics or ideology to enjoy something they write.

[xxxH1N1xxx]

@wvskrj Her characters were two dimensional. Insightful? Really? How precisely? Her characters were obvious, predictable, stiff.

[luciavalencia1]

@wvskrj Agreed 100%

[ePhilosopher9]

Congrats on Tribeca today... i missed simon&garfunkle at jazzfest today just for this... Did the metalhead producers dumb it down to substitute "gilded" with the word "lighted"? Nonetheless.... saw the trailer to Beyond the Lighted stage... reality tv star from kiss reminded me of alex's tiki bar.

[dwilmer7]

If this isn't poetic justice, I don't know what is. Their contract disputes were expressed metaphorically in the very concept album that saved their a.s.ses. A play within the play a la a midsummer nights dream. Truth is not only stranger than fiction, but more theatrical. Rush rules.

[austingroom]

you guys should read Anthem by anne rynne. its super interesting and really makes this album make more sense

[1helluvaguy]

Libertarians rock!

[weaselsuit]

All these years later, I personally think that Caress of Steel is an overall better and more daring record. I've been a fan for thirty years now and that's my feeling.

[EntustinMeYourLife]

*Wipes away a tear* That was beautiful, Geddy! :']

Sorry, I'm rather goofy today. XD

[ePhilosopher9]

AS FAR AS CUTTING THE LAWN...

WHEN 12/21/2012

WHEN THE DOGS ARE BECOMING NICER?

aYN rAND KINDA FUNNY hEALTHCARE POST WATERFALL screams high voices, you wanna take another two or so? Walk and talk withh me monsier gedsterlee, tell me how many cubic polypheimers the Dirk scoops just Right ouff the aschew leap for existence. Nah.

[Geddylee2000]

Phenomenal Musician and one of my personal heroes

[CHEESEBURGER10000]

i wanna see 2112 the movie lol no joke

[MrDeppness]

Ayn Rand and Rock n Roll. An unlikely, however superb combination!

[Kruegerisgod]

Rush>Pearl Jam.Rush no doubt about it.

[TEMPmichaelhansen]

2112 AWESOME

[TEMPmichaelhansen]

i would love to see a full 2112 documentary...

[vmkSAVAGEGUY]

i fully agree with the comment below me >:]

[spenglerX]

Radiohead and pearljam shoudlnt be mentioned in the same breath as Rush

[ErikMogan]

@spenglerX

Unless it's to say, "Rush is far superior to Radiohead and Pearl Jam."

[rukus24]

@ErikMogan

your anus is far superior to your brain.

apples and oranges, why compare?

Radiohead and Pearl Jam are legendary bands in their own right.

[ErikMogan]

@rukus24

Two things

1. Oranges > Apples

2. Why have you been looking at the results from my last colonoscopy?

[crazyedd123]

not all music has been bad

radiohead made some good stuff, and RATM, even pearl jam have been original

[pngilman]

he's been in a band with niel peart for 30+ years, he *sang* fricking 2112 ffs and he mispronounces her name as "ann rand?!" WTF!?

[sideshowlol]

He's obviously saying 'Ayn' with a Canadian accent.

[taxidoimy]

He's saying "Ayn". Ayn Rand was a writer in her prime in the 1930s and '40's. 2112 is based on the ideals of most of her work.

[believer06]

He was so right. Why not leave it up to the musicians to decide what music they create? Imagine how much better music would have been the past 20 years had it been that way. Instead, it's been the suits deciding what to be put out. All you have are a handful of originals and thousands of cookie cutter copies of them. Music has suked for the past 20 years.

[bongoguy13]

Amen to that

[Mightymopar1973]

@believer06 Also, imagine how many bands would not have been signed if that were the case? True, music in general would be in a better pplace, as would Hollywood and any other form of entertainment, but when you live amongst empty shells that comform what creativity do they really have other the promoted vision of what you are "supposed" to do. Gives new meaning to the phrase "No independent thought".

[romanblood]

Yeah, from the bonus stuff.

[geddyleesangel101]

Not too bad quality, gave it 4/5 stars and faved it.

[cmg2112]

Fascinating! I never made the conection with the time in they're carreer. I just thought the inspiration wass purely Ayn Rand's Anthem. Excellent find! Thanks for posting that.

[1980MF1980]

I don't like the soul patch

[ultimatestreersk8r]

i bought the 2112 record at goodwill for only a buck listen to it everyday

[MattWhite900]

how someone could give that music away is beyond me

[TheInfinityEffect]

Yawn

[rumpasherm420]

why dose he sound like a girl when he sings

[screaming4moreramen]

He "wails" when he sings. So its high pitched, somewhat feminine sounding but still great.

[SleepingInTheFire]

its been called a ''robert plant style whail''

[askorbiinihappo]

It´s called awesomeness.

[KingZerxst]

why do you sound like a faggot?

[rumpasherm420]

your the one who takes slow sucks on your siters cock

[MattWhite900]

because you sound like a faggot when you talk

[rushringsfanatic]

So thats why they wrote 2112, ive been listening for 22 years and I never knew.

[AstralPixie]

Great interview. :)

[puzzler11]

i admire so much the way the think.

thats the kind of band i want to be in.

[Dragonking0]

An album that goes hand in hand with Orwell's 1984. As has been said, many bands these days have to rely on a record company and contracts to keep their music alive. What did Rush do when their record company told them to do something? They did the opposite! When 2112 was being made, they were told to make several short songs to be played on the radio. Instead, they created the masterpiece that put them on the map and secured their musical career for thrity glorious years.

Long live Rush.

[nesjuggalo]

Yes, amen. At that point I heard Rush could barely pay the stage crew and barely themselves. Neil was thinking on quiting and helping his dad with machines orsomething.

Luckily, they stood their ground and became legends.

[echoesofgilmour]

@Dragonking0 actually it's with Anthem by Ayn Rand...although both are distopian novels

[Andytheminstrel]

The Spirit of the Individual will ALWAYS prevail!

[UberJumpTactics]

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[SpiritOfRadio2112]

Omg one of the best prog albums ever.

[bearmare]

Only a Jew can be this badass. Jews are badass and Geddy is one Mega-Jew.

[19jsparker19]

actually, from what i understand, Geddy isn't a a practicing Jew

[bearmare]

He was married in a traditional ceremony, but that may have been for his mom. Practicing or not, Geddy has been impacted by being a Jew. If you can find the interview he did for Canadian Jewish News, Geddy reveals the impact the Holocaust has had on him. Though never having experienced that event, Geedy, like every Jew, has been affected by it.

But back to my point, Geddy is a bad-assed Jew and all Jews are bad-asses. Israel Lives!

[19jsparker19]

yeah, Neil wrote "Red Sector A" for Geddy, and i believe it's about Geddy's parents...? anywhoo, it is agreed that Geddy is bad-ass

[journeyandrushfreak]

yes, it is in fact about Ged's parents. they were both in concentration camps.

[ugotpimp]

i thought he was polish.

[bearmare]

You have never heard of Polish jews? The infamous "Warsaw Ghetto"? Get out more.

[ugotpimp]

yes ive heard of warsaw ghetto. the band Nitzer Ebb had a song about it that i used to listen to back when industrial was popular.

warsaw ghetto was a triumph of the value of an armed citizenry.

with only a few guns a handful of polish jews were able to valiently extend the resistence against better equiped nazis.

guns equalize unequals.

when your powerful expanding govt wants to disarm you...its not for your safety...its for THEIR safety.

stay armed america

[Kilmarley]

Amen ugotpimp!

[cncdaddy1]

This interview is why you gotta love Rush. They told the record company jerk offs to go take a leap when they demanded they commercialize their product. Rush said "fuck off Mr. record company". All the record company assholes want now is 18 months of sustained ITunes downloads from these dime a dozen "bands" like Coldplay. Bands like Rush that evolve over time will never be allowed to exist ever again.

[SiriusRushFan]

Great post! Agree fully with you. 2112 may just play out in the future after all, The way things are going now with the music industry, when 2112 gets here, will there be any music left, as we know it now?

[ugotpimp]

agreed. I think Radiohead does a damn good job paving their own way too. I tip my hat to them as well.

99% of other bands suck at the corporate tit and pay in individualism and sincerity

[geddyleesangel101]

Where the heck did you find this? Coolio, BTW.

[romanblood]

Its on A headbangers Journey Bonus interviews (disc 2)

[iliketowrite]

geddy lee is my hero!

[WAM39JAM]

I trully agree damm good bass player