RATINGS: A = must own B = buy it C= average D = yawn F = puke

Rush – 2112 Super Deluxe Edition
Mercury

www.rush.com

Rating: A

Rush were about to be dropped by their record company when they released their iconic album 2112. The first side of the album was an Ayn Rand type tale of music being made illegal by the government. A man discovered a guitar and brought music to their attention shaking the tightly controlled foundation the elite had created to the core.

The record company was not thrilled with the results feeling the band would not have a hit. While no hit single emerged, album oriented rock radio picked up the album and played the living hell out of it. Fans pushed the album to the Platinum sales mark and Rush were here to stay.

The album has now been re-released with new liner notes, in different deluxe additions described at the end of this review. The music sounds great all these years later. The band deserves to have this album given the deluxe treatment as they prepare to enter the hall of fame. Without 2112, they may have never finally been allowed in those hollowed halls.

Rush nerds will eat up this release. Extras on the different editions include new artwork by Hugh Syme, new liner notes from Rolling Stones Magazine’s David Fricke, digital comic books, photo galleries, hand written notes from Neil Peart and more. The bigger deluxe edition you get the more goodies there are.

2112: DELUXE EDITIONS (DVD Version and Blu-Ray Version):
2 DISC: CD + DVD AUDIO/VIDEO
2 DISC: CD + BLU-RAY

Expanded artwork, liner notes, lyrics and unreleased photos by original album designer Hugh Syme. Brand new liner notes by David Fricke, Rolling Stone.
CD - Digitally remastered plus 3 unreleased bonus live tracks:
- Overture (Northland Coliseum, Edmonton, AB - June 25, 1981)
- The Temples of Syrinx (Northland Coliseum, Edmonton, AB - June 25, 1981)
- A Passage To Bangkok (Manchester Apollo, Manchester, England - June 17, 1980)

DVD AUDIO/VIDEO AND BLU-RAY CONTAIN:
- Digital Comic Book - experience the comic book formatted for widescreen televisions during playback of the album.
- Photo Gallery - unreleased photos and handwritten lyrics by Neil Peart
-DVD AUDIO/VIDEO SPECS:
-5.1 Surround Sound mix by Richard Chycki in PCM (DVD-Audio players) and 48kHz / 24-bit Dolby Digital (DVD-Video players)
- 96kHz / 24-bit PCM Stereo (DVD-Audio players) and 48kHz / 24-bit Dolby Digital Stereo (DVD-Video players)
-BLU-RAY SPECS:
-5.1 Surround Sound mix by Richard Chycki in 96kHz / 24-bit PCM and DTS-HD Master Audio
- 96kHz / 24-bit PCM Stereo

2112: SUPER DELUXE EDITION
2 DISC: CD + BLU-RAY version contained in hardbound book case
Housed in a hardbound book with a 40 page comic book by story artist Tom Hodges (Star Wars "The Clone Wars," The Simpson's "Treehouse of Horrors #17") and a 24 page book with expanded artwork, liner notes, lyrics and unreleased photos. New liner notes written by David Fricke, Rolling Stone.

By Jeb Wright