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One of my online friends from the time before Facebook, a fellow conservative and RUSH fan, asked for my interpretation of RUSH's album 2112 and the title rock suite "2112." After posting my response on my Wall, I also published it as Facebook note on 3 August 2011. I posted the note here on my personal web site in recognition of "International RUSH Day" on 21 December 2012 (21.12.12 or 12.21.12 . . . get it...).
On RUSH's album 2112, with emphasis on the rock suite "2112"
by Matt Wallace
This page was last modified on 26 October 2014.
The B side of 2112 is a standard collection of songs thematically unrelated to the A side's rock suite "2112."
Given the acknowledgement to Ayn Rand, "2112" is Neil Peart's rock version of her Anthem (which I probably last picked up over thirty years ago). As such, "2112" is anti-collectivist and pro-individualism.
The Solar Federation is a future, technologically-advanced, theocratic totalitarian regime headed by "the priests of the Temples of Syrinx." Though its religious dogma is unspecified, its dictatorial nature and full control of all aspects of life is made clear. Given the Rand connection and Peart's use of the "Red Star" as the regime's symbol, the Soviet Union is clearly a real-world model. Taking my assertion that Marxism is an atheistic religion completes the comparison.
The protagonist's discovery of the old guitar introduces the rock theme to the suite. The guitar is quintessentially rock music, and rock music is quintessentially individualistic. The protagonist learns to make his own music independent of and different from that of the regime. His delight in this is an affirmation of the human yearning for freedom. The protagonist mistakenly shares his discovery with the priests who destroy the guitar. With the destruction of the guitar, the priests assert their power, maintain control, and manifest their hostility for individualism. The protagonist dreams of and longs for the world of the guitar; ultimately, he retreats to the cave where he found the guitar and commits suicide. This voluntary physical separation from the collective and refusal to live the only life offered by the collective is a desperate affirmation of individualism.
Addendum
On 18 October 2014, in a moment I've been dreading for most of the year, Darrin John Ford, the online friend referenced above, died after a lengthy period of declining health.
I've lost one of my oldest Internet friends, going back to the late '90s when we were waging a Conservative counterinsurgency against the Leftist and Counterculturalist infestation on Carolyn's Little World (Carolyn Gargaro) and Rightgrrl! (Carolyn Gargaro and Stephanie Herman). D.J. was The Radical-Conservative, or Rad-Con for short, and I was, as I have been since 1997, The Compleat Heretic. GIT SOME!!!
We agreed on most things which allowed us to most cordially disagree when it came to the notable exception of religion . . .
Go easy, brother. The fight goes on!
Obituary: Darrin John Ford (17 May 1967 - 18 October 2014)
— The Compleat Heretic, 26 October 2014
Facebook Discussions
3 August 2011
D.j. Conservativeamerican Ford > Matt Wallace
Two questions
A. What is side A. of 2112 talking about
B.How does side B. of 2112 tie in with side A.?
I'm pretty sure I know what side A. talks about but I' m not so sure about side B.
Matt Wallace
[Response as above]
D.j. Conservativeamerican Ford
I thought it was about communism or socialism lol
[Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=901752883081&id=25008510]
4 August 2011
D.j. Conservativeamerican Ford > Matt Wallace
Matt I have Temples of Syrinx running though my head and it's YOUR fault!
Matt Wallace
For the record, *you* asked *me* about 2112 and "2112"...
Also, thanks for providing the impetus to produce potential content for my personal site...
D.j. Conservativeamerican Ford
lol
[Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=902396732801&id=25008510]
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