College Students' First Time Hearing - 2112 | Rush Reaction 

This song was honestly a masterpiece, there’s no other way to describe it, well done Rush, they prove time and time again that they are nothing less than world class musicians. Amazing! Have a great day friends! 😁🔥🤟🏻

Record company: We need to hear some catchier radio tunes or we're dropping you. Rush: How about a rock opera about a dystopian future where music is forbidden?

Alex Lifeson is probably the most underrated guitar player of all time. fight me.

Kids today, including mine, just don’t understand what music releases meant then. You would buy a record. Play it from the first track. This was the entire first side of the album. The first time we heard it was bringing it home. Opening the plastic, looking at the art, the lyrics, and then putting it on the player. Such a different time. So pure.

First, I'm not mocking you guys....Buuut just watching you two bob and weave your heads in your own little world whilst listening is most entertaining! Hehehe! I'm a old dude and used to get high and listen to this with my buds when it first came out in grade 8, I probably looked/acted just like you when listening. You're old souls bros, keep rocking it! Peace

Once broke up with a girlfriend in the 70s. Only thing i wanted back was my 2112 LP.

Record company - "give us something radio friendly". Rush - "Here you go."

They actually put this album on a stamp in Canada. So proud to be from the land of Rush!!

i love watching people listen to Rush for the first time. They either don't 'get it', or they're instantly hooked. I was instantly hooked. That was back in 1983. still my favourite band of all time and one that i seriously cannot get bored of. If you put any of their albums on repeat, I would not get to a point where you say, alright, that's enough, turn it off now. Rush are the holy trinity in flesh

It surely brings happiness to me to witness young ones who truly appreciate 'real' music by the maestros of my generation.👍

I'm a great Rush fan I'm now 54 and still every time I hear a track I get goose bumps and a little smile on my face, greatest band ever..

I grew up in the 70s and I remember in school all the kids were writing "2112" everywhere and I, being a good catholic boy never knew what it was about. Then one day I discovered pot after school at a girls house(parents not there of course) and she played this record for me....I was never the same.

Yep. 2112 was more or less Rush"s middle finger to the music industry. It put them on the map forever with a reputation for never compromising to anybody. Okay, you guys have earned your Rush t-shirts to wear during your video intros..👍

Hey guys, "Attention all planets of the Solar Federation" 7 words 3 times is 21. "We have assumed control" 4 words 3 times is 12. Just because they could.

I never knew Rush was such a phenomenon. Just getting to know their stuff, really a trip!

I never thought that I would set through a 25 minute video watching 2 guys jam but here I am! In my opinion 2112 is the greatest rock album ever!

Yes I did spend my Sunday watching two dudes bop their heads to the awesomeness that is Rush 🤘🏼

All us old guys are doing the air drum fills for you.

My fave part is when Geddy is singing after the dream, how he can't go on after what he's seen! That is the most powerful and emotional moment of any song I've ever heard.

Almost moved to tears every time I listen to "Discovery". It is a song that exalts the LOVE FOR THE ELECTRIC GUITAR and its infinite power. I face it as the soundtrack for my musical discovery.... Beginners even get a basic tuning instruction for free.... I remember at the age of 6 to 7 learning to tune my first guitar and listening to this. It is a very deep and precious memory. Thank you, mom, for introducing me to these masterpieces.

Mercury records wanted short radio hit songs. So Rush gave them a 20 minute song that was the entire side 1. The ultimate prog nerd rock album.

Remember we listened to LP's back then. That meant when a song ended (and the next one sucked), we had to get up, walk over to the record player, lift the needle up carefully, and move on to what ever you were going to listen to next. Try doing that every five minutes when you're high as a skunk, planted deep into a beanbag chair, without knocking over and spilling the bong water. Rush got us! Also, music and song were invented for epic storytelling. Rush let the stories dictate the song lengths. Ten studio-recorded songs over nine minutes long. That's why we are so loyal- they earned it.

I’d never heard of or heard this song before so when I heard Alex say it was 20 minutes long I didn’t plan on listening to the whole thing but once I started it, i got sucked in by the astounding music and wound up watching the whole video. FIRE 🔥

Right on boys! I think your ready for La Villa Strangiato now.

As someone who was 16 when this album was released, let me answer your question about how we felt. It blew our freaking minds. I was already a Rush fan, but before this they were still thought of as an arena type band more or less, with just hints now and again of the prog masters they would become. 2112 was the turning point, and exactly as you said, where Neil's writing really took off and the band said "This is who we are". Far too long to get airplay but I promise you there was not a 70's metal head that did not hear this song.

Awesome reaction video I'm 59 years old this takes me back to being a teenager I saw 5 Rush concerts 2112 is my favorite album thanks so much

Newsflash. There IS hope for the young!

The song will still be Rockin in 2112!

RUSH ...never a lovey dovey song, no drugs profanity or sexual inuendo. Nothing but class ... Deep thought, philosophy and interesting themes and fun stories. Just class music from class fellas . All virtuoso musicians. Best Rock band of all in my book! Spent a lot of time with their music as a youth and seems like even more in my elder years thanks to Pandora! Thanks for the vid.

Nice to see the newer generation truly respecting the talent of 3 guys who always gave 150% to their fans for over 40 years, they did it on their terms without help from mainstream American media or critics, but we knew....we knew they were the real deal and after sold out arenas around the world and gold and platinum albums so does the rest of the world......js

Listen to every song on "A Farewell to Kings" (you're welcome)

The second side has "A Passage to Bangkok", one of the better tunes about smoking dope ever written.

Who the hell voted this down...you must be one of the priests of Syrinx!

I felt like I was listening to 2112 again for the first time. Thanks guys!

My favorite part is when he discovers the guitar and learns to play it.

The thing I love about Rush is they started a bit like a poor man’s Zeppelin and then grew, record by record into this wonderful, iconic band and established their own identify , An amazing band.

So. The year was 1981, I was a senior in high school, I'm listening to one of the album oriented rock stations while working on homework, and they announce that in the next hour they're going to play side one of 2112 uncut. I call my buddy who is a Rush fanatic (to this day), tell him it's coming up, and he says, "But you've heard it before, right?" "No," I said. "You kept telling me to wait." "You're not listening to this over the radio," he says. "I'm coming to get you, you are listening to this on my stereo, with the album, so you can read the story and the lyrics." The story? So he picks me up, we head over to his house, he sets me down in the center of his bedroom where the acoustics are the best, hands me the album cover, and has me read along to the text because, yes, there is a story, and there are narrative paragraphs in between each set of lyrics. That's how I experienced 2112 for the first time. Now that you've listened, you should seek out the "official" video on Rush's official RU-vid channel -- it has a semi-animated "comic book" style telling of the story, with all the original text and lyrics from the original album cover.

God, I am openly jealous of the two of you hearing this for the first time. You have *so* much on this level to explore. You lucky bastards.

As for the final lyrics, “Attention, all planets of the Solar Federation”: 7 words, repeated three times, equals 21. “We have assumed control”: 4 words, repeated three times, equals 12. 2112.

Let me just say how it warms my heart to see you two enjoy and discover what I found in 8th grade......... 36 years ago. This is the purity of three masterful musicians having a great time together, never really in a massive hurry to get anywhere and in bed by 10pm every night. I found them in roughly 1980 and my teen years were 110% enlightened. Yes I'm 51 and I still listen to these songs over and over on the way to work. I'd give anything to hear them again for the first time like you two are.

Believe it or not the unedited version of this song lasts for 7 days

18:57 The moment you realize you've discovered why Rush is loved by so many people around the world

Recommended: From Caress of Steel - Fountain of Lamneth... The epic album-side symphony before 2112 ;)

Thank you for not constantly pausing this _tour de force_, guys. I have had this masterpiece on vinyl LP, cassette tape, CD and now available to stream. At the age of 60, this still makes my pulse pound.

"And the meek shall inherit the Earth..." At which point Alex, Geddy and Neil proceed to level same.

Best Rush album in my opinion.Been listening to this since it came out .never gets old to me.

I first heard this song when I was in college in the nineties and I imagined the kids in the seventies must have been blown away when they threw it on the Hi-Fi turntable for the first time. So congratulations guys, you are the third generation of college kids to enjoy this masterpiece. I was fortunate to see this at a 3-D laser show at a planetarium. They really need to bring back laser shows!

Another famous Canadian band you've probably never heard of, The Tragically Hip, see if your Canadian viewers have a fave song, you'll find the fans fanatical.

Yes! You busted your 2112 Cherries there boys. You were brave to film it. Now, listen to Side 2 for some great individual tracks.

"We have assumed control" is drummer Neil Peart's voice.

I really enjoy watching you guys react to RUSH. You represent your generation well. I've been a diehard RUSH fanatic since the mid-80's, when I got a driver's license and my first car. I went through high school and RUSH was the only music allowed in my car. It's just so wonderful to see "the next generation" enjoying the masterclass, kickass, music of RUSH. My favorite part of 2112 is "The Oracle" section...I dunno, it just hits my soul differently. Kudos to you guys. RUSH on.

there reaction is no different from when we heard it then... perfect

One of the greatest pieces of music ever composed!

Oh, and yes, it's technically an opera. It was the full first side of the album. The album was a bi-fold and opened up to the lyrics. Preceding the lyrics for each section was written story that were excerpts of the protagonist's diary, setting the story for that part. The 2nd side of the album is sometimes overlooked, but the whole second side is VERY good. A Passage to Bangkok is a solid rocker, Twilight Zone is incredibly fun and whimsical, Lessons is another good rocker, Tears is melancholic and moody and quite good, and Something For Nothing is a GREAT powerful closing song.

I was hooked as a Rush fan back In about 1975/6 when I listened to Caress of Steel and Fly by Night. I couldn’t believe three guys could produce such great music and write amazing and intricate stories. I did wonder how much was produced in the studio but nothing at all is lost in live performances. Great musicians and RIP the late and truly great Neil Peary, not just a brilliant drummer but a whole orchestral percussion section on his own!

This song is pure musical art. A masterpiece that is untouchable for what it is. Lyrically genius (seriously read the lyrics while listening), thunderous and unmatched drums, world class bass riffs, smooth yet unpredictable transitions, and magical guitar playing that truly showed Alex’s range as a guitarist.

My favourite part is Soliloquy, when he wakes up after the dream. "The sleep is still in my eyes, the dream is still in my head". Love the lyrics, and the shift to the louder part with the solo.

Hell yes! If you dig this, check out their followup masterpiece Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres. My all-time favorite album from them. OH! Also, whether you react or not, check out their song Natural Science. It's 9 minutes of seriously epic proportions. From Alex Lifeson: "Once we had the guitar track down, we stuck a speaker cabinet outside-this was up at the studio in Morin Heights, Quebec-and we recorded the natural echo off the mountains in combination with the sound of splashing water and Geddy's voice. We didn't use any sort of synthetic echo on the water track."

HEY ANDY AND ALEX!! This album (actually it was an 8-track tape) was played over and over and over when we were cruisin' around in our cars getting stoned in high school. And every time they came here to San Antonio, everybody went to see them. I still have my Backstage Passes from October 22nd and 23rd, 1977. Six feet away from Alex on both nights. Man, could he make that guitar sing! And of course, Geddy was doing SO MUCH on that stage...singing and playing that bass like nobody else! And what can be said about Neil? Sheer perfection...powerhouse on his drums!!! Believe me, once you've seen RUSH like that...you NEVER want to go back to the audience! Now, listen guys, you have to stay where you are (and even go backwards to their first few albums)! The flip side of 2112 is just as good and, actually, go back to their first LP and do FINDING MY WAY and BEFORE AND AFTER. Andy, I think you already reviewed WORKING MAN but ALEX needs to hear the vocals of Geddy on their first LP, Fly By NIGHT LP, and Bastille Day and Lakeside Park from Caress Of Steel. This is their best work, really. Also, Andy, I loved your IMMEDIATE reaction...."HOLY SHIT!" This is the way my friends and I felt in high school when we first heard it, and it immediately became the predominant soundtrack of our marihuana driven lives! RUSH was so cool...so immediately after their first LP....and those of us who recognized their greatness then, in the 1970's, was ultimately proven by RUSH over the next four decades!

Im so glad you guys can experience and appreciate this music that I love! I was fortunate enough to see Rush in concert twice and I'm still enthralled by them.

Real head phones are a MUST when listening to this song! What an awesome song! LOVE me some RUSH!!

EXACTLY THE REACTION I EXPECTED!!! I LOVE YOU TWO.... YOU BRING JOY INTO MY OTHERWISE DULL AND BORING EXISTENCE.

Nobody's ever ready for this the first time, and often takes years to fully appreciate it.

So happy you guys are getting a chance to appreciate a masterpiece. This was the music of my youth and still listen to it at age 56. Rock On !!!

In the words of Dave Grohl when Rush got inducted to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame "FINALLY!!" You guys have reached the pinnacle of Rush finding their voice - Welcome dear friends!! You are indeed correct, after the poor selling venture of Caress of Steel, & their subsequent tour called 'Down the Tubes Tour', our Holy Trinity from Toronto felt they had one final chance to make their statement. Of course the record label was pressuring them to produce something radio friendly, a singles hit to burgeon sales, so what did they do, they made this 20 minute EPIC and BLEW OUR MINDS!! And we are forever indebted to them for taking this risk and showing us what they could do! First time I heard this, my reaction was much like yours - I was transported. My favourite parts are the opening drum and space motif all the way to the 'Attention all planets of the Solar Federation' - so basically, the entire song!! (I will admit, the Temples of Syrinx section after Overture will always be my primo favourite because it just RAWKS and Geddy's voice is just beyond awesome & powerful!) Please, please do the entire second half of the album (2112 was side 1) - you will not be disappointed! It showcased a complete summary of what Rush could do - from the epic masterpiece that was 2112, to two amazing rockers in A Passage To Bangkok & Something For Nothing, two mid-tempo, almost introspective songs in The Twilight Zone & Lessons, and then one very tender, almost ballad type song (yes, you heard right - ballad!) in Tears. This album proved to the world that Rush was here, and here to stay!! Thanks gents! Rarely have I clicked a link so fast (I think the other was for Echoes - what can I say, I love the epics!) - "We have assumed control..."

Like Kirk Hammett has said...along with many others....Rush takes you on a journey.

❤️🙏🏻🔥 Robin Trower ... Too Rollin’ Stoned .... Day of the Eagle .... From the album Bridge of Sighs

It was awesome to see two of your generation make that journey! I have seen other reactions but to watch your facial expressions during and to hear your genuine appreciation afterwards was so gratifying. In 1981 I took that journey with Rush for the first time and many many times after. Having already been hooked by Spirit of the Radio and Tom Sawyer, I traded a brand new never opened Lover Boy album for this old scratched album. I was a young drummer and RUSH became my favorite band and still are today. No One matches them No one! Keep trying Dream Theater! Thanks again for the reaction it meant alot to me. God Bless you Neil Peart your drumming and lyrics always inspire me.

I went to see Rush with this guy from the UK. He did not know much about them. There was this one particular number they did that was absolutely hypnotic. After the tune this british guy looked at me all mesmerized and said .... " That was fookin brilliant ".

“There’s something here that’s as strong as life, I know that it will reach you...”

Just wanted to say I love you guys! Grew up with all the music you have been reviewing and I really appreciate your fresh take on it all. Keep doing your thing!

First concept record I ever listened to and was totally blown away by the story it tells. I had never heard anything like this before. It takes you on a journey to your imagination. Great job Rush.

Alex Lifeson amazing❤

I love the fact that there are still people who are appreciating this fir the first time.

I LOVE you guys! Thank you for taking the time to listen to all of this stuff! You listen fairly and objectively and your presentation is very entertaining. You should be proud of yourselves. I recommend that everyone subscribes to your channel! A jewel of RU-vid.

I was a kid when this came out... I haven’t listened to Rush for years. Just happened to stumble across this. They still sound fantastic! That were definitely all maestros at their instruments. ❤️❤️

Love it. They should call you the Rockin Bobble Heads! You remind me of myself back in the mid to late 70s.

RUSH '2112'... one of rock's enduring masterpieces! Thanks for reacting to this.

LOVE YOUR REACTIONS!! Rock on. Greetings from Canada. Home of this iconic band. Now you can see why they called themselves RUSH... What a rush indeed. Like a roller coaster ride.

Favourite part : Oracle and Soliloquy - so evocative (of my youth "I wandered home through silent streets") and heart wrenching - just brilliant. Music these days rarely does this.

oh you guys are getting deep into it now....check out "Anthem", By-Tor and the Snowdogs, The Trees. A Farewell to Kings.... so many great songs to choose from....

Nothing like Great 70's bands and music Rush Floyd Zeppelin Sabbath what an awesome time that was timeless!!👍🤟🔥🔥😎

I'm glad to see you guys loving this album so much! Rush is one of the most incredible bands in rock, and they influenced me bigtime and inspired me to start playing guitar in the very early 1980s. This is just one of their many early albums that I listened to over and over again to do my best to figure out every song. I never took guitar lessons, so I consider Rush (Alex Lifeson) as being my first guitar teacher (and not even knowing it) who taught me so many chords. Rush definitely influenced an unbelievable number of musicians around the world since each of the guys were so well-versed and so creative on their instruments. There is no other band consisting of only three musicians that can get a sound as big as Rush. They are just the best, and very cool guys too! :)

Love watching you guys be Bobbleheads. and I love knowing whats coming up waiting for your look of " wtf just happened "

What I would do to be able to go back & hear this for the first time

2:28 "This is f*cking killer"

BEST REACTION CHANNEL ON YT! Love seeing you guys discover bands like Rush without stopping and yapping for 10 mins every verse! I can see how blown away you both are just by your facial expressions! Enjoy the ride brothers!!!

This was a treat to see two people listen for the first the time. The fact that you’re younger guys is a treat also. I’m 54 and RUSH was the first concert I ever saw when I was 14 in 1979. Of course I was blown away. I had been messing a bit with guitar, but seeing this band at that age is what made me become a serious guitarist and musician. It’s hard to pin down my favorite part, but the “Soliloquy” is great. The lyrical content building slowly to the guitar solo and then BANG into the Overture. It’s a perfect climax. Yes, you’re correct 2112 was pretty much their make or break album. What’s cool, instead of playing it safe and following the corporate dips they went all in and produced a masterpiece. This was the first side. Which was smart. It hits you square in the face right off. There’s some cool songs on side two too!! Thanks for posting.👍🏼

You NEED to react to Rush performing this in Rio!!! One of the greatest live performances ever! If you thought the crowd at Live Aid was great during the Queen set, the crowd participation at the Rush gig in Rio is off the charts! Also, one of my favorite Rush songs is Red Barchetta - it's got a riff that will blow you away!

This album was the center of my first concert at 14. I am so psyched to see your reaction! 🤟 They played this entire album during their 2112 tour East Lansing at Michigan State University.. they were on point and it was as if they were recording right at the concert .. they were AMAZING! Watching you two made me smile! That is how I felt the first time. 🎸🎶🎸

I got to see them on this tour and it blew my mind. Just a kid from Kansas and a couple friends passed some stuff around we got a little bit high and then I was probably about 8th grade or 9th grade, and I had never really known Rush before that, I was listening to lots of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin and just 8 billion other bands that were like that plus I was classically trained on piano and so I had that whole world also and all that. And I was just starting to play in bands on electric guitar learning how to kind of sing and this just blew me away. It sounded so new at the time but it rocked so hard. It rocked so incredibly hard. I know this is a later reaction and I don't know why it didn't pop up in my feed before because I've been following you guys for a while but it was one of the most important things I ever experienced in my life. When it comes to music. It just it's hard to explain. And here's the cool thing it occupied all of side A of the record album. But on side B when you flip it over, it's a bunch of standalone songs I think five of them and each one of them is fire in its own way and there is a huge amount of variety. I would strongly strongly strongly suggest checking out the conclusion of the album which is the last song on side B, Something For nothing. These guys just knew how to absolutely rock, but they also had such subtlety and nuance when they wanted to. Incredible.

The best part for me was seeing them on stage in 1976 😎 at age 16. Second best part was standing in line for 2 days to get 2nd row seats. Geddy held up my younger brothers RUSH banner on stage. Neil Peart gave a new meaning to zildgian drums during Passage to Bangkok and Workjng Man.

I so enjoy hearing this song for the first time over and over (for 43 years) with both of you...and you both make it special (again). Truly a classic. You understand what us "Rush nerds" heard back in the 70's and 80's that connected us to them and formed a WEIRD bond with them in our formative years. Thanks for the reaction. Keep up the great song selection!

It’s fun watching you guys hear it. Takes me so far back. I was 15 and had just started learning drums when this came out. I still remember my first time.

From a long term fan of Rush it made me gleeful watching your reaction. Thanks, and well done for a straight through listen from not only an awesome 3-piece rock band, but an intelligentsia.

MASTERPIECE ….This shows that during the time of this. musicians were at their best. No BS. you had to plug in and play. Great watching this and you guys. Had goose bumps, tears and laughs. Bravo

When this came out....everyone was blown away! That is when RUSH found their way into our hearts.....

You need to hear passage to Bangkok That song still blows me away

Within the first minute I was laughing out loud watching your facial expressions. Priceless. Been to more of their concerts than any other band. Glad to see they have assumed control. Long Live Rush!

Adding to the other comments about seeing youth experience this song, this music, was really awesome! I grew up listening to Rush, having probably been to a dozen concerts over their career. Rush are artists, pure and simple. Hard to find coming together such incredible bass, guitar, and drum work in one group, and their lyrics, mostly the result of Peart’s genius, are some of the most thoughtful in the industry. Anyways, I really enjoyed the video, guys! Nice job! 👍 up. ✌️