Rock historian and avid Rush fan Daniel Bukszpan delivers ‘Rush and 2112: Fifty Years’, a richly illustrated slip-cased hardcover arriving March 10 that tells the complete story of the most revered prog rock album of all time. Bukszpan presents bold photography, insightful interviews and commentary, plus rarely seen performance and off-stage images capturing how the Toronto trio shot into the stratosphere of global rock after ‘2112’ transformed their trajectory in 1976. The book coincides with the band’s Fifty Something tour, exploring how Rush formed in 1968, debuted in 1974, weathered middling reviews for their second and third albums, then launched a wave of successful records as their sound continued evolving through the decades.
Bukszpan provides deep dives into how ‘2112’ came together and why it stands as a masterpiece, with track-by-track analyses of the studio cut and insight into the 20-minute “2112” suite that anchors the record. The volume examines the state of rock in the mid-’70s and evolving ’80s, detailing how the virtuosity of lyrics and music from original trio Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart created an unforgettable sound across shifting musical landscapes that led to over 40 million records sold. Bukszpan’s work joins ‘The Great Albums’ series alongside volumes exploring Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’, The Who’s ‘Quadrophenia’, Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’, Queen’s ‘A Night at the Opera’, and Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run’ as authoritative explorations of rock’s most groundbreaking releases.