Many prog rock masterpieces are well-suited to the silver screen. Aside from the narrative themes based on the best work of Yes and Genesis, many artists have attempted to transform their pieces of music into a comprehensive cinematic experience, like Roger Waters, who set out to make The Wall into a film. While Rush had traditionally relied on telling complex stories in a matter of minutes. Geddy Lee recalls Neil Peart wanting to make a film adaptation of Clockwork Angels.
Conceptual music was always a possibility for Peart and the band from the moment he arrived. Throughout his tenure as the band’s drummer and major lyricist, Peart was known for creating songs with complicated tales that often went much beyond the traditional length of a song, either pursuing people who had wronged him or writing pieces of prose that the rock world had never heard before.
Even if a song like ‘The Fountain of Lamneth‘ made for an interesting story on paper, it never translated into record sales. This resulted in the band’s worst response and placed them on the verge of breaking up due to artistic differences. When their label began to put pressure on them, Peart responded by writing a song about it.
The title track of 2112, “The Temples of Syrinx,” tells the story of a man under the oppressive rule of the high priests, channeling all of the album’s energy. As much as this could have failed horrifically, it set the standard for Rush songs for the next few years. Each album featured a new mind-bending plot before the band streamlined their sound.
By the end of the band’s history, Peart was ready to tackle a full conceptual work. The band’s final recorded album, “Clockwork Angels,” broke new ground by featuring a fully developed story that unfolded throughout the entire work. It depicted the story of a lost traveler seeking to find his way in a steampunk-inspired atmosphere.
Neil Peart still had plenty left over after finishing the final lyrics and sound vignettes. He published a novella titled after the album, releasing it as a separate work. However, as Lee recalls, Peart had a larger vision for his musical masterpiece than just the musical medium.
In speaking with Louder, Lee recalled Peart’s desire to make the album into a picture. He added, “I know Neil always wanted to bring the Clockwork Angels story to the movie in some form or another.” It was a major deal for him, and he had worked hard in the hopes of making it a reality. Maybe someday.
However, the band has not recently announced intentions to release their final album on the big screen. The music itself is tailor-made for a stage performance, especially with tracks like the title track and ‘Headlong Flight’. Any potential film about this band would require the participation of the surviving members.
