I just listened to 2112 and FLY BY NIGHT last week. "La Villa Strangiato" is great, probably the best showcase Rush ever had for Alex Lifeson.
As a bass player, I don't understand how Geddy Lee can possibly do the things he does at times. The guy's incredible.
I just listened to that CRIMSON IDOL CD again, again, I can't reccommend it enough. You gotta really pay attention and not just listen to it as background music, but there's some deep stuff going on there.