HEMISPHERES

Rush

Heavy Prog

4.38 | 2710 ratings

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MovingPictures07
Prog Reviewer

The pinnacle of Rush's progressive rock period. An absolute masterpiece of music.

1. Cygnus X-1 Book 2: Hemispheres- This has always been one of my favorite tracks of all time, so excuse me if I sound like a fanboy here. Everything is PERFECT. The trio really show off their instrumental chops on this one! The lyrics, which I've heard many criticize, I love to death. They are intriguing and delve into mythology to make a neat little story. This track is so epic that it feels so much shorter than it actually is. Flawless. 10+/10

2. Circumstances- Great rocker! They played this song live on the first S&A tour and it really showed how awesome and overlooked it is. That keyboard instrumental part in the middle kills me every time. Wonderful! How can this be the worst song on the album?! Well, just look at what follows it. 9/10

3. The Trees- Instrumental and lyrical genius. There's no other way to describe it. This is often cited as one of Rush's signature songs and let me tell you... that is for good reason. The atmosphere is perfect, the musicianship is perfect, and the song really rocks! I love the metaphorical lyrics about the whole concept of equality versus equal opportunity and how it can be twisted and demented to something entirely different. Flawless. 10+/10

4. La Villa Strangiato- Wow. Just wow. A roaring instrumental from the trio here, supposedly based on a series of nightmares that guitarist Alex Lifeson had. Musicianship again is AWESOME, absolutely stellar, and all 3 musicians really craft a unique piece of music here. Haunting and beautiful, this song really is magic. Flawless 10+/10

In short, if you want to hear what Rush is all about, this is always the album I recommend (along with Moving Pictures).

To those of you who question Rush's prog credentials, I dare you to listen to this. And not just once!

One of my desert island albums and an extremely important album in my love of music.

MovingPictures07 | 5/5 | 2008-11-26

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