My Impression of Hemispheres

As I move through all 20 of the Rush studio albums, listening to the evolution of the band, I have been noting my impressions here in my blog. Today, Hemispheres.

Disclaimer: This is my favorite rush album.

Hesmipheres

Sometimes, a band releases an album that has no real flaws, and that’s what Rush achieved with Hemispheres. We have a signature epic song, two shorter songs that had depth and received radio airtime, and the band’s first (and possibly best) instrumental.

Starman, aka “The Nekid Guy” returns on the cover, this time standing on a brain.

The Tracks

Cygnus X-1 Book II Hemispheres (18:04)

While I see very little in common with Cygnus X-1 from A Farewell to Kings other than the use of the name Cygnus, this is definitely an epic song. It is more musical, less experimental, and better arranged than was Cygnus X-1.

This song marks the last time Rush wrote a multi-movement song and labeled every movement in the track listing. Of all the songs in this category the band released, this one has the best internal consistency, the smoothest transitions, and the best story-telling. The 18 minutes are full of lyrics. It’s not a short song by any means, and doesn’t rely on refrains for length. There is a lot of meat here. I give the song an A+.

Circumstances (3:40)

This song makes use of Rush’s harsher sound, and the lyrics are some of Peart’s best. For the first time, the Canadian band brings in the French language they had to learn in school with the reknowned saying “Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose,” or The more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s a rocking song in the classic Rush sound. It’s pretty much the last song the released in the classic sound. I give the song an A+

The Trees (4:42)

This is probably the textbook example of a song that opens with an acoustic guitar and transitions to electric. It’s a meme Rush used many times, and always to good effect. The music doesn’t make this song, though. This song is all about the lyrics. Trees are used as metaphors for how people treat each other and class warfare. There are hints of future Rush with Geddy’s mini moog playing a role during the solo portion. This song is probably one of the band’s more recognizable songs, getting a lot of radio play back in the day. That’s the only negative to me, burnout, but I can’t hold the song responsible for that. I give it an A+.

La Villa Strangiato (9:43)

The band’s first instrumental track and it’s a long one, but they knocked it out of the park with this one. The music was written by Alex Lifeson and based on a nightmare he had. That becomes obvious if you look at the titles to the different sections of the music, but you won’t see that on the album liner notes. You’ll only find that in the guitar tab. All three men demonstrate their virtuosity on their respective instruments. I give this song top marks as perhaps the best piece of music ever produced by Rush. A+ all the way.

Conclusion

There is very little wrong with this album. It is a masterpiece of rock and roll. The band came very close to matching the quality of this album twice, with Moving Pictures and Clockwork Angels, (and honorable mention to 2112) but I don’t think they ever surpassed Hemispheres. It get’s top marks, too. A+.

I gave A Farewell to Kings and A.
I gave 2112 an A.
I gave Caress of Steel a B+.
I gave Fly by Night an A-.
I gave Rush a C+.