01	Cygnus X-1 Book II Hemispheres						18:08
	02	Circumstances						03:44
	03	The Trees						04:45
	04	La Villa Strangiato						09:34

Geddy Lee - Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Neil Peart - Percussion/Drums, Lyricist
Alex Lifeson - Guitarist

Алекс Вольпертс: Hemispheres стал самым амбициозным альбомом за всю историю группы. Судите сами - 18 минутная титульная композиция повествует о борьбе цивилизаций Аполлона и Диониса. Для тех кто не в курсе - это научно-фантастическая теория о типах цивилизаций, техногенные называют цивилизациями "аполлиническими", цивилизации основанные на искусстве - "дионисическими". Итак - эти цивилизации, под предводительством своих богов сражаются друг с другом, пилот корабля Росинанта призывает на помощь бога Сигнуса, который помогает объединить душу и разум в одно целое… в результате это оказывается человеческим мозгом. Музыкально все это так же запутанно и сложно… хотя и неплохо. Все же иногда возникает опасение, что вся эта сложность несколько искусственная. Circumstances ничего нового нам не даст, хотя довольно изящна. Trees - очень милая, яркая и красивая вещь. И опять о борьбе цивилизаций, правда в этот раз сражаются деревья, которых примиряет человек… топором и пилой. Завершает диск 10 минутная La Villa Strangiato - по признанию музыкантов "упражнение в самолюбовании", своеобразная музыка для музыкантов, очень навороченная и сложная.

Оценка: 8 из 10





Rush - Hemispheres

The State of the Art

1978 marked the beginning of a very dark period for progressive rock. The punk scene had arrived, bent on destroying everything and everyone that crossed its path, and established institutions like the existing music scene were an immediate target.
In addition, the press started to turn against progressive rock bands almost unanimously. For instance, a band like Yes, who had been hailed as 'People's Band' just a few years earlier, were now dubbed rock dinosaurs.
All these changes in the musical environment didn't fail to have an impact on prog rocks leading bands. Apart from being written off by the press, Yes fell apart in 1978, after delivering an unsatisfactory album. Cracks had also begun to appear in Genesis' steadfastness as a champion of progressive rock: they had begun veering away from the progressive spirit into the dubious world of pop music more and more. Emerson, Lake and Palmer quietly disbanded, while Pink Floyd was suffering from internal strife, which would lead to the band falling apart just a few years later. New bands found it extremely difficult to secure recording deals.
But amidst this general malaise one band's star was rapidly rising. Out of Canada had appeared a storm called Rush. Playing a kind of music that can be described as a combination of British artrock and heavy metal they had conquered the live scene by gigging endlessly across America and Canada.

GoldRush

Rush' first three albums were no big commercial successes, although all of them have now acquired at least gold status in the United States and other countries. The real breakthrough came in 1976, with the release of 2112, an album that established Rush' style for years to come. The tour for the live album All The World's A Stage, released after the 2112 tour, brought the band to Europe for the first time.
A Farewell To Kings, released in 1977, was a natural continuation after its predecessor. The album was more consistent than 2112, spawning such classics as Xanadu, Cygnus X-1 and Rush' signature song, Closer To The Heart. 1978 saw the release of the album that is the subject of this Counting Out Time review. Hemispheres marks the peak of what I consider to be Rush' golden age, the years 1976 to 1981.

Traversing the Hemispheres

The entire first side of Hemispheres is taken up by Cygnus X-1 Book II, subtitled Hemispheres. It is the second part of the Cygnus duology, the first part of which can be found on the album's predecessor A Farewell To Kings, and is simply called Cygnus X-1. I will call it Book I for the remainder of this review, to avoid confusion.

Book I has a rather ominous open ending and the booklet says 'To be continued', promising that the story will continue on the next album. Despite this, there is very little musical and lyrical analogy between Book I and Book II.

First let us look briefly at Book I. The term Cygnus X-1 designates an X-ray source in the constellation of Cygnus, believed to be a black hole. The lyrics of Book I tell of a person sailing in a starship towards the black hole, hoping to find out what's in there, and on the other hand dreading that there's nothing there and he will simply be destroyed. The song ends just as his ship is spiralling into the black hole.

We will now take a closer look at Book II. Neil Peart, who apart from being the drummer, also writes almost all Rush lyrics, came up with the lyrics for Book I after reading the book Powers of Mind. He describes the brain as being divided into two hemispheres, the left being the one dealing with emotion, and the right being the one dealing with rationality. He uses Greek mythology to make these abstract notions tangible.

Cygnus X-1 Book II is made up of six parts. The first part Prelude, introduces us to the age old struggle between the champions of the two Hemispheres, Apollo, the God of Reason, and Dionysus, the God of Love.
The music slowly fades in, and rises to a crescendo before launching into a very powerful part, that sets the tone for the rest of the song. Alex Lifeson's guitar is everywhere, filling the hemispheres, alternating between raw metal and melodic rock. Pearts tight drumming keeps this violence under control while Geddy Lee's Rickenbacker gives the music its depth.
It's only after three minutes into the song that Lee's voice can be heard for the first time, singing the first stanza. His is a high voice, but it is rarely gentle or soft, and it has a special quality to it that you either love or hate.
There is no bridge between Prelude and the next part of the song. Instead it just fades out.

Part two is called Apollo - Bringer of Wisdom. He is the first to get a chance to convince the people to join his side. He tells them how they can take care of themselves and how they can improve their minds and lives by learning and building great things.
The first part of Apollo is the second stanza. It is musically very similar to the final part Prelude, but features a guitar solo by Lifeson.
At first the people are very content but gradually they discover that they're missing something. So they seek out Dionysus.

Dionysus - Bringer of Love is the third stanza in all respects. It is musically very similar in structure to Apollo. Dionysus tells the people how they can rid themselves of their worries and just live their lives in revelry, making music, making love, giving the people back the joy in their lives.
For a while this works out fine but then winter comes and the people, having abandoned their homes, are unprepared for its savagery. So once again the war has not been concluded.

A sudden change in rhythm brings Armageddon - The Battle of Heart and Mind. It starts of with a guitar solo, which weaves its way through the octaves like a sinus. Lee's voice is somewhat aloof as he relates how the people begin fighting each other, and how both their minds and their world are split asunder into two hemispheres. The music becomes more frantic, working towards a climax, and the story of Cygnus X-1 Book I is introduced as an old tale. In the final part of Armageddon things get more hectic by the moment, with Lifeson's wall of guitar and Lee's effective use of synths depicting the horror of the struggle. The ending is very bombastic, forming a huge contrast with the gentle acoustic guitar that introduces the next part, Cygnus.

Cygnus - Bringer of Balance is a beautiful piece, carried by some very atmospheric synth sounds. In the background a sample of a bit of music from Book I travels across the stereophonic spectrum like a falling star. In this part Lee shows us that he can sing in a very gentle way, too. Thunderstorms can be heard, depicting the ongoing battle between Apollo and Dionysus, who are hurling thunderbolts at each other. And then, unknowingly, Cygnus halts their battle.
The contrast between music and lyrics can hardly get any bigger than at this precise moment. When Lee sings 'Then all at once the Chaos ceased', it is the subdued synth sounds that cease, to be replaced by a full band onslaught and Lee singing at the top of his lungs again!
Cygnus makes Apollo and Dionysus realize the error they've made, and only now they see what they've done to the world. Lifeson plays another one of his energetic guitar solos before the Gods appoint Cygnus as the God of Balance. The song then ends in a Rushian powerful way, with some tremendous drumming by Peart. The music slowly fades out before going into the final part.

The Sphere - A Kind of Dream is more a stand-alone part of the song than an integrated part of the story. It's a gentle piece dominated by acoustic guitar and supported by a little bit of piano and synth. It is the message of Cygnus, saying that people should be left to make their own choices, listening in equal measures to their heart and mind.

Circumstances is the shortest song on the album and is often overlooked among the other three songs on Hemispheres which are all Rush classics. It's still a great song but compared to the others it's merely good. At first glance it's a straightforward rock song, following the stanza-chorus-stanza-chorus pattern, but some of Lifeson's unusual rhythm guitar playing and some superb bass playing by Lee give it that extra something. The middle of the song features a quieter piece with multiple layers of keyboard sounds but the ending is as aggressive as the beginning.

Circumstances is followed by The Trees, a jewel both musically and lyrically. The lyrics are about a disagreement between two types of trees in a forest. The trees sort this problem out in a very human way, by forming unions to press demands, and by passing laws. The political analogies are rampant, but Peart has always said that he didn't intend there to be secret messages in this song.
Contrary to the heavy opening of Circumstances, The Trees starts off very gently with acoustic guitar and Lee singing the first stanza over a nice bassline. Birdsong can be heard in the background, completing the image of a peaceful pastoral scene. This calm is deceptive however as Peart's drums and Lifeson's heavy rhythm guitar come crashing in. This part of the song features some of Peart's best drumming on the album. Peart's instrument list also lists Temple Blocks, which he uses to great effect during the quiet intermezzo that follows. The music starts building up in volume when Lee's Rickenbacker takes to the forefront, followed by a guitar solo. Birdsong and windchimes end the song.

The last cut on the album is a nine and a half minute instrumental going by the name of La Villa Strangiato. It is subtitled An Exercise in Self-Indulgence and that it is! Having already proven that they are excellent musicians in the first three songs, the Rush triumvirate does it all over again for good measure. The song even has twelve named parts, some of which seem to have no clear meaning at all.
Spanish guitar opens this song, after which several synth melodies build up into the first outburst of power with sawing guitars and hacking bass. This is called the Strangiato Theme, which will be revisited later in the song. The long and incredible guitar solo by Lifeson that follows goes by the name of A Lerxst in Wonderland, which is of course a play of words on Lifeson's first name Alex.
The song gains in power slowly, as Lifeson plays faster and faster and Lee's bass becomes more pronounced. The outburst that follows is truly orgasmic and as such it wouldn't have hurt if it had lasted a little longer! The Ghost of the Aragon is Peart's showcase, introducing a part of the song where the time signature seems to change with every bar. After a reprise of the Strangiato Theme, the song ends rather abruptly and there's a deep silence in which you are given the chance to recover from this onslaught!
La Villa Strangiato feels like it was written out of a jam session, which is not so strange considering the fact that Rush was on the road for most of the time in those days and albums were recorded in the little time that was left between tours.

After the battle

Hemispheres is an album that combines the best elements of Rush in a perfect blend. The power rock that featured a lot on their previous albums and the use of synths that would increase more and more in their later albums. On Hemispheres, the power rock is still adventurous and strong and synths add that little extra while still used sparingly.

Rush remains to this day a very special band, not in the least because the line-up hasn't changed in any way since 1974, which can be considered a rarity in the otherwise quite volatile world of prog rock! Sadly, Neil Peart lost two loved ones in recent years and at this time it is not certain if he will return into music. I do hope that he and Rush will find the strength to carry on.

by: Derk van Mourik











Rush - Hemispheres
Release Date: 1978

Track Listing
1) Cygnus X-I Book 2 - (Hemispheres)
2) Circumstances
3) The Trees
4) La Villa Strangiato

Member: Poet_Liar 5/16/03

"We can walk our road together
If our goals are all the same
We can run alone and free
If we pursue a different aim

Let the truth of Love be lighted
Let the love of Truth shine clear
Sensibility
Armed with sense and liberty
With the Heart and Mind united
In a single perfect sphere"

-The Sphere-


The Ancients are uneasy. The Gods are fighting over the future of Man. Shall He be a creature of Reason and Logic, or will Love conquer all? Thus we are plunged into the mythological masterpiece of Hemispheres; the quintessential Rush album. This is where everything came together to create one of the finest hard progressive discs of all-time and a cornerstone of this reviewer's progressive rock collection.

As we recall, our astronaut from "Cygnus X-1, Book I, The Voyage" has disappeared into a black hole and has been literally sucked out of our quadrant of the galaxy. We now continue his journey with "Cygnus X-1 Book II-Hemispheres". The 18:05 opening opus showcases (as we then believed) a band at the height of it's creative existence. The track opens with crunchy power chords and pounding drums, sliced in two by a Mini- Moog; which segues into a highly complex , ever changing pattern chock-full o' drum fills by Neil Peart.

The song then builds up steam as Geddy Lee starts recounting the struggles of humanity at the hands of the Fates. It seems as though Apollo (The Bringer Of Wisdom) and Dionysus (The Bringer of Love) have different ideas concerning the future of Man. Apollo believes that only through logic and ideas will humanity be able to survive. Men build their cities and converse about all subjects intellectual, yet feel their is a void in their existence. Dionysus then instructs humanity that Love is the substance required to fill the void. Men abandon their cities and live in contemplation in the forests. Yet living only in the moment causes man to be unprepared for any given hardship he may encounter. Surely, humanity is at a crossroads. Then, from the sky appears a man who suggests that Compromise is the answer. Man must live by both Love and Reason in equilibrium . He is baptised " Cygnus" and he becomes "The God Of Balance".

Musically, we are taken on an extraordinary journey. The Rush machine is firing on all cylinders. They flow seamlessly from softer passages to hammering ,power chord driven segments in the blink of an eye. This track marks the last of the epic deliverances from this band. They would not write another track longer than 11:00 min henceforth.

Track 2 "Circumstances" has the band exploring musical territory that would become their trademark in later releases, namely the under 4:00 min track. The lyrics deal with dreams gone awry due to "circumstances" more often than not out of our personal control. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. Although short in length, the track is crammed with interesting musical ideas.

Track number 3 is yet another trademark Rush classic. "The Trees" opens with more of Alex Lifeson's Steve Hackett impersonations on the classical guitar. It is yet another Peart fable. It seems the trees are growing restless; most notably the Maples. They're quite peeved that the Oaks are stealing all the light. Well, enter man with the solution. He cuts them all down. End of story. It's not only a tale of man's destruction of his natural environment, it also relates, allegorically, how we deal with each other as human beings. We don't have time to hear each other's pleas as we're too busy bitching ourselves. The track clocks in at 4:41 yet seems larger as so many musical ideas are brought forth. The instrumental segment which divides the track showcases the many moods of the band. It slowly builds from a keyboard line into a full-blown guitar driven, hard progressive gem.

The closing track has to be considered as an entry into the instrumental progressive rock hall of fame. It's an anthem which echoed constantly in my youth. If you knew a band, and the could play "La Villa Strangiato", then they could play! Subtitled as "An Exercise In Self Indulgence", this track delivers on every level. Subdivided into 12 whimsically titled segments, it's an instrumentalists wet dream. Sometimes, hard and complex, sometimes loose and jazzy, the track is never boring. It closes off a perfect album in a grandiose and flamboyant style.

Thus concludes our journey into the Rush of yesteryear. The '80's saw the band veer off into a completely different (yet interesting) direction. I realize that this sentimental journey into the past can be viewed as self-indulgent, but progressive rock in general has been labeled as such and it has not stopped any of us from getting lost in it's unfathomable depths. I am glad you joined me on this voyage and hope you want to climb aboard as I take into other realms of progressive rock.


By Yves Dube courtesy of http://www.SeaOfTranquility.org





Rush - Hemispheres

Released: 1978 / 1997
Label: Mercury
Cat. No.: SRM-1-3743 / 534629
Total Time: 36:11

Reviewed by: Tom Karr, May 2004
My tastes in music, my expectations of music, are firmly rooted in the 1970s. Honestly, I pity people who did not have the privilege of experiencing the evolution of rock music that took place throughout this magical decade. The influences and direction that led to the genre of progressive rock had a basis in the wider world of seventies rock music in general. One of the most exciting elements of seventies rock was the expectation, and in fact the realization, of growth, of progression in the music of many bands and artists. It was just expected that from one year to the next, one album or tour to the next, a band would mature and grow and that the next release would show improvement and expansion of that band's songwriting and musicianship. Greater achievements were always just around the corner and music seemed to have a direction. New discoveries, new territories, were there to be found and explored. Bands had the freedom to grow and the time to explore the possibilities available to them. Record companies may have had more money than they knew what to do with, or they may have been under the control of executives, patrons of the arts really, who understood that an artist needed time and freedom to develop a sound, a character, and an audience.

One of the clearest examples of this developmental trend in the seventies was the evolution of the Canadian trio Rush. Rush grew up, awkwardly at times, in front of our eyes and ears. They began in the late sixties, and released their debut album in 1974. This debut, and the next three albums, displayed a band that was on the move, on a move from being a Zeppelin and The Who knockoff band to becoming what might arguably be called the first real progressive metal band.

In my opinion, and that of many other writers as well, Rush's recorded output (at least for the first fifteen albums that I am mostly familiar with) has tended to go through major changes of style after groups of four albums, which are then followed with live releases. Following the bands fifth release, and first live album, All The Worlds A Stage, the band underwent a huge evolutionary leap with the release of their seminal album A Farewell To Kings. This album continued the trend hinted at with their breakthrough release 2112, that being a headlong dive into progressive rock proper, with ever increasing use of synthesizers, complex, long form compositions, difficult meter and the continued flowering of drummer Neil Peart's high minded, objectivist, sci-fi lyrics. The follow up to A Farewell To Kings, and the subject of this review, Hemispheres, was the second release of this second group of four albums and it was a stronger and more musically impressive work than anything that had preceded it. This release is, in my opinion, Rush's finest hour, and one that will better stand the test of time than any album of progressive metal that I know of.

The work of the band members on this release goes far beyond the limitations of their instrumental line up and far beyond the self imposed restrictions of most "progressive metal" bands. Hemispheres allowed guitarist Alex Lifeson to further expand his mainly Zeppelin-ish guitar style into a more symphonic keyboard like style while maintaining the crunch and punch of more traditional metal guitar playing. His rhythm guitar playing, especially on the opening track, "Cygnus X-1, Book II", goes subtly toward the style and texture of the Mellotron used so commonly by more keyboard based groups, showing a more lush and seamless sound than that of the vast majority of guitarists of the time, or now for that matter. Both Geddy Lee's bass and synthesizer work achieved greater depth and more complexity, while his lead vocals continued to travel away from the screechy sound of their earlier albums. Peart's drumming climbed to its greatest heights and this release contains the bulk of his most memorable work, though this pronouncement on my part will surely be argued against by a number of Peart fanatics. His lyrics continued on the path laid out by 2112 and A Farewell To Kings, but with less emphasis on the Randian philosophy and more exploration of his own intellect and imagination. His efforts at a sort of neo-mythological text for "Cygnus X-1, Book II" is very imaginative and quite palatable. The lyrics to "The Trees," for example, are one of the most satisfying (and clever) works he has ever produced, working well on a number of levels.

The album consists of only four songs, the two lengthy pieces "Cygnus X-1, Book II," and the jaw-dropping instrumental "La Villa Strangiato," as well as the two shorter songs, "Circumstances" and "The Trees." All the pieces on this release are very impressive, and even though the epic "Cygnus" and the amazing "La Villa" will most occupy the mind of the listener, neither of the two shorter songs are without their own grand status and all are deserving of a place of honor in the lexicon of Rush's music. "Cygnus X-1, Book II" begins in decidedly progressive fashion, with a reversed tape guitar chord rising out of the ether, and continues with Lifeson's trademark suspended 4th chords leading to a melodic line of harmonics, joined by Lee's intricate bass line and Peart's fascinating drumming. Lifeson's arppeggiated chord progressions in the verses are more like keyboards than guitar, and he maintains a very substantial and smooth sound throughout this eighteen plus minute epic. The constantly changing backbeat provided by Peart's drumming will keep the listener (and the music itself) in a constant state of flux. The lyrics are interesting in themselves, as they challenge the strict objectivism of 1976's 2112 and what some might see as Peart's own philosophy. It might be wise at this point to state the obvious, that being the courage shown by Peart in the mere act of examining the wisdom of any doctrinaire life philosophy. But, on the other hand, it may be foolish to ascribe any deep meaning to the perhaps pseudo-intellectual lyrics of Rush. After all, it's just rock n' roll isn't it? At any rate, in my opinion, "Cygnus X-1, Book II" is the best, most fully realized of Rush's epic songs and, while I might be out on a limb here, I see this tune as quite Yes like in its construction and presentation.

Following the epic are the two shorter pieces, "Circumstances" and "The Trees." "Circumstances" is a quite interesting song, with a more typical hard rock construction, yet it provides an opportunity for Peart to display the well conceived drum parts he is known for, and for the band to display some of their progressive influences on their sleeves. The center instrumental section owes a debt to Genesis and Steve Hackett's chiming guitar patterns, and all of these elements gel and work quite well together. "The Trees" is interesting both lyrically and musically, with Peart's analogy of conflicting civil rights played out through the story of the trees of the forest, and their competing claims to sunlight. This song again owes much to Genesis, and Lifeson's rhythm work and his memorable guitar solo are beautifully done. The entire band functions remarkably well as a well oiled machine, and the difficulty of the song is belied by the immense talent that the group brings to their work.

The albums final track is the fine instrumental "La Villa Strangiato," one of the most impressive and technically astounding pieces ever delivered by any band, anywhere, anytime. It is exquisitely constructed and performed, and contains the best playing ever by the band members. Each of the three musicians gets their chance to dazzle and amaze on this nearly ten minute long opus. Peart's drumming is ever changing, with endless subtle changes of time and tempo, and is, again in my opinion, the epitome of fine drumming. Lifeson plays his two most ripping, yet sensitive solos in this piece and Lee's bass playing is incomparable. The entire song is filled with brilliantly played passages and it even pays homage to Benny Goodman, strangely enough, with a short appropriation of one of his great swing numbers. I cannot think of any number that so well captures the fire and intensity of Rush's instrumental virtuosity, yet does so in such a well controlled and smooth fashion.

This release is a frankly astounding work, one that has never been matched by Rush, and one that nearly every musician I know regards as one of the best displays of sheer musical brilliance ever recorded. This is a must have for Rush fans, and one that will expand the idea of what progressive rock is to any music lover not familiar with Rush's discography.

Rating: 5/5

More about Hemispheres:

Track Listing: Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres-I - Prelude-II - Apollo Bringer Of Wisdom- III - Dionysus Bringer Of Love-IV -Armaggedon The Battle Of The Heart And Mind-V - Cygnus Bringer Of Balance-VI - The Sphere A Kind Of Dream (18:07) / Circumstances (3:42) / The Trees (4:46) / La Villa Strangiato (9:36)

Musicians:
Alex Lifeson - Six And Twelve String Electric And Acoustic Guitars, Classical Guitar, Roland Guitar Synthesizers, Taurus Pedals
Neil Peart - Drums, Orchestral Bells, Bell Tree, Tympani, Gong, Temple Blocks, Wind Chimes, Crotales
Geddy Lee - Bass Guitar, Mini-Moog, Oberheim Polyphonic Synthesizer, Taurus Pedals, Vocals

Contact:

Website: www.rush.com
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Discography

Rush (1974)
Fly By Night (1975)
Caress Of Steel (1975)
2112 (1976)
All The World's A Stage (1976)
A Farewell To Kings (1977)
Hemispheres (1978)
Permanent Waves (1980)
Moving Pictures (1981)
Exit... Stage Left (1981)
Signals (1982)
Grace Under Pressure (1984)
Power Windows (1985)
Hold Your Fire (1987)
A Show Of Hands (1989)
Presto (1989)
Chronicles (1990)
Roll The Bones (1991)
Counterparts (1993)
Test For Echo (1996)
Different Stages (1998)
Vapor Trails (2003)
Rush In Rio (2003)


Through The Camera Eye (VID) (1984)
Grace Under Pressure Tour 1984 (VID) (1986)
A Show Of Hands (VID) (1988)
Chronicles (DVD/VID) (1990/2001)
Rush In Rio (DVD/VID) (2003)