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Is Hemispheres the Best Rush Album?


winter17
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I'd put up the original Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three Rush studio albums out there.

 

I'd put the remastered Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three. The remaster is far superior.

 

But I like the sentiment! Later Rush is good Rush!

 

Those three albums were recorded too loud. Vapor Trails in particular, which has so much clipping and so much low frequency overlap it's almost unlistenable. There is also too much compression on all three albums, which reduces the dynamics and breathable airspace to the music, making all of them (though SA's is the least offensive of the three) very fatiguing to the ears.

 

I think at a certain level, this complaint simply become's a bit like a placebo. The remastered version of the album is mixed quite well, with clear separation between the instruments, and a modest enough wave form for a recording from the 2000's.

 

I think a lot of people associate Vapor Trails with being harsh, and so that's what they get.

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I'd put up the original Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three Rush studio albums out there.

 

I'd put the remastered Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three. The remaster is far superior.

 

But I like the sentiment! Later Rush is good Rush!

 

Those three albums were recorded too loud. Vapor Trails in particular, which has so much clipping and so much low frequency overlap it's almost unlistenable. There is also too much compression on all three albums, which reduces the dynamics and breathable airspace to the music, making all of them (though SA's is the least offensive of the three) very fatiguing to the ears.

 

I think at a certain level, this complaint simply become's a bit like a placebo. The remastered version of the album is mixed quite well, with clear separation between the instruments, and a modest enough wave form for a recording from the 2000's.

 

I think a lot of people associate Vapor Trails with being harsh, and so that's what they get.

 

I think Vapor Trails was just so different from anything they had ever done before...and I mean that in as objective a way as I can put it. The song structure, the pace of it, the instrumentation- everything about it sounded like such a modern rock album, in ways that even their previous albums, being sonic portraits of the time during which they were created, did not. Vapor Trails was just different. They were pushing fifty years old, but sounded like they had they had the energy of their mid to late 20s again.

 

Snakes and Arrows turned another corner after that, and so did Clockwork Angels- while the energy was still there, they seemed to be more focused on just being heavy. Snakes not as much, maybe, as it has a lot more acoustic flourishes throughout than either VT or CA. But still...I don't know, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

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I'd put up the original Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three Rush studio albums out there.

 

I'd put the remastered Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three. The remaster is far superior.

 

But I like the sentiment! Later Rush is good Rush!

 

Those three albums were recorded too loud. Vapor Trails in particular, which has so much clipping and so much low frequency overlap it's almost unlistenable. There is also too much compression on all three albums, which reduces the dynamics and breathable airspace to the music, making all of them (though SA's is the least offensive of the three) very fatiguing to the ears.

 

I think at a certain level, this complaint simply become's a bit like a placebo. The remastered version of the album is mixed quite well, with clear separation between the instruments, and a modest enough wave form for a recording from the 2000's.

 

I think a lot of people associate Vapor Trails with being harsh, and so that's what they get.

 

I don't really care what most people think. I actually have experience with recording and mixing. ;) A remix isn't going to help very much when the basic tracks were recorded too hot. They were distorted to start with so unless they had rerecorded them, that doesn't go away. It's like trying to build a house with broken pieces of wood. No matter how many times you pull it apart and rebuild it, the wood is still broken.

Edited by EagleMoon
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I'd put up the original Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three Rush studio albums out there.

 

I'd put the remastered Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three. The remaster is far superior.

 

But I like the sentiment! Later Rush is good Rush!

 

Those three albums were recorded too loud. Vapor Trails in particular, which has so much clipping and so much low frequency overlap it's almost unlistenable. There is also too much compression on all three albums, which reduces the dynamics and breathable airspace to the music, making all of them (though SA's is the least offensive of the three) very fatiguing to the ears.

 

No doubt, but the material demands to be listened to (in my case anyway.) The music on those is such a joy and very inspiring to hear in spite of the sonic soup.

 

 

Dream Theater's Systematic Chaos is the one that kills me. I can't get through that album without getting a headache (but I wouldn't say most of the material is top notch on that.)

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I'd put up the original Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three Rush studio albums out there.

 

I'd put the remastered Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three. The remaster is far superior.

 

But I like the sentiment! Later Rush is good Rush!

 

Those three albums were recorded too loud. Vapor Trails in particular, which has so much clipping and so much low frequency overlap it's almost unlistenable. There is also too much compression on all three albums, which reduces the dynamics and breathable airspace to the music, making all of them (though SA's is the least offensive of the three) very fatiguing to the ears.

 

I think at a certain level, this complaint simply become's a bit like a placebo. The remastered version of the album is mixed quite well, with clear separation between the instruments, and a modest enough wave form for a recording from the 2000's.

 

I think a lot of people associate Vapor Trails with being harsh, and so that's what they get.

 

It may be mixed better and maybe sounds better, but they cut the balls and passion out of the remix and even altered the vibe on it completely. Although, the band signed off on it they really weren't too involved in the day to day.

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I'd put up the original Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three Rush studio albums out there.

 

I'd put the remastered Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three. The remaster is far superior.

 

But I like the sentiment! Later Rush is good Rush!

 

Those three albums were recorded too loud. Vapor Trails in particular, which has so much clipping and so much low frequency overlap it's almost unlistenable. There is also too much compression on all three albums, which reduces the dynamics and breathable airspace to the music, making all of them (though SA's is the least offensive of the three) very fatiguing to the ears.

 

No doubt, but the material demands to be listened to (in my case anyway.) The music on those is such a joy and very inspiring to hear in spite of the sonic soup.

 

 

Dream Theater's Systematic Chaos is the one that kills me. I can't get through that album without getting a headache (but I wouldn't say most of the material is top notch on that.)

 

Dream Theater always gives me a headache. :LOL:

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I'd put up the original Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three Rush studio albums out there.

 

I'd put the remastered Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three. The remaster is far superior.

 

But I like the sentiment! Later Rush is good Rush!

 

Those three albums were recorded too loud. Vapor Trails in particular, which has so much clipping and so much low frequency overlap it's almost unlistenable. There is also too much compression on all three albums, which reduces the dynamics and breathable airspace to the music, making all of them (though SA's is the least offensive of the three) very fatiguing to the ears.

 

No doubt, but the material demands to be listened to (in my case anyway.) The music on those is such a joy and very inspiring to hear in spite of the sonic soup.

 

 

Dream Theater's Systematic Chaos is the one that kills me. I can't get through that album without getting a headache (but I wouldn't say most of the material is top notch on that.)

 

Systematic Chaos was the album that broke my love affair with DT for a very long time. I was so... put off?... by Systematic Chaos that I didn't listen to Dream Theater at all for a few years after it. I came back very slowly, but enjoy the bigger DT stuff now, again.

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The riffs in Hemispheres are strong enough and unusual enough to hold my interest, even if some small part of me may occasionally find the story goofy.

 

Like all great music, it transports me back to when I was younger, and those great guitar sounds and the amazing interplay between all of them still seem like magic to me. (And when I was younger and awash in imagination, it was a great story, too.)

 

This exactly, though no matter how old and musically jaded I get, I still marvel at every bit of side 2.

 

In an effort to distract myself from the endless radio chatter about Il Trumpe and (aspiring) High Prefect and Domestic Overlord, Mistress of Abholos, Hill-Ra Klin-Ton, I decided to spend my commutes listening to Rush's LPs in order from the beginning. Listened to Hemispheres yesterday. Just love it so much. It follows AFTK -- caps what Rush started with CoS -- so perfectly. All hail Hemispheres!

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I'd put up the original Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three Rush studio albums out there.

 

I'd put the remastered Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three. The remaster is far superior.

 

But I like the sentiment! Later Rush is good Rush!

 

Those three albums were recorded too loud. Vapor Trails in particular, which has so much clipping and so much low frequency overlap it's almost unlistenable. There is also too much compression on all three albums, which reduces the dynamics and breathable airspace to the music, making all of them (though SA's is the least offensive of the three) very fatiguing to the ears.

 

No doubt, but the material demands to be listened to (in my case anyway.) The music on those is such a joy and very inspiring to hear in spite of the sonic soup.

 

 

Dream Theater's Systematic Chaos is the one that kills me. I can't get through that album without getting a headache (but I wouldn't say most of the material is top notch on that.)

 

Systematic Chaos was the album that broke my love affair with DT for a very long time. I was so... put off?... by Systematic Chaos that I didn't listen to Dream Theater at all for a few years after it. I came back very slowly, but enjoy the bigger DT stuff now, again.

 

The thing about Dream Theater (and Rush too I guess) is that they never make the same album twice so I pretty much knew I would like the next one and I did.

 

Train Of Thought is the only other album that didn't thrill me much although I do like the second half of it.

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I'd put up the original Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three Rush studio albums out there.

 

I'd put the remastered Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three. The remaster is far superior.

 

But I like the sentiment! Later Rush is good Rush!

 

Those three albums were recorded too loud. Vapor Trails in particular, which has so much clipping and so much low frequency overlap it's almost unlistenable. There is also too much compression on all three albums, which reduces the dynamics and breathable airspace to the music, making all of them (though SA's is the least offensive of the three) very fatiguing to the ears.

 

No doubt, but the material demands to be listened to (in my case anyway.) The music on those is such a joy and very inspiring to hear in spite of the sonic soup.

 

 

Dream Theater's Systematic Chaos is the one that kills me. I can't get through that album without getting a headache (but I wouldn't say most of the material is top notch on that.)

 

Systematic Chaos was the album that broke my love affair with DT for a very long time. I was so... put off?... by Systematic Chaos that I didn't listen to Dream Theater at all for a few years after it. I came back very slowly, but enjoy the bigger DT stuff now, again.

 

The thing about Dream Theater (and Rush too I guess) is that they never make the same album twice so I pretty much knew I would like the next one and I did.

 

Train Of Thought is the only other album that didn't thrill me much although I do like the second half of it.

 

I appreciate the sentiment, and if that's what you feel, then great :)

 

But it doesn't feel the same to me.

 

I'm a drummer, not a guitarist/keyboardist. But systematic chaos basically exposed the DT formula to me, of how certain instrumental sections will climb up and down scales... arpeggios... in weird time signatures in about the same BPM... I dunno, to me, SC showed me that DT was just a formula plugged into different effects.

 

YMMV.

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No, this is not a poll.

 

Here's the full question: is Hemispheres the best Rush album, just going off of total individual sound quality? For example, I think we can all agree 2112 was a great album, but Tears, Lessons, and The Twilight Zone aren't top tier Rush songs. However, with Hemispheres, it's just about unanimous that Cygnus X-1: Book 2, La Villa Strangiato, The Trees, and Circumstances all fit into that top tier.

 

So on that basis, what do you think?

 

This is yet another thread that has been written over and over and over and over again for years!

 

The answer is simple and clear like embracing "The Sphere."

 

DUH!

 

Not only is this the greatest Rush record ever made, it's the greatest fuckking record ever made on the planet.

 

For those of you who don't agree?

 

Good for you.

 

Keep listening to "Masturbation Trails."

 

Fools.

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No, it isn't. But it would be everyone else's best work!

 

Miss you Geezer.

 

I don't agree with you based on the RUSH canon, but yes.

 

"Hemispheres" is better than anything another band on the earth has put out.

 

EPIC.

Edited by RUSHHEAD666
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I'd put up the original Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three Rush studio albums out there.

 

I'd put the remastered Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any other three. The remaster is far superior.

 

But I like the sentiment! Later Rush is good Rush!

 

Those three albums were recorded too loud. Vapor Trails in particular, which has so much clipping and so much low frequency overlap it's almost unlistenable. There is also too much compression on all three albums, which reduces the dynamics and breathable airspace to the music, making all of them (though SA's is the least offensive of the three) very fatiguing to the ears.

 

No doubt, but the material demands to be listened to (in my case anyway.) The music on those is such a joy and very inspiring to hear in spite of the sonic soup.

 

 

Dream Theater's Systematic Chaos is the one that kills me. I can't get through that album without getting a headache (but I wouldn't say most of the material is top notch on that.)

 

Systematic Chaos was the album that broke my love affair with DT for a very long time. I was so... put off?... by Systematic Chaos that I didn't listen to Dream Theater at all for a few years after it. I came back very slowly, but enjoy the bigger DT stuff now, again.

 

The thing about Dream Theater (and Rush too I guess) is that they never make the same album twice so I pretty much knew I would like the next one and I did.

 

Train Of Thought is the only other album that didn't thrill me much although I do like the second half of it.

 

I appreciate the sentiment, and if that's what you feel, then great :)

 

But it doesn't feel the same to me.

 

I'm a drummer, not a guitarist/keyboardist. But systematic chaos basically exposed the DT formula to me, of how certain instrumental sections will climb up and down scales... arpeggios... in weird time signatures in about the same BPM... I dunno, to me, SC showed me that DT was just a formula plugged into different effects.

 

YMMV.

 

I started thinking about the formula at about that time too. It's there. I still enjoy the records, but I won't deny that I think they are capable of so much more.

 

The thing is though they've build the brand and are making enough of a living to keep doing it. So while I mostly don't agree with what they are doing recently (except for The Astonishing) I understand it.

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No, this is not a poll.

 

Here's the full question: is Hemispheres the best Rush album, just going off of total individual sound quality? For example, I think we can all agree 2112 was a great album, but Tears, Lessons, and The Twilight Zone aren't top tier Rush songs. However, with Hemispheres, it's just about unanimous that Cygnus X-1: Book 2, La Villa Strangiato, The Trees, and Circumstances all fit into that top tier.

 

So on that basis, what do you think?

 

This is yet another thread that has been written over and over and over and over again for years!

 

The answer is simple and clear like embracing "The Sphere."

 

DUH!

 

Not only is this the greatest Rush record ever made, it's the greatest fuckking record ever made on the planet.

 

For those of you who don't agree?

 

Good for you.

 

Keep listening to "Masturbation Trails."

 

Fools.

 

Greatest fuckking record ever!

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The problem with choosing the best rush album is so many albums are rush at their best, like they so dlbrilliant in any era, however developed they are

 

Obviously nothing better than Hemispheres, is superb, but take Counterparts for example, fantastic album completely different sound but no different really the standard equally as exceptional

 

I can personally choose any one of ten rush albums as their very best at any given time depending on how i'm feeling

 

This is how cool this band is, hardwired into the Universe

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