Jump to content

2112 or Cygnus X-1 Book II - Hemispheres?


Lorraine
 Share

  

73 members have voted

  1. 1. Which song do you think is better?

    • 2112
    • Cygnus X-1 Book II - Hemispheres


Recommended Posts

I still think part one should be included in the comparison since Hemispheres is just the second part of Cygnus X-1. Otherwise, why not just make 2112 only the finale?

It's not a comparison. I wanted to see which song was better liked. Or loved. Zumbi had started a thread with these two songs up against The Fountain of Lamneth. I wanted to see how just 2112 and Hemispheres did without the FOL. That's why I started the thread.

 

And I said the same thing in the other thread. :) To me it's all one thing.

They were released on different albums. The analogy to leaving out Grand Finale doesn't really make sense lol

 

That's not what I said. I said that leaving Cygnus X-1 out of a discussion of Hemispheres is like leaving everything out of 2112 BUT the finale.

Ok, well whatever, my point is still valid :D

 

What was your point? Just because they were released on different albums doesn't mean anything. They are part one and part two. It's one epic regardless.

It's a sequel. If it were George Lucas movies, you could pit Empire against America Graffiti without including all of the other Star Wars movies.

 

Are you on drugs? :D

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still think part one should be included in the comparison since Hemispheres is just the second part of Cygnus X-1. Otherwise, why not just make 2112 only the finale?

It's not a comparison. I wanted to see which song was better liked. Or loved. Zumbi had started a thread with these two songs up against The Fountain of Lamneth. I wanted to see how just 2112 and Hemispheres did without the FOL. That's why I started the thread.

 

And I said the same thing in the other thread. :) To me it's all one thing.

They were released on different albums. The analogy to leaving out Grand Finale doesn't really make sense lol

 

That's not what I said. I said that leaving Cygnus X-1 out of a discussion of Hemispheres is like leaving everything out of 2112 BUT the finale.

Ok, well whatever, my point is still valid :D

 

What was your point? Just because they were released on different albums doesn't mean anything. They are part one and part two. It's one epic regardless.

It's a sequel. If it were George Lucas movies, you could pit Empire against America Graffiti without including all of the other Star Wars movies.

 

Are you on drugs? :D

You're just mad that I came up with a way better analogy :D
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been a Hemisphere's head ever since it came out! I loved AFTK when it came out, and when I saw that Cygnus said "to be continued" at the end of the lyrics inside the album cover, I couldn't WAIT to see what they did!

 

2112 is a great "tune" but I'm still into Hemispheres!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't heard 2112 in a long while but I hear Hemispheres on a regular basis. Still I wouldn't cast my vote yet as if I listened to 2112 might change my perspective. They're both masterpieces in my view and two songs you should know if you're serious about music.

 

What I like about Hemispheres is the bold arrangement. The pauses between the segments. Haven't heard that applied anywhere else. Geddy's voice is a little more "mellow" if that's the correct word to use ;). Other than that the lyrics resonates in me and gives food for thought. 2112 has more variation than Hemispheres but it hasn't got as much going for it production/mixing wise. The lyrics on 2112 reminds me more of politics and ideologies which at the moment doesn't tickle my fancy as much.

 

I feel like I'm splitting hairs but right now Hemispheres would win by the smallest possible margin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

They are part one and part two. It's one epic regardless.

 

I made a version of Cygnus in which, at around the 12:10 point of Hemispheres, I spliced in book 1; I then blend in the final strummed chords of book 1 with the same chords in the middle of Hemispheres. It works pretty well, and I think it makes sense. It also proves that sometimes I have too much time on my hands.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hems...my goodness I wish I had an emotional connection...it does nothing for me beyond an appreciation for its flawless musicality.

 

Daft, I admire it. But 2112 moves me and is a lot more memorable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hems...my goodness I wish I had an emotional connection...it does nothing for me beyond an appreciation for its flawless musicality.

 

Daft, I admire it. But 2112 moves me and is a lot more memorable.

I have no emotional connection to Rush before Moving Pictures. But I have ears. :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hems...my goodness I wish I had an emotional connection...it does nothing for me beyond an appreciation for its flawless musicality.

 

Daft, I admire it. But 2112 moves me and is a lot more memorable.

I have no emotional connection to Rush before Moving Pictures. But I have ears. :)

 

It just doesn't grab me...like I enter a really blissful state with Caress Of Steel, 2112 and AFTK rock so hard and frequently enlighten me...Hems just plays and when its done I just put it away for months on end and play Presto instead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hems...my goodness I wish I had an emotional connection...it does nothing for me beyond an appreciation for its flawless musicality.

 

Daft, I admire it. But 2112 moves me and is a lot more memorable.

I have no emotional connection to Rush before Moving Pictures. But I have ears. :)

 

It just doesn't grab me...like I enter a really blissful state with Caress Of Steel, 2112 and AFTK rock so hard and frequently enlighten me...Hems just plays and when its done I just put it away for months on end and play Presto instead.

 

I think you'll come to appreciate it more as time goes on. It's very unique and quite different than the rest of their albums, leaning very much towards progressive rock. I think it's a shame they didn't do more albums in this vein since they did it so well.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

It just doesn't grab me...like I enter a really blissful state with Caress Of Steel, 2112 and AFTK rock so hard and frequently enlighten me...Hems just plays and when its done I just put it away for months on end and play Presto instead.

 

Every time you say Hems I think of pants. Not like *pant, pant, pant* but, you know, trousers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hems...my goodness I wish I had an emotional connection...it does nothing for me beyond an appreciation for its flawless musicality.

 

Daft, I admire it. But 2112 moves me and is a lot more memorable.

I have no emotional connection to Rush before Moving Pictures. But I have ears. :)

 

It just doesn't grab me...like I enter a really blissful state with Caress Of Steel, 2112 and AFTK rock so hard and frequently enlighten me...Hems just plays and when its done I just put it away for months on end and play Presto instead.

Next hot and sunny day, I recommend you have yourself a nice drive in the English countryside and BLAST Hemispheres, hopefully it helps :smoke:
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2112

 

Better, more varied, and more interesting music, better story-telling, and a better match between music and story. I love Hemispheres, but this isn't a close call for me.

 

Excellent post. Except I would go slightly further and say that I like Hemispheres, not love it. Its a fine, ok, middle of the pack song. Nothing wrong with it but nothing special.

 

2112, for all the reasons listed, is far better. Got my vote - no second thoughts needed.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hemispheres...2112 2112...Hemispheres Hemispheres...2112 2112...Hemispheres Hemispheres...2112 2112...Hemispheres Hemispheres...2112 2112...Hemispheres
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2112

 

Better, more varied, and more interesting music, better story-telling, and a better match between music and story. I love Hemispheres, but this isn't a close call for me.

 

Excellent post. Except I would go slightly further and say that I like Hemispheres, not love it. Its a fine, ok, middle of the pack song. Nothing wrong with it but nothing special.

 

2112, for all the reasons listed, is far better. Got my vote - no second thoughts needed.

 

Agreed! Hemispheres is just...average in the best way possible. I am glad they quit the epics after this, as the result was expansive shorter "epics" like Red Barchetta, Natural Science and The Camera Eye. They have a greater impact on the senses than any five minute segment of Hemispheres.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2112

 

Better, more varied, and more interesting music, better story-telling, and a better match between music and story. I love Hemispheres, but this isn't a close call for me.

 

Excellent post. Except I would go slightly further and say that I like Hemispheres, not love it. Its a fine, ok, middle of the pack song. Nothing wrong with it but nothing special.

 

2112, for all the reasons listed, is far better. Got my vote - no second thoughts needed.

 

Agreed! Hemispheres is just...average in the best way possible. I am glad they quit the epics after this, as the result was expansive shorter "epics" like Red Barchetta, Natural Science and The Camera Eye. They have a greater impact on the senses than any five minute segment of Hemispheres.

 

I like the way you said " average in the best way possible". Its a good average Rush song. If you compare it to the the broader universe of Rock music its better than most stuff (hence, IMO, the "best way possible" is spot on). But when compared to Rush's music its just a decent average.

 

I also agree with you on them quitting the epics. Their had been a time and place for them but it was time to move on, change and grow. The epics I really like (2112, By-Tor, Xanadu) are just that - epic. I love them. But rather than continuing to try them and become stuck in what they were doing they changed, created other types of songs and their art grew as a result. In some ways it makes me appreciate the epics even more since I have the, in some ways equally epic, post epic period (PW, MP, synth era and post synth era) to compare the epics to. Yes, I used "epic" a lot in that last sentence but it was done so on purpose. It was designed to be an epic sentence (chuckle).

 

As for Red Barchetta, The Camera Eye and Natural Science I am glad you mentioned them. Natural Science is, to my ears, still part of the epic era but almost a farewell to it. Like it more than Hemispheres but I like the live versions way more than the studio. Red Barchetta is, for me, a top 10 - 15 Rush song. Way better than Hemispheres. The Camera Eye is a song I actually find hard to place. Its not an "epic" but its not what they were turning into. Like Natural Science its sort of a transition song. Its actually like Hemispheres for me. Good, solid song. But nothing great. But I agree that it is somewhat better than Hemispheres.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I prefer Hemispheres because I think it holds together as one song instead of a bunch of different songs strung together. I can listen to Hemispheres, start to finish, whereas with 2112 I prefer some sections over others (I cringe at the thought of "Discovery").
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I should say 2112 since it was my gateway drug, but it's only beaten by 3 songs, and Hemispheres is one of them.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Playing 2112 rigt now.

 

Just leagues ahead of every other epic the band ever wrote.

 

I think this is the best song the band ever wrote. No competition. Of its time, and gloriously so! Nothing about Hemispheres comes close to topping this.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...