Hemispheres

[Pound of Obscure]

Have spent the last two days revisiting Hemispheres.

 

The album is perfection.

 

That is all.

[bathory]

it's my personal favorite rush album

[mrvander]

Well loved by me as well.

 

But if I had to criticize it, I'd say there was not enough thematic/musical variety in the title track. Almost 10 minutes of the same musical themes and some could see that as tedious. Additionally, Circumstances and The Trees are structurally and sonically similar as well. La Villa makes up for the lack of variety in a single instrumental though.

[bathory]

who needs variety when you've got some killer prog rock tunes

[theanalogmiddleagedman]

Best album ever written.

[custom55]

My fav Rush album as well. Every note is music to my ears.

[thirteen]

Alex's best tone imo.

[tas7]

Alex's best tone imo.

Totally agree.

[Blue J]

Alex's best tone imo.

Totally agree.

 

I hold back from calling any one particular guitar sound, or any one particular piece of Rush music to be the best, or even my favorite, because those things vary, for me. But I do love Alex's tone on Hemispheres, and it seems to be unique to that album alone.

[tas7]

Alex's best tone imo.

Totally agree.

 

I hold back from calling any one particular guitar sound, or any one particular piece of Rush music to be the best, or even my favorite, because those things vary, for me. But I do love Alex's tone on Hemispheres, and it seems to be unique to that album alone.

The arpeggio's have a lonely feel to them sound wise like the middle of The Trees, and I love playing the 6 string arpeggio at the beginning of La Villa Strangiato.

[kooma]

La Villa is one of their old time classics of course!! :codger:

[ModernDayWarrior]

Alex's best tone imo.

Totally agree.

 

I hold back from calling any one particular guitar sound, or any one particular piece of Rush music to be the best, or even my favorite, because those things vary, for me. But I do love Alex's tone on Hemispheres, and it seems to be unique to that album alone.

 

I believe Alex used HiWatt amps on that album. I absolutely love the tone he got on that album. I would kill to have him go back to that setup on some new music.

[hammerofthor]

Clarity with balls. Very satisfying to listen to. I miss the days when I could hear what the f**k Alex was playing without straining and hurting myself.

[Pound of Obscure]

Clarity with balls. Very satisfying to listen to. I miss the days when I could hear what the f**k Alex was playing without straining and hurting myself.

 

This!

[TheWinslowOfWillowdale]

There are Two magical moments on Hemispheres:

1) "Then all at once the chaos ceased....."

2) The Red Barchettaesq false harmonic build.....

 

 

[Jaminbenb]

That's the one I sent to get signed! (and it is!)

[EagleMoon]

This is my favorite album too. I agree about the guitar tone. Alex never sounded better. In fact all of them were at the pinnacle of creativity. Plus it's an awesome album to play along with. :).

[TheWinslowOfWillowdale]

My favorite "Alex Tone" is 2112, AFTK, abd MP. Love his tone on C! But it's very dense to my ear ... not as easily to enjoy....;)

[tas7]

There seems to be heaps of room, for example when Alex tears into the solo in The Trees, you can still hear the beautiful melodic picking behind it.

[TheAccountant]

Glad you folks like it so much. I will agree its a good album. Perhaps even very good. But their are plenty of better albums out there. Which ones you ask? In my opinion all of the following are superior:

 

FBN

2112

AFTK

Permanent Waves

Moving Pictures

Signals

Grace Under Pressure

Power Windows

HYF

Presto

Counterparts

 

When you compare it to whats left of the Rush catalog (ST, CoS, RTB, T4E, VT, & S & A) that clearly leaves it among the bottom Rush albums. I did not mention Clockwork Angles as I am still digesting that work (Rush albums are like fine wine - to be slowly savored, and in my case it can take years before I really can settle in with them and comfortably rank them).

 

The second side of Hemispheres is great. Its just the first side that does not do much for me. Its not horrible but it just does nothing really positive for me. Mostly its just there. Its ok but I don't really get into it.

 

Overall its better than most music out there (it is Rush after all) but its not among the best of Rush's work. Not even close.

 

One other point. There are plenty of non Rush albums that I prefer to it. The list includes (to mention a few):

 

Streets and Hall of the Mountain King (Savatage)

High n Dry & Pyromania (Def Leppard)

Powerslave (Iron Maiden)

Who's Next (The Who)

Screaming for Vengeance & British Steel (Priest)

 

Again, it better than 99%+ of the music out there (it is Rush after all!!!) but for my ears their is plenty of better work out there.

[TheWinslowOfWillowdale]

Glad you folks like it so much. I will agree its a good album. Perhaps even very good. But their are plenty of better albums out there. Which ones you ask? In my opinion all of the following are superior:

 

FBN

2112

AFTK

Permanent Waves

Moving Pictures

Signals

Grace Under Pressure

Power Windows

HYF

Presto

Counterparts

 

When you compare it to whats left of the Rush catalog (ST, CoS, RTB, T4E, VT, & S & A) that clearly leaves it among the bottom Rush albums. I did not mention Clockwork Angles as I am still digesting that work (Rush albums are like fine wine - to be slowly savored, and in my case it can take years before I really can settle in with them and comfortably rank them).

 

The second side of Hemispheres is great. Its just the first side that does not do much for me. Its not horrible but it just does nothing really positive for me. Mostly its just there. Its ok but I don't really get into it.

 

Overall its better than most music out there (it is Rush after all) but its not among the best of Rush's work. Not even close.

 

One other point. There are plenty of non Rush albums that I prefer to it. The list includes (to mention a few):

 

Streets and Hall of the Mountain King (Savatage)

High n Dry & Pyromania (Def Leppard)

Powerslave (Iron Maiden)

Who's Next (The Who)

Screaming for Vengeance & British Steel (Priest)

 

Again, it better than 99%+ of the music out there (it is Rush after all!!!) but for my ears their is plenty of better work out there.

 

Go back and listen to: "And all at once..." Hard to compare that to most works of art........

[TheAccountant]

Glad you folks like it so much. I will agree its a good album. Perhaps even very good. But their are plenty of better albums out there. Which ones you ask? In my opinion all of the following are superior:

 

FBN

2112

AFTK

Permanent Waves

Moving Pictures

Signals

Grace Under Pressure

Power Windows

HYF

Presto

Counterparts

 

When you compare it to whats left of the Rush catalog (ST, CoS, RTB, T4E, VT, & S & A) that clearly leaves it among the bottom Rush albums. I did not mention Clockwork Angles as I am still digesting that work (Rush albums are like fine wine - to be slowly savored, and in my case it can take years before I really can settle in with them and comfortably rank them).

 

The second side of Hemispheres is great. Its just the first side that does not do much for me. Its not horrible but it just does nothing really positive for me. Mostly its just there. Its ok but I don't really get into it.

 

Overall its better than most music out there (it is Rush after all) but its not among the best of Rush's work. Not even close.

 

One other point. There are plenty of non Rush albums that I prefer to it. The list includes (to mention a few):

 

Streets and Hall of the Mountain King (Savatage)

High n Dry & Pyromania (Def Leppard)

Powerslave (Iron Maiden)

Who's Next (The Who)

Screaming for Vengeance & British Steel (Priest)

 

Again, it better than 99%+ of the music out there (it is Rush after all!!!) but for my ears their is plenty of better work out there.

 

Go back and listen to: "And all at once..." Hard to compare that to most works of art........

 

Listened to it tons of times. Yawn. Its ok but nothing great (by Rush standards that is).

[JARG]

There are Two magical moments on Hemispheres:

1) "Then all at once the chaos ceased....."

2) The Red Barchettaesq false harmonic build.....

 

I think I know which part you're talking about...not sure what you mean by false harmonic, though.

[Xanadoood]

Glad you folks like it so much. I will agree its a good album. Perhaps even very good. But their are plenty of better albums out there. Which ones you ask? In my opinion all of the following are superior:

 

FBN

2112

AFTK

Permanent Waves

Moving Pictures

Signals

Grace Under Pressure

Power Windows

HYF

Presto

Counterparts

 

When you compare it to whats left of the Rush catalog (ST, CoS, RTB, T4E, VT, & S & A) that clearly leaves it among the bottom Rush albums. I did not mention Clockwork Angles as I am still digesting that work (Rush albums are like fine wine - to be slowly savored, and in my case it can take years before I really can settle in with them and comfortably rank them).

 

The second side of Hemispheres is great. Its just the first side that does not do much for me. Its not horrible but it just does nothing really positive for me. Mostly its just there. Its ok but I don't really get into it.

 

Overall its better than most music out there (it is Rush after all) but its not among the best of Rush's work. Not even close.

 

One other point. There are plenty of non Rush albums that I prefer to it. The list includes (to mention a few):

 

Streets and Hall of the Mountain King (Savatage)

High n Dry & Pyromania (Def Leppard)

Powerslave (Iron Maiden)

Who's Next (The Who)

Screaming for Vengeance & British Steel (Priest)

 

Again, it better than 99%+ of the music out there (it is Rush after all!!!) but for my ears their is plenty of better work out there.

 

Did you really just put High n Dry and Pyromania above Hemispheres? Seriously?

Edited May 18, 2013 by Xanadoood

[circumstantial tree]

I don't like Geddy's vocals on this album. Otherwise, it's pretty good musically. Same could be said of Caress of Steel.