Rediscovering Rush

[The Writer]

Bastille Day

 

"Would you please welcome home..." That always sounded cool to me - imagine coming back to your hometown, triumphant, selling out huge venues where you used to play to a handful of friends and family. First impressions - it's tight, well-practiced - good opener, you need something to grab people from the off, and this will do nicely. The balance of instruments is good live - just as I suspected it would be when I reviewed the studio version - I'm sure there are effects and so on to come, but this is just three guys doing their thing. One thing - why do all crowds everywhere always feel the need to yell out into any silence? Just asking.

 

Anthem

 

Woah; Geddy speaks! I remember this being the first time I'd hear his speaking voice. Now, I'm not sure whether I prefer my live performances to be full of chat to the audience or not; I think that in Rush's case, the music kind of speaks for itself, but it's good to hear some information about a song sometimes. Must be hard, though, to play shows for months on end and still find something interesting to say about anything. The song is fluid and pretty faithful to the original - I imagine this is a point of pride for these guys at this stage.

 

Fly By Night / In The Mood

 

Barely a pause for breath here - straight on with the show. What I'm hearing here is the bass sound - I wonder how difficult it is to concentrate on those bass lines while singing. Even by this point, I suppose Geddy's had enough practice!

 

Abrupt change for In The Mood - somehow, it works, but the juxtaposition is a little awkward - these two songs are not exactly natural bedfellows, are they? Of course, the drumming stands out as different from the original, but not hugely so - it just couldn't be anyone else.

 

 

 

Something For Nothing

 

And the contrast with this is quite dramatic - I'm trying to hear if this feels a little less well-rehearsed than the others, but it doesn't. I remember seeing bands in the past who were playing tracks from their new album which they seemed to be barely familiar with, but this just feels like an old friend. It's been pretty full-on up to now; the question is, how do they handle the change of pace which must be coming?

 

Lakeside Park

 

My previously documented ambivalence to this aside, this is pretty much the perfect song for this point in the proceedings - taking the pace down a little, using the introduction to let the audience as well as the band catch their breath, and it works better than I'd have thought - I think that the solo sounds more spontaneous than on the studio version, and the audience seem to be well into it. I didn't skip it this time, must be a good sign.

 

And at the end, I want it to go into Xanadu...

 

2112

 

... but obviously, it doesn't.

 

How I remember the disappointment of realising that this was not the full version - no Discovery? At least, that's how I remember it. The overture is damned impressive; boy, these guys can really cut it live! Syrinx is a lot less strident than the recorded version - you couldn't really do that to your voice night after night, I suppose - and for me it's all the better for it. The segue into Presentation works pretty well, although the narrative loses quite a bit - it would all sound a bit odd if you hadn't heard it before. The vocal contrasts are handled well - is Geddy leaning away from the mic as the priest, lending a sense of distance to the proceedings? Whatever, it works.

 

"The sleep is still in my eyes.." - listen to that rich baritone! Another section has been skipped, but with less damage to the story this time. the final lyric is pure Robert Plant - never noticed that before. And then the Finale, which seems slightly faster than I remember it - always a danger when playing live, I suppose - but it's as creative and complex as ever, and really works in the live context. Did they take a break in the show at this point? I suppose they were young and fit back then; maybe there was no need...

 

I'm going to take a break, though - back in a moment.

[R.G]

i believe that the setlist on ATWAS is pretty much the true setlist of what they played, i'll look on power windows and attempt to find the setlist

[R.G]

Only one unofficial recording of this tour is in circulation, thus only one setlist is availalbe. It should be mentioned that the tracklist of All The World's A Stage is nearly identical to those performed in the known setlist, with "Fly By Night-Anthem-In The Mood" listed earlier in the show (after "Anthem", in place of "Lakeside Park"), possibly to conform to album sides.

 

May 30, 1976: (only known setlist)

 

Bastille Day

Anthem

Lakeside Park

2112 (with abbreviated Discovery, minus Oracle)

Fly by Night

In the Mood

Something For Nothing

By-Tor and the Snow Dog

In The End

Working Man

Finding My Way

Drum Solo

Encore: What You're Doing

 

 

i hope that helps

[The Writer]

By-Tor and the Snow Dog

 

OK, so from a technical point of view, how do they do all those effects? At times it sounds like there are about 8 people up on that stage, and this all sounds pretty sophisticated for 1976. I guess it's actually normal for that time - this is the era of Prog, after all, but it still sounds prety accomplished from here. The live version of this is just as riveting as the original, and appears to have even more drums on it, if such a thing were possible.

 

In The End

 

I had actually forgotten this was on here. By now Geddy's voice is sounding a little mellower - feeling the effects of an evening at full stretch, perhaps? The introduction is positively laid-back, and then - "One, two, buckle my shoe" - it's on with the main event. Now, this is definitely slower than the recorded version. It sounds pretty menacing in places - and long, too. A bit of a tour de force, this - I think I prefer it to the original.

 

Working Man / Finding My Way

 

We must be nearing the end, now - round things off with a couple of old favourites which they can play in their sleep by now. Amazing to listen to the drums on this now - Neil's playing takes this into another league - much more of a showcase for the whole band than just a guitar workout. The instrumental passage is bubbling along nicely, then falls over the edge of a cliff into 'Finding My Way' - neatly done, and so is the climb back up into 'Working Man'. It all fits together really well, and just when you thought it was all over...

 

 

..."Ladies and Gentlemen, The Professor on the drumkit". I remember the first time I heard this; I was (and remain) blown away - every band has to allow the drummer a solo, none - I mean none - of them come even close to this for musicality and sheer joy of playing. I keep expecting to hear blasts of horn, but this early version of the classic Peart solo has everything else, including the seeming ability to play four different rhythms at once. Short, sharp and to the point, this leaves us wanting more (but then, all Neil's solos leave me wanting more...)

 

Thank you. Goodnight, then (of course there's an encore):

 

What You're Doing

 

Yes, we'd like a little more, thanks - a quick blast through what now sounds like an old blues standard, and it's all over, bar the offstage noises, which make me laugh out loud, because I'd completely forgotten about them.

 

Summary:

 

That was a blast - haven't heard it in ages, but it's a real snapshot of the time; halfway between gigging out of the back of a van, and full-length stadium tours, the guys have all the stagecraft, and seem to be really enjoying their day jobs. Incidentally, I know it's traditional to see this as the punctuation between pahse one and phase two of the Rush career, but I tend to see Rush studio albums in groups of three, so this comes a third of the way through phase 2 for me - I can hear a difference between the '2112' tracks and the others - but either way you look at it, this is a great live album - one of the best.

[The Writer]

Thanks, RG - I didn't actually expect anyone to go and look it up for me!

 

That's interesting, then - it seems that the tour was a kind of 'greatest hits' set rather than a plug for the new album, which I suppose makes sense, since most of their live audience will be there on the strength of '2112' - might as well introduce them to the older stuff. It introduces a topic which has always intrigued me - Rush are one of the few bands (in my experience, anyway) who reintroduce material later on which was not played live at the time when it was new or current - I remember there's a song on (I think) 'A Show of Hands' which had not been played live before. Just another way this bank keeps surprising.

 

Might I say at this point that I am thoroughly enjoying this exercise - so much music I had half-forgotten (and one or two I had completely forgotten); I've even been moved to get the guitar out and try to play some of this stuff. Badly.

[R.G]

its nice to get a sense that you do actually enjoy Rush The Writer, i had become rather worried you were completely judgemental and only praised classical, which you evidently love so much. Edited October 14, 2005 by R.G

[The Writer]

Oh, I don't think I'd be doing this if I didn't enjoy it!

 

Interesting comment, though. I'd sincerely hope I was being judgemental - that's kind of what I'm trying to do here - in the absence of any current music which excites me the way Rush did when I was younger, I'm trying to find out just what it was that I loved so much, and - as I go along - identifying whether it was all as good as I thought at the time. I had a pretty uncritical ear back then (I owned records by Krokus, for God's sake), so I'm intrigued to see how it stands up now.

 

So far, I've loved the vast majority of it - odd tracks seem to me to have not worn particularly well, but it would be truly staggering if that were not the case. What I hope I'm not doing is being critical for the sake of it; if I find something less than perfect to my 40-odd year old ears, I'll say so, but equally, if something makes me bounce around with excitement still, I'll say that, too.

 

I love many different kinds of music, including a great deal (but by no means all) of classical. I find the distinction odd and sometimes unhelpful, which is why I keep bringing it up, I guess. For instance, I'd say that anyone who loves the musicality and complexity of this period of Rush really ought to try some of the early 20th century symphonies (Shopstakovich, Mahler, Bruckner, etc) - once you get used to listening to it, you'll find a lot that is familiar.

 

Or maybe that's just me. Anyhow, I have A Farewell To Kings still to cover; I really should be doing that.

[Syrinx]

This is a really interesting thread. I haven't had a chance to read it all, but I thought that I would add my 2 cents. I bought Fly By Night, the day it came out, and followed that up only 6 months(!) later by buying COS on the first day. Yes, back then bands seemed to release a new lp every 6 months or so. Don't see that much these days! I have been a fan since the first album. Growing up in Toronto, Rush were very big from the beginning. There was a local buzz almost right away. I was able to see them a number of times in the mid to late 70's. I was at the ATWAS show. I remember hanging outside the Colonial tavern as an underaged kid, trying to hear the band. I had a band in high school back then and we were covering Working Man and some other early Rush songs. Rush was IT, with my friends and I. You had to be there to realize how BIG they were in Toronto in the early years. Their annual New Years eve gigs at Maple Leaf Gardens were a ritual. Rush is so ingrained on my memories of my high school years that every time I hear one of the first 6 albums, it has a pretty intense effect on me. For me, there will never be another Rush album that means as much as 2112 or Hemispheres or AFTK. They haven't and could not possibly top those three in my mind, only because of when they were released in the context of my own life, and just how huge those albums were in Toronto at that time. I know they were big elsewhere, but there was something about "local boys make it big" hometown pride that seemed to add a little magic. I actually lost touch with the band in the mid 80's until really the late 90's. It was a combination of my changing musical tastes, and my changing life and all the additional responsibilities of "growing up". I have come back with a vengeance and may be a bigger fan now than ever before. I have become familiar with all those lp's issued when I was "out of touch". Rush remains one of the truly great bands of all time in my opinion. I can understand for someone who discovered 2112 only years after it was released, that it would seem ponderous or pretentious, or not up to some of their later work, but for me there is no greater Rush moment than listening to side one of 2112.

[The Writer]

A Farewell To Kings

 

History

 

And this is where it all began, for me. I think the sequence was that I had heard 'Spirit of Radio' (of course), and been intrigued - I was still at school at this point, about to leave home and move to Edinburgh - in between that and 'Moving Pictures' being released, I basically went Rush mad, buying pretty much everything I could lay my hands on. I remember it went something like this - I heard 'Closer To The Heart', probably on the old 'Friday Rock Show' (Tommy Vance, RIP), and then 'Farewell' somewhere (maybe a friend had it on a compilation tape), and so this was what I bought first. Right up until I fell under the spell of 'Grace Under Pressure' (and more about that when the time is right), this was my favourite of them all.

 

(Except for the 6 months or so when I played 'Moving Pictures' to death; but I think I managed to overdo it, and I went back to this.)

 

I remember all of this so clearly; how it all fitted together; how it moved so easily, confidently , from classic song to classic song. I remember thinking there was not a weak moment on this; I think I might not quite agree now; let's find out, shall we?

Edited October 19, 2005 by The Writer

[The Writer]

A Farewell to Kings

 

Oh, that opening! From the moment I first heard it, I wanted to know how to play it. Of course, it's not as easy as it sounds, but it's incredibly addictive. Then the pause (presumably to allow Alex to change guitars), and here's the same theme on steroids. As soon as we're into the verse, I'm singing along - how long since I last heard it? I'm still word- (if not note-) perfect, though.

 

What's really noticeable to me now is the way the bass punctuates the lyric - this is what I meant when I said that Neil is a musical writer - it's not just a standard flat four rhythm with any old lyric over it - the music emphasises the important bits, and then the instrumental break leaves us space to ponder what we've just heard. Once again, not your average rock lyric; a kind of lament for a lost feeling of purpose in society - there's still some Ayn Rand in here, but I think it's a more humane vision than hers - more emphasis on 'we' and 'us'. Whatever, it's still able to make me think after all this time, and that's a pretty good test to pass at this distance.

 

There may not be an explicit concept going on here, but the link to 'Closer to the Heart' is beautiful; musically and lyrically setting us up for what's coming.

 

 

Xanadu

 

But it's not coming yet. This is, of course, extraordinary. Opening with a full-blown classic, then following it up with something better. Three years is the kind of gap bands leave between releases these days, but this incredible opening is just three years after 'In The Mood'. Breathtaking. Now, I have railed against sound effects before, but this is where they are used to great effect - there's a real sense of mystery and distance implied by all the offstage noises, so that the first change of gear into the opening instrumental section feels like some kind of arrival. Then, instead of going straight into the lyric, there's another distinct section, setting the scene. And here's where you really hear it all for the first time - this is a band of four equal, balanced parts. It's the balance which astounds today: there is no showcase for guitar here - all the musical parts work together to produce the full effect. I suppose that if you have only three people in your band, they'd better all bring something to the party, or it will sound pretty thin, but the balance here is incredible; there's a percussion part which tells as much of the story as the guitar line, and there's a bass part which has its own melody, underscoring the keyboard part, and we haven't even reached the voice yet.

 

And when we do, there's another surprise. Because this could easily have been rubbish. To take the well-known words of of someone else and turn them into something new is just about impossible, but by turning it into a first-person narrative, and imagining a kind of bathetic ending, Neil really pulls it off. It needs the grandeur of the musical setting to really work (and you can see why a lot of people just wouldn't get it), but it is emphatically not pretentios or overblown - indeed, I'd say there's not a spare note anywhere. (If anything, there are a few missing, but I'll explain that in 4 albums' time)

 

This is like a warm bath to me - Proust had madeleine, I have this. After all these years, as soon as I hear it, I am transported to my cramped room in Edinburgh. I can hear the sounds of people in the corridor outside; I can see the slopes of Arthur's Seat outside. It's early spring, and the crocuses are just beginning to flower. Someone knocks on my window and invites me out for a game of football, but I'm listening to this, and you can't stop 'Xanadu' in the middle. Another day, perhaps.

 

Closer To The Heart

 

How do you follow two tracks like that?

 

Astonishingly, with yet another bona fide classic. Simple, spare, it means what it says, yet still means whatever you want it to mean. One of the less likely sing-along anthems ever, I'd have thought, yet I've been there, done that, and you just can't help it. It probably felt like a little light relief after the first two, but guess which one still gets played live?

 

Are there anywhere in the Rush canon - no, strike that - anywhere. three more powerful and extraordinary songs one after the other?

 

I doubt it.

[The Writer]

Cinderella Man

 

I loved this at the time; something in it really spoke to me; now, at first re-hearing, I struggle to hear what it was that hooked me so. A second, and third listen starts to reveal it: it's very easy to focus on the lyric - it tells a strong story - but it's the music which really sells this. Right from the off, I'm trying to figure out what the guitar is doing there - there's a kind of walking pattern which almost doesn't fit with the melody, and is not heard again, then the bass appears to steal the melodic structure. Then, just as I'm expecting the vocal to soar above power chords, there's a rich acoustic phrase whic really throws the balance out, and then they do it all again by breaking down instead of up into the chorus. About two-thirds of the way through, there's surely about to be a devastating piece of guitar trickery, but instead here's a funky little bassline, and the whole thing just bounces off in an unexpected direction.

 

Even the ending, although it's a bit of a Rush trademark, sounds different somehow. This has really surprised me, because I'd have thought it was a bit of a filler, but I'd have been wrong.

 

And the lyric? Again, how many rock songs cover this stuff?

 

Madrigal

 

When I was teenaged and in love, I wished I had written this. I mean, it's pretty damn perfect for those teenage, in-love moments, isn't it? Now, I hear something else, I'm afraid. I hear a bit of a thin musical idea, and a lyric which is verging on the Hallmark greeting card sentiment. I just don't think Rush can do standard love songs, I'm afraid. And it ain't no madrigal, either (although I'd like to hear it set as one, just to see if it comes across any better).

 

I think, in the end, that love songs really need some humour or lightness of touch, and this is just too earnest. Add to that the whimsical arrangement, and it just doesn't work for me now. If you're a teenager in love, of course, you may have a different experience. I'm a bit sad about this, because I really did love it all those years ago.

 

Mind you, I'm still happily in love with the same woman, so it may have had some effect...

 

Cygnus X-1:

Book 1 - The Voyage

 

(to give it it's full title)

 

Now this is much better! Immediatley, we're back in Xanadu territory, with the sparse opening, but it's very quickly taken in another direction by the mysterious voice. I could take issue with the pathetic fallacy here, but I'll be generous, because it's a pretty effective opening. Just as it's getting all spooky and spaced out, here comes the bass. I like to imagine Geddy slowly walking into the studio from outside, but I bet someone just pushed a fader up.

 

That staccato attack again; this time in the service of a pretty unusual rhythm, soon overpowered by the melody we'll be coming back to later - in fact, this is a fairly comprehensive and compact overture; I hadn't consciously noticed that before. Amazingly, on the third epic track of the album, not only are the musical ideas flowing, but the listener is still eager to hear them. First verse, and this time the two vocal styles are not employed as a contrast, more of a crescendo of danger. Straight into the second part, with a real bouncy melody; false sense of security, anyone? Geddy gradually reveals to us just what he's about to do, and we're sucked into the black hole's gravity.

 

Then the music really takes over - sliding gently around the edge untl the pull is too much, and we're sucked inward. Next thing is a kind of rhythmic pattern which the voice joins in with, whirling into infinity but without ever losing control. If it didn't say 'To be continued...' on the lyric sheet, it wouldn't take much inagination to deduce it from the ending.

 

Another of those songs which came back to me in its entirety as soon as I hear the opening notes, this one has been firmly wedged in my brain for weeks now. Because I have enjoyed it so much, I'll not mention the fact that the idea of 'just east' or 'north-west' in galactic navigation really winds me up, shall I?

 

 

Summary:

 

Oh boy.

 

I thought it'd probably have a weakness, and I was right, but isn't this still an incredible album? The first side, in particular is just one massive song after another, and even after all this time, I'm seriously impressed. This one goes in the car, too.

[physics23]

QUOTE (The Writer @ Oct 14 2005, 05:50 AM)

All The World's A Stage

Nice to see the live recordings aren't being overlooked.

[home_on_my_strange]

TW - - - I'll gladly get into a conversation with you about Mahler's second symphony, although I do prefer the third, as a trombonist, and former music major, the third has the best trombone solo in classical music.....as far as rediscovering rush the most I've been away from them is maybe a few weeks at a time here and there.....cheers

[rushgoober]

Can't wait for Hemispheres!!!!

 

 

Now, where did I put AFTK? Gotta listen to it NOW!

[R.G]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Oct 21 2005, 03:14 PM)

Can't wait for Hemispheres!!!! Now, where did I put AFTK? Gotta listen to it NOW!

i get the ominous feeling he's going to complete slate hemispheres, i don't know why. i really hope not, its amazing.

[Evelate]

These reviews made me realize how good every single last Rush song is. There isn't one that doesn't outdo what most other artists write.

[LiveBlues]

QUOTE (R.G @ Oct 14 2005, 07:08 AM)

Only one unofficial recording of this tour is in circulation, thus only one setlist is availalbe. It should be mentioned that the tracklist of All The World's A Stage is nearly identical to those performed in the known setlist, with "Fly By Night-Anthem-In The Mood" listed earlier in the show (after "Anthem", in place of "Lakeside Park"), possibly to conform to album sides. May 30, 1976: (only known setlist) Bastille Day Anthem Lakeside Park 2112 (with abbreviated Discovery, minus Oracle) Fly by Night In the Mood Something For Nothing By-Tor and the Snow Dog In The End Working Man Finding My Way Drum Solo Encore: What You're Doing i hope that helps

I have a copy of this show:

 

Date: October 25, 1976

 

Location: Paramount Theater, Seattle, Washington, USA

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

DISC 1

Bastille Day 5:08

Anthem 5:04

Lakeside Park 4:20

2112 15:47

Fly By Night 2:04

In the Mood 3:02

Something for Nothing 3:51

Guitar and Drum Jam 3:10 <--- Alex plays the blues (I added this comment)

In the End 6:42

By-Tor and the Snow Dog 12:11

Working Man / Finding My Way / Drum Solo 14:32

Best I Can 3:22

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Proggy]

QUOTE (R.G @ Oct 22 2005, 12:19 PM)

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Oct 21 2005, 03:14 PM) Can't wait for Hemispheres!!!!  Now, where did I put AFTK?  Gotta listen to it NOW! i get the ominous feeling he's going to complete slate hemispheres, i don't know why. i really hope not, its amazing. Just what I was thinking, as well, after having read the review to AFTK I don't know, but something tells me that if you are that much in love with Cygnus X-1 then the continuation to it on the next record might have disappointed a little, lol...or vice verca as in my case Well, we shall see, TW may surprise us!   I haven't been around here for ages, but then I noticed this thread and remembered it being an interesting one. Well done, TW! Your style of writing is very pleasing in its fluency.   I have found myself in a bit of a Rush hibernation for about a year now, having gone on to discover lots of prog treasures from the golden 70's... But every now and again one needs to give Hemispheres, Permanent Waves or Grace Under Pressure a spin to remind oneself that this music still holds up pretty well among all those prog classics. I really wonder how it feels to go back to Rush after having not lent them an ear in decades...! Pretty special, judging from your posts, TW.

[The Writer]

Before I went any further, I remembered about the third disk of Different Stages so I dug that out and listened to it. Now, I'll get to discussing it in good time, but I jusy thought I'd observe in passing how much more relaxed and 'in a groove' it sounded compared to All The World's A Stage - here are a band now confident in their own abilities, and sure of a good reaction. Interesting to hear how much early stuff was still being played, too.

 

Anyway,

 

 

 

Hemispheres

 

History:

 

It's another one which reminds me of Edinburgh - not surprisingly, given the fact that I bought pretty much all my Rush vinyl in that city. I think it was a late addition to the collection, and I think I didn't play it much (all those who are worried about my reaction to it might be a little more worried now). There are two songs which have stood the test of time, of course, but I soon would have those in live versions, and so this kind of migrated to the back of the pile and stayed there. Perhaps unfairly; let's find out...

[The Writer]

Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres

 

(I think that's right)

 

I'll be completely honest and upfront about this: if there's a controversy about this track, I'm on the side of those who find it disappointing. If that's going to upset you, I'm sorry, but it's how I reacted to it now. I think it was how I reacted to it then as well, but I'm possibly projecting a bit, so I won't swear to it. There are several issues here, but I'd like to be clear - this is not a bad track - far from it - but I think it could have been so much better...

 

Prelude

 

So, first off - not a continuation of Part I, then, although there are certain similarities. I like the two early themes, and they interact well enough, although it doesn't flow quite as I might have expected. It's not an overture, but it's not sure what it is - more an introduction; an attempt to give us some history. Lyrically, I'm not sure about it - it seems a little strained; there's no context for this. I'm not sure why I'm not happy with it, but I'll give it a chance. Musically, it's OK, no heather is being set on fire, but I love the little percussion fills - the bells in particular are inspired.

 

Apollo, bringer of Wisdom

 

OK, let's get this stuff out of the way here. If you don't already know it, I suggest listening to Gustav Holst's Planets suite - that's where the concept of 'Bringer of...' comes from, and there are certain structural things which chime here. We go straight back into the first theme - clearly this is Apollo's theme - reason and intellect (although I think that the Greek Apollo was a good bit more complex than this). What grates now is the way we are hurried through to the 'suddenly it all went wrong' bit - I'd like a bit more detail here, please.

 

Dionysus, bringer of Love

 

Ah. I'm a bit confused now - this is the same theme; the same construction - surely there should be some opposition here; instead we get the same themes - we get halfway through the song, and we've really had no musical development at all, just the same stuff repeated. Now, it's good stuff, but I've got used to being challenged by musical ideas, not subjected to repetitions.

 

Armageddon: The Battle of Heart and Mind

 

Leaving aside the fact that we've been told that this has already been going on for centuries ('they battled through the ages'), this really isn't armageddon at all, is it - just another reworking of what we've heard before. Frankly, I'm getting tired of this now. It reaches the nadir for me when Neil Peart, that fine and original lyricist, rhymes ' each other' with 'one another' - the struggle to wrest blood from this particularly dry stone seems clear. And still no reference to Part I.

 

Oh, hang on - here it comes: 'tales of old' - wait, what is the timeline here? Spaceships (and Rocinante) before the Greek gods? I'm confused - if there's a bending of time going on, I think you'd better explain it.

 

Cygnus, bringer of Balance

 

Having said all that, I just love the reintroduction of the end of Part I. That, at least, works really well, and it breaks up the relentless sameness of the first 13 minutes. As for Olympus being at the other end of the black hole, well, OK, but I'm going to need some convincing..

 

Confession time - this whole lyric here is probably my least favourite so far - it just doesn't work; there is no 'godliness' in the portrayal of Apollo and Dionysus, and just as it's getting interesting, it's all over - almost as if Neil, having spent 15 minutes getting the main players in the room together, suddenly realised he was going to have to wrap it all up in 30 seconds flat. The universal truth revealed here turns out to be 'be nice to each other, OK?'

 

Musically, this is the most creative and interesting section, but it just doesn't hang together at all - it feels disjointed and forced.

 

The Sphere: A Kind of Dream

 

And this is just - I was going to say sappy, but actually, the more I think about it, the more I realise that this part is actually what it was all about. Imagine this as a successor to 'Closer To The Heart', and it kind of makes sense; as part of this overall whole, it sounds like a throwaway verse, tacked on to fill up a whole side.

 

 

 

You know; I have listened to this track more than any other so far, in an attempt to find out what's disappointing about it, and I still don't think I've put my finger on it. If I had come back to Rush and started here, I'd probably not have gone further; in the context of Part I, this really doesn't add anything; as an epic, it takes a long time to say very little; and as a representative of this album, it sounds like a throwback. Sorry, but there it is. I've given this my best shot, but I still can't get enthusiastic about it.

[The Writer]

Circumstances

 

Another of those songs which needs more careful listening. This is the future, folks; how it's going to be from now on. At first hearing, it's light relief after all that's gone before; after a while, I come to realise that there is a new sound happening with this - the elements are different, less 'rock out' guitar, more of the new, cleaner sound. The instrumental break is keyboard-driven, and while there is still a guitar solo, it is subordinbate to the overall thrust of the melody.

 

A gloomy, introspective lyric - again, a facet of the future - in which more is said than in the whole of the first half of the record. I think this is a little neglected masterpiece, and really heralds the next phase of the Rush sound. If you ask me (and you didn't), the 'epic' phase lasted from Side 2 of Caress Of Steel to the point where we turned this LP over, and now we're in the new phase - shorter songs, more to the point, and more keyboards. Don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to it.

 

The Trees

 

I'll declare an interest upfront - this was, for many years, my favourire Rush song. Maybe it still is. Even if I had never listened to any more Rush after 'Power Windows', I'd still be unable to stop myself picking out that D chord intro to this whenever I pick up a guitar. It's unconscious; I hold a guitar, I play the opening to 'The Trees'. It has a kind of history of its own for me - if I was trying to introduce someone to Rush, this is what I'd play them; a long ago and far away friend of mine once submitted these lyrics as an English homework assignment; he got a B!

 

It's just magical - the introduction is a distillation of all those earlier 'slow-fast' intros so far; the lyrics are thought-provoking without being specific or brow-beating; the riff rocks very satisfactorily; the mid-section is a real showcase for all three instrumentalists; and it ends with a moral and a walk in the woods.

 

What more could you want from a song?

 

La Villa Strangiato

 

Until the day I heard this, I was unsure about rock bands doing instrumentals. This, however, is on another plane. For a start, it makes me laugh. It's full of the joys of life; of being in a band with your mates and doing the best job in the world. It tells a kind of story, from the tentative guitar picking to the flamenco fire; from the hesitant keyboard figure to the bass riff; from the hi-hat shuffle to the roiling rhythms of a drummer in full flight. It's about musical development; it's about not being afraid to take risks, and it's above all about being allowed to have fun.

 

Is there a message in all of this? Well, yes; I think there is. "Here we are; this is what we do. We're serious about what we do, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. We're expert musicians, but we have fun. And we have influences, but you'll forgive us if we absorb them and make our own sound out of them". As a fan of classical music, this is probably the closest they come - I'd say it was a bit like a Bach invention in places (and I'm sure it would translate to strings very happily). As a fan of rock music, I'd say this is the finest example of the rock instrumental we've got.

 

 

Summary

 

I'm really glad I spent so much time with Side 1. I'd hate to think I'd written it off without giving it a fair chance. Looking back at what I wrote, I think I've been harder on it than I meant to be, but truth will out, as they say. Side 2 is right up there with the best this band have ever done, and will go on the internal jukebox from now on. Having said all that; I'm really excited about what comes next, because we're into 'my' period - this is the stuff I listened to when it was new. Hemispheres, for me, is the original curate's egg of an album. Glad to have remade its acquaintance, I'm also happy to be moving on now.

[R.G]

Again i think a very good analysis of the album, i really look forward to your assesments. It seems i wasn't far off with my prediction for how you would view Hemispheres. Although i think Hemispheres is really incredible i think the criticisms you make are valid and certainly understandable. I can see why some people can't stand this album.

 

I look forward to your next posts The Writer.

[pedro2112]

QUOTE (R.G @ Oct 31 2005, 04:54 PM)

I can see why some people can't stand this album.

Wow, I didn't get that vibe from "The Writer" at all.

[R.G]

ah no sorry, i didn't get that impression from him. I meant in my experience i have found some people who can't stand the album, and i think they may be for the reasons The Writer outlined.

[Romi - The Bringer of Love]

Greetings friend Writer, and congratulations for your great job.

 

With your permission, I'd like to share my short experiences in rediscovering Rush. Unfortunately they are not as interesting as those from you, and my knowledge to deal with music in technical terms is almost null.

 

I've rediscovered Rush after a period in which I was deeply involved with religion and by that time everything seemed to be a sin, including listening to Rush that nowadays I regard as my Superior Power. The ecstasy that I use to feel most of time when I'm listening to Rush is greater than anything else felt before in religion or even through sex intercourse I guess.

 

The second time that I rediscovered Rush was from the moment when I learned how to speak a little of English on, and by that time I was able to understand Neil's lyrics a little better and the excitement was just increased, in my opinion, Neil, besides drummer (baterista in Portuguese - my mother tongue), is a genius as a writer and lyricist, I've read Ghost Rider - Travels On The Healing Road twice, and I consider it a work of art and the best present that Neil could ever give to his fans. Despite some short breaks once in a while, I've always loved Rush and I will ever love, no matter what decision the boys take or path they follow.

 

Keep posting