What album do you think is better - Hemispheres or Moving Pictures?

[goose]

:musicnote:...I bring Laughter, I bring Music

I bring Joy and I bring Tears

I will soothe your primal fears... :musicnote:

 

:7up:

That part is awesome.

[goose]

:musicnote:...The Universe divided

As the Heart and Mind collided

With the people left unguided

For so many troubled years

In a cloud of doubts and fears

Their world was torn asunder

Into hollow hemispheres

 

Some fought themselves, some fought each other

Most just followed one another

Lost and aimless like their brothers

For their Hearts were so unclear

And the Truth could not appear

Their spirits were divided

Into blinded hemispheres.... :musicnote:

I find this part cringy.

[LeChuck]

I would pick Hemispheres just because that's my favorite era of Rush and I love the instrumentation and atmosphere they put into it and AFTK. Perfect mix of acoustic/electric, dabbles of synthesizers, interesting quasi-fantasy lyrics, all that percussion, ..

 

Moving Pictures has great songs too (and more of them), and it is another bump in the technological direction they were headed. Tighter playing, more synths and sequences, lyrics about 'warm memory chips' and 'random samples'. I like them both but if I have to pick between the two, I'll still pick Hemispheres.

[LeChuck]

I find this part cringy.

As much as I love Hemispheres, these lyrics always sound slightly corny to me:

 

Apollo was astonished;

Dionysus thought me mad.

But they heard my story further,

And they wondered, and were sad.

 

Describing the gods feeling 'mad' and 'sad' and 'astonished' always sounds a little silly to me. On the flip side, I always like how the timbre of Geddy's voice changes when he gets to this part (going from rough to the clean almost childish timbre from part one):

 

Some who did not fight

Brought tales of old to light.

My Rocinante' sailed by night

On her final flight.

To the heart of Cygnus' fearsome force

We set our course.

Spiralled through that timeless space

To this immortal place.

Edited December 27, 2019 by LeChuck

[Blue J]

Listen to Alex go on that guitar!

 

I find Alex’s tone on that song to be unique to anything else they ever recorded. I don’t know if it’s compression, or what it might be. But it’s absolutely unique, to my ears.

[Blue J]

I find this part cringy.

As much as I love Hemispheres, these lyrics always sound slightly corny to me:

 

Apollo was astonished;

Dionysus thought me mad.

But they heard my story further,

And they wondered, and were sad.

 

Describing the gods feeling 'mad' and 'sad' and 'astonished' always sounds a little silly to me. On the flip side, I always like how the timbre of Geddy's voice changes when he gets to this part (going from rough to the clean almost childish timbre from part one):

 

Some who did not fight

Brought tales of old to light.

My Rocinante' sailed by night

On her final flight.

To the heart of Cygnus' fearsome force

We set our course.

Spiralled through that timeless space

To this immortal place.

 

The first bit of lyric you quoted...musically that whole passage is possibly my favorite in all of Rush’s music. It’s just the crescendo, and the explosion, everything that’s going on there, until the final gong, before The Sphere.

[ST3V]

MP, because the only song there I am skeptical about is The Camera Eye (and even that one is pretty decent), but I really like every other song (and Limelight is my favorite Rush song)

 

Hemispheres does have the better half of the Cygnus tracks but The Trees kinda ruins the album for me. Also its only 4 songs, 5 or 6 would've been nice. La Villa Strangiato has a couple dull parts. Circumstances is perfectly fine.

 

Overall Moving Pictures would be above Hemispheres by a lot

Edited December 27, 2019 by ST3V

[ST3V]

:musicnote:...The Universe divided

As the Heart and Mind collided

With the people left unguided

For so many troubled years

In a cloud of doubts and fears

Their world was torn asunder

Into hollow hemispheres

 

Some fought themselves, some fought each other

Most just followed one another

Lost and aimless like their brothers

For their Hearts were so unclear

And the Truth could not appear

Their spirits were divided

Into blinded hemispheres.... :musicnote:

I find this part cringy.

 

That's actually my favorite part from Book II but I'll forgive you this time

[Syrinx]

Hemispheres for me

[Your_Lion]

I still think Hemispheres is one of the most beautiful and best songs Rush ever did! :cheerleader:

 

It's stellar!!!! :)

Hemispheres is my 2nd favourite Rush song, edged out (for me) only by the majesty of Xanadu Edited December 27, 2019 by Your_Lion

[Blue J]

MP, because the only song there I am skeptical about is The Camera Eye (and even that one is pretty decent), but I really like every other song (and Limelight is my favorite Rush song)

 

Hemispheres does have the better half of the Cygnus tracks but The Trees kinda ruins the album for me. Also its only 4 songs, 5 or 6 would've been nice. La Villa Strangiato has a couple dull parts. Circumstances is perfectly fine.

 

Overall Moving Pictures would be above Hemispheres by a lot

 

Wowza. That’s the most middling review of Hemispheres that I’ve seen in awhile.

 

Certainly to each his and her own...and I do love Moving Pictures, it’s absolutely brilliant. I adore it. But Hemispheres just has more jaw-dropping moments through and through, to my ears.

[Lorraine]

:musicnote:...The Universe divided

As the Heart and Mind collided

With the people left unguided

For so many troubled years

In a cloud of doubts and fears

Their world was torn asunder

Into hollow hemispheres

 

Some fought themselves, some fought each other

Most just followed one another

Lost and aimless like their brothers

For their Hearts were so unclear

And the Truth could not appear

Their spirits were divided

Into blinded hemispheres.... :musicnote:

I find this part cringy.

 

i think it is apropos to the way things are now. Of course, this is only my opinion. ;)

[Lorraine]

Listen to Alex go on that guitar!

 

I find Alex’s tone on that song to be unique to anything else they ever recorded. I don’t know if it’s compression, or what it might be. But it’s absolutely unique, to my ears.

 

It's beautiful. I hadn't listened to the song in a while now, and it was almost as if listening to it the first time yesterday.

 

I was reminded why, as a guitarist, I love him.

[Blue J]

Listen to Alex go on that guitar!

 

I find Alex’s tone on that song to be unique to anything else they ever recorded. I don’t know if it’s compression, or what it might be. But it’s absolutely unique, to my ears.

 

It's beautiful. I hadn't listened to the song in a while now, and it was almost as if listening to it the first time yesterday.

 

I was reminded why, as a guitarist, I love him.

 

Oh, I love that feeling, I know exactly what you mean! When listening to something you’ve heard a thousand times, but it’s been quite awhile, and it feels brand new again.

[ST3V]

MP, because the only song there I am skeptical about is The Camera Eye (and even that one is pretty decent), but I really like every other song (and Limelight is my favorite Rush song)

 

Hemispheres does have the better half of the Cygnus tracks but The Trees kinda ruins the album for me. Also its only 4 songs, 5 or 6 would've been nice. La Villa Strangiato has a couple dull parts. Circumstances is perfectly fine.

 

Overall Moving Pictures would be above Hemispheres by a lot

 

Wowza. That’s the most middling review of Hemispheres that I’ve seen in awhile.

 

Certainly to each his and her own...and I do love Moving Pictures, it’s absolutely brilliant. I adore it. But Hemispheres just has more jaw-dropping moments through and through, to my ears.

 

I mean, I like La Villa Strangiato, its just that there are a couple parts that seem to drag, and I do like the Guitar in The Trees but the lyrics are no bueno

[Rick N. Backer]

Moving Pictures. There’s nothing wrong with Henispheres. It’s just not Moving Pictures.

[grasbo]

[Snert]

Moving Pictures for me. Probably my favourite Rush album. How many times have I listened to MP over the years? Easily hundreds - it's still a regular on my work playlist.

[New_World_Man]

My answer is tricky. Imo, MP is technically the better album but I prefer Hemispheres. I think maybe it's because I have just heard too many of the tracks on MP too many times on the radio.

[LeChuck]

My original answer was Hemispheres, and I don't think I'll change it. But after having listened to Moving Pictures a dozen times or so since my post, it really is an amazing piece of work. I love the variety of songs and how fantastic and tight their playing was. The use of synths was getting more interesting, but still mostly a backseat to their guitar/bass/drum foundation. They really are in top form at that point .. they must have felt so good when that album was completed and they got to listen to the final product.

 

Some random highlights for me:

- The guitar harmonics opening Red Barchetta are always neat to me. I'm used to hearing guitarists play a single or several harmonics for effect. I love the way he strings them together here to make an entire intro and outro.

- The bass on YYZ is insane - he manages to play so many notes so fast! One day I'll be able to play this at full speed .. maybe

- Limelight is such a solid tune, especially that guitar opening. Fantastic drum fills too. What a perfectly crafted rockout song.

- The synth intro to The Camera Eye always blows my mind with the way it sets a mood. Reminds me of listening to the soundtrack of a great sci-fi movie (another intro like this is to "I'll Wait" by Van Halen, which coincedentally also uses the followup model of Oberheim synth).

- I personally love Witch Hunt, especially the way it grows and the synths get bigger and bigger. There is also a subtle change to the chord sequence partway through that is neat (I didn't notice it until sitting down to learn it). I also like the brief bass solo where he plays this one note that sounds blue or odd.

- The change in the drums on Vital Signs always gets me. I like the pseudo-electric minimal sound in the beginning, but then it switches to total rock out at the end. Neat use of sequencer (for the second time I believe at this point). Geddy's brief bass solos are also great here too.

[Weatherman]

Absolutely nothing is better than Moving Pictures.

And I'm not a casual fan.

It really is the best.

 

The integration of guitar with synths. That's the most important thing.

The balance of ear-friendly rock with progressive arrangements.

Neil successfully boxing his talents into a more conventional structure.

Geddy tamping down his shriek of a head voice, using his chest voice instead.

The lyrics may be better on other albums, but with Neil you always get excellence regardless.

 

I can quibble about Alex's solo in Tom Sawyer, or the sluggish tempo of Witch Hunt, but really who am I kidding.

It is as perfect as rock music can get.

[ST3V]

Absolutely nothing is better than Moving Pictures.

And I'm not a casual fan.

It really is the best.

 

The integration of guitar with synths. That's the most important thing.

The balance of ear-friendly rock with progressive arrangements.

Neil successfully boxing his talents into a more conventional structure.

Geddy tamping down his shriek of a head voice, using his chest voice instead.

The lyrics may be better on other albums, but with Neil you always get excellence regardless.

 

I can quibble about Alex's solo in Tom Sawyer, or the sluggish tempo of Witch Hunt, but really who am I kidding.

It is as perfect as rock music can get.

this might be the only thing you've said that i actually agree with haha

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Absolutely nothing is better than Moving Pictures.

And I'm not a casual fan.

It really is the best.

 

The integration of guitar with synths. That's the most important thing.

The balance of ear-friendly rock with progressive arrangements.

Neil successfully boxing his talents into a more conventional structure.

Geddy tamping down his shriek of a head voice, using his chest voice instead.

The lyrics may be better on other albums, but with Neil you always get excellence regardless.

 

I can quibble about Alex's solo in Tom Sawyer, or the sluggish tempo of Witch Hunt, but really who am I kidding.

It is as perfect as rock music can get.

 

For my money there's a couple of better Rush records, but they're better by very slim margins.

[Texas King]

My answer is still Hemispheres. Permanent Waves, Hemispheres and A Farewell to Kings are Rush albums I rank ahead of MP. Edited May 10, 2020 by Texas King