Hemispheres

Hemispheres is one of those albums that embodies everything great about its constituent genre. With the exception of a couple of other notable bands, Rush stood at the top of the progressive rock obelisk, a result of the remarkable efforts of this and their previous albums sans Caress of Steel. It was here that Rush finally found the perfect balance between multilayered epics and concise but equally majestic compositions.

The titular opening track stands as the indisputable champion of Rush’s career – and yes, that does include “2112.” It’s unlikely that there will ever be a more engrossing depiction of Greek mythology in the realm of music – their pinning the gods of love and reason against each other was a stroke of genius. As Dionysus and Apollo fight over the fate of mortals, the world plunges into chaos and war from a lack of balance between emotion and intellect. In the midst of Armageddon, a group of neutral men travel into the black hole of Cygnus X-1, where the spirit within calms the hearts and minds of humanity and brings peace, thereby reuniting the “splintered hemispheres.” Rush’s ingenious implementation of program music draws the listener into the story. For instance, both Apollo’s and Dionysus’s sections use the same principal riff, thus evoking a feeling of mental war. Meanwhile, the final section employs acoustic guitars and mellow vocals to signify the calm after the chaos (which was represented through aggressive electric guitars and Lee’s louder, more involved singing). Every different section sparks a distinct reaction in the listener, such as the opening sense of foreboding. When the story becomes violent, so does the resulting feeling. Likewise, when things calm down, the listener feels at peace. While “2112” only flirted with the idea of program music, “Hemispheres” uses it to its full advantage.

The other piece to implement differing sections is the twelve-part “La Villa Strangiato.” It opens up with neoclassical minor-key acoustic guitar almost mistakable for Yngwie Malmsteen, before the trademark “Rush-isms” come in – that is, esoteric instruments and melodies – and the song crescendos into its main passage, a swift, invigorating guitar line. This section doesn’t outlast its welcome, as the song soon slides into a slower, atmospheric solo part. As the song continues, many distinct movements take place, the best of which is the rough and spooky “Monsters” piece and its subsequent bass soloing about two-thirds of the way through the track. Each part is short in length, but fleshed-out enough to prevent unfulfilled expectancy. “La Villa Strangiato” ends with a reprise of the “Monsters” section and the theme, before abruptly ending on a strange bass solo and a final, unexpectedly pitched guitar note.

But lengthy, progressive symphonies aren’t all Hemispheres is about. The two other tracks don’t even reach five minutes, which is not to say they lack effectiveness. “Circumstances” tends to employ shorter riffs backed by speedy basslines instead of the unusual ones the long tracks did. There’s also an actual chorus in this song, one that is used sparingly enough that the listener hopefully anticipates its appearance. The lyrics to the chorus include an entertainingly involving French section:

“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
The more that things change, the more they stay the same. “

Meanwhile, “The Trees” describes a particularly odd situation: argument between oak and maple trees. Apparently the maples are angry because they can’t reach the sun’s warmth, and decide to keep all trees equal “by hatchet, axe, and saw.” Unfortunately, the delivery of these lyrics as well as the overall instrumentation leaves a bit to be desired, and so “The Trees” is the only disappointing song on Hemispheres. However, it is still pretty good, and so this is a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things.

Overall, Rush’s sixth album is a landmark in its genre as well as the band’s discography. It combines long and short songs without the bloated mishaps of Caress of Steel or the imperfect brief parts of 2112. Those into progressive rock or any similar style of music will be doing themselves a major favor by looking into this seminal 1978 offering.