Hemispheres (Rush album)

Hemispheres
Studio album by Rush
Released	29 October 1978 May 6, 1997 (remastered CD)
Recorded	June–August 1978 at Rockfield Studios in South Wales, UK
Genre	Progressive rock, hard rock
Length	36:14
Label	Anthem (Canada), Mercury
Producer	Rush and Terry Brown
Rush chronology
A Farewell to Kings (1977) Hemispheres (1978) Permanent Waves (1980)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Rolling Stone	(favorable)
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Hemispheres is the sixth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1978. The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and mixed at Trident Studios in London.

Overview

Following themes going back to Rush's second album, Fly by Night, on Hemispheres lyricist Neil Peart continues to heavily utilize fantasy and science fiction motifs. Similar to their 1976 release, 2112, Hemispheres contains a single, epic song broken into chapters as the first side of the album ("Cygnus X-1, Book II: Hemispheres") while the second half contains two more conventionally-executed tracks, "Circumstances" and "The Trees."

The album's final track, the ambitious nine-and-a-half-minute "La Villa Strangiato," was the band's first instrumental release. According to Peart the band spent more time recording "La Villa Strangiato" than they did recording the entire Fly by Night album.

The album contains examples of Rush's adherence to progressive rock standards including the use of epic, multi-movement song structures, complex rhythms and time signatures, and flexible guitar solos, like those found in "La Villa Strangiato." In the 2010 documentary film Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, the band members comment that the stress of recording Hemispheres was a major factor in their decision to start moving away from suites and long-form pieces in their songwriting. That change in philosophy would manifest itself in the band's next album, the considerably more accessible Permanent Waves.

For a short period of time, the album was available in Canada also as a red vinyl LP in a gatefold sleeve with poster (catalogue number SANR-1-1015), and as a limited edition picture disc (catalogue number SRP-1300), both of which have become much sought after collector's items.

Reception

Although Hemispheres received relatively good reviews and became Rush's fourth consecutive gold album in the United States, it proved to be a weaker seller than many of the group's other albums. It peaked at No. 47 on the Billboard 200, becoming the last Rush studio album to fail to make the Billboard Top 10 until 1987's Hold Your Fire.

Hemispheres would not reach U.S. platinum status until December 1993, over 15 years after its initial release.

Track listing

All songs written by Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart.

Side one

1. "Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres" – 18:08
   • I: "Prelude" - (0:00/4:29)
   • II: "Apollo" Bringer of Wisdom – (4:30/6:59)
   • III: "Dionysus" Bringer of Love – (7:00/09:05)
   • IV: "Armageddon" The Battle of Heart and Mind – (09:06/11:58)
   • V: "Cygnus" Bringer of Balance – (12:00/16:58)
   • VI: "The Sphere" A Kind of Dream – (17:02/18:08)

Side two

1. "Circumstances" – 3:42
2. "The Trees" – 4:46
3. "La Villa Strangiato (An Exercise in Self-Indulgence)" – 9:35
   • I: "Buenos Nochas, Mein Froinds!" - (0:00)
   • II: "To sleep, perchance to dream..." - (0:27)
   • III: "Strangiato theme" - (2:00)
   • IV: "A Lerxst in Wonderland" - (3:16)
   • V: "Monsters!" - (5:49)
   • VI: "The Ghost of the Aragon" - (6:10)
   • VII: "Danforth and Pape" - (6:45)
   • VIII: "The Waltz of the Shreves" - (7:26)
   • IX: "Never turn your back on a Monster!" - (7:52)
   • X: "Monsters! (Reprise)" - (8:03)
   • XI: "Strangiato theme (Reprise)" - (8:17)
   • XII: "A Farewell to Things" - (9:20)

Personnel

• Geddy Lee - bass guitars, vocals, Oberheim polyphonic, Minimoog, Moog Taurus pedals
• Alex Lifeson - Six and twelve string electric and acoustic guitars, classical guitar, Roland Guitar Synthesizers, Moog Taurus pedals
• Neil Peart - drums, orchestra bells, bell tree, tympani, gong, cowbells, temple blocks, wind chimes, crotales

Production

• Arranged & Produced By Terry Brown & Rush
• Music & Overdubs Recorded By Pat Moran; Vocals Recorded By Declan O'Doherty
• Mixed By Terry Brown
• Originally Mastered By Ray Staff; Remastered By Bob Ludwig
  • Hugh Syme - art direction and graphics
  • Bob King - art direction
  • Yosh Inouye - cover photography
  • Fin Costello - band and poster photograph

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
1978	Billboard's Pop Albums	47

Singles

Information
"The Trees" Released:1978 Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson & Neil Peart Produced by: Rush and Terry Brown Chart positions:
"Circumstances" Released:1978 Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson & Neil Peart Produced by: Rush and Terry Brown Chart positions:

Remaster details

A remaster was issued in 1997.

• The tray has a picture of the star with man painting (mirroring the cover art of Retrospective I) with "The Rush Remasters" printed in all capital letters just to the left. All remasters from Rush through Permanent Waves are like this.
• The remastered CD has all of the original album cover art, including the back cover and poster of the band which was missing on the original CD issue. When the poster is folded closed, the outside shows "Rush Hemispheres" text printed in red and yellow on a black background. Most copies have this insert placed behind the front cover in the CD case, but apparently some copies have this insert toward the front.