MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - Hemispheres

"Awesome Rush."

Rush's days of progressive rock hit their zenith with Hemispheres. It was big, bold, pretentious, orchestral...and it rocked. The incredible piece, "Cygnus X-1 Book II," proved that the band had mastered the epic format. Written in six movements, tied together by thematic unity, and telling the story of the philosophical conflict between reason and passion, it is possibly their best epic. Here, the band combines classical music's sense of space and monumental scope with rock's raw power and energy. The mixture of loud and soft passages and crescendos do more than add to the dynamics of the arrangement, but also perform well in translating the emotion of the composition, which is important given the song's philosophical overtones. Eighteen minutes never went by so fast...which is complimentary. It takes considerable skill not to make an epic seem long, and even more to make it seem short. This is especially laudable in Rush's case, since they don't have the added dimension through an emphasis on keyboards that most progressive bands have.

Side 2 of the album features two short songs and a 10 minute instrumental. The short songs are stronger than most that have preceded this album. "Circumstances" is a classic short Rush song (they have so many!), characterized by Lee's trademark shriek (really high on this one!), tight riffs and a great melody. "The Trees" is another favorite. A forest is used as a metaphor for socio-economic issues. Corny? Nope, just really smart. The serene interlude complements the natural setting, with some inventive percussion from Peart. "La Villa Strangiato" is what the band called "an exercise in self-indulgence." Ten minutes of awesome instrumental virtuosity that affirms the skill of the band. They say it's pompous, but the song is good enough that non-musicians can still appreciate it. Lifeson's guitar solo here is one of the all-time best Rush moments.