HEMISPHERES

Actually it could hardly escape from 3 stars! :-) Side A is at last a real epic with a unique concept, with intelligent lyrics that make the listener think, with incredibly ingenious bass playing but come on! Alex Lifeson's wonder machine plays just the same riffs, not a longer solo and the bass is not enough to keep the interest after 5 minutes. Its a blasphemy but after that it simply gets...boring. Somehow they tried to be too...intellectual and the figures dont add up here. This is the Topographic tales of Rush but I love the other one much better. The ambient part is breathtaking when Geddy sings I am dead and yet unborn. Side B saves the day here. Circumstances is like the epic should be: harsh, raw, dynamic, wild. On The trees Peart shows us his funny side, I really appreciate that! And last but not least the strange village. Wow. Rush went to discover brand new territories with that. Jazzy, unusal, exciting, lots of tempo changes, pure progressivity. The album is definitely a must have but not perfect. Anyway, everyone should learn from his faults. No more epics in Rush's history.