HEMISPHERES

As I stated with my review of A Farewell To Kings...together with 2112 this is compulsary material for any serious Rush fan. As many commented before me...this is a band on the top of their peak indeed. It really is regretfull that they didn't do more and abandoned epic music creation and replaced it with much shorter compositions....

Right from the first album....you hear that you are in for a treat...the titletrack is indeed fantastic....I keep on wondering about the fact that the song is quite long, but the melody is quite catchy and...very fluid...its like it all comes together magically and that is something really good to hear. As always there is a very characteristic basssound of Geddy, that is accompanied by some great drumming of Niell. I always wonder if its simply the way they play or the way the record their albums, cos time after time you can hear this same....sound over all the Rush albums. But with this song...it seems that Alex is more prominent than on others....so the guitar here is often on the frontground...and from time to time takes time to solo around....Apart from all the great melodies...there is one specific part of the song I really liked, and that is where it slows down and you only hear Geddy sing...supported by a minimum of instruments....what a wonderfull and sensitive passage is that...

Circumstances is a more song based composition....that cannot stand in the shadow of the 2 giants. It has some great vocals and indeed another great melody with a typical Rush sound....The middle part has some really nice keyboardwork....before the song speeds up again and work towards the end.

The Trees..a long live favorite. A start of with some beautifull accoustic guitar...before completely out of the blue the song kicks in really loud and full developing a really typical Rush melody...I like the 'There is trouble in the forrest....' lines....Its a very dynamical song, since it falls back on, guitar and keys again....to build up again...this time more slowly before the song gets on again in a more agressive way..Geddy's bass first and then Alex's guitar create some jawdropping solo...that are too short for my ears......Fantastic song...but I like the ways is played on Different States more...what always struck me there was its agression and the power, that I miss a bit in this original.

The last song...another amazing classic....starts off once again with some amazing accoustic guitar soon accompanied by other instruments, adding more and more building up....nice high head of Niell...to the eventual melody of the song...Once again we hear Geddy's so recognisable Bass, soon followed by Alex's Guitar...Some nice soloing here....Alex taking turns with Geddy the rest of the song...very nice...Like the way the song is slowing down....and you only hear Alex jam very slowly supported by some more suddle drumming of Niell.....and with that it really is Alex who shines on this song once again.....although Geddy gets his moments as we'll as the track contains some really nice basswork of Geddy.

All in all an incredible album...made by some incredible skilled musicians.....comes highly recomanded.