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Hemispheres is the sixth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in October 1978 by Anthem Records. After touring to support the band's previous release, A Farewell to Kings, during which the group gained popularity in the UK, Rush started work on their next album. As with the band's previous studio album, Hemispheres was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire and Trident Studios in London with longtime engineer and arranger, Terry Brown. Rush continued its progressive rock sound with the side-long "Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres" and the nine-minute instrumental "La Villa Strangiato".

Hemispheres
Studio album by Rush
Released	October 29, 1978 (1978-10-29)
Recorded	June-July 1978
Studio	Rockfield (Rockfield, Wales) Advision (London)
Genre	Progressive rock[1]
Length	36:08
Label	Anthem
Producer	Rush Terry Brown
Rush chronology
A Farewell to Kings (1977) Hemispheres (1978) Rush Through Time (1979)
Singles from Hemispheres
"Circumstances" / "The Trees" Released: January 1979 [2][upper-alpha 1]

Hemispheres received acclaim from music critics. It reached number 14 in Canada and the UK, and number 41 in the United States. The album's two shorter tracks, "Circumstances" and "The Trees" were released as singles in early 1979. In 1993, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling one million copies. Rush supported Hemispheres with a concert tour from October 1978 to June 1979. The album was re-released in various expanded formats on November 16, 2018 as part of the band's ongoing 40th Anniversary editions, including the previously unreleased live set by the band at the Pinkpop Festival from June 1979.

Background and recording

In May 1978, Rush completed a nine-month tour of the United States, Canada, and the UK to support its fifth studio album, A Farewell to Kings (1977).[3][4] The tour helped the band break through the UK market, following a series of well-received shows and "Closer to the Heart", the lead single from A Farewell to Kings, reaching number 36 on the UK Singles Chart.[5]

Following a short break, the band regrouped to start work on its next album. In a departure from the band's previous album, they entered the songwriting process without any preconceived ideas, which proved to be a struggle; guitarist Alex Lifeson said: "the trouble started from basics."[6] The band had enjoyed the experience of recording A Farewell to Kings in Wales at Rockfield Studios, situated on a farm in Rockfield, Monmouthshire, and agreed to record there for Hemispheres. They initially chose the studio having recorded four albums in Toronto and wanting a change; bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee said the United States did not appeal to them, and since they were influenced by many English bands, recording in the UK became a "natural" option.[5] Before entering the studio, the band spent two weeks in intensive rehearsal, which sparked worries from the band regarding the direction the album was to take.[6] The conditions of the studio, located on a farm, lacked the standard facilities, including a sofa; Lee described it as "really funky".[7] In one incident, a latch that failed to shut the studio doors frustrated Lifeson who, in a fit, took it off, installed a hydraulic door opener, and built a handle on it.[7]

Rush recorded Hemispheres in June and July 1978 at Rockfield Studios with longtime producer Terry Brown, also credited as co-arranger, and engineer Pat Moran.[6] It marked the longest studio time booked for the band. In comparison, 2112 (1976) was recorded in five weeks and A Farewell to Kings was completed in four.[8] After the music was put down, the group settled in Advision Studios in London to record the vocals.[9] The album was then mixed in August at Trident Studios in London by Brown and assistant John Brand.[9] In the three-month period of putting the album together, Rush took just one day off.[10] Costs of the album were calculated to be around $100,000, making it the band's most expensive album at the time.[10] Drummer Neil Peart recalled the band were exhausted by the time of completion and took a six-week vacation to recover.,[8] while Lee explained that they "greatly underestimated the level of overachievement that [they] were shooting for".[11]

Songs

Side one

"Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres" occupies the album's first side. An 18-minute track and sequel to "Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage" on A Farewell to Kings, the song has six distinct parts.[9][10] Initially, Lee had a different idea for the album's centerpiece track, but after some music had been written the group felt it right to continue the story.[12] Book I concerns the journey of the Rocinante, a spaceship that enters a black hole in outer space. Peart ended the story without a set conclusion, and only began to write Book II three weeks before the band was set to travel to Rockfield Studios. The process was stressful for Peart, took "hours of tearing my hair out", and was only half complete when they arrived.[8] The sequel, like Book I, uses mythology and symbolism to depict a conflict between the gods Apollo and Dionysus, which is resolved when Cygnus intervenes, claiming a balance of heart and mind are what is needed for humans to live well.[13] Peart introduced the gong and timpani to his percussion set for the first time; he hadn't thought of adding the instrument on previous albums but thought Hemispheres needed it.[12]

Side two

"Circumstances" is the first of two shorter tracks on Hemispheres. With the band having accustomed its audience to longer, more elaborate formats, this song is qualified by Lee as an experiment,[11] an attempt to break away from the prog formula that would steer the band into new directions in later albums.

"The Trees" tells the story of a forest of oak and maple trees, the latter causing an upheaval because the oak trees grow too large and take all the sunlight. The maple trees form a union in an effort to have the oaks cut down to a smaller size.[6] Lee explains that the fact that the band was recording in the Welsh countryside set the overall tone for the song: "you're watching English television, walking in the Welsh countryside; there are sheep talking to you in the early morning when you're trying to sleep ... lyrics came first, and we wanted to construct a dynamic little tale as a soundtrack to those lyrics".[11]

"La Villa Strangiato" is a nine-minute instrumental in 12 distinct sections and a subtitle of "An Exercise in Self-Indulgence". According to Lifeson, it is based on the various nightmares he would have, particularly while on tour, which provided the theme to what he described as a "musical re-creation" of them.[6][14] The track was the sole piece that developed from the two-week rehearsal period the group had prior to entering the studio.[6] Rush encountered great difficulty in recording it, as the band wanted it put down as a single live performance, rather than a more produced and edited piece. Lee said it took them around 40 takes to produce a take they were satisfied with.[7] Peart and Lee pointed out that they spent more time recording "La Villa Strangiato" than they did recording the entire Fly by Night (1975) album.[15][11] Peart recalled the group spent four days and nights playing it repeatedly, playing while their hands were sore and their minds tired. "We were determined to get the whole thing perfect, but in the end I just couldn't do it, and we ended up putting it together from a few different takes."[16] The segments "Monsters!" and "Monsters! (Reprise)" are adapted from "Powerhouse", a 1937 jazz instrumental by Raymond Scott.[17]

Artwork

The cover was designed by longtime Rush collaborator, graphic artist Hugh Syme. The front depicts a figure that resembles the one in the painting The Son of Man by surreal artist René Magritte who is standing on the left side of a human brain. He is looking in the direction of a nude man in a ballet pose who is standing on the right side. The overall image was Syme's own creation, but it developed from discussions with Peart about the idea of left and right and the Apollonian and Dionysian parts of the brain. The Magritte figure is Syme's longtime friend Bobby King, who was also the nude model for Rush's Starman logo on 2112 that Syme had also designed. The naked male is a dancer from the Toronto Ballet School. The brain was loaned to Syme from the Department of Anatomy at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine for him to photograph and the final design was completed with a composite. The background was a combination of airbrush and paint. Syme started working on the design before he had heard any music on the album.[18]

Release

Prior to the album's release, Hemispheres aired in its entirety on Night at 11, hosted by Rick Ringer on CHUM-FM in Toronto, on October 5, 1978.[10] It was released October 28, 1978, and reached number 14 on the Canadian Albums Chart[19] and UK Albums Chart,[20] and number 47 on the US Billboard 200.[21] For a short time, Hemispheres was released in Canada on red vinyl with a gatefold sleeve with a poster (catalogue number SANR-1-1015) and as a limited edition picture disc (SRP-1300). The album was awarded a silver certification in the UK.[22] In the US, Hemispheres proved to be a steady seller in the band's catalogue; it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in December 1993 for selling one million copies, 15 years after its release.[23]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[24]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[25]
Rolling Stone (1979)	(favourable)[26]
Rolling Stone (2018)	[27]
Sputnikmusic	[28]
Sound & Vision	[29]

In a poll held by Rolling Stone titled "Readers' Poll: Your Favorite Prog Rock Albums of All Time", Hemispheres was ranked at No. 8.[30] Reviewing the album for the magazine, Michael Bloom stated, "Overall, especially in 'La Villa Strangiato', Lifeson, Peart and Lee prove themselves masters of every power-trio convention. In fact, these guys have the chops and drive to break out of the largely artificial bounds of the format, and they constantly threaten to do so but never quite manage."[26]

In the review for AllMusic, Greg Prato favourably compared the album to the band's previous work, "While the story line isn't as comprehensible as 2112 was, it's much more consistent musically, twisting and turning through five different sections which contrast heavy rock sections against more sedate pieces."[24]

PopMatters ranked Hemispheres the 12th best progressive rock album of all time.[31]

Tour

Rush supported Hemispheres with a concert tour of the US, Canada, and Europe between October 1978 and June 1979.[32] The Canadian leg included three sold out shows at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto in December 1978, setting a new Canadian attendance record.[33]

Tour dates

[34][35]

Date	City	Country	Venue
North America
October 14, 1978	Kingston, Ontario	Canada	Kingston Memorial Center
October 15, 1978	Guelph, Ontario		Guelph Memorial Gardens
October 17, 1978	North Bay, Ontario		North Bay Memorial Gardens
October 18, 1978	Sudbury, Ontario		Sudbury Community Arena
October 20, 1978	Thunder Bay, Ontario		Fort William Gardens
October 21, 1978	Winnipeg, Manitoba		Winnipeg Arena
October 22, 1978	Brandon, Manitoba		Keystone Center
October 24, 1978	Regina, Saskatchewan		Regina Agridome
October 25, 1978	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan		Saskatoon Arena
October 27, 1978	Edmonton, Alberta		Northlands Coliseum
October 28, 1978	Calgary, Alberta		Stampede Corral
October 29, 1978	Lethbridge, Alberta		Lethbridge Sportsplex
October 31, 1978	Kamloops, British Columbia		KXA Auditorium
November 2, 1978	Victoria, British Columbia		Victoria Memorial Arena
November 3, 1978	Nanaimo, British Columbia		Frank Crane Arena
November 4, 1978	Vancouver, British Columbia		Pacific Coliseum
November 6, 1978	Portland, Oregon	United States	Portland Memorial Coliseum
November 7, 1978	Seattle, Washington		Seattle Center Coliseum
November 8, 1978	Spokane, Washington		Spokane Coliseum
November 10, 1978	Sacramento, California		Sacramento Memorial Auditorium
November 11, 1978	Reno, Nevada		Centennial Coliseum
November 13, 1978	San Diego, California		San Diego Sports Arena
November 14, 1978	Long Beach, California		Long Beach Arena
November 15, 1978	Fresno, California		Warnors Theater
November 16, 1978	Daly City, California		Cow Palace
November 18, 1978	San Bernardino, California		Swing Auditorium
November 19, 1978	Phoenix, Arizona		Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
November 20, 1978	Tucson, Arizona		Tucson Community Center
November 21, 1978	Albuquerque, New Mexico		Albuquerque Civic Auditorium
November 30, 1978	Indianapolis, Indiana		Market Square Arena
December 1, 1978	Dayton, Ohio		Hara Arena
December 2, 1978	Detroit, Michigan		Cobo Arena
December 3, 1978	Toledo, Ohio		Toledo Sports Arena
December 5, 1978	Davenport, Iowa		Palmer Auditorium
December 7, 1978	Milwaukee, Wisconsin		MECCA Arena
December 8, 1978	Green Bay, Wisconsin		Brown County Arena
December 9, 1978	St. Paul, Minnesota		St. Paul Civic Center
December 10, 1978	Des Moines, Iowa		Veterans Memorial Auditorium
December 11, 1978	Kansas City, Missouri		Kansas City Municipal Auditorium
December 13, 1978	St. Louis, Missouri		The Checkerdome
December 14, 1978	Chicago, Illinois		International Amphitheater
December 15, 1978
December 16, 1978
December 17, 1978	Madison, Wisconsin		Dane County Coliseum
December 19, 1978	London	Canada	London Gardens
December 20, 1978	Kitchener		Kitchener Memorial Auditorium
December 21, 1978	Ottawa		Ottawa Civic Center
December 26, 1978	Montreal		Montreal Forum
December 27, 1978
December 28, 1978	Toronto		Maple Leaf Gardens
December 29, 1978
December 31, 1978
January 11, 1979	Boston	United States	Boston Music Hall
January 12, 1979	Springfield		Springfield Civic Center
January 13, 1979	New York City		The Palladium
January 14, 1979
January 16, 1979	Albany		Palace Theater
January 17, 1979	Passaic		Capitol Theater
January 19, 1979	Pittsburgh		Pittsburgh Civic Arena
January 20, 1979	Baltimore		Baltimore Civic Center
January 21, 1979	Philadelphia		The Spectrum
January 23, 1979	Syracuse		Onondaga War Memorial Auditorium
January 24, 1979	Buffalo		Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
January 26, 1979	Cincinnati		Riverfront Coliseum
January 27, 1979	Huntsville		Von Braun Civic Center
January 28, 1979	Memphis		Mid-South Coliseum
January 30, 1979	Louisville		Louisville Gardens
January 31, 1979	Bloomington		IU Auditorium
February 1, 1979	Columbus		St. John Arena
February 2, 1979	Saginaw		Saginaw Civic Center
February 3, 1979	Richfield		Richfield Coliseum
February 10, 1979	Oklahoma City		Oklahoma State Fairgrounds
February 15, 1979	Columbia		Township Auditorium
February 17, 1979	Fayetteville		Cumberland County Memorial Arena
February 19, 1979	Asheville		Asheville Civic Center
February 20, 1979	Knoxville		Knoxville Civic Coliseum
February 22, 1979	Little Rock		Barton Coliseum
February 23, 1979	Shreveport		Hirsch Memorial Coliseum
February 24, 1979	Tulsa		Tulsa Fairgrounds Pavilion
February 25, 1979	Austin		Austin Municipal Auditorium
February 27, 1979	Corpus Christi		Corpus Christi Memorial Coliseum
March 1, 1979	Houston		Sam Houston Coliseum
March 2, 1979	Dallas		Dallas Convention Center
March 3, 1979	San Antonio		HemisFair Arena
March 4, 1979	Beaumont		Beaumont Civic Center
March 6, 1979	New Orleans		New Orleans Municipal Auditorium
March 8, 1979	Mobile		Mobile Expo Hall
March 9, 1979	Jacksonville		Jacksonville Civic Auditorium
March 10, 1979	Hollywood		Hollywood Sportatorium
March 11, 1979	Tampa		Curtis Hixon Convention Hall
March 13, 1979	Birmingham		Boutwell Auditorium
March 15, 1979	Chattanooga		Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium
March 16, 1979	Nashville		Nashville Municipal Auditorium
March 17, 1979	Johnson City		Freedom Hall
March 18, 1979	Wheeling		Wheeling Civic Center
March 27, 1979	Salt Lake City		Salt Palace
March 28, 1979	Denver		Denver Auditorium
March 29, 1979	Lincoln		Pershing Center
March 30, 1979	Topeka		Topeka Municipal Auditorium
April 2, 1979	Syracuse		Onondaga War Memorial Auditorium
April 3, 1979	Poughkeepsie		Mid-Hudson Civic Center
April 4, 1979	Rochester		War Memorial Auditorium
April 6, 1979	Hempstead		Nassau Coliseum
April 7, 1979	New Haven		New Haven Coliseum
April 10, 1979	Salem		Roanoke Valley Civic Center
April 11, 1979	Hampton		Hampton Coliseum
April 13, 1979	Atlanta		Fox Theater
April 14, 1979	Greensboro		Greensboro Coliseum
April 15, 1979	Providence		Providence Civic Center
Europe
April 23, 1979	Newcastle	England	Newcastle City Hall
April 24, 1979
April 25, 1979	Glasgow	Scotland	Glasgow Apollo
April 26, 1979
April 27, 1979
April 28, 1979	Edinburgh		Edinburgh Odeon
April 29, 1979	Manchester	England	Manchester Apollo
April 30, 1979
May 1, 1979	Liverpool		Empire Theater
May 2, 1979
May 4, 1979	London		Hammersmith Odeon
May 5, 1979
May 6, 1979
May 7, 1979
May 9, 1979	Coventry		Coventry Theater
May 10, 1979	Birmingham		Birmingham Odeon
May 11, 1979
May 13, 1979	Southampton		Gaumont Theater
May 14, 1979	Bristol		Colston Hall
May 15, 1979
May 17, 1979	Paris	France
May 18, 1979	Poperinge	Belgium	Maeke Blyde Hall
May 23, 1979	Gothenburg	Sweden	Gothenburg Concert House
May 24, 1979	Oslo	Norway	Chateau Neuf
May 25, 1979	Stockholm	Sweden	Grona Lund
May 27, 1979	Erlangen	Germany	Stadthalle
May 28, 1979	Offenbach		Stadthalle
May 29, 1979	Hamburg		Hamburg Music Hall
May 31, 1979	Mannheim		Rose Garden
June 1, 1979	Zurich	Switzerland	Volkshaus
June 2, 1979	Munich	Germany	Circus Krone
June 4, 1979	Geleen	Netherlands	Damen Sports Park

Reissues

Reissues

Year	Label	Format	Notes
1987	Anthem	CD[36]
1997	Anthem	CD	Digitally remastered[37]
2011	Anthem	CD	Digitally remastered[37]
2013	Audio Fidelity	SACD	Digitally remastered[37]
2015	Mercury	LP	Digitally remastered, 200 g audiophile vinyl. Also available in 24-bit/96 kHz and 24-bit/192 kHz digital formats.[38][39]
2018	Anthem/Mercury	CD, LP	40th Anniversary Edition with previously unreleased live content.[40]

Track listing

40th Anniversary Edition (2018)

• Track 10 recorded live May 28, 1979 at Stadthalle Offenbach, West Germany; incorrectly credited as Live in Arizona: November 20, 1978

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's sleeve notes.[9]

Rush

• Geddy Lee – bass guitar, Minimoog synthesizer, Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer, Moog Taurus bass pedals, vocals
• Alex Lifeson – 6- and 12-string electric and acoustic guitars, classical guitar, Roland guitar synthesizer, Moog Taurus pedals
• Neil Peart – drums, orchestra bells, bell tree, tympani, gong, cowbells, temple blocks, wind chimes, crotales

Production

• Rush – production, arrangement
• Terry Brown – production, arrangement, mixing at Trident Studios
• Pat Moran – engineering at Rockfield Studios
• Declan O'Doherty – engineering at Advision Studios
• John Brand – mixing assistance at Trident Studios
• Ray Staff – mastering
• Simon Hilliard – tape operator at Trident Studios
• Mike Donegani – tape operator at Trident Studios
• Reno Ruocco – tape operator at Trident Studios
• Ray Staff – mastering at Trident Studios
• Hugh Syme – graphics, art direction
• Bob King – art direction
• Yosh Inouye – cover photography
• Fin Costello – inner sleeve and poster photography
• Moon Records – executive production

Charts

Chart (1978)	Peak position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[41]	14
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[42]	178
UK Albums (OCC)[43]	14
US Billboard 200[44]	47

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[45]	Platinum	100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[22]	Silver	60,000^
United States (RIAA)[23]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

Citations

Books

• Wagner, Jeff (2010). Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal. Brooklyn, New York: Bazillion Points. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-9796163-3-4.

External links

• Hemispheres at Discogs (list of releases)

На других языках

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[de] Hemispheres

Hemispheres ist das sechste Studio-Album der kanadischen Rockband Rush. Es wurde 1978 unter dem Label Mercury Records veröffentlicht.

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- [en] Hemispheres (Rush album)

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[es] Hemispheres

Hemispheres (en español: Hemisferios) es el nombre del sexto álbum grabado en estudio por la banda de rock canadiense Rush. No es un álbum conceptual; sin embargo, la suite que le da título al álbum mantiene un concepto a lo largo de todos sus movimientos. Con este álbum, la banda cierra su trilogía de ciencia ficción que conforma junto a sus anteriores lanzamientos "2112" y "A Farewell to Kings". Este álbum no tuvo lanzamiento en Latinoamérica; sin embargo, la canción «The Trees» apareció en una compilación editada por PolyGram Records en Venezuela (titulada Anthology) en 1984.

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[ru] Hemispheres

Hemispheres (рус. полушария) — шестой студийный альбом канадской рок-группы Rush, выпущенный в 1978 году.

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