Rush - Hemispheres (1978) [40th Anniversary Edition] (BD-Audio Rip / FLAC 2.0 & 5.1]

Arguably the peak of Rush’s technical ambitions, 1978’s "Hemispheres" captures the iconic Canadian trio of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart drawing as much as they ever would on sheer musical ability and compositional chops. By May of 1978, a month before recording was set to begin on Rush’s sixth studio album, all three members of the band had achieved such a high level of mastery on their respective instruments, not to mention their collective playing that they saw fit, for the first time in their career, to begin working on an album without the benefit of having any material prepared. Unsurprisingly, making the album proved to be an arduous task, even for a band as diligent as Rush. The Blu-Ray from 40th Anniversary Edition of "Hemispheres" features the album newly mixed from the original multi-tracks in 5.1 Surround Sound along with the 2015 Stereo Remaster.

Rush began life as a power trio in the Led Zeppelin/heavy rock mode. Over the years the band refined their musical vision as they gained both instrumental and conceptual facility. 1978's HEMISPHERES marks their transition from heavy riff-mongers to full blown art-rockers. Lee, Lifeson and Peart employ a number of tricks from the prog-rock bag here; (very) extended songs, multi-part suites, long instrumental passages, rapidly shifting tempos and time signatures, complicated unison riffs and synthesizer orchestrations. It's to Rush's credit that these elements enhance their sound instead of obscuring it. In fact, "La Villa Strangiato" would become one of the band's best-loved '70s efforts and a long-standing concert favorite.

Tracklist:

01 - Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres
02 - Circumstances
03 - The Trees
04 - La Villa Strangiato (An Exercise in Self-Indulgence)

Multichannel Surround Mix by Richard Chycki.
Stereo Album Remastered by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios, London.

Mastered by Sen Magee & James Clarke at Abbey Road Studios.
5.1 Mastering by Andrew Walter at Abbey Road Studios.

Artwork (JPG 600dpi) - Thanks to ALLexxess!



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