Hemispheres (Remastered)by Rush

This is a pretty good album, and any Rush fan (or any prog fan, really, should have it). Nevertheless, I must share my incredibly controversial opinion (don't send me death threats for this): Rush. Is. Overrated. That doesn't mean they're not a great band. It just means that for an album with such sophisticated subject matter, and such a prog theme, they don't really get progressive enough. While they're great technical players, their SOUND is not that complex on this album (or any that I've heard). If they'd had a dedicated keyboard player who didn't also have to play bass, and another singer with a lower voice, this album would have had more depth and been more interesting sonically. There are some incredible moments; La Villa Strangiato being one, and certain parts of Cygnus X-1 Book II being others.

So... Every song is catchy, well-done, and worth listening to. Yet it doesn't sound that different from everything else Rush has done, and only having three members limits their dynamics, they always seem to have that same gritty rock sound which I'm not the biggest fan of. I'm giving it four stars because it's a great prog album from a great band, but at the same time, know that there are BETTER prog albums from BETTER bands out there. If you like Rush's sound, you should check out Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory by Dream Theater. It's just a much more cohesive concept album with more complex instrumentation, more varied and dynamic vocals, and more power overall.