Rush - Cygnus X-1 Book Two Part Six: "The Sphere A Kind of Dream"

I know I already wrote something about "The Trees", but can I write a little something about another part of Hemispheres? Can I talk about "The Sphere A Kind of Dream?"

The sixth part of the sidelong title track is so beautiful it nearly leaves me wrecked. You know how you sing along? I mean, we all sing along, right? Well, I can never get through the last part of "Cygnus X-1 Book Two." My voice always cracks, and I give it up. It's so stunning, it leaves me wondering how *Geddy Lee* can even get through it.

If you can argue that Hemispheres is the apex of Rush albums--and that's an argument I'm highly sympathetic to^*--then it seems to me that "The Sphere" is the apex of Hemispheres. "Circumstances" was a nice single, "The Trees" is an anthem but also problematic, "La Villa Strangiatto"is a technical showpiece, but the band admitted right there on the album it's an "exercise in self-indulgence."

Yes, "Armageddon The Battle of Heart and Mind" has those incredible zigzag guitars and that amazing first verse. But "The Sphere" is the capstone to it all, in theme and in exquisite, gorgeous melody.

We can walk our road together
If our goals are all the same
We can run alone and free
If we pursue a different aim

Let the truth of Love be lighted
Let the love of Truth shine clear
Sensibility
Armed with sense and liberty

With the Heart and Mind united
In a single
  Perfect
    Sphere

_______________
^* If you think about it, Hemispheres is like Slayer's Reign in Blood: an album so masterful and so extreme that its creators knew that further forays in its direction were doomed to failure. So they didn't even try; instead each band just changed direction.

Permanent Waves is still proggy--but not like Hemispheres is. Permanent Waves introduced a ballad with "Different Strings" and "The Spirit of Radio" was designed to be a hit along the medium it was named for. Similarly, with South of Heaven, Slayer knew there was no way they could get faster, so they cut the tempos in half, and picked up the technical aspects.

File under: Codas