RUSH: Cygnus X-1 Book 1 AND Book 2 REACTION & ANALYSIS | The Daily Doug (Episode 381) 

In my opinion the best Rush song, on their best album, made at their best moment. Everything is fine, the voice, the instruments and the composition. There is no time I listen to The Sphere and not shed a tear. After this disc they leave the conceptual works. I love Rush, one of the best bands in history, without a doubt.

Alex is the man. That he so deftly plays this in concert just goes to show he is all about the structure of the song. He doesn’t want to be a “rock god.” He was wants to make the best music possible with his mates, and does.

Book II is my all time favorite Rush song! Those are 20 glorious minutes that never seem as long as it is.

I'm a sad old man in his mid-60s and that bit at the end always brings tears to my eyes.. it's so beautiful.

I'd love to hear Doug breakdown "Natural Science" and "Jacob's Ladder".

Amazing how much Dream Theater was influenced by Rush. You can hear it clearly even in their most recent music.

"Trying to figure out the meter..." Said every amateur drummer ever while listening to Rush.

"We will call you Cygnus, the God of Balance you shall be!" gives me chills every time I hear it!

In concert, back in '78, when Rush did Hemispheres live, when the song gets to the part where our traveler is reintroduced, they played 'Cygnus X-1' (Book I) in it's entirety, then resumed with the rest of Hemispheres. It was a solid 30 minutes of music. Sorry, you missed the 70's. I graduated high school in '77. Oh, what good times we had then!

Alex's guitar work on this album is just simply outstanding. The chord progressions, open string chords and arpeggios are just inspiring!

Hemispheres album has always been my favorite Rush album. This side was awesome, then you turn to Circumstances, The Trees, La Villa. Always beautiful in my estimation.

Small production note that you might have missed: When Geddy is first singing about how the heart and mind were divided into hollow hemispheres they pan his voice slowly from the center to the left and right simulating the division of left and right hemispheres 29:09. Then at the end he talks about the two hemispheres uniting and the two stereo voices merge back into one straight up the middle 37:10 . :)

Hemispheres is arguably Rush's Magnum Opus. In my mind, A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres, are one complete double album. Is not ending Perfect?!?

Hemispheres was their last hurrah for their 70's prog phase, and talk about ending it on a high note (sorta pun intended). It still blows me away how well crafted the title track is. That album took its toll on Geddy, not just his vocals, but mentally as he was trying to balance his band career with raising a family. The music got pretty demanding. Still though, glad they were able to complete that album though. Total masterpiece.

Hey, Doug, there's a reason why Geddy Lee's bass playing sounds similar to Chris Squire, at times. He was inspired to take up the bass and play when he heard Chris play the bass on Yes's first album. He is such a fan of Yes that he and Alex Lifeson inducted Yes into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Geddy played the late Chris's bass part on "Roundabout" for the performance section of the ceremony. You should react to that live performance, it's terrific!

Doug, Geddy would find the Squire reference a compliment. He idolized him when forming Rush.

I can't wait to listen to it again. Words spoken by millions of RUSH fans.... me included!

Hemispheres is the most adventurous yet melodic storytelling album ever created

For me Hemispheres is Rush's platinum crowned diamond. The flow is just delightful. I'm a bass player and have always enjoyed jamming this.

Only Rush could come up with a song/story/epic that starts in the future and ends in Ancient Greece and yet somehow comes together perfectly.🔥🤘🏻🎧

I know this is coincidence but thanks for posting this today. Rush was my dad's favorite band and this made me tear up, it being the anniversary of his passing.

Guitarists will have to correct me, but I believe the chord that Alex uses at the intro into Book 2 is now called the "Alex Lifeson chord." He comes back to it again on their 2007 album "Snakes and Arrows", as well. :) Yes, the last section of Book 2 makes me cry, every time. Not only is it profound and timeless, but the lyrics are put to a beautiful melody. It's incredibly mature for these guys who were in their 20s, at the time they wrote this. It's oddly reminiscent, to me of "Soon" by Yes. Not melodically, but in its hope and "vibe." Thx for doing these compositions.

This brings me great joy, can't wait for it to be premiered... Now you are just missing "The Fountain of Lamneth" and "The Necromancer" both from the "Caress of Steel" album. Amazing tracks amazingly underrated, even if the critics said things like "one of Rush's more unfocused albums"

Fun to watch you experience that. Cygnus X-1, especially book 2, is my personal favorite of all Rush songs. And it is a total blast to learn to play on guitar, and a frustrating mess trying to be a precise as Alex Lifeson.

A Farewell To Kings is still one of my all time favorite rock albums. Made a huge influence on me to start playing guitar. Before this I listened to Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath, ect. Then I found Rush, Yes, Kansas and to a degree Styx and my musical standards changed.

Would love for Doug to cover all four parts of Rush’s “Fear” series. Amazing four songs that cover a time span of 21 years and start with Part Three on Moving Pictures. From the amazing mind of Neil!

Like many, I'm also in my 60's growing up with Rush. Living in upstate New York,in the 70's and 80's Rush had concerts here yearly,lost count of how many I attended. A live performance was as crisp and tight as listening to an album. The best is watching Doug go from first hearing Rush to now seeing him be a strong fan. It's so enjoyable to watch someone discover and love Rush as we do.

Dear Doug, you might be late to the party, but brilliance and outstanding musicianship never goes out of fashion. Both Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres were recorded in Rockwell Studios in Wales (the Bohemian Rhapsody piano also recorded there) and Xanadu and the Cygnus suite are just the pinnacle of the classic prog period. Though more brilliant albums followed, these two from Rockwell will always remain the high water mark for me. Enjoy your continued listenings!

I love the Sphere. Often end my live streams with it. Fun to see your reaction to all of this.

Wow, I just had to wipe away a tear, listening to that, and your description of Neil’s brilliance. Always a Rush fan, but I think I was missing the poetry in the lyrics a little. Thanks Doug.

My favorite Rush album! Thanks Doug, your first experience with this Song helped me relive my fist experience with it, and the emotion and thought provoking experience that came with the discovery!

I think this is your best reaction video... Thank you so much. I'm 57 years old and have been a fan of Rush since the early days. I played quite a bit of bass guitar myself but still an amateur - never a pro. Geddy is the best and multi-talented not many could ever compare. I saw a few of your other videos and I saw this one hit you pretty good - the emotions were evident!!

Now you have to listen to them and concentrate on each instrument. The bass lines in these songs are astounding. The guitar work is also impeccable. And while Neils' work is really good. He takes the back seat in these two songs (in my opinion) and lets the lyrics "shine through".

Neil definitely gets his accolades for being one of the best drummers to ever live, but I think he's very underrated as a lyricist.

The opening groove in Book I is one of the best jams Rush ever fucking had. God damn, so fucking good.

What I love about Rush is, they felt as if it was all live in the studio by the changes in tempo, keys, ect. Something that can only be felt by looking at each other, not by a metronome.

About that chord that Alex is playing at the beginning of Hemisphere, here is an exert from an articular Guitar Player: A few years back, John Petrucci went out for a drive with the folks from Cosmo Music. In the resulting Rockstars in Cars video, the Dream Theater guitarist talked about his favorite solo to play live, his mix of technical and emotional guitar playing, and more. Best question in the video: “Desert island chord: You got one chord you can play forever. What is it?” “It’s the opening chord from Hemispheres by Rush,” Petrucci replies. “It’s the F sharp major with the added 4th and the flat 7. That should really be named ‘the Alex Lifeson Chord,’ because he invented that.”

I love how you called out the key changes starting around 30:28 in your video. Also, you lifted an eyebrow when they finally come all the way back around at the end, but listen again and check out how they set up the leading tone back to that F#7+11 (the "rush chord,") right when Geddy sings, "the god of balance you shall be." It's probably my favorite musical moment in any song, ever.

Geddy never got enough credit for his melodies, the way he would go up and down and change stuff around... Nobody else could've sung that stuff like him

"Born in '77..." Dude, I graduated in 77! lol But your exactly right, everyone was like "is that it?" when Farewell ended. It was worth it because Hemispheres is their best album in my opinion. Epic!

I love how Geddy changes his voice at 35:13... "We will call you Cygnus, the god of balance you shall be." So badass!

Doesn’t matter how many times I listen to it, the intro to Cygnus X-1 Book 1 gives me goosebumps from head to toe… gosh it’s brilliant and haunting. Not to mention, the virtuosity of the playing damn. The ending also gives me goosebumps with that lyric “every nerve is pulled apart.” That said, Book I and Book II together as a complete story is one of my all time favorite moments in Rush discography. Book II is so incredibly good!!

Can you imagine that you are 17 years old and you read a review about this album and then decide to buy it of the money from your part-time job? If only I were 17 years old again, to put the needle on the vinyl for the first time. Almost brings tears to my eyes...

Thanks, Brother. My favorite Rush epic song. What a masterpiece! Moves me to tears still after all these years. RIP Neil Peart.

Saw them do the entire saga on the Hemispheres tour! UNFORGETTABLE!!

Book 2 played over and over on my turntable. I had a badass Technics sound system back in my junior high days that my paper route paid for. Good stuff!

I first heard about Rush in college in the early 90s, having been raised in a family that saw rock music as something from the Devil. I played some songs for a friend and said that this is what Bach would be composing were he alive today. It was gratifying to learn that rock was more than just the simplistic "love" songs that played on commercial radio.

Profound lyrics across decades. I don't think any other band has come anywhere near.

If you like Neil's lyrics, you might want to check the following titles : Natural Science, Witch Hunt, Losing it, The enemy within and Available light. I believe those to be some of Peart's finest Lyrics. That being said there all amazing. Neil was not only a gifted writer but he was also a prophet in some sense. Some songs are lyrically more relevant 30-40 years later, like those I mentioned above. Keep up reviewing Rush I love it !!!!!!

Doug, I think you missed the part where the chords that fade out in Book 1 come in at the exact moment Cygnus shows up in the battle of Book 2 (somewhere around 31:30 of your video). That gives me chills every time. This whole two part story is a masterpiece that gets pretty much no attention when people talk about Rush. Thanks for doing the two parts together. It just shows the sheer genius of Neil. There will never be a musical piece ever done like this again.

The ending lyrics to this song are beautiful and profound. Actually, every lyric written by Neil has a great message and meaning. Has anyone noticed everything kind of went to shit when he passed away.

Doug, I’m so delighted to see you bring these two great songs together into a single, perfect sphere… so to speak! They were two of my favorite songs to play on drums. Although I wasn’t technically perfect, I was pretty damn close, That was 40 years ago. Being 60 years old, I grew up on Rush, and seeing a younger person with classical music expertise digging on Rush is so gratifying. My love of Rush was a direct result of my dad exposing me to the three Bs from my birth. He loved classical music, and now I love it too. Rush was one of only two rock groups (the other being Yes) that my dad was impressed with. He was also pretty impressed when I learned the drum parts for these two songs. Rush is a classical musicians rock band! The odd time signatures, the inventive chord progressions, the lyrical themes are just the most obvious examples of the beautiful, inimitable music of Rush. I’m so happy you discovered Rush!!! Now, I’m going to watch this video again. Bravo, Doug! 🤙

I remember it well. Farewell to Kings was my best friend's favorite album, and Cygnus X-1 his favorite track. It was a long year until Hemispheres was released, and we finally got the rest of the story.

This album, Hemispheres, sealed the deal in the 70s for me... it was part 2 that resonated with me... and yes, the lyrics are so profound. Neil had a way of distilling the sense of the situation. IMO, one of the best lyricist in the rock world... [number one, but trying to keep it cool] :)

2112 is outstanding but to me Hemispheres is Rush's Prog masterpiece. It flows so well where as 2112 was choppy in parts. The "I have memory and awareness" part is pure musical gold. Thanks so much for the deep dive Sir! If you want something shorter from them, go with Freewill. That song is amazing on every level.

Hardcore! I thought only Rush fans could get through both in one sitting. Well played, sir! You really need to listen to this on an original record to really bring out the depth of the sound. I had this album as a kid and I played it on my sister's stereo with large Bose headsets. It was an out of body experience.

There are very few things in this world that can bring a tear to my eye; Rush is one of those things. Watching Doug run through Hemispheres and see all the realizations hit him makes me emotional for whatever reason.

Finally, I think this is one of the finest under played Rush songs May Cynus find you balanced in Love and Logic. It seems they built part 1's intro off of Villa Stragiatto. Rosinante = Broken down horse. One has to wonder if the writers for The Expanse were Don Quixote or Rush fans ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-huTiu62eJB0.html this is also played at the end or Part 2

Man, you've nailed on first listen things that took me many listens to pick up on. Absolutely perfect analysis and reaction. I get teary eyed re-experiencing these classics.

The end of this song is like a prayer to me. But when I recite them I absolutely mean them. These men are only musicians. But something flowed through them which is very profound.

Hey Doug- Great episode! I see that you are touched by Neils profound lyrics; there are many other songs that would move you more emotionally than this one; the one that comes to mind about the passion for music and the obsession of pursuing it, is called “Mission”; An excellent piece of music, with absolutely superb positive lyrics. This would be an excellent follow up albeit lyrically to Hemispheres. I’m talking about the song “Mission” from the album “Hold Your Fire”.

Dude! I have listened to this album for 30 years and am still fascinated by it. Thank you for your classical training and understanding of cord progressions. Being a drummer I’ve focused on the time signatures and fills as they drive the composition along. Had tears at the end as you did knowing how Neil’s words are so poignant to this day. Thank you.

That end bit on Part II always brings me to tears. Second favorite piece of music, right after the lament movement in “To Live is to Die” by Metallica. Thanks for the breakdown, Doug. Rush is life.

Living in Toronto and with Rush being hometown boys (well for the most part - Neil was from a smaller city 50 miles away), we were privileged to be the first to hear the premiere of these great albums from Rush's heyday. What a treat it was to hear Alex and Geddy with announcer Rick Ringer on 104.5 CHUM-FM ( back when they were a REAL radio station) introducing the songs and giving a bit of backstory on them. 2112, A Farewell to Kings, Permanent Waves, Hemispheres, Moving Pictures, Signals, G/P. I used to record these premiere's and listen to them until I had the chance to go buy the albums. Probably still have the C90 tapes somewhere with those recordings.

Oh this is gonna be a GREAT one for me. This takes me right back to my early days learning to play the bass guitar! (I had no idea then how impossible a task it would be to play Geddys basslines, of course) Moving Pictures, Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres are still my favourite era of Rush albums!

Love this, but one thing that's being missed is how the music keeps coming back to Part 1, and within Part 2 also. The music is as well constructed as the lyrics. But I can see that being so much to digest, on one first listen.

As a 40+ year Rush fan, I welcome you to the fold, and I must tell you that you have learned well, young grasshopper. I have been impressed by your reaction videos to some of Rush's greatest music. To see you moved so profoundly by music I cherish among all others, that to me is the joy of discovery and re-discovery. I sadly haven't got a performing musical bone in my body, but I can sing. As you have noticed, Neil's gifts as a storyteller are almost like wisdom from the mountain, and it was a real shock to learn many years ago that he gave much of the credit to a rhyming dictionary. No musical style label fits Rush; they were on a true level of their own. RIP Professor (we know God only loaned you to us), and RUSH FOREVER!

Now I need a “Doug special” breakdown of The Fountain Of Lamneth. These long epics are perfect for your reactions!

Hemispheres was my first introduction to the music of Rush and from there I worked backwards. After listening to A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres, I quickly realized the genius, both musically and lyrically, of what has been my favorite band for the past 40 years. Thanks Doug👍👍

At the end of this song, only by your face expression, I knew you were conquered. Great reaction Dr Doug.

Natural Science. When you are alone in the house, find a seat with a drink and crank it to 11. But do yourself a favor and listen for yourself to the entire album of Permanent Waves. A masterpiece...

This is top of the mountain for me in the Rush department. Love it so much. Too bad they couldn't keep making long epics like this, but I do like the smaller epics on Grace... Geddy has said many times in interviews that the band couldn't physically go on doing that grueling work in the studio and reproducing it live. I respect that. Rush were unmatched in their musical precision.

Dear Doug this is our boys at the top of their game, and in their own words "biting more than they can chew". Hemispheres is a testament of how underrated King Lerxst is.

My two favorite Rush albums... and yeah, it was tough waiting for the conclusion to the story to come out with Hemispheres!

18:45 "I'm trying to figure out the meter... part of its in 7, I didn't catch the rest of it" Rush in a nutshell

More rush please! Xanadu is under-appreciated. Chris Squire and Geddy both played Rickenbacker basses, which have a unique growl.

Back in the day I lived in a house I shared with three of the four guys in a band that played originals and copy tunes. They were very talented guys and their music was well rehearsed and played. I ended up getting married and moving out. They lost their singer and gigs were sparse but they marched on and got tighter. Shortly after this Rush album came out I was hanging out with them at the house while they worked on Cyngus X. It was truly impressive to watch talented musicians attack the tune.

Feel free to do Rush's entire discography! 😂

The progress/advancement they made from one album to the next ..🤩🤩🤩

It's about time! Will Doug choose wisdom or love?

When he said the bill tolls for thee... I immediately leapt to Signals and Losing It. Well played Maestro!

A Farewell To Kings was my first Rush album.

Doug, doesn’t that opening part of Book I, before the lyrics start, remind you of parts of Holst’s “The Planets”? I think it’s the “Mars” part.

One of my very favorite aspects of this song is that Cygnus X-1 is now essentially confirmed to be a black hole, but when Neil wrote these lyrics, it existed in the astrophysics world as the first formal candidate for an astronomical object with characteristics that were were predicted to be intrinsic to a black hole, and the events narrated by the protagonist are pretty consistent with what physicists predict would happen to an observer who crossed the black hole's event horizon. I even like to imagine that those ring-modulator sounds at the beginning connote the gravitational waves emitted from the violent collapse of the star or the spinning black hole's event horizon. The more I learn about black holes over the years, the more prescient I realize Neil's lyrics were. He must have read a fantastic book or Scientific American article! Also, this is essentially half the plot of Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar!"

Neil Peart has told the future in this way so many times. His newer is insane as well. Check out peaceable kingdom on vapor trails or territories on power windows. He makes profound references to times were living all over the place. Amazing band, I've been I'm love with rush for 45 years! It never gets old. I like your video very much because your paying attention to everything especially the lyrics. It's a 3 pice band with 2 massive components, music and the written word that can actually be life tools. God bless.

Hemispheres is their Magnus Opus. Amazing at every level. Everyone at their peak.

If I recall, Book 2 was recorded a half step too high on accident. It was too late to re-record so they turned to Geddy and said “good luck” as he had not recorded the lyrics yet.

Book 2 for me is the height of their progressive era and as you say it's a profound piece - some of their mid 80s stuff whilst much poppier hits some similarly deep emotional levels

15:17 I still don't understand how Geddy was able to still sing after hitting this note. Truly something unique.

Thank you thank you THANK YOU for finally premiering Hemispheres Book II to your listeners. This is the single most emotional, inspirational and beautiful piece of music, in my opinion, created by ANY band ever. I'm so glad you found it as lovely as we did. Now listen again more!!

They have a handful of epics you still have not heard so more to discover for sure. if you want one of their early 80's songs that is as relevant today as it was then, listen to Witchhunt. Very beautiful yet haunting at the same time.

The bass work in Cygnus 2 is legendary

Yes, I was one of those who, at the end of Book 1, shouted, “Arrrrgh! I have to wait a whole year for the next album!” Great reaction video, Doug. Thanks for sharing!

Fantastic reaction, thank you. I'm not sure how many are of the same opinion, but Hemispheres is my favourite Rush song, with the marvellous lyrics being a big factor in that too. Also, and it's nothing to do with the lyrics and was entirely unintentional, but I bought the album close to Christmas in 1978 and some of Alex's guitar in the song quite often resonated a Christmassy sleigh bell-like feel for me which elevated it further still!

"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." Neil has just written the most poignant and relevant lyrics in the history of music. I would love a reaction to the song Losing It or Mission, two of my favorite Rush songs in terms of lyrics

FWIW, Cygnus X-1 isn't merely a black hole. It was the first X-ray source to be identified as a possible black hole. Back in 1977, it was not certain that the X-ray sources that astronomers had only recently started discovering were actually black holes or if they were something else. IIRC, X-ray astronomy had only begun in 1973 (the Earth's atmosphere absorbs X-rays arriving from space, so we can't observe them from the ground).

1978 first time I saw the boys warm up for BOC & the beginning of my RUSH fandom. Next year 4th row in front of Geddy for Hemispheres. Still the loudest concert I have ever seen. And yes I've seen them so many times I lost count. RIP Neil my mentor.

Side 1 of Hemispheres got me through a lot of unhappy days 30ish years ago. I can’t listen through to The Sphere without a smile breaking out on my face.

Dude!!!! Did you even catch the samples of Cygnus X-1 from the previous album mixed into the synth transition of the birth of the God of Balance?!? I heard this back in 81 as a 13 year old and figured it out. That’s one of the many reasons I love this band. Rest in Power Professor ❤

I've been a RUSH fan since 1977 listening to All the World's a Stage for the first time and it changed my life completely. However...A Farewell to Kings and then especially Hemispheres, took it to a whole new level for me and are my two favorite albums by RUSH! Great video!