8. Cygnus X-1 (A Farewell To Kings/Hemispheres, 1977-78)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlNrQGmj6oQ After 2112s success, Rush could pretty much tell the label to trust their creative direction, and they moved into a period of intense progressive rock. Bands like Yes and Genesis became their primary influence, Pearts drum set grew to include chimes and bells, and Lee incorporated more and more synths into the music. The band recorded its next two albums, A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres, in England, filling them with fantastical, self-indulgent songs. Also, they enjoyed performing in kimonos. The Cygnus X-1 duology, with its first part on Kings and its second on Hemispheres, is the epitome of Rushs lyrical and musical excess during this period. Book One: The Voyage tells the story of a space traveler who flies into a black hole and although it runs replete with excellent grooves, elements like the robot-voiced prologue and Lees Wicked Witch-esque screeching make it hard to take seriously. Book Two: Hemispheres is, if possible, even more ridiculous; it describes how the space traveler lands in the middle of a battle between Apollo and Dionysus over the soul of mankind. To be fair, it flows seamlessly for eighteen minutes and showcases the bands progression as composers, and the moment when the traveler arrives to stop the battle rings out with Rushs most triumphant chords ever. But had the band kept this up, they would have spiraled downward into their own minds and out of the public eye forever.