The album was a steady seller in the group's catalogue, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling one million copies 15 years later.

They returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales to record a follow-up album but had no preconceived ideas, and spent two weeks writing and arranging new material with some difficulty over its direction.

It is the final Rush album to feature a side-long track; the 18-minute opener "Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres" concludes the story initially left as a cliffhanger on A Farewell to Kings, and the Apollonian and Dionysian concept addressed in drummer Neil Peart's lyrics are represented on the cover artwork.

In May 1978, Rush finished touring A Farewell to Kings,[5][6] which contributed to their breakthrough in the UK market, following a series of well-received shows and "Closer to the Heart", the lead single from the album, reaching No.

Following a dedicated rest period, the band regrouped to produce a follow-up album and returned to Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire, Wales to record as they had enjoyed making A Farewell to Kings at the facility.

[11] Rush could only put down the music in their allocated slot at Rockfield due to the time required to arrange the tracks, so they booked Advision Studios in Fitzrovia, London, to record the vocals.

[12] Upon entering Advision, however, Lee had only sung the lyrics in basic form as the songs were being written acoustically, and the group carried on thinking he could sing them confidently.

After around two-and-a-half weeks, the pair had encountered problems and were unable to produce a satisfactory mix, which led to the decision to briefly return to Canada as the band had been away from home for several months.

In Book II, his wandering soul emerges into Olympus, who witnesses the gods Apollo and Dionysus caught in the struggle between mind and heart, the two leading two types of people: those who follow science and knowledge and build cities but with no emotional attachment, and those who live in forests but experience love.

[9] The sequel, like Book I, uses mythology and symbolism to depict a conflict between the gods Apollo and Dionysus, which is resolved when Cygnus intervenes, claiming a balance of heart and mind are what is needed for humans to live well.

Lee said it took as many as 40 takes to produce one that they were satisfied with,[10] and he and Peart pointed out that they spent more time recording "La Villa Strangiato" than their second album, Fly by Night.

The front depicts a figure that resembles the one in the painting The Son of Man by surreal artist René Magritte who is standing on the left side of a human brain.

[22] Prior to its release, Hemispheres aired in its entirety on Rick Ringer's radio show on CHUM-FM in Toronto, on October 5, 1978, with the band as studio guests.

But on the other, Barton thought it finds Rush "wallowing way, way out of their depth ... it seems impossible to think that this band were once honest, unpretentious purveyors of straight-forward, hard-hitting heavy metal music.

"[34] In a review for Circus magazine, Bart Testa wrote the band plays "stupendous fanfare music" and noted their positive sentiments in the songs.

He favoured "Cygnus X-1 Book II" over the side-long suite on 2112 as it showcased a better performance from the band, noting their ability to "interlock metal whirlwinds" driven by Peart's drumming.

"[35] Joe Nick Patoski gave a positive review in American rock magazine Creem, who thought Rush "lay their cards on the table" to much success with "timely and illuminating issues" in the lyrics.

[37] Reviewing the album for the magazine, Michael Bloom stated, "Overall, especially in 'La Villa Strangiato', Lifeson, Peart and Lee prove themselves masters of every power-trio convention.

It marked the band performing longer sets and in larger venues across Canada, including three sold out dates at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto in December 1978, culminating in a show on New Year's Eve.

[7] The stage set improved, this time with more sophisticated lighting and triple the amount of video projection compared to their last tour, including a film to illustrate the story of "Cygnus X-1".