Vapor Trails

...First: I've been a fan of the band for the last 15 years. I have all of the albums and with the exception of Test For Echo I love all of them...there's always (well, almost) something on a Rush album to enjoy, and the albums in general, are complex and mystifying . That said, TFE was a major let-down for me. The songs were slow, the playing seemed a little stale...I thought, ".........that's it...they're done...too much internal conflict between Geddy and Alex on a fundamental level..."Boy am I glad I was wrong! One hint of this that I should have taken more seriously was the incredible live album (different stages) that followed shortly thereafter (where a number of TFE songs were somewhat re-born and redeemed), however, the immediate tragedies befalling Peart colored my judgement and, to be honest, I really didn't expect Rush to actually re-form. What a surprise...!With the exception of the first and last songs on this album which I'm not that fond of, this album consistently and relentlessly kicks [rear]! Finally, I can here Geddy and Alex agreeing again and working TOGETHER again! Neil has always put his best effort in, but ever since Power Windows, there has been a underlying hint in the music of Alex's discontent. But that's all gone here! Alex gets to be who he wants to be and Geddy gets to prove that he's the best bass player alive (sorry Les)! And yet, there have been some major criticisms aimed at this album...let's adress some.The Drums: If you can't tell that's Neil, you're not listening closely enough and you're not a real Rush fan. He does some really tight, really amazing things on this album. To be honest, I've never heard him play so well (maybe TFE, but still...). In the past, he hid a little behind the more melodic but less complex fills. Here, it's (somewhat) stripped down in terms of different toms, etc... but, damn! That man can play, and play well! You have to listen THROUGH the wall of guitars, but Neil is in there as a force--a real force! (hey, and then there are the lyrics!)No solos: Alex never liked playing them or writing them to the extent he was forced to and you have to let Alex be Alex. He kicks major [rear]! He is ABSOLUTELY the best rythm guitarist around...probably ever! From the Dick Dale-esque intro of One little Victory to the Zepplinesque guitar touches of Secret Touch you can just FEEL how much fun he had with this album...and more power to him! Some of his ideas are so unique and counterintuitive compared to the lousy music around right now, I can't help but admire his advetureousness. BTW, there ARE solo's in these songs...just not the trite stuff that Petrucci or somebody else would throw in to LOOK good. Alex NEVER sounded better or more happy! Between his parts and Geddy's bass this album is LOADED with energy.Production: In general, you have to turn this one up--you do need to turn the bass down a tad (sorry Geddy), but once you do, my God, what a sound! As dissapointed as I was that there were NO synths on the album, the album didn't need them. They would have been too much. As for calling this album grunge, comparing this album to the substandard ... that Pearl Jam and whatever popularized is an extreme misjustice. Grunge was an exceedingly limited musical form dominated by riff driven monotony and essentially 12 bar blues formats. The Rhytm guitar on this album is WAY too complex to be compared to grunge, and the musical structure is far more intricately treated, really, all-around (not to mention Geddy's voice flying in the face of the traditionally grunge-esque habit of mumbling/growling lyrics in low, muted tones)...Just one last comment. I'm always a little puzzled to read reviewers complain about Geddy's voice (it doesn't sound good, we want different back-up singers, etc...) Let me say this with some finality. Geddy's voice is THE voice of Rush (even when I might have wished John Cleeese had done the rap on Roll the Bones). If you don't enjoy it, you probably shouldn't listen to the band. His distinctive voice is what initially drew me to Rush, and I KNOW that I'm not alone in that. I'm so, SO glad his voice is still going strong after all these years. He sounds awesome here...still prhasing impecably, harmonizing beautifully, singing those high notes like some avenging angel! There's nobody like Geddy. Heck, there's nobody like Alex and there's nobody like Neil. They are Rush, and damn it, they are distinct, insistent, and inimitable! Great album guys! Keep up the great car albums!

The best way to describe VAPOR TRAILS is that it is noisy. Sometimes it's noisy in a joyous way and sometimes it's noisy in a foreboding way, but it is almost always noisy. Some fans have been turned off by this, but I think that the noise makes sense. That is because VAPOR TRAILS is a cathartic record. And what better way is there for a hard rock band to reach catharsis than to make noise, ........a lot of noise.Another way to describe VAPOR TRAILS is that it is Rush's most personal and human record. The production has an almost home-made feel. In places it sounds more like a demo than a finished product. But, in my mind, this makes the record warmer and more welcoming, as the wall of studio sheen that is usually erected between the band and the listener has been removed. The rough edges are what make this album feel more human. The lyrics are also the most personal of Neil Peart's career, mostly reflecting on the tragedies that he had had to face and how he had learned to accept them. There are too many high points to list them all separately, but I especially like the images he conjures up on "Ghost Rider," "Vapor Trails," "The Stars Look Down," and "Secret Touch." I'm sure I'm missing some.There's real blood and guts here: the monstrous opening to "One Little Victory" which conjures up the image of a cavalry charging toward an undetermined fate; Geddy Lee's wails in the middle section of "Sweet Miracle" (the most poignant moment on the record, for me at least); the opening riff on "Earthshine"; and the list goes on. Lee especially deserves kudos, not just for what he does on the bass, but for one of his best vocal performances. Both Peart and Lifeson turn in spectacularly muscular performances. Lifelson's stuff is so good that I hardly notice that there really aren't many solos to speak of.Finally, another way to describe VAPOR TRAILS is that it is one of Rush's strongest sets of songs. There's not a single song here that I don't like and I like most of them quite a bit. The real standouts are "Secret Touch," "Sweet Miracle," "Earthshine," "How It Is," "Ceiling Unlimited," and "Peaceable Kingdom," but the other seven tracks are all great as well. Over-all, VAPOR TRAILS is Rush's rawest and most emotionally charged record. It is also one of their best. Highly recommended.

RUSH IS RUSH .!!!...love em or hate them When it first came out ,listening to it over headphones in the shop pre -buy...i was not impressed...Simply put i adore it now tho, and have for many years, but hadnt owned the CD. I have always had a complicated relationship with Rush.I love the first five albums..@ fall in and out with them all the time.For me again to repeat i love this Album.., completely different to the early style..It grew on me magnificently....

Rarity alert, this original mix of the album is getting harder and harder to find now that RUSH have re-mixed the master tapes. Some people prefer this original release because it plows them through the back wall, whereas the new re-mix is a little less abrasive and in-your-face! Still, RUSH fans should have both versions to compare because you may be surprised which one you like more

I bought this because I wanted to listen to the original recording. Neil Peart had just come back from his self-imposed hiatus after the death of his family. The band was on delicate ground. This record is the culmination of all the emotional and physical work it took to get back to being RUSH. The sound is rough, and I know Geddy and Alex had a hard time mixing it. I wanted to listen to that roughness as a way to remember the pain and emotion, but also the triumph of making one of my favorite RUSH records (A Clockwork Angels competes along with this). The lyrics are Neil’s best and Geddy’s singing is just the right register and emotionality. Alex’s parts really standout as he had to fill a lot more space since Geddy had no keyboards or synth sounds. This is the pure sound of the bad even if a bit rough on the mix and mastering. Plus the cover is amazing. This is the German European pressing of the CD. Maybe I will hunt for the US pressing to compare, but I gather as far as CDs go it doesn’t sound much different. This was worth it to remember that time in history when a legendary band overcame its biggest challenge!

Rush ist ja so eine Band, bei der sich die Fans alle paar Jahre auf einen musikalischen Kurswechsel einstellen können. Rushfans gehören glücklicherweise zu denen, die ihren Helden ihre Kurswechsel verzeihen bzw. sie gerade für diese lieben. Entsprechend betroffen waren wir, als Drummer und Texter Neal Peart nach schweren persönlichen Schicksalsschlägen seine Drumsticks an den Nagel hängte. Auf der Suche nach innerem Frieden unternahm er stattdessen ausgedehnte Motorradtouren und verfasste ein Buch, in dem er seine Erfahrungen verarbeitete. Ohne Peart wollten Sänger / Basser Geddy Lee und Gitarrist Alex Lifeson nicht weiter machen, stat dessen wurde Rush für unbestimmte Zeit auf Eis gelegt."Vapor Trails" ist das langersehnte Comeback, Neal Pearts Rückkehr aus der Rockerrente auf den Drumhocker des kanadischen Progressivrocktrios. Und hallo, hier wird ordentlich gerockt: Mit einem wilden Trommelrhythmus geht es los. So heavy waren Rush noch nie. Sogar das bislang erdigste Album "Counterparts" wird härtemäßig locker getoppt. Zum ersten Mal seit dem Uraltwerk "2112" wird auf Keyboards komplett verzichtet. Keine Spur von gemütlich- schlurfiger Altersruhe oder wiederholender Selbstkopie. Immerhin 67 Minuten haben die drei gestandenen Männer vollgerockt. Dabei bleiben die Rhythmen interessant und vertrackt, die Basslinien gewohnt melodisch, der Gesang im typischen Falsetto... nur Lifesons Gitarre verzerrter und wilder als sonst. Textlich hat Peart viel Autobiographisches und Philosophisches einfließen lassen, so z.B. in "Ghost Rider"; auch hier loht sich eine nähere Beschäftigung. Musikalische Feingeister und Achtziger- Synthiefreunde unter den Rushfans müssen sich an den neuen Härtegrad möglicherweise erst gewöhnen, aber das ist es wert.Ich mag es, wenn Rush sich neue Soundwelten erschließen. Volle Punktzahl.

Controversial opinion? not really. Once you have a half-decent audio setup the sound is genuine.The remixes sound too false, and the spirit in which the album is made vanishes; this is the real thing!Musically it`s great fun, and some wonderful songs! love them all but How It Is and especially Freeze are up there with my favourites and as a long-term fan with hundreds of songs in my head tunes that instantly stick out are worth it . highly recommended!