VAPOR TRAILS

Sure, there are a few stinkers here, but there's usually at least one on any Rush album. For a true fan, most of the bad ones are still good enough that you can breeze through an entire album without hitting that fast-forward button (thanks either to Neil's lyrics or his limbs). The few songs that are not great on this album are not bad either, just "different". That said, there are three tunes on this album that do make it essential-- for Rush fans at least. The first is perhaps one of Rush's heaviest compositions: Earthshine. Complex yet straightforward, rocking yet verging on shoegaze, this song is simply incredible and at the moment my favorite Rush tune. Vapor Trails is also brilliant (in the truest sense of the word). It blisters and shreds your speakers to bits. Secret Touch is the third, and I know I'm gonna catch flack for that. It's dance grooves are somewhat uncomfortable for the hardcore progophile, but give it a chance, a second or third listen will show you the merit of this tune. Like not other Rush tune. How, after 17 albums and 22 years of recording, do guys verging on 50--and known for being some heavy muthas-- put out their heaviest release? It's pretty insane and if you are a Rush fan, that heaviness has to account into your overall view of this album. Maybe not the most progressive, or melodic, or even the most metal, but definitely their hardest album to date. I would have to put it in my Rush Top 5.