VAPOR TRAILS

Movings Pictures was the hook, Hold Your Fire was the best of the synth period, 2112 was the best of the Metal Period. If you liked these, you'll hate Vapor Trails. Gone is Geddy's sexy base - replaced with a muddy, stuffy and boring sound. The guitar riffs have grunge-sounding chords that have a antagonistic, hopeless feel. The drumming is good, but missing are some of Peart's ear-opening fancy gadgets. After Rush's long absence, I couldn't believe how badly this sounded. If you want to feel good, this is not the album. Power Windows was gloomy but at least it was well-written, full of cold-war truths and with coherent melodies. I wanted another album like Moving Pictures for a sunny day, Saturday road trip. Instead, I got a mental picuture of a dirty, grimy, drizzly day in Cleveland's or St. Louis's worst neighborhood. Take a trip to New Zealand Rush. It will improve your music.

Whenever I had to think of the worst Rush albums - even if none is really a bad album - i thought of the debut album, Test for Echo, Roll the Bones and this one: Vapor Trails. But then the remixed version of 2013 came out. This remixed version kept me astonished to the difference a good album production makes. Even with the many - and sometimes annoying -"wooings" still present in the backing vocals, this new version has made me think very different of Vapor Trails: it's really a great album. Forget about the original (or hear it for history matters), get the remixed version instead. Favorite tunes: One Little Victory, Ghost Rider, Peaceble Kingdom, Secret Touch, Nocturne and Freeze. Enjoy.

Perhaps Lee and Lifeson's decision not to use keyboard instruments might have handicapped them slightly. A notch above "Test for Echo" though. " Peaceable Kingdom", "Earthshine", and "Ghost Rider" are remarkable. Geddy makes a triumphant attemp to separate his vocal line from the melody bringing interesting colours to the songs i haven't heard from Rush since "Between the sun & moon." Niel introduces the listener to Vapor trails with a prodigious drum beat that's sure to please.

2,5 stars really!!!

OK ! So they are back! So what, you ask? This will allow them to make world tours and Live albums. Actually if this is not that a good record , I am very HAPPY that they did get back just for the sake of Peart's personal tragedies (who had lost a wife and daughter) and the fact that this had put Rush's career on hold so long. Nice to see them back in shape and it warms me very much to hear that Peart still has all of his great talent.

As for the album , we have here one of the hardest sounding Rush album a bit in the vein of the previous Test For Echoes , but in this one there is a sense of energy and urgency/spontaneity I found absent in a lot of 90's Rush releases. But by all means , this first hour fan is still not convinced by such records , although I am awed that these guys are still playing so tight. Lifeson's ever present guitar riffs fills out this album and the keyboards have it seems definitely a lesser role than in their 80's albums which were defintely not much to my tastes!

A return to form!

Am I so wrong? Certainly, you have two listen to it several time. And some tracks sound as it they might have done with some rehearsing (Earthshine, Ceiling Unlimited). But then there's the title track, Peacable Kingdom, Nocturne, Secret Touch, or Out of the Cradle. I came to love it after some time. This is for me their best work since Presto. Full of soul, yet catchy enough. And my girlfriend, for the first time, didn't ask me if it was that woman singing again. Never play RUSh to girlfriends, anyway...

Sorry, loved the title track, but muddy production and a batch of uninspired songs. I suppose the long break and the personal tragedies would'nt have helped the process here. If Rush continue, then perhaps a return to their roots is needed?

production of this album is not very well but we have many interesting songs here and Earthshine is probably the best one. Unfortunatelly two fillers appeared on the album and it's One Little Victory and Freeze. Nocturne and Ceiling Unlimited aren't also first class songs. Anyway rest of the album is really good.

I really don' t agree with the most of the reviews about this album. For me this is a great album and brings Rush back to the rails of good rock' n ' roll.This is much, much better than the antecessor , and the criativity in the compositions are amazing(see the Star looks down and Earthshine, for instance).The trio voyages into really power music full of virtuosity, and listen to this really excites me.In my discman right now, and one of the best.Buy it today.Rush still lives!

Can't really decide about this one, if it is good, or just average. Average I think. Ghost Rider is my favourite here. Peaceable Kingdom is ok, and Vapour Trail it self is not bad. Another album where some of the material is tuneless and uninspiring though. I think they should withdraw from the public for 5 years and not get back together until they all agree they have the old need to again, and can come up with fresh and interesting material. Rush fans will have it in their collection, of course. But anyone interested in discovering the band will be put off by this one. Probably one of their weakest releases, along with 2112, Permanent Waves and, of course, Fly By Night. (Still the weakest of the lot!)

I had pretty much given up on Rush, after Presto. Hold Your Fire was a flat, uninspired mess, and after that I listened to the band with far more critical ears than I ever thought I would. Presto was a modest recovery, but the songs seemed more timid overall (especially side 2), and I simply moved on to other more driving and compelling music for the next decade. Even Test For Echo didn't motivate me enough to make me pay attention. at least at the time.

But Vapor Trails has brought it all back. Finally, a Rush album that rocks harder than anything they've done since Permanent Waves, and I've been hooked. Not all the tracks here are equally solid, but none are bad, and the album as a whole is coherent and effective. And indeed, several of the songs are very, very, very good (Peaceable Kingdom, Freeze, Vapor Trail to name a few).

This album has a potency that has been missing from Rush music for a long time, and it is a welcome return. Finally, they put the "Power" back in Power Trio. I highly recommend this album, especially for fellow Rush fans who'd loved them back in the day, but felt they'd gone adrift in recent years.

First off: Rush fan for 23 years and counting! The last 8 years or so have been tough for Rush fans, extremely spotty in the way of really good Rush-istic tunes, but I think the guys are back to something.

The disc drives harder, from the opening drums and the driving guitars, than anything they have done in over a decade or more. There are even hints of "Permanent Waves," and "Rush/Fly By Night" in here...very nicely slipped in, and almost as if to say, "We hear you, don't give up on us."

Not to mention the meaning and story behind "Ghost Rider," get the book by the same name by Peart if you want to hear an amazing story, and really put into perspective this CD. Honestly, people, we should soak up everything while these guys are still putting music out. Thankfully, this last peice of work was very well worth soaking up. Bring on more, I want these guys to keep playing until they're 90.

This is a great album that needs to be listened to about ten times to really get into it. When i first listened to it, it made me fall asleep. The songs were too jammy and not enough space to breathe. As I listened to it more it grew on me. The only complaint i have is it sounds very muddy and Alex's guitar is tucked way back in many of the tracks. This album sounds like their therapy for all the bad years since T4E. Its very heart-felt and personal. Give it a chance!

Songs are great. IMO the best that Rush provided since "Grace Under Pressure". There is one problem with is album however. Unfortunately it's a big one: TERRIBLE PRODUCTION!!! Who is responsible for this felony!!! The album sounds worse than Genesis' Trespass. Can you imagine that!? In the beginning of the 21st Century!!!

I didn't give this album a "masterpiece" rating, but I do feel it falls just shy- it's a very strong 4-star album. No one knows how much gas is left in the Rush tank, but if this album came out in the early 90s instead of the early 00s, we'd all see this was the third new direction for Rush in their career, after the big boomin' prog of the 70s and the tighter, more focused synth-metal of the 80s.

Vapor Trails is easily Rush's most progressive album since Power Windows, and probably since Permanent Waves. All three players are reaching WAY beyond their previous boundaries of what they were willing to try. After Neil went to a rearranged drum kit (with only one bass drum) for Roll The Bones, he now turns his reinvention efforts to his lyrics. These are not the same kind of lyrics he's always been known for. Much more in the way of abstract concepts and oblique imagery. It's not so easy to understand what the lyrics are exactly about- you've got to spend time with the lyric booklet. As for Geddy, this is his most vocally ambitious album ever, period. Very unusual vocal melodies and lots of innovative harmonies. He also pushes the upper registers of his voice more than any time since "Available Light". And Alex challenged himself to do something he'd never done before on any album- no guitar solos. He's chosen here to have his instrument fill a different role, instead of as a lead instrument. His guitars are more textural here, filling the void left by yet another big change on this album: no synths whatsoever (although Test For Echo was seriously pared down in that dept). And together with Geddy's bass (with which he's reworking his bass chords work from the late 80s), Alex's guitars make this the hardest edged album they've done since Grace Under Pressure.

But what about the music? Yes, it's more obtuse, it doesn't catch you like the pop-hook- filled 80s era, it doesn't go for the orchestral grandiosity of the 70s. It's denser, more layered, and consequently requires listening on multiple levels- something that usually takes a number of listens to accomplish. I was no exception- I've always taken immediately to Rush's previous releases the instant I first played them, but this one had me waiting to fully appreciate it. Once you do, most of the songs will get stuck in your head very easily. "Earthshine" was first, followed quickly by "Sweet Miracle", "Vapor Trail", "Freeze", "Ghost Rider" and even "One Little Victory". The one that, in the end, has come to the front of my mind as the most representative song is "Peaceable Kingdom". They most apparently put everything they did on the whole album together in this song, with some of the strongest lyrics and a real stuck-in-your-head tune.

If you don't "get" this album, it wouldn't begin to mean that you're a bad Rush fan. But if you have a true appreciation for what this band has been about for the entirety of its career- namely, following its own path, regardless of external pressures, in the name of making the best of their own music possible- you owe it to yourself and to them to give this album a serious listening effort. It's the one album that, more than any other, represents the achievement of their goals as musicians, friends and just good people in their career. - Fletch Brendan Good

Okay, okay. Vapor Trails is a strange Rush album. It's the least instant of any Rush album. It's the heaviest rush album. The weirdest production on a rush album. People keep quoting the obvious classic tracks (Earthshine, Peacable Kingdom, Freeze, One Little Victory). I've loved this band for many years and acknowledge such tracks as Jacob's Ladder, La Villa Strangiato, Xanadu and 2112 with due awe but tucked away in a corner on this album is one fantastic little track with the most simple melody. It's called How It Is and it ranks as highly as any of these tracks in my opinion. It is wonderful simplicity. Even your girlfriend might like it!!!

This is an Album I thought was going to be a sloppy album that would just be a fare-well one. After I bought this as of all the other albums me and my dad have, and we were just astonished. Rush has not lost there touch! Neil and Geddy and Alex are just amazing. "Ceiling Unlimited" is a great one for Geddy, Neil is just amazing in "One Little Victory" This is the best album I think shows all of Alex's ability, in every song he is letting it all out. The Vocals arent the the same Rush we know, but you can still listen to this album and say that these guys are still great, and that this album has so much feeling in it that you cant shut it off. Best Cover Of All Time!!

In spite of the lot of bad reviews here, I'm just gonna tell my own story and leave it up to the reader to decide.

I ran into Rush rather late, just after Hold Your Fire. At that time I felt it was a wonderfull album, with lots of great synth based tracks and melodies, all standing apart from each other in their own unique way. Somewhat later I heard Rush with Roll The Bones en the earlier Presto and I guess I just wasn't up for it. I didn't grasp me as much as H.Y.F did. Only years after I learned to apreciate the different faces which belong to Rush while listening to Counterparts. At that time it felt it was becoming clear to me that Rush wasn't really a band which wanted to stay put where it was, they were and still aren't a band which you can easilly categorize.

Vapor Trails Proves this again. It also took a couple of listening turns for me to become aquainted with Rush again, but now I know the tunes a lot better I seem to understand much better what Rush is all about: progression not only in musical scheduals but also in musical identity. For some people it might seem Rush changes its face with every couple of albums, but to me this IS the face of Rush: the ever changing musical direction. This is what Rush truly is all about and what a TRUE Rush fan knows. Do not expect Rush to stop developing one style of its own, the very diversity of styles Rush has mastered (and I truly mean MASTERED) is the style only Rush has, and ONLY RUSH!

All in all Vapor trails is a true masterpiece to me. It has its own identity, it's own mastertracks. it is because I do not hold on to a certain style Rush has shown earlier that I can say this. Because I did let go of all the expectations I had of Rush could I enjoy the album to its fullest en discover the many layers of sounds and melodies. Vapor Trails (at least in my opinion) is one of Rush's richest album, I hope Rush fans also become richer because of it.

Wasn't too sure about this album when I first heard it although I immediately loved The Stars Look Down. After several listenings though the rest of the album started coming through. I think the production is slightly muddy but this album has some of those rush 'moments', more so I think than Test For Echo. They are coming to England in September and so I am finally going to get the chance to see if Geddy can actually play those bass lines and sing at the same time...cant wait!

I'm 33, and have been listening to Rush since 1977. I didn't even buy this album until a few days ago, because I couldn't stand Test For Echo and CounterParts - they just didn't grab me. I remember being in college philosophy and turning in an essay with Cygnus X-1 Book II as reference notes.

Having listened to this a few times now, I can definitely say two things: 1) HELL YES!!!!! 2) Thank God!!!

This is by far one of the best albums of all time. If a new band came out with an album like this, they would be instantly famous. The only reason this album might be nothing less than one of the greatest rock albums in the last 15 years is the minor production flaw (use your EQ to crank down the top level just a bit, and turn up the volume!)

The fact that I can now appreciate the less-than-stellar 90's - good riddance! - is fantastic!

Image this being the TRUE Rush debut album - with NEIL on DRUMS! And a RED cover, not PINK! As IT was INTENDED!

One Little Victory - I don't think so! This is a MAJOR victory, with a massive Post-Party! And we're all invited!

Geddy goes massively nuts on bass in at least one spot in every song. It's hard to hear his flawless, speed-jamming until you really delve deep into each song. To do that you have to get past Alex's WICKED guitars! Holy crap! If Alex never touched another keyboard it wouldn't be too soon. His delicate digits definitely delight!

And without Neil, where are we? Lost at sea, on a journey through time, trying to find our way, and observing the passing stages? I believe so.

Cheers to Neil! Down with the Federation! The Cask of '43 is open again, and the lost music has been found again!

From Start to finish this album is one of the best they have made sine the 75-77 albums. It expresses how they started out in 74 and proves that they haven't forgot how to rock! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes the sound of progressive and hard rock.

Neil's best lyrical album. Good guitarmanship, and geddy is pretty decent with bass on this one. It tends to have a touch of zeppelin in it as well. (secret touch) This album is great for those of you who are into the more heavier side of rush. Don't be too surprised if you don't like it though. The mixing on this album sucks. It sounds like a pile of noise at times. But if you havea good ear, you can still pick up all the guitaring in it. A lot of people love this album way too much. sure there are a lot of great songs on it. But it very overrated. Trust me. There are way better rush albums than this. I only reccomend buying it if you are right into like me. Because it's not really anything to look forward to.

PS: One little victory is AWESOME live! :p

'To fully understand, is to fully forgive'. Okay, we're lucky we even had Vapor Trails. After all the turmoil is Neil's life, this album is very acceptable. Not a classic, but superior in many ways in their 1990-2002 period. The songs are about reflexion and irony. I don't quite remember such mature and intense writing by Peart in a while. In this album, the extremes are evident. When it's good, it's good (One little victory, How it is, Vapor Trails, Earthshine, Sweet Miracle, Secret Touch, Ghost Rider) and when it's bad...it is (Freeze, Out of the cradle). A good 70% of the album is above Roll the Bones or Test for Echo. So I don't know why it gets so much bashing. Blaming Rush for being harder and more metal is non-appropriate because that's what they do best. Synths are Rush's best ally, but they make bad leaders. Lee is a very average keyboard player, but they do know how to make it sound nice. But this time, it's back to basics and it feel refreshing. Never Rush sounded so hard and abrasive. Lots of frustration and mixed feelings in Vapor Trails. Listen carefully. Feel the resignation and the desillusion of Neil's lyrics. A very dark and 'rusty' feeling. Don't expect Moving Pictures or Signals, what they did best is behing them. But Vapor Trail is the only album they made like this, so it's worth the try... Good? No...better!

I HATED this album when it first came out. I thought that Geddy must have had a throat infection or something. Then I decided to give it a second chance and listened to it again. The more I listened and paid attention; I eventually "got it". Not an album for the RUSH uninnitiated, but something the existing RUSH fans will cherish.

For me RUSH have always thrown down the musical gauntlett to their fans. Unlike certain other multi-decade bands they don't follow the safe and secure road.

I think history will paint this particular album as a classic but on first listening this won't be apparent. It marks yet another major shift in the bands style. Typically these shifts occur every four or five albums.

I've come back to Vapor Trails after watching the Concert in Manchester UK and find something new in the album at every listening.

I would stand by the other reviewers who critisise the production. The whole point of RUSH is that their music is complex and intricate. So what exactly is the point of a muddy production that drowns out all the subtleties?

Alex Lifeson plays the Mandola on Earthshine. Well without some form of sound processor you aren't going to hear them. If you turn the bass right down you get a whole new album.

It says it all that the boomy over bass live sound in the M.E.N arena was superior to the production on this album.

Read Neil Peart's book "Ghostrider" to fully appreciate Vapor Trails - (It's like reading the book and then seeing the movie)

Vapor Trails is like almost every Rush album after Moving Pictures is. Great but it takes many listenings to fully appreciate the musical richness and profound lyrics. I've been through the new Rush album "pattern" enough times to remain detached and non- judgemental. The first listening or two is usually a feeling of slight disappointment. Then, a few songs start to sound catchy. A few more listenings results in a pretty good appreciation and ultimately after enough time has passed and enough listenings, I can now consider the album to be a new mainstay in my Rush collection.

Vapor Trails was no different in this pattern. I concluded in was a very good album.

But then this Summer I read Neil Peart's excellent book "Ghostrider-a healing journey" about Neil's dealing with the awful tragedies in his life. The book isn't really about Rush, it's about Neil dealing with his inner demons and the openess with his inner personal feelings is quite touching. Rock stars are human too. But, many times in the book, he discussed his insights into the very difficult healing process and sure enough, his comments would become a lyric on Vapor Trails. After reading the book, Vapor Trails had all new meaning to me. The music sounded even richer and the lyrics much more meaningful. It hasn't left my CD player all Summer. I'm addicted! I now consider it a great Rush album and eagerly await the next. (BTW: Geddy Lee's solo album "My favorite headache" is great too. Buy it today!)

The thing about Rush, half the meaning to me is in their profound lyrics. The music is sometimes so subtle it takes many listenings to fully aprreciate it which is why there are so many "fair weather" Rush fans. I tell them they don't know what their missing but they think Rush should still be putting out albums like Moving Pictures or 2112. Grow up! As Rush's fan base ages, so does Rush. And in my (humble) opinion, I think they have aged more gracefully than any great classic band in Rock. Rush is like a fine wine. Let's all raise our glasses in a toast to Rush - Modern Day Philosophers!

For a band as talented and successful as Rush, who have created some of the most incredible rock albums ever, Vapor Trails is a dismal failure. Rush are about musicianship, precision, and emotion. VT is loaded with emotion, but the background music that carries it is an absolute disaster. Neil even admitted that the majority of the album was peiced together on a computer, pasting together numerous months worth of jams on a Mac G4, because they said they couldn't better the performance, so they stuck with the original takes, horrible sound quality and all. Speaking of sound quality, VT is, by far, the worst sounding album from a professional label I have ever heard, and it's from a band known for being perfectionists! The layers upon layers of vocals and guitars (21 layers of guitars on Sweet Miracle alone!!), and bass is just too much. Add to that a lead vocal that sounds like it was recorded under water and within 5 minutes of listening you want to rip the CD out of the player and throw it against a wall!

I think that this RUSH outing are a poor exception( and their otherwise excellent catalogue proves it)to the rule.....there might be personal problems and otherwise troubled minds... ..that made this...their newest album....a minor release....anyhow..its NOT the RUSH we know and love......overall , the sound are somewhat forced...the power overruled ...well..its...not really the RUSH....we have come to expect over the years!! Ok...ok.....i love RUSH...but this album.....sorry.....are BAD !!! 1 star.......please!

I'm a huge Rush fan, and I do mean "HUGE" fan, cause I could spend the rest of my life only hearing these guys' songs. But Vapor Trails has to be the weakest of their 17 studio albums, by quite a big margin. Once I heard they didn't use synths on this recording, I already became a bit suspicious. Then I heard it, and could confirm it was all way below their average (which is quite high anyway). Most tracks lack inspiration and sound unfinished somehow... there are a few great tunes like "Ghost Rider" and "Earthshine", but then guess what... the sound quality of the album is poor as well! All the volumes are so high - drums, guitar and bass - and combined with dozens of layers of guitar and bass, it ends up in an awfully "dirty" sound. And, oddly enough, Neil's drumwork is so plain in this album, that it doesn't even sound like Neil Peart - come on, for someone who drums "YYZ", "Subdivisions" and other of their golden-era masterpieces, Vapor Trails was really poor. All in all, I'll give it two stars cause it has some good tracks, and it celebrates the return of Rush. But if you're new to the band, I urge you not to start off with this album, cause it will most likely lead to disappointment.

This album appears to be a "Love/Hate" type of deal, even among the biggest of Rush fans (myself included). This album was Rush attempting to find their groove again, that groove that allowed them to be one of the most consistent and enjoyable rock bands for what was at the time close to 30 years. I find this album to be very enjoyable, albeit very "different" from anything they'd done before. The production itself is noticably different, with more of an emphasis on a raw, agressive sound that borderlines on metal at points. Still, every known trademark of Rush is present in the shoddy (most likely aimed to be shoddy to some degree) production work: Geddy's signature vocals (obviously somewhat aged and not as powerful as they were before, but he still can wail with the best of them, and I think his vocals are very underrated overall), Geddy's explosive bass work that seems to take on a life of it's own in each song, Alex's emotional guitar work which in my opinion, on this album, was his best and most expressive since perhaps stuff from the 70's. And of course, the outstanding percussion skills of one Neil Peart, and he surely shines in this album, taking an overly aggressive approach that just flat out sounds angry. He calms it down at points, Ghost Rider and How It Is are prime examples, but overall he's just pounding away throughout. The songs themselves are all inspired by Neil's losses of his wife and daughter, and the "healing journey" he took shortly after these deaths, attempting to find some meaning and beauty in a life that had seemed to take away everything he loved and cared for. The book he wrote, "Ghost Rider", really gives a more personal look at the story, and it also shows a side to the songs of Vapor Trails that is very personal, and very inspiring (at least for me.) Many tracks stand out right away. One Little Victory's powerful intro, the subtle beauty of How It Is, the emotion-packed vocals of Ghost Rider (In an interview, Geddy said he went out of his way to give his absolute best vocal performance for that song, as a sign of respect for his long-time friend and bandmate Neil), and the surprising continuation of the 'Fear" series of songs, "Freeze". This is by no means a masterpiece, and it is not neccesarily essential to a prog fan's collection, but it is a very worthy re-introduction to music for one of the best in the business, and no Rush fan should go without hearing this for themselves at least once. Love it or hate it, Vapor Trails is an album that had to be made, and hopefully it's a sign of bigger and better things to come.

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.

This album is definitely different - a tough one to rate. I hated it on first listen, but it's grown on me. It's a throwback to mid-70's Rush, with rough, raw, straight-ahead rocking assault. Given this, the murky sound quality seems appropriate, though I'm not enamored of it. Even so, I've come to feel it's one of their best - only "Counterparts" is better in the last 20 years.

I love this album. I think that people must realize, this is the 21st century not the 70's anymore. Metal Rock is out and rap crap is in. I just recently read Neil Peart's "Ghost Rider" and after you read that you will see "Vapor Trails" in a whole new life. Even though this CD is not like a 2112 or a Hemisphere, it basiclly is all about Neil's recovery from all his losts in the past years. And yes I must admit i shed a tear everytime I hear Ghost Rider. I think this was an excellent way to pay tribute to Neil and to prove that Rush is still here today after 30 years!!!

As a newer addition to the Rush fan-base, and avid bassist, I have a difficult time saying anything poor about This band. Obviously, I am an extremley biased individual on Rush's Behalf, but I'll admit, Vapor trails isn't my "most favoritist" Rush album. It's got it's points: I like Vapor trails, and absolutly love Ghost Rider. It's probably the most Dynamic piece on the album. However, while listening to the CD, I couldn't stop thinking about a friend of mine, a guitarist and a big Lifeson fan, who it brutally opposed to turning up the tone on her guitar. She calles the bright edge "tinney," and apparently enjoyes the muddied and dull sound of an entirely muted circuit. Obviously the Producer of VT shares this view, and In my humble opinion: He should be shot.

The best rush songs have litterally no bottom end. YYZ, Trees, Tom Sawyer... the list goes on. As i listened to this song in my car, i thought it was my speakers, but you could really tell there were subtleties, and intracacies, and lots of them. it's just they were totally burried under that horrible muddied tone. I encourage people to give it a shot, because there's certainly nothing to lose by listening to a rush CD, but do not expect to be blown away.

I really don't know why people bash this album. Okay, it's not classic Rush. So what? What do you expect from a band that had been on hiatus since 1996? I'm sure it took a lot of guts for Neil Peart to come back and bang on the skins again, after all of his personal turmoil. But it seems as if Rush was just what the doctor ordered for him. This album is not really true progressive rock, or at least as proggy as their material from the first 10 years. This new, hard, alternative metal-driven sound should be expected when one considers the recent influences the band has recently had, such as alternative metal acts like Pearl Jam and Tool (Matt Cameron did some drumming for Geddy Lee on his solo album "My Favourite Headache" in 2000). However, even though this is not vintage Rush, this is in many ways what Rush is and what they have always been about - constant evolution. The band started as a Cream/Zeppelin cover band, evolved into one of the finest prog/art rock bands of the late 70's/early 80's, cranked out some heavily Police-influenced pop rock albums in the mid 80's, then finally came back to a harder power trio sound in the 90's. This album just shows how far the band has come, and it highlights the main reason why the band has stayed popular for 30 years. They don't just settle for the norm, rather they challenge themselves to explore new musical boundaries. I. for one, enjoy this album alot. "Earthshine", "Secret Touch", "One Little Victory" and "Ghost Rider" are clearly the best of the bunch, and the boys seem to show some very nice cohesiveness throughout the album. There are some less-inspired tracks on the album, but no one can fault the band on the massive effort they put forth to make this album. If anyone thinks these guys are finished, maybe they should pick this album up. Acutally, you should pick up the Rush in Rio DVD as well and see some of this stuff live. I was able to see them play in Toronto during the R30 tour, and, it's safe to say, even after 30 years, these guys can STILL seriously rock out. Not a collection starter, but definitely a solid pickup.

I think you need to go back to Signals to find a better Rush album from beginning to end. If that's too far back, maybe Power Windows. Here are some key points to the Vapor Trails experience:

* The cohesiveness of the songs on Vapor Trails is a strength that makes the whole much greater than the sum of its parts, so listen to it end-to-end the first few times. That's how it is.

* Listen to it, listen to it, and listen to it again! Like any new Rush material, it takes a few thorough hearings for Vapor Trails to grow on you. That's the beauty (eh) of Rush music; it is not simple. Vapor Trails is the real deal. This record will grab you.

* 2005....yes it is 2005, not 1981. Music changes. Of course the sound is going to be different. Some listeners don't get this. My brother is one. "They should have a keyboard intro like Xanadu somewhere." Right. Dust off the moog with the wired telephone and analogue tape.

* Neil's lyrics hit a mark more meaningful and more artful than they have in many albums. You really get a sense that there's something to explore here, and the experience gets richer as you begin to understand what he's driving at in many of these songs. I like to take a listen with the lyrics in front of me from time to time to allow them to sink in.

* I like the stripped down sound of Vapor Trails. It's as straight-forward a rocker as Rush has made in many years. It's nice to hear their matured sound applied to a method they haven't engaged in to such a degree in so long a time. It makes Vapor Trails unique. Having heard Rush try just about everything within rock limits over the years (how about that Aimee Mann??), it's an enriching listen to hear them make music devoid of keyboards and obligatory guitar solos. I think this adds an element of speed and tightness between the guitars and the drums, particularly during changes.

* The songs on Vapor Trails are very good. My favorites are Secret Touch (excellent guitar work by Alex on this), Earthshine (a great guitar cruncher by Alex, with a multi-layered refrain at 3:56 into the song that is vintage), Peaceable Kingdom (there's an "experimental" feel to this song that reminds me of Natural Science, or something in that vain), and of course, One Little Victory.

Vapor Trails is, indeed, a remarkable achievement.

Here's a fact - during the 70's and, to a lesser extent the 80's, Rush recorded some of the finest "progressive" rock in the genre. Without them and others like them, our record collections would be poor indeed. Here's another fact - true artists "move on" and Vapor Trails is Rush's latest move. With few embellishments, VT is a superb, straight-ahead rock album but it is not, by definition, "progressive" and therefore, arguably, should not be listed in the Archives. My critique then is not directed at the album (it's fine) but at the Archives itself, as an institution. VT has provided an opportunity for the Archives to "move on". Firstly, for the Archives to remain focused on its mission, a far more selective approach must be taken to album listing. The truth is, many albums being listed cannot be, by any measure, considered "progressive". They SHOULD NOT be posted on the Archives. Secondly, the content of reviews must be STRICTLY limited to commentary on composition, production, artwork; the technical and artistic dimensions of the album. I was shocked and extremely disappointed to read many of the reviews for VT; for those of you who crossed the line, you know what I'm talking about. As for the comments by Hughes Chantraine and MusicLover.I'm appalled (refer to guideline 2.). How dare you even suggest such things!? It was offensive and demonstrates a smallness of character not to mention extraordinary arrogance for another's grief. The fact that this review went unchecked is an indication of how far the Archives have fallen. FIX IT!

Vapor Trails is one of my favorite Rush albums. Though lacking the pretentious grandeur of 2112 and the old school sounds from Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves, Vapor Trails is awesome. The opener "One Little Victory" starts with a great drum solo by Peart and is one of my top Rush songs. "Ghost Rider" is a very emotive piece of work with good progression. The title song "Vapor Trails" is also a catchy track. I'm also a fan of "Earthshine," "Secret Touch," and "Sweet Miracle." - Even the tracks I have not specified aren't bad. I can't imagine why someone would rate this album so low. I don't find any glaring problems, though none of the tracks extend too long, and an instrumental would have been nice. Vapor Trails does lack some of the more quirky Rush subject matter, so I think it would be a good place to start if one is not already a fan of prog. Either way, I recommend this album.

After six years pause the band released this fireball. It has truly quite fast and heavy feeling on it, the opening drums sound almost like MOTÖRHEAD, and there are no synthesizers used on the whole album. Alex also restrains from doing any solos, which is a respectable artistic move. I first played this album very much, but lost my interest towards it after a some months. But I think doing this review will work as an impulse to do some re-listening! "Ghost Rider" was a track that stayed most clearly in my head. It had also some lyrics referring to Neil's family tragedy, and I recall I felt very sad for this man which I don't even know.

For me is one of best rush album! This is piure energy and passion. It's truth. This album is very noisy and when you listen to it very often you can get headache :). But it's my very favourite headache. Its dificult album. You must sit on a chair, wear headphones and listen very deeply. You can now understand the idea of this music. But definity the key to this album is to understand lyrics! Music on Vapor Trails isn't so importrant as words. So pleas, don't try to understand Vapor Trails before you rate one star.

I love this album. I didn't give it a five because it's not really all-out progressive. What this album has over other prog albums is feel and attitude. All the time changes are very subtle, the layering very well done. People are analyzing this album too much. Just throw it in and LISTEN. It is not the technicallity that makes this album great, its the overall musical ideas. That's why Peart's drumming doesnt have so many fun fills and tricks. As he said in his modern drummer interview, the focus was on feel, where it used to be on little technical ideas he wanted heard. Great album.

I know that longtime Rush fans really don't like this album but i have to say that i really love it. First of all you must accept that times are changes and are changing so can't wait for another "2112" or another "Hemispheres", in my opinion there is influence of modern bands like Tool. You know Rush have changed so much from the 70's to the 80's and probably at the time it had been taken like an heresy from they're hardcore fans, but they've always been a band ready to change and ready to experiment new sounds and tecniques. Vapor Trails is not a classic, but superior in many ways in their 1990-2000 period. And not to forget in this album you can appreciate an incredible instrumental playing, great riffs and bass line and Neil Peart of course... Probably who rated it one star just don't understand it because it's a difficult album and not to forget the lyrics...a really good work!

The songs are here the problem is with the production! What the heck happened here guys? This album sounds like it was mixed under water! Very odd to me as Rush always has such clean sounding albums.I'm sure this one is much better live then on cd.Still if you can deal with the sound quality this is the most rocking of all Rush albums loud,hard and fast..Too bad it sounds like a turd though.

4.75--Vapor Trails is a powerhouse album with great songs but horrible sound. It is such a shame that their triumphant return had to be marred by such a sonic atrocity. Whoever is responsible for setting the levels should be banned from the process forever. The fact that a remastered version is listed for release sometime soon testifies to the fact that the suits at Atlantic must have taken some heat for this aural abomination.

"Not that this matter much , but I did not know that Lifeson was not his real name, he's actually of polish descent , as his police brawl in Florida pointed out. "

This quote coming from a French man! If he finds out Lee is not Geddy's last name and that he is actually Jewish, we may have to run and hide.

For my money with proper remastering, this is their best disc in a looong time! The songwriting is great. They tried something different, which is what progression is all about. i do miss the keys though, but i am sure in due time we will hear them again.

This recording shows a trend the band has been going in for the last 10 years. They may decide to change direction again and add more keys but I favor the heavier guitar oriented approach. I got into Rush when 2112 came out and have seen how the band's evolved over time. For me, Rush is best when they go for straight ahead progressive metal (listen to ATWAS for a taste). Vapor Trails is not a masterpiece but a dam good album from one of the greatest bands in this genre.

This CD is all Neil. His lyrics made me cry, and they still do, everytime I listen to this album. ONE LITTLE VICTORY seems to be the only "triumphant" song on here. Peart's lines like "Another chance at victory; another chance to score" are nothing more than a tease...making you think it's all joy. Then you hear the brutal sadness and anger track by track and realize that the band, as a whole, has been through a hell of a lot more than you realize. I recently lost my mom, so I know the songwriting impetus that losing a loved one can bring, as well as the intense pain you go through. But I'm talking about RUSH here, not me.

As it stands, this disc is RUSH's attempt to rejoin the land of the living after a painful 6 years, and in that light, succeeds masterfully. Where the CD doesn't succeed is in the cohesion of the material. I salute Neil(aka THE PROFESSOR) for having balls enough to make his personal pain an open thing, but the imagery went way over my head the 1st time out. I was left wondering, "HUH?" Then I realized that his use of imagery was merely to cover up his OVERWHEMING pain. That's what the disc does to you...OVERWHELM you. Songs like EARTHSHINE, THE STARS LOOK DOWN ("what is the meaning of this? and the stars look down...what are you trying to do?...and the stars look down...")and the unforgettable titale track had me in a much welcomed catatonic state at the end, if only for the rush of tears that accompanied the last notes of each track.

Production is warm, solid, not bloodless and cold. It's sorta like the production job they did on COUNTERPARTS, only a lot more "in your face", almost with an analog sound. Instruments are played to their fullest capacity. What it lacks in Lifeson's leads is more than made up by his wonderful ear for texture. Fuzzed-out 12-string, ghostly slide...it seems that no sound is out of his grasp.

So...for having the balls to emotionally undress in public, and for bringing back the sound and fury of EARLY Rush(think '74-'76), I give this disc a solid 5 stars. Too bad I couldn't use 1/2 star allotments too.

Rush made a concious effort to get back to their roots. This means there are absolutely no keyboards. This album is not that progressive, but, if you are a fan of the very first album you will love this album. There are some really great guitar based rock songs on this album.

Ultimately ... Rush can do whatever they want. The fact that they got back together at all after their long hiatus was good news in itself.

I admit to being kind of late to jump on the Rush bandwagon. I have always admired them; even saw them live back in the early 80's. I always LOVED Limelight and subdivisions and alternately cringed when I heard Rush flirt with the Police-inspired psuedo-reggae that was so tempting to bands back in the day. Canadian reggae we can do without.

Recently, I took a new job and began working with a Canadian guy and a young man from the states who is waaay into Rush. So I have been immersed in it and have kind of become a fan without trying to. Then I read "Ghost Rider" and saw "Rush in Rio" and now I am a full-blown convert hoping they keep recording and touring.

But .... to the matter at hand .... Vapor Trails. I am trying so hard to dig it. You know ... maybe it is good to bear in mind that Rush, like any other great band with a lengthy back catalog, has recorded it's share of weak material over the years. Witch hunt comes to mind for some reason. These guys aren't kids any more either. I would say they kick their fair share of ass for a bunch of guys with a century-and-a-half under their belts. (Or ... do they say Brave Belts in Canada - obscure reference)

What bugged me about Vapor Trails was Lifeson's insistance on omitting lead guitar and keyboards from the record. Again, he and the rest of the band have earned the right to do whatever they want and we can choose to take the ride or not. But ... it seems like such an obvious attempt to "fit in" with the rest of the horrible Nicklebackian nu-metal tripe so prevalent on the airwaves. So what if Lead Guitar isn't in vogue. When was Rush ever in Vogue? It robs the songs of personality and Lifeson's great playing. And the Keyboards? I suppose they felt they had drifted away from their original vision somewhere along the way. The problem wasn't the synthesizers as much as the need to be careful and not use cheezy pre-sets.

In summation ... Rush Rules. i still like Vapor Trails. It is after all ... Geddy, Neil and Alex.

It is my belief that those who do not like this album aren't giving it a fair chance. If you see past the muddy production and into the heart of the songs, you will find a fantastic album that shows Rush as creative and as progressive as ever.

Only a couple of weaker tracks, but as part of the collective whole they are improved.

It took me about 10 listens or so to "get" this album - if you haven't given it at least that many, then you haven't given it a fair chance. It takes a while to hit you, but once it does, you can see the wonderful songwriting, musicianship, and emotion that has been put into this album.

My favourites: Ghost Rider, Peaceable Kingdom, Vapor Trail, Nocturne, Freeze. But really, the whole album is amazing. Rush is not dead.

Ah vapor trails. I used to be the worst enemy of that album when i first heard it. I recomended anyone not to listen to it. Then i put him several times as a background when i was playing on my computer. It must ha been upon the 4th time when i thought ´´whait a minute these are no ordinary compositions´´. I mean ok, there are no epics here. No tracks longer than 6 minutes but the structures sre way too complex for an average rock group. So i gave time to the songs. What i didn´t like was the sound. Imo geddy´s bass is very loud and sometimes covers the others especialy neil. If you hear the tracks live you´ll get a better impresion. What i like now is mainly the songwriting. There are some of the best melodies that these guys ever wrote. They don´t try to impress us on how good players they are, they prefer inteligent arangements that merge the modern sound with their unique touch. Alex doesn´t solo but he plays in a definitly clever way. Neil doesn´t do his treadmark rolls but he plays some amazing rythms. And finaly geddys bass is present heavier than ever without funky elements of the past. Overall give this album some time. It worth it. After all i can´t recall a band that sounds like rush in vt. Enjoy

Superior comeback album from the masters of their genre. Released after great speculation whether or not they would continue as a band or not after the tragic personal losses of drummer Neil Peart. Released in '02 it had been six years since the latest studio album Test for Echo and what do they opt for on the comeback album? A no-guitar solo album, that's what they do - absolutely brilliant and bold and yet again a move that proves why they are the masters of their genre.

This one definitely requires multiple listenings. I listened to the CD once on release day, decided it was garbage and didn't listen to it again.

Then two weeks later, "Peaceable Kingdom" broke through, followed by, over the past few years, every other track. On no other record can I say that the majority of tracks have spent time as both "hit repeat over and over" plays and "skip it... it sucks" and gone back and forth (and in a few cases back and forth again!).

Because the production sound is muddy and chaotic (with lots of multitracking of vocals, guitars, and bass; the volume on the drums seems to move around as well, though whether this is technical or the latest trick in Neil Peart's arsenal is open to question), it is unquestionably dense. Tool & Radiohead (along with, at times, Rage Against the Machine) influences can be spotted, continuing in the grand Rush tradition of vacuuming up what the three guys are listening to in the months before writing and recording and synthesizing that with the Rush trademarks that we know and [presumably] love. What I noticed when a song grabbed me was that it wasn't the "whole product" that did it. It was a drum part, or a guitar riff, or a vestigial solo, or a lyric, or a vocal melody, or a bassline that drew me in, my mind keying on that part until the others, in due time, came through.

Take "Ceiling Unlimited", a song which has to join the pantheon of great Rush anthems. The drumming is inventive while staying mostly in the pocket (though when Neil takes control in a few passages, it's breathtaking). The midsection is a treat: Alex plays the vestiges of a solo (though you could argue that he's taking the traditional bass role of rhythmic accompaniment and playing through the changes as well) while Geddy and Neil seem to simultaneously solo (again, focusing on drums or bass really helps here). If you want a minute or two that summarizes Rush, you'd be hard pressed to top this.

"Freeze" sees Rush return to a neo-prog posture, with Tool influences flying thick at you. The beat is simultaneously simple and complex, and while it's built around a very limited sonic palette, the few "sonic colors" are used in nearly every possible permutation, in a way that makes sense and works for the song, conveying the quickened pulse as adrenaline surges through you when you confront the unknown, whether it's the "...unconscious and the secret places of the heart" or of the "back streets and the echoes and the shadows". This is prog-metal of the highest order, and shows that, while Rush have only rarely ventured into a world that they may well have created, they should still be welcomed with open arms!

Pls. evaluate the album not according to previous style periods of the group (led-zep like 1- st album, concept art-rock/hard - up to Moving Pictures, new wave stage; etc.). This album marks another phase in their music history - wise material, with very many features without which temporary sound (ypu may like it or not) is impossible: some grunge, some hard-rock, art-rock in main melodics - and really powerful rhythm section!

As for Rush as a whole - they had never been primordially-genius band (like Led Zep or Yes, for instance). Instead, they were really talented and very diligent good boys - with magnificant playing skills and their own remarkable sound. And that is good anyway!

PS. New sonds sound really OK withi the framework of the whole set "Rush in Rio"!

I don't know what I was expecting when this CD was released. Having been so long, I was longing for new Rush, and silently hoping that things might actually be okay.

Upon my first listen I was confused, and my ears were sort of squinting like my eyes do near twilight. What was this muddy mess all about I was asking myself. But I listened again. And again. I knew better than to think Rush would simply create something for the sake of making a CD. There had to be something here.

I continued to listen, and I'm not sure when, but it slowly began to occur to me what was going on. The "muddied" sound I had head earlier was a front, a distraction if you will - - a thin veil over layers of genius -- melody, harmony, rhythm. I was all there, and better than before. Like a fine wine, or an oyster, you have to give it a chance; come back to it again and again before it reveals it's inner beauty to you.

I'm glad I stuck with it. I "hear" it now. It has a bittersweet quality like no other Rush album, and I can easily say it's the best since Moving Pictures. The layers unfold, and if at first you can't discern a coherent motif, let your mind fill it in. In fact, try this experiment: Listen to the CD as many times as you wish, you will hear something new on each listen.

My only complaint about this CD is that I hate to hear it end.

In my opinion the vapor trails album is a step closer to evolve in something different.You must admit that the first album of each period was almost complicated.You couldn't see what was meant to be done.But if you are a true music fan you have to admit that this album is too experimental.Nobody sounds like that ,it's something new .All tracks are great in their own ways and even the producing is what the album should have.Peart's drumming is superb of course.A must buy for everybody that thinks that progressive rock isn't just a 70s movement.

Rush: Vapor Trails (2002) Reviewed 10/22/05'

Released in 2002,Rush's Vapor Trails marked a change of course in the bands muisical direction. Having a no-synth's policy, gutiarist Alex Lifeson proclaiming his songwritting mate,Geddy Lee, was too dependant on synths to compensate for vocal melodies. Well on this Rush disk Geddy Lee's vocal abilities are energized and are refreshing to hear on a Rush album. More vocals then keyboards!!! Geddy Lee's bass playing has a deep bottom- end overall tone and his chops are reserved yet tasteful. Alex Lifeson's guitar showcasing on Vapor Trails is more adventerous then the usual typical rock/metal guitar solos. Alex's minimalistic aproach to guitar mastery is showcased throughout Vapor Trails. Using unorthadox guitar methods to make, shall I dare to say "cool sounds" coming from his axe. Alex Lifeson showcases his mandola, as a vehical to annunciate some of Vapor Trail's tones. Neal Peart's lyrics are more personal and emotional then ever. If you looking for a non-traditional RUSH disk, you should grab this one, I'd say this is RUSH at top musical form and song strucure form...not too long & not too short!

An absolute Rush classic in terms of the music, but lacking that fifth star only because the production is too bassy and muddy.

Other than that, this is the culmination of the latest (and hopefully not last) Patented Rush Four Album Cycle. The first cycle went from heavy metal simplicity to neo-progressive metal. The second peaked in progressive comlpexity with "Hemispheres," and shifted gears to hard rock. The third cycle consistently increased the use of keyboards, and changing guitar tones/styles. With the fourth cycle, Rush gradually brought down the keyboard levels and increased their concentration on rhythm, jamming, and rocking.

"Vapor Trails" is the pinnacle of this cycle. But, there are several things that put this album in the "classic" category.

First, Geddy, Alex and Neil are completely unleashed, in terms of playing and creativity. This, for me, is Alex's album: listen to the incredible amount of of overdubs, layers, and tones he plays with on each song, many of them unique to this recording. But, then, at the same time, he completely eschews the soloing which are common to every Rush song pre-Vapor Trails. In the place of solos are new sections of music that are derivatives of the chorus or verse that come across more like jams, making an incredibly layered album sound more live in the studio. His riffing and mastery of unique chords is awe inspriring.

Geddy, too, cuts loose on the bass, playing more chords that ever before, and using an incredibly agressive tone. His voice, too, is cut loose as he sings in registers not heard since "Moving Pictures." He also layers his voice and uses it for the atmospherics and textures that were once done using keyboards.

Finally, Neil is more propulsive on this album, even more than on T4E or Counterparts, playing with more abandon, and more of a live feel not felt in a long time from him. His lyrics, though, go into new areas for him: they are extremely personal (especially Ghost Rider, which is autobiographical). His words add to the darkness and agression of the album (especially on Peacable Kingdom and Freeze).

Overall, this is an album from a band that is still, after all of these years, pushing themselves in new directions, and can still peel back ears with agression. You could listen to it a million times, and still hear something new in the mix because of incredible amount of layers of instruments and vocals. And, really, isn't that what makes a Rush album a classic?

This is the begining of the fifth album cycle of Rush where they ended up gaving away their keyboards and concentrated more on rhythm and melody, bringing in front the heavy and monster tones of the guitar the way it should be by using powerful and killer riffs.

As many people have said, the production is distorted when playing this masterpiece loud, as it should be, although, none of Rush albums deserved to be played at a lower volume. So lets hope to see on the racks a remastered version of this great piece of art. But, overall, production is not a major issue/concern for not having this album on your collection.

Vapor Trails is a very emotional and agressive album, and I do believe this is the direction Rush is taking for the next four albums (well, at least that's what I expect from them). Number 2 album from this fifth cycle (18th studio album after VT) is on the way and planned to be released on 2006 if nothing changes.

So, lets forget about all the production matters and give this jewl what it deserves... And that is a five stars because besides all the power that is included, Vapor Trails is a an essential masterpice for progressive music with its new and powerful direction since 1974...

The most recent studio album from Canadian Art Rock Trio Rush is a bit of a hit and miss album. Long gone are the 20 minute sci-fi epics of old and the synthesizer drenched atmospheres of old, and in come heavy and grungy guitar riffs. It doesn't really help that the audio quality isn't really up to par with a 2002 release. It's too trebly and the guitar is too distorted. Despite that, there are some things to like about the album. The guitar riffs are creative and the rhythm section really puts up a powerhouse performance. Peart's lyrics for this album are not the same as they were on the last album. This time... it was personal. With the loss of his daughter and wife in the same year, Peart wrote his feelings out on paper (as well as rode around the Americas on his motorcycle).

From the powerful double bass intro to One Little Victory to the grungy Out of the Cradle, one can't help but feel that Rush is returning to their roots. Key tracks to this album are Secret Touch, Earthshine, and Ghost Rider. Secret Touch has a sexually connotative title, but despite that it is a powerhouse track that has some brilliant riffing from Lifeson and punchy drums from Peart. Earthshine is a grungy, muddy, heavy song that has a snappy chorus and a great Lifeson solo. Ghost Rider, perhaps the most personal song on the album, deals with the loss of Peart's daughter. The blocky Lee bass chords combine with the soothing Lifeson riff and gentle percussion from Peart.

Overall, if you are a fan of the first two Rush albums, then you'll find something to like. However, if you like Rush from 1977-1989, you're not going to find much to like from this. To me, it is an exceptional album that all Rush fans should already own. 3/5.

I dont know why everyone is saying stuff like "if you liked 2112 then you wont like this".

Im a huge fan and I could almost go as far to say I hated their synth period. Hold your fire was not a good album. This on the other hand is amazing.

Certainly not as mindblowing as their older stuff, but an album more people can listen to. You try and get someone whose not a rush fan to listen to fly by night and when the vocals come in they cringe. They've turned it down, made it more easy to listen to.

I find this an album for Peart fans more than the others. Alex does have some of his short quick solos and cool riffs, and Geddy lays down some cool basslines, but i find this album stars Peart with his lyrics and drumming.

I would say this is an essential for any rush fan, anyone who likes progressive rock, or even metal.

While I'd not call it a total reinvention, I WOULD go so far as to say that the trio seem to be reaching back to their roots a bit, while still maintaining that cutting edge brand of writing/playing they've been known for. Neil, for his part, writes some wonderful lyrics here; a far cry from the sci-fi of past albums, he relies on his expreiences with his (ostensibly) tourtured inner soul. One look at his picture in the inner booklet speaks volumes about what he's feeling. He aches, and that comes through in the lyrics. SAMPLE: "What is the meaning of this? And the stars look down. What are you trying to do? And the stars look down. Was it something I said? And the stars look down." I, for one, enjoy lyrics with a rather personal bent to them, and this record has it in spades. Geddy plays with a fire and fury not seen since 2112, and for every note he plays, he's answered by some of Alex's best riffage in God knows how long. The arrangements may seem slapdash to some whose ear might not be attuned to this kind of aggression, but the more one listens, the more one hears that this is how the album SHOULD have been. Yes, the production is a touch on the muddy side, but that does not mean that you can't hear everything clearly. Ged's vocals on many tracks (Vapor Trails, The Stars Look Down, One Little Victory, Out Of The Cradle, etc.) make me feel the pain and anger that Neil felt when he wrote these amazing lyrics. Hope I don't sound like a Rush "fanboy", but this disc is one of their best. Can't help it...5 stars.

A greatly underrated...and underpromoted album. Stumbled over this on a bargain rack and decided to give it a listen. Good tracks and a consistant sound throughout give this CD a feeling of oneness, all tracks working together to convey a singular musical message. The weaknesses of this album lie both in the lyrics...neal seems a bit rusty, probably due to the long hiatus...and the mix quality is poor, sometimes making it too difficult to distinguish geddy's bass and Alex's guitar. Too much distortion guitar is present..althoug i feel that this was intended to show their departing from the synthesizer heavy years and signaling another transition musically.

Personally I wouldn't recommend this album. The best tracks also appear on the Rush in Rio DVD and I think those versions sound better. My first impression of the album was that it sounded like a wall of incoherent noise. My favorite tracks are marred by the lousy sound and the majority of the tracks sound like uninspired album fillers.

I don't think the bad sound is just an engineering problem, I also think that Alex just plays with too much distortion these days. I wonder what the songs would sound like using a cleaner guitar tone like in the 70's.

Despite what the other reviews say, I definitely would not consider this a classic Rush album.

I'll give it two stars. I didn't care for it, but it appears there is a sizeable segment of Rush fans that do like it a lot.

To put my opinions into perspective, here is how I rate the Rush albums

Great: 2112 A Farewell to Kings Hemispheres Permanent Waves Moving Pictures

Good: Rush Fly By Night Caress of Steel Signals Grace Under Pressure Power Windows Hold Your Fire Counterparts

Fair: Presto Roll the Bones

Poor: Test for Echo Vapor Trails

Well, it's by no means perfect. There is definitely filler (so disappointing to see this on, of all things, a RUSH ALBUM!). Highlights would be "Earthshine", "Freeze"--a worthy addition to "Fear", "One Little Victory", and "Vapor Trail". Nothing wrong with the musicianship, considering it is a RUSH ALBUM, but it does dissapoint on tracks like "How It Is" and "The Stars Look Down". Buy if you are a RUSH FAN, but otherwise, it depends on your taste in prog.

Let me start off by saying this is by far the coolest album cover Rush has ever put out. Props to them for that at least, because the music within the crazy cover is very disappointing. I don't know why the band felt that Geddy needed vocal overdubs to sound good, but they are just stupid. Geddy is not the kind of singer that works with overdubs, and they use them so much that it is just annoying to listen to. The mix is absolutely horrid as well. The bass is intolerably high and you can't even descern half of the music because the bass and guitar sound the same. In some songs it seriously sounds like a tractor accompanied by great drumming. If the mix had been done better, this album would probably be a strong 3-stars, but as it is it just adds onto the hurt.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a throw-away disc. There are three songs that I can in honesty call "great", and those would be "Earthshine", "Vapor Trail", and "Ghost Rider". These three songs sound the most like Rush out of the entire album. The rest of the tracks don't have that great "Rush" sound. When I hear them, it just sounds like some other band with a Geddy-like singer who uses too many vocal overdubs, a decent guitarist, and a crazy drummer. Now don't get out your torches and pitchforks because of the "decent guitarist" line, because I think Lifeson is great. He just isn't very good on this album (excluding the three songs I mentioned earlier, he really helps the mood of each tremendously and has some nice work in each as well). I really can't stand most of this album though. If "Earthshine", "Vapor Trail", and "Ghost Rider" weren't on the album, it would be a definite 1-star release. But thanks to those two songs, this album gets the slightly better 2-star rating from me. It is a borderline 3 album I'd say, but due to the terrible mix, the bad songs, and the unnecessary vocal overdubs, I will give it 2 stars. Fans may like this album, and collectors/completionists will of course get it to add to their stack of Rush CDs, but anyone who hasn't really heard Rush before and wants one of their CDs to hear thier stuff should stay away from this. Here's to Neil and his great drumming and lyrics though.

From what I've seen on this site, the jury is still out as regards Rush's comeback album after a forced 5-year stop: masterpiece or disappointment? Reinvention or rehash of old formulas? In my honest, humble opinion it is neither, though my judgment of this album veers definitely towards the positive. It has its flaws, first of all the notoriously muddy, grungy production - very untypical for the band, though in a way reflecting the changes that had occurred in those five years in the members' personal lives. Rush had come very close to calling it a day for good, which would have been an enormous loss for the whole world of rock music. Consequently, many fans expected a triumphal return to form, but things went rather differently and widespread feelings of disappointment ensued. "Vapor Trails" is undoubtedly a brave move on the part of the band, more experimental and raw than most of their past efforts, but it is also no masterpiece.

Keyboards seem to have been relegated to the past, which is probably very good news for those fans who were seriously bothered by the over-abundance of synths in the band's '80s output. Even though Lifeson plays fewer solos than usual, his guitar is pushed to the fore with a rawer, aggressive sound which hasn't been heard for years on a Rush record. As a matter of fact, he proves once again that he is one of the greatest riff masters in rock. On the other hand, the production values somehow flatten the guitar, which results in the tracks sounding a bit samey after a while. Neil's drumming is immaculate and elegant as ever, and Geddy's vocals get better and better with time. When I heard him live two years ago I was surprised at how good he's become - no longer shrill, but rather forceful and expressive. It's a pity that the mix does nothing to improve the mighty sound of Geddy's legendary bass.

This album contain more tracks than most Rush records, though no instrumentals. There is also quite a bit of filler, songs which are rather unremarkable and undistinguished. This is not the case of the opening "One Little Victory", driven along by Alex's frantic riffing and Neil's powerhouse drumming, or the intense, relentless "Peaceable Kingdom" and the weird, mid-tempo "Freeze". The album's absolute standout, however, is the song I have chosen for my nickname, the hauntingly beautiful "Ghost Rider", in which the three musicians get a real chance to shine individually and collectively - especially the rythm section. The title-track is also outstanding, with great vocals by the inimitable Mr Lee.

Other reviewers have rightly mentioned the deeply personal nature of the lyrics, penned by Neil Peart after the tragic losses he had suffered. Gone are the times when he got his inspiration from the doubtful writings of Ayn Rand or from fantasy and science fiction. "Show me beauty, but there is no peace/for the ghost rider": these are the words of a man who's known pain, anger and grief, nevertheless has managed to get on with his life. The stylish, Tarot-themed cover art is also worthy of mention, even though the band are always been noted for the beauty of their album sleeves. Three and a half stars, really - waiting for the next one.

What's the difference and similarity between Rush and Queensryche? I'd better start with the similarity. Both, I think all of you agree, lay their music foundation on heavy part of progressive rock music. Yes, they share heavy riffs in their music even though Queensryche is softer. And let's talk about the difference. Queensryche is a band that made a major leap in prog arena with the critically acclaimed "Operations: Mindcrime" and is "willing to continue" its presence in progressive arena by calling back their past success, deliberately. They just released the "Operations: Mindcrime II" riding the success of the past. What about Rush? It's totally different approach. They want to progress their music further and don't want "living in the past" situation at all. So there would be no "A Farewell To Kings Part 2" nor "Moving Pictures Goes In Town" nor "Memispheres in Digital World" nor "Permanent Waves are No Longer Permanent" for the sake of marketing gimmick. The past is the past! The band must move forward! As far as my observation goes, the band started new music direction from "Signals" and then moved to "Grace Under Pressure" with totally different concept. They never comeback to the past that's why Rush is a true progressive band as their music direction changes all the time. The risk is very high because the loyal fans who have been with the band from early days might be disappointed with their new direction.

We should not judge "Vapour Trails" too fast and analyse each track as compared to the glory hits of "Tom Sawyer" or "La Villa Strangiato" or "The Spirit of Radio" etc. We should view this album in the right context and releasing them from their past glories. . The producer on this album is Paul Norhtfield who also mixed the live album "Different Stages".

For this album, the band equally decided to keep out most of lengthy solos either keyboards or guitars. So you can imagine if you buy this album hoping to get Lifeson's solo you would definitely regret your dollars spent on this album. It's also the case with their fans base which find themselves difficult to accept this album as Rush album. I think the band was ready to take the blame and risk but that's the true heroism for people who have progressive mind in action. So be it. If it's to be hated, accept the fact but the band's music must move on. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

or How to revitalize a band...

After the synth period of the 80's and the pop-rock period of the 90's, Rush returns with their heaviest album in quite some time, probably since the late 70's. I remember the chills I got the first time I listened to this album, when I heard the double bass drum intro to One Little Victory. THEY'RE BACK !!! The exclusion of keyboards, replaced by layers of guitars and back vocals made for a refreshing approach, yet again, for this band. The only letdown, to me, is that the album is a bit too long for it's own good. Songs like Out of the Cradle, The Stars look Down and Freeze don't do it for me, but the rest of the album, even the semi-ballad Sweet Miracle, is really great. A great return for a band that almost died following the tragedies in Peart's life. Suggestion : read Peart's novel, Ghost Rider. You'll get a better idea of how emotionnaly charged this album is.

OK. My boyfriend and I got into a mock argument over this one last night. He said VAPOR TRAILS was better than MOVING PICTURES. I argued that the opposite was true, and that nothing they've done since could hold a candle to that classic record. He got pissed, and burned me all of the post-MP CD's he's got. I listened to VAPOR TRAILS on my way to work today...I concede that he's right. I also concede something else he brought up; that is; if one puts enough thought and time into what one writes, one can create a classic every time one puts out a disc. That holds true here, IMO. Production is muddy and distant, leaving one to have to sift through the layers of music to find what you're looking for. HOWEVER, if you do exactly that, you'll find much genius to be had. Take the track CEILING UNLIMITED: Peart plays a steady 5/4 beat, swtiching to 3/4 and then 4/4 every so often, while Lee and Lifeson trace a pattern around him. At many points during the disc's 67 minute running time, the three seem to be soloing together (the midsection of PEACEABLE KINGDOM, for starters). If you want other proof of their genius, check out some of the lyrics: For that I give you a sample of what sounds like a 9-11 ode; PEACEABLE KINGDOM: "Talk of a peaceable kingdom; talk of a time without fear; the ones we wish would listen; are never going to hear." Want more proof? Try this on for size. NOCTURNE will clue you in: "Set off on a night sea journey without memory or desire; Drifitng through lost latitudes with no compass and no chart. Flying through hallucinations; distant voices, signal fires; lighting up my unconscious and the secret places of the heart." Looks like the battle of heart and mind is still going strong, and it also seems (correct me if I'm wrong) that Neil still has one foot planted firmly in the prog of the 70's while having the other in the here and now. So, my boyfriend was right. Five stars for this one. Looks like I'm buying dinner tonight. What's next? Ah, yes...the other one I was bashing...SIGNALS!

Sharp like ice, fresh like mountain air, clear like eternal snow, solid like rock, strong like river, simple like moon, complete like sunlight, deep like stars, bright like idea, precise like a drawing hand in a cave, warm like only human hearts can be it is. More and more I listen to this album more and more I like it and slowly become to consider it as my absolute favorite one. Rush are one of those exceptional artists whose art is growing together with them. Simple, wise, genuine. Since years they have been crystalizing into the perfect shape of jewel and filling the space with the music of beauty. Thanks.

Vapor Trails was sadly a tour I missed. I would've been my first concert but I didn't have the opportunity to go. I'm kicking myself for that. I've always loved Rush, and they've been influencial to my choice and play of music. But recently (as if in Test for Echo) I've felt that they've been sliding in thier job at doing the Rush thing, which was making mind blowing music. Still, being obsessed with Rush I got Vapor Trails and listened to it a few times and said to myself. "Dude, Rush is coming back!" This album is great and has some really good tunes. Though more moddern and deffinatly harder, it's still a good album.

1. One Little Victory: the begining of the album, and most likely my favorite! It's a beautiful song with some awsome drumming from Peart, and bass guitar of course. enjoy it, love it! 5/5

2. Ceiling Unlimited: The song is okay, I've heard better, but it's still enjoyable when listening to the album. It's not repetitive, but it seems to have some features that made it so I didn't care for it as much. 3/5

3. Ghost Rider: Neil Peart dishes out a good tune when he tells the tale of his journeys on the healing road. Most likely taken from his book "Ghost Rider". it's a good song and it's enjoyable. Though, being that he went through some hard times, I was expecting some deep lyrics that would make ya cry! Still good and enjoyable. 4/5

4. Peaceable Kingdom: Yay for good song, and this is a good song about a peacable kingdom. Yay, it's a good song, enjoy it. Good melody 4/5

5. The Stars Look Down: this song really didn't attract me at first, I thought it as another ceiling unlimited until I actually dived into the song, then I decided it was actually good! It's a good part of the album. 4/5

6. How It Is: I don't know why, at first I thought this song was a filler, but then I fell in love with the hard melody and awsome chorus. Rush did an excellent job on this song! 5/5

7. Vapor Trails: Great song, love it. It really puts a place on the album and this is also where the best songs get thrown into the best part of the album. It's an awsome song and on of the best. 5/5

8. Secret Touch: a secret touch on the heart. Good song and really rocks too. It puts the album in it's place again and is really enjoyable. 5/5

9. Earthshine: This song has to be one of Rush's best comebacks into the rockin' world. This song is brilliant, it's absolutely my favorite along with Vapor Trails. It's awsome and incredible with an awsome melody with hardcore riffs! 5/5

10. Sweet Miracle: Emotion is another word that you could say for this song. It's great and I love the lyrics to the song. And the melody and all the hard work the three put into this wonderful song. Listen, love it! 5/5

11. Nocturne: Probably one of thier less desirable songs on this album. It just didn't captivate me both lyrically and musically. Probably my least liked song on this album, but it's still okay. 3/5

12. Freeze -- Part IV of 'Fear': brings on progressive again, but still, I didn't care much for it. It's okay altogether. And enjoyable when listening to the album as a whole. I liked it for what it posed as. As being part of the songs for fear (enemy within, witch hunt, the weapon). 3/5

13. Out of the Cradle: a great way to end this album. It's got melody and lyric and genious musicianship. A good song that was quite enjoyable. 4/5

Overall, It's a great album and worth the buy. I enjoyed most of the songs and I listen to it frequently. If your looking for a different rush, this is the album to go for. All the songs are unique, and rush is doin' good! An Excelent Addition to any Collection 4/5 Stars (4.23). It's good!

I am very careful when reviewing this CD as if I say it is good it gives Rush the thumbs up to go ahead and produce the same result next time and I wouldn`t want that. What we have here is an average Rush CD , not great but not bad, some of the songs are pretty decent in fact. I make a rule not to take Rush too many reviews seriously as I have discovered from experience that Rush fans can be very hot and cold in their opinions. The Good aspect in the CD are The songwriting the basic synergy the band still creates and the indication that Rush are still alive and well . The Bad aspects are The recording ? its as you already probably know very poor they really cooked it in its mastering stage it seems (volume wars) Alex Lifeson doesn`t offer any (that I can remember) guitar solos and as we know he is an exceptional guitarist normally. Neil Peart (probably the greatest drummer I have ever heard) doesn`t shine in the way he normally does behind the kit on Vapor Trails.

In whole a decent effort.

Stripped to the bone, this album really blows your mind. This is sheer energy in a box. The guitars are crisp and well defined - Alex Lifeson riffing and soloing like the guitar-god he is. Charging, headlong bass runs counterpoint the guitar and add real depth to the musical lines. Geddy Lee gives it his all both instrumentally and vocally. Even with the synths gone, this is technical prog-rock at its finest.

As for Neil Peart. Well, I have a new found respect for him after the personal tragedies he experienced. It is testimony to his strength of character that he has come through it all, virutally relearning how to play the drums in the process. You should read his books to get a real perspective on what he went through and how this album very personally relates a difficult period of his life.

I won't do a song by song critique here because they are all too good. They are all strong, well written and expertly performed. Rush are back and better than ever. This is another masterpiece by them, as are their two recent live outings.

I'm a long time Rush fan. But the only reason I didn't return this CD to the store is because they don't let you do that with CD's. All I heard was noise, minor key, distortion. Next track, same thing. Next track, same thing. And I am used to taking time to get into a new Rush album. But I listened to T4E many, many times before eventually just kind-of liking it. And when I heard this one, I really felt like my patience was no longer a virtue.

Then I occasionally listened to VT enough times to kind-of like it too. It takes persistence to be a Rush fan. After recently seeing R30, though, I have been excited about Rush again. (THAT is an awesome DVD! 5+ stars for that! Every track. I can't get enough of it. May be the best thing they've ever made.) So that gave me the willingness to really listen to VT, especially after seeing Earthshine.

And now I realize that it is in fact a very good album if they could just fix the audio. I'm really enjoying the music, and it begs to be turned up loud, but when I turn it up, I just hear more muddy noise. Really sucks when it's your favorite part of the song, and it sounds like loose headphones sitting on the table, blaring. Unfortunately, I would recommend this only to very die-hard Rush fans until a re-master/re-mix/re-record comes out.

Review by dedokras

Although I have been a consistent visitor of this site for the last couple of years, this is my first review here (I got a registration just recently). Anyway, the reason I chose this album for my first review is that I am not sure why people hate it so much. I have an explanation, I suppose most hard-core Rush fans dislike it because it is so different from all their other releases, but I still do not understand this (probably because I disagree with them). Actually I think this album is much more focused than all their previous ones. Also, in my opinion this is exactly the album Rush needed to enter the new century (sorry for the cliche). The sound is raw and powerful, the solos are reduced or even missing, and I love the vocals - they are more layered and not so painfully high and piercing. My favourites here are Ghost rider and Peacable kingdom, but almost every other track here is very good. I would also pick Ceiling unlimited, Sweet miracle, Earthshine and One little victory as highlights. While obviously influenced by alternative rock and not being entirely prog, I would give the album 5 stars (4,5 really) because of the quality of the music and the bravery to still challenge the fans after all these years.

Cheers from Bulgaria

Well, when I bought this album, I had no idea what I was in store for, as Rush's sound is constantly changing.

Being a huge Rush fan, I can honestly say that I absolutely love this album. In my opinion, it's one of the best albums they've ever put out. And it's the best album I've heard in...well, it's actually probably one of the best albums I've ever heard. It's amazing. Once you think this band is almost obsolete, they release this massive ball of energy.

As Highlights I'd pick the usual, "One Little Victory", "Ceiling Unlimited", and "Ghost Rider" as well as the title track.

The album has a very heavy, energized, metal-like sound. I think the emotions from Neil Peart's tragedy definitely show through in the songwriting. I love the heavy riffs, I love the loud, conspicuous drums, I love the muddy vocals. Everything about this album - I love. I wouldn't change a single thing about it, the imperfections make the album.

Why it's getting such bad reviews, I don't know, but this album is amazing.

I have new found respect for the entire band. Specifically Neil, moving on after his tragedy.

Rush, I salute you. And thank you for this wonderful, wonderful album.

I think this is the best RUSH album since "Signals". I know the complaints, like the the songs are samey, and there are no keys, and not much in the way of breakouts. I personally could care less if there are any keyboards or not, and I love how powerful this record is with all of that bottom end. This is a hard rocking, reflective record with some of the best lyrics I have heard in years. I saw them play in Toronto in support of this record and it was an emotional home-coming for the band after a long absence that was marred by the tragedies in Neil's life. His daughter was killed in a car accident just north of the town I work in, and his wife lost her battle with cancer the following year. The lyrics reflect the dark place Neil was in but also the redemption of coming out of that place. He had this to say about the lyrics on this album. "They're obviously very personel, but I try to find a way to transcend them.This is what memories are like for everybody, not just me.Those vapor trails in the sky-they fade. I explored the nature of memory in a few of those songs. Even "Ghost Rider" is about my travels, but I tried to find universal emotional touchstones that other people could find in their lives. I like to weave imagery that has a basis in me so that it's heartfelt and then the listener can find something within it for them. It's like a wind chime : the wind blows through it and makes it sing". By the way this album is brought to us by the letter "3". The individual pictures in the liner notes of Alex, Geddy and Neil couldn't be more perfect.

"One Little Victory" features a powerful drum intro and the rhythm section throughout is fantastic ! This song was played on the radio a lot up here. "Ceiling Unlimited" features a lot of bass from Geddy and I have to say his vocals on this song and record are the best i've heard from him in many years. "Ghost Rider" is also the name of Neil's book. This is a top three track for me.The intro gives me goosebumps as Geddy's reserved vocals come in. Again the lyrics are so meaningful. "Peaceable Kingdom" has a powerful intro and the song gets better as it plays out. Some great guitar from Alex and Geddy is outstanding. This song is about the events surrounding 9/11 and a top three tune for me."The Stars Look Down" has an incredible rhythm to it and I love Geddy's vocals and also the scorching guitar solo 3 minutes in. Great chorus too. "How It Is" opens with mandola and features some acoustic guitar solos from Alex.

"Vapor Trail" has a great guitar intro and the tribal-like drumming is fantastic. Check out Geddy's bass playing before a minute. "Secret Touch" opens with some intricate guitar before it turns heavy. "Earthshine" is my favourite from the album. It opens with a good riff and what follows are some heavy drums and good vocals with the guitar screaming in the background. Mandola with vocal melodies follow then themes are repeated. "Sweet Miracle" opens with a cool guitar / bass groove but this song is all about the lyrics. "When the tide came in-Swept beneath the surface-Lost without a trace-No hope at all". "Nocturne" has some great drumming to open as Alex comes in lighting it up. Killer guitar in this one. Another song about Neil's dark journey. "Freeze (Part IV of Fear)" features some really amazing guitar and is quite heavy. "Out Of The Cradle" is the uptempo, uplifting conclusion to this amazing record.

This is a fairly long record at over 67 minutes. Lets face it though a lot has happened in their long absence and it had to be told.This album always makes me feel good and takes me back to that hot dry summer of 2003. "RUSH is back and so life is good" was my feeling back then. A very special album.

A complete, powerful, emotive, and welcome return to form while at the same time showcasing an almost entirely new sound and style. "Vapor Trails" is outstanding!

More so than just about every other album Rush that has been released in the past two decades, this one shows them doing what they truly do best: playing really powerful, artistic rock music very, very well. Each member is on the top of their game: Geddy-- whose voice regains its high-timbre and intensity and whose gigantic bass shatters expectations, Alex-- whose guitar is raw, vibrant, amazingly listenable, but especially Neil-- whose drumming is more dynamic than ever and whose lyrics reach new poetic heights. I am sure most have heard about his life's tragedy some years ago, and this album's poignant and emotive lyrics speak of both his pain and recovery; absolutely heartbreaking and uplifting.

Many are turned off by this album's very unrefined sound, and I admit that it was hard for me to listen to the first time through... but what a pay off. "Vapor Trails" contains some of Rush's finest songs, worthy to stand by their old classics and I hope setting the stage for things to come.

Mandatory for serious fans of the band and an excellent introduction for those coming from outside the prog world.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 4 Lyrics/Vocals: 5 Style/Emotion/Replay: 4

Good but not essesntial.

I too was looking forward to this release. Like most Rush albums, I knew to give it time to grow on me ~ and it did. I agree with many who state this not a GREAT album nor anything close to what we've come to expect over the decades. Yet, there are gems in there and I would leave it up to individual tastes to assess which tracks constitute GEMS for you... Having said all this the fact still remains, someone majorly dropped the ball in the the production phase of this album. I've read and heard in interviews that the approach on Vapor Trails was to get back to the raw performance, less manipulated form of production. What bothers me to this day is the rather overmodulated, saturated sound of many of the tracks on this CD. You don't hear it referred to much these days, but the industry desriptor for what plagues this album is called ~ sibilance ~ and unfortunately some of the albums most noteable tracks suffer from it. Sibilance was a common phenomenon in the early days of high fidelity rock and roll recordings ~ even in the eighties to some extent. But Rush was always known to have some, if not most, of THE cleanist recording practices around ~ which made for very exceptional productions on both vinyl and CD. If you listen closely to this album take note of how much sibilance (scratchy, hissing distortion) you can hear on top of the music. Not only does this distortion characteristic plague the guitar sound but vocals as well. This is indicative of a final mix down processing problem. Another characteristic missing on this release is the simple dynamic range. The distorted top end (louder passages) of this album are too close to the quiet low end. You can always tell a failed recording by amount of gain response to turning up the volume control ~ and as many have pointed out ~ as you turn up this CD, the harder it is to listen to. Lack of dynamic range IMHO ~ it destroys this albums ability to SHINE through. If the final mix was THE intended results ~ the experiment failed. If not, Atlantic Records (with motivation from Rush) should at a minimum re-release this CD in a cleaned up state. Throughout this blog you'll see descriptions of the "washed out", "muddied" and down right crappy sound quality. These are accurate depictions of the Rush tragedy captured on disc...

What a shame

The first thing I'll say is, if you're looking for something a lot like 2112 or any other pre-1990 Rush album, this album isn't what you're looking for. However, if you're interested in a more modern, hard-rock, emotionally-driven sound, this is a great album to buy. I find it to be more enjoyable than the vast majority of releases by bands classified as hard rock.

Personally, I enjoy both non-emotional virtuosity and emotionally driven power chords in music. I have no problem with either one. What I look for in music are moments that move me emotionally, tell an interesting story, or make me think, 'Wow, that was incredible.' There isn't so much of the incredible soloing or instrumentation on this album, but the first two things on my list are simply overflowing on this album.

The lyrics and mood on this cd are pretty clearly a direct result of the turmoil and tragedy in Neil Peart's life, and man does it show. This is the only Rush album that can bring tears of emotion to my eyes, and I think that may be because the subject matter is so real, rather than their earlier, more intellectual creations (which I do enjoy). 'Ghost Rider' and 'Vapor Trails' are particularly wrenching.

The overall sound is very much hard-rock, but the prog influence is also quite obvious. Twists and turns in the music are carried out over short spaces of time rather than the long ones on their older releases, but the twists are still there. Instrumentation is excellent and tight, despite the lack of long solos (which would probably feel out-of-place on this album). Geddy's singing is unusually spot-on and clear, and he delivers a lot more emotional depth here than usual. I have listened to this album many times, and find that it gets better with repeated listening.

This album's lyrics and music are so well-connected, it seems to me it sounds the way it does because the meaning is built right in to the music. So as long as you're not only interested in epics or grand solos, I'd recommend this album highly.

Talk about a comeback album. Even after their 5-year absence, Rush returned with one of their most rockin' albums ever. Yeah, the production is kinda iffy which adversely affects some of the songs (hence the slightly lower rating) but it still sounds better than pretty much every other band out there. Don't later VT-haters drive you away from this album. While not the best Rush album, Rush fans should still have this one. The lack of keyboards and guitar solos seemed to have irritated a lot of fans, but I think it makes the album sound a little more unique, in sort of a different way.

Standout songs: "One Little Victory," "Secret Touch," "Freeze"

Yet another "blah" sounding album by Rush in their late decline. This is not a particularly bad album but it is probably the worst album they've ever made. Yes, it is even worse than Test for Echo, at least that album sounded unique in a sense, but this one sounds alternative or something of the sort. As I've already said, it just sounds "blah." Now as I've said in other Rush reviews, nothing I've heard by Rush I would consider BAD, just, as with this album, pathetic compared to anything they've made before. And thus it gets a single star. For a Rush album it is, dare I say, a piece of trash, and only the most die hard of Rush fans and collectors should even consider getting this album. There is almost nothing progressive about it whatsoever, and the only song that would otherwise keep it from getting zero stars is Earthshine for having mediocre craft. Many seem to think of this album as a comeback. Not me. Just because Neil Peart and the rest of the band had personal problems before it, I don't think it has anything to do with the music except that he was still recovering when the album was produced. I will probably be accused of being a classic progressive snob for this rating but there was nothing that hit me as worthwhile to listen to in this album. Some also claim that this is just Rush moving in a new direction. I might agree with that - in a not progressive nor remotely artistic direction. And even Snakes and Arrows had some of that. Rush is my favorite band of all time, all of their music is indeed unique and almost all of it enjoyable, and I'm not saying that there was anything bad about the album. There just isn't anything good. Except the cover maybe.

A graceful return from the masters of Heavy Prog.

After the 5 year hiatus following the very tragic events that plagued band member Neil PEART, the band decided to get back together again. Geddy LEE recounts that it was Peart's idea to begin with, that he called Geddy one day and asked if he was ready to reform the band. While it's terribly clear that the events had changed Peart's life and the way he wrote (he also hasn't appeared, to my knowledge, in any interviews since 1996) it's also clear that the man was again driven to play those drums. Neil is fierce on this outing, and many of the songs on the album revolve around his path to recovery as well as other more worldly issues that Peart is not unknown for writing.

While the production value of the album has been questioned, it's really a two way street. While the album is incredibly raw and heavy some may argue that the band wanted it that way to obtain a certain sound. Certainly, this does give the album an edge that the band hasn't seen since 1993's Counterparts, however it does have it's downsides as well. Unlike many a Rush album, this one can turn into the ''wall of sound'' that turns off many listeners. Indeed, it does have that effect on even the most hard-core fan, but with repeated listens one can eventually break through that wall to discover some truly classic Rush songs hidden amongst the Vapor Trails.

Starting off with the live favorite ONE LITTLE VICTORY the album is on it's way. Blistering drums and a deep, raw guitar riff the album starts off very heavily. When performed live this is the song that the band saves the pyrotechnics for, and it's clear as to why. This is the song that will more or less set the course of the rest of the album. Heavy, with a not-so-clearly-defined but still noticeable chorus and tight playing. CEILING UNLIMITED follows much on the same vein, jump starting with a fast riff from Alex LIFESON, this song is perhaps less catchy than it's predecessor, but there's just as much replay value to be had.

From here on the album starts to get more emotionally attached. The third track, GHOST RIDER, is the first track on the album penned by Neil about his trip to self-recovery. Pack up all those phantoms/shoulder that invisible load, sings Geddy over the mellow bass intro. While the song does later explode into motion the song is too emotionally involved to simply head bang along to it (in a good way of course). Following that is Peart's poetically scientific view on one major event that happened during Rush's absence -- the 9/11 attack. PEACEABLE KINGDOM is a lot less obvious of a song about this particular event than, say DT's ''Sacrificed Sons'', and it's a lot closer to the actual event time wise but it's still a topic that doesn't need much more attention regardless. However, this is a very good, (again) heavy track that's catchily-uncatchy as Rush does so well.

About halfway through the album there's a string of consistently good songs. While these are the songs that, unfortunately, suffer from the ''wall of sound'' effect the first couple listens through. THE STARS LOOK DOWN and HOW IT IS are fairly similar in sound at times, but are both excellent tracks. HOW IT IS in particular is a rather light-hearted track for the album and makes a nice contrast against the rest of the album. VAPOR TRAIL, with it's pleasant starting riff and nice mid-paced structure and dark undertones with pseudo-sci-fi lyrics make it a great standout. SECRET TOUCH, with its soft intro and heavy start is likely one of the heaviest songs that Rush have ever produced and is, apparently, one of Lee's favorites -- and even better when seen live.

Coming down to the end of the album the songs start to get more emotion again, and actually more towards the melody than the heavy. However, if the ''wall of sound'' has gotten to you by this point it's not likely to wear off for these tracks, unfortunately. EARTHSHINE, a live favorite, is another song to open with a wicked riff from Lifeson. Voice effects of Lee are easily forgiven as they're well used and the song becomes an excellent track to sing along to. SWEET MIRACLE is another song about Peart's road to recovery, this one slower than the rest on the album. Beautifully sung by Lee, this is a song that is, again, heavier than it seems, both in lyrical content and in music.

From this point onto the end the album is pure rock. The song about sleep, NOCTURNE, is another heavy piece. ''Did I have the dream/or did the dream have me?''. Definitely a song that requires the listener to dissect the lyrics, this is still a good song. Following in the tradition of their 80s albums, FREEZE concludes (I think) the 4-part song ''Fear'' started with their 1981 song, Witch Hunt. Heavier and less like any of the Fear tracks before it, FREEZE still has a catchy chorus that keeps it driving. Finishing off the album is the pure rocker, OUT OF THE CRADLE, which closes the album just as it started, heavily.

In the end this is more of a rock album than a prog album for sure. However, it will still appeal to fans of the Heavy Prog genre and any kind of rock fan in general. A welcome return after a not-so-great album (Test For Echo), and a long hiatus. This one gets 4 stars. Unfortunately you'll need to listen to this album many many times and even go back to it later to see how well it's aged since you last listened to it. Definitely a hard one to ''get'', this album is worth it in the end.

Ok, I'm giving them 2 stars because of their skill in each instrument. But I've never expected such a boring album, from my teenage heroes. I guess the last album that I really did enjoy from them was Roll The Bones, from then on, they ran out of ideas, and I don't really know how can this be called progressive.

I really avoided listening to this record for 6 years, and now I know that was just right, I should have never tried it. Everything here has been made before and in a better and creative way.

Ok...forget the synths. Forget the leads. Forget a glossy production. Forget a crisp, clear, clean mix. Forget, for that matter, everything (EVERYTHING) you ever (thought you) knew about Rush. This is Rush bigger, rawer, nastier and gritter, stripped down and wicked for a new era.

I, for one, loathed it upon first hearing it. I wondered why everything was so damn muddy. The drum- and vocal-dominated mix makes it really difficult to listen to at times, I'll agree. But one must ALSO understand that they as a band (and Neil in particular) were going through some rough (understatement, I know) times, to say the very least. Then I read Neil's book Ghost Rider and it slowly fell in place. But it makes sense that the same air of desperation that permeates the book would also be here on CD. Neil's angry, upset, confused at the state of the world and of his own affairs. Naturally, that's gonna lead to something not so easy to listen to. It's not going to be clean, polished, neat, with everything in its place. No. No. No. A thousand times...no. It's gonna be ragged, raw, tinny, dirty, and everything else you can think of that has something to do with being unclean and uncertain.

Bottom line: It's NOT an easy listen. It's not supposed to be. Like the layers of an onion (which, similarly, makes me cry), you have to peel back the harsh layers of the disc to get to the root, the meat, which is the important part. Believe me, it's not easy. Like I said, it ain't supposed to be. Give it a chance and don't discard it out of hand. You'll come through, 69 minutes later, more knowledgeable about them, and, quite possibly, yourself.

With all that had happened in the 6 years since the absymal Test For Echo (Neil losing both his daughter and wife and taking 3 year sabbatical) I was enthused to hear Rush returning to release new music. I was also enthused to hear they were embracing a harder, more urgent sound. And frankly VTrails is their best release since RTBones. In fact, I would argue this album is most like that one. Not in sound, but in quality.

Just like RTB you have a no standout tracks and no complete dogs....what you do have are a handful of good songs and a handful of okay songs. The one thing lacking is that stands out to me is many of the songs sound good while you're listening to them but there's nothing about them that sticks in your head (unlike their earlier songs which would ring incessantly in your head).

One Little Victory gets things started with a ferocious drumroll and yet another in a long line of solid, if pedestrian, opening songs (think Test For Echo, Dreamline, Animate, Show Don't Tell). Ghost Rider, Secret Touch and Vapor Trail are similar songs with good fundamentals and quality musicianship. The album allows all three musicians to shine more than they have many years.

The other thing that's obvious to me is Geddy's voice just isn't very enjoyable unless he's screaming. His high-pitched wail grated on some but at least it was rocknroll....his MOR approach is just boring and, with this album, I realized it's a primary drawback to the band.

The big comeback

This was the album I never thought would be released. Rush had closed down and Geddy Lee released his own album. The whole story is described very movingly and brilliantly in the Rush biography. But Rush returned for some rehearsals and then; for the comeback of the century. They returned with this album.

I have never been the biggest fan of their work after Hold Your Fire. Presto was good, but Counterparts, Roll The Bones and Test For Echo sounded like the band was going through the routines. Then tragedy struck and their world was turned upside down. When the band got together again some years later, they returned with something to prove. Fireworks was likely and fireworks is what Vapor Trails is.

Vapor Trails kicks off like an angry horse and keeps this vitality for the rest of the album. Vapor Trails is Rush most aggressive album since their debut album. I really like the sound and the mood on the album. The songs are also a lot more interesting on this album than on the previous three albums. Songs like Earthshine, Ghost Rider, Peaceable Kingdom and Secret Touch is really a break with tradition and something refreshing from Rush. There is very few typical Rush songs on this album. The synth has gone and the guitars are blazing. The sound is compact and very heavy. The message is clear: We are back again and we are doing it our way. This message was later reinforced on Snakes And Arrows.

I find it very refreshing that a 30 years old band with a tragedy behind them returns with an album like Vapor Trails. Rush took a big chance with this album and they pulled it off. I was very impressed when they released it and I am still very impressed. The quality of the songs are also very good. I like the above-mentioned songs + the title track best. I really like this album.

4 stars.

Hard-hitting and extremely personal, this is perhaps the deepest thing Rush ever did, considering the anguish of their lyricist and beloved drummer. This album represents the resilience of a man who picked himself up, brushed himself off, and moved on with his life after a year horrific calamities. There are no keyboards, and this is an album almost bereft of guitar solos, which might be something of a problem for even some of the most stalwart Rush fans, but I find that having Alex Lifeson in a far more supportive role shows a more restrained and yet powerful side to him. The biggest gripe for most Rush fans is the almost constant clipping due to distortion and too much compression, and for the most part, I agree that this can prove to be obstacle, but it in no way diminishes my attitude toward the album- it exists, in my opinion, as the heaviest Rush album ever made, and yet each composition is in itself a masterpiece or almost one.

"One Little Victory" What an apt title for what, in essence, is a merciless comeback! Appropriately enough, the album begins with the thunder and "Life-is-a-bitch-but-I-am-moving-forward-anyway" drumming of maestro Neil Peart. This, in my humble opinion, is ultimately his album. Alex Lifeson, as a reliable friend, steps beside him with a gritty and harsh guitar riff. Geddy Lee's bass chugs along as only he can make it do, it seems. Once again, Canada's best band is back together, putting another notch in their belts, and demonstrating that it's perfectly fine to fall on one's face, so as long as one gets up and doesn't give up. Hardiness is the theme here, and the music of the opening track reflects that perfectly. Celebrate the moment indeed.

"Ceiling Unlimited" The band asserts itself as a true power trio, with a mighty progression on the electric guitar, trebly punches from the bass, and impeccable drumming. The lyrics are a tad on the esoteric side, something unusual for Peart, but I suspect this song holds a deep, personal meaning no one can penetrate.

"Ghost Rider" A bittersweet yet picturesque description of Peart's travels across North America by motorcycle after the unimaginable tragedy of losing both his wife and daughter in the same year (the former to disease, the latter to an automotive crash), this is one man's new "anthem" of optimism and endurance in the face of "shadows on the road behind" and "shadows on the road ahead." The various sections of this song flow perfectly and include a powerful, yet hardly noticeable key change.

"Peaceable Kingdom" After some strange vocal effects in the introduction, the band plays this heavy handed song with deep conviction and hope. A bass lead by Lee ushers in the lighter chorus. If there is one song that suffers from the clipping issue the most, it's this one. Lifeson's guitar is grating, but that almost serves to differentiate between the pessimism of the verses and the optimism of the refrain.

"The Stars Look Down" Although I love virtually every song on this album, this is in my top three for this album. Again, the band juxtaposes loud, clipping verses with gentler choruses. A ghostly twelve-string guitar is prominent in certain parts. The words are particularly of note, as they not only relate to the 1935 novel by A.J. Cronin, but speak of man's inability to understand the reason behind the various things he experiences, particularly painful times.

"How It Is" Using the structure of the previous two songs, this is a more upbeat song, with a fast rhythm and uplifting lyrics, which describe the resignation that how things are and how one expects them to be will almost certainly always be different, and yet that doesn't mean one has to resign oneself to gloom. The twelve-string guitar is again prominent, and this tends to the closest thing to acoustic music on this album, which of course is saying practically nothing.

"Vapor Trail" The title track takes the opposite route structurally. This time, there are quieter verses, and then Lifeson jumps in with an out-of-place bunch of crunchy guitar chords for the chorus. While initially such a transition would sound ridiculous, after just a few verses, it sounds perfectly natural. The vocal melodies to this one are outstanding.

"Secret Touch" A merry opening riff serves as the basis for the verses, while a heavy minor 6th chord crashes through to bring in the chorus, which features some of the Professor's most brilliant lyrics, including a line I'm sure he knows all too well to be the God's honest truth: "There is never love without pain." I myself (a Christian) impose my own interpretation on the lyrics, which I am usually not wont to do, particularly on the line, "A gentle hand, a secret touch on the heart."

"Earthshine" Were I to choose a favorite song from the album, this is it, as I cannot help but crank up the volume when I hear that ripping, opening riff from Lifeson. The waltz-like segment that unites verse and chorus is brilliant, adding a subtly played acoustic guitar. Lee's bass work is especially remarkable in the way he maintains the low end but creates some spectacular chugging in the higher register. There is a rare guitar solo on this song, rising in faintly and finely played- the economy of a true master. The lyrics describe an astronomical phenomenon (a more specific form of planetshine) during which the Earth bounces the sun's light to the moon, which in turn reflects it right back at us. The line, "pale facsimile like what others see when they look in my direction" is especially poetic, drawing upon this heavenly occurrence as a metaphor: People may read our words or see us act, but what they are seeing is likely a vague impression of what we really are.

"Sweet Miracle" I love the powerful introduction first of all, and the lyrics reel me in: As a Christian who generally believes God works scientifically, the words resonate with me and remind us all that life itself is a sweet miracle, even if does include some pretty low valleys. Lee's bass is the foundation for that epiphany of a third verse, and his harmonies are exquisite.

"Nocturne" Here's a powerful and somewhat mystical song. A frenetic, spiraling, wild ride transfers the listener from the verse to the refrain, as Lee's untamed crying out ushering him through like a deranged Charon into the hypnotic yet nightmarish otherworld. Dreams are a temporary madness, even those we have while awake.

"Freeze (Part IV of Fear)" Gouging bass and grating guitar begin part four of the trilogy. That chorus is a remarkable place in what is probably one of the most progressive pieces on this record. It is loaded with different musical passages, mostly heavy-hitting and loud, however, and the words, which don't exactly mesh with the previous three parts, describe mankind's fight-or-flight response to fear.

"Out Of The Cradle" A nice rocker to finish up a fine album, this one, like it's brothers, boasts strong lyrics and amazingly tight playing. Yes, for those with the music in their hearts, they come "out of the cradle, endlessly rocking." Rock on.

Vapor Trails could have been such an excellent album and I'm sure every fan was delighted when hearing the first few songs of it. But in the end it failed to achieve the deserved appreciation because of only one thing: the terrible mastering of this album.

This album must have been mixed by somebody who has been tune-deaf or has suffered severe tinnitus for at least 20 years. It's a disgrace. It's one big clutter of mid-frequency noise. It's even hard to tell the difference between guitars, bass and drum sound.

There's no lack of excellent songs though, certainly not. I don't like every single one of them but there's plenty to enjoy. Due to the mixing and mastering though, there's no way you can sit this album out without damaging your ears.

That being said this is actually a very powerful diamond in the rough. 3.5 stars, sure to be rounded up if this album ever gets a remix.

Wow, what a comeback. Rush came from one of their worst albums, then a terrible hiatus (sorry Mr. Peart) and then this! Though the production gets in the way heavily, I still can manage to get this album a decent review because the music overall is very good. The guys are playing better than ever, Geddy singing really well wtih some nice vocal harmonies with himself, great bass playing by the bass god, and some amazing guitar playing. Neil, as always, steals the show because of his force being so strong in songs.

"One little Victory" is amazing. It brings some proggy elements with the extreme playing by all members of the band, especially Geddy with his awesome bassline, and has some really good lyrics despite rocking harder than anything I have ever heard. It has such an odd tempo which makes this song so cool. "Ceiling Unlimited" is another personal favorite, and probably has the best bassline because Geddy goes really high on the fretboard for this one. The lyrics are pretty good, and the drumming is excellent. Alex plays fairly well, with his own style, and it makes this song feel unified. "Ghost Rider" is pretty good musically, though not the best from the album by far. The vocals are excellent, Geddy singing very well. The guitar sound is just kind of annoying to me to make this song slightly wrong sounding, out of place. The lyrics are not great for the album, as the first two songs had some stunning lyrics for the most part. "Peaceable Kingdom" is great, definatly a favorite. It sounds alot like "Half the World" from the previous album, but is executed much more accuratly than the last time. The bassline is a standout, and the lyrics are catchy to me. This sounds really fresh to my ears, and everything seems to work for them in this song. "The Stars Look Down" isn't great, it just seems to be a little boring. The riff dosen't make me feel good when i'm listening to it, but the bassline is appreciated, definatly. The drumming is very good, uptempo for Rush. "How it is" has some good acoustic guitar in this song, and it kind of feels like i'm flying when Geddy starts singing "oh, ho, oh." After that, it gets much harder and much more rocking and features some distorted vocals by Geddy that scream a little bit of "21st Century Schizord Man" to me at least. Geddy's vocals, to say are awesome, and so is the bassline. This song is definatly one of my favorites. "Vapor Trail" has an odd intro, but its okay. Not good, but not terrible. The guitar is good, but nothing else really stands out to me, but Geddy's bass tone is very nice. The lyrics aren't very good compared to the other tracks. "Secret Touch" is very sexy sounding, but has some aewsome lyrics. The bassline is perfect, and the overall music is just near perfection, to me. The drumming is definatly awesome, this track has to be one, if not, my favorite track from the album because of how up beat it is when it really gets into the song. "Earthshine" is also another excellent track, and one of the more popular ones from the album. The lyrics are definatly a standout and Geddys vocals performing the words just make is sound great. The vocal harmonies are killer with Geddy and himself, which he dosen't do too often unless its the same note, but in the past couple albums, hes been playing with octaves and overal harmonies, and I appreciate it. "Sweet Miracle" isn't great at all, its just not very good to me. The riff is alright, but not very exciting over time, and the bassline just dosen't catch me. The lyrics are one of Neil's worst that I have heard, nothing good can come from this song. "Nocture" is pretty good, the opening chord sounds a little bit like 1980s power metal, but I like the overdrive on the guitar. The vocals are great, though the lyrics are a little wierd to me. "Freeze" dosen't really scare me that much, but its great. The bassline is very nice and is very fast, the drumming is excellent of course, but the guitar seems a little sloppy considering the song. The lyrics are pretty good, considering the last song being a disaster from the lyrical standpoint, of course. This song just sounds great. "Out of Cradle" only really has a good bassline, and thats about it, the music is just very uninteresting to me. The lyrics arent very good, though I still do appreciate the basslines for the song, thats about it.

Though the production is a little distorted and hot sounding, and some of the lyrics are subpar for the course, everything is great on the album. The overall music is to die for, and is one of Rush's best of the 2000's and I highly recommend getting this album in your prog rock collection, because you will need it. Thats why I gave it 4 stars.

I have not yet determined if I like the newer "noiser" Rush. There seems to be a very jagged, hard, and unrefined sound to VAPOR TRAILS, and I think I sort of like it. But too much just gets on my nerves. "One Little Victory", "Ghost Rider" and "How It Is" are 3 songs I particularly like on VAPOR TRAILS, but the rest of the songs run together and I get bored very quickly. It is better than the 80's synth Rush albums but does not compare to classic Rush such as 2112 or HEMISPHERES. It's not a bad album but very average in the pantheon of Rush releases.

in 1996, Rush released Test For Echo album and this album was released in 2002. its a six year gap for music. i wasn't really much of a fan of the Test For Echo album, but there were some great on the Test For Echo album. the songs that i liked on the Test For Echo album were Test For Echo, Driven, Half the World, Time and Motion, Virtuality, and Resist. and the tragedy that Neil Peart faced in . i thought Rush would b done making music cuz of this tragedy. so its a 6 year gap and in 2002, Rush released Vapor Trails. i liked the Vapor Trails cuz it was a dedication t00 the tragedy that Neil Peart faced and it's also an album that had an amazing return and i gotta give a lot of credit t00 Rush. the song One Little Victory is an amazing way t00 start off the album and its an amazing return even though the album had no solos. in my opinion, the songs that stand out for the Vapor Trails album are One Little Victory, Ghost Rider, Peaceable Kingdom, Vapor Trail, Secret Touch, Sweet Miracle,and Freeze (Pt. IV of Fear). Vapor Trails is a great album and it's an awesome return and it's a great t00 dedicate it t00 the tragedy.

A couple of things regarding this review, I was reading Neil Pearts' Ghostrider for a few months last year, yes a slow reader, but it is the kind of book full of diary notes and journals and consequently it became a labor of love just to read it, a bit like a self enacted journey for myself at the same time. Vapor Trails is no small surprise to ardent Rush fans, the album released post Peart's family tragedies as in the death of his daughter and subsequently his wife. The book and album go hand in hand especially as the lyrics as usual are written by Peart. It's release was the culmination of Peart surviving the tragedy, forging ahead with his new life, wrestling his demons, courtesy of his beloved BMW bike travelling Canada, USA and Mexico. His fellow band members occassionally connected with Peart on his journey as friends to offer their love and support, never once suggesting or pressuring his return to making music.

So when Vapor Trails came about , circa six years after Test For Echo it had a special meaning not only for Rush fans but also as a cathartic release for the band, who in essence are ' Family'. The music is full of renewed energy, passion as though each band member have put just a little extra into every aspect of their performances. The lyrics are accutely personal and fragile but with hope and purpose each song increases respectively by another notch as if exposing new light at the end of the tunnel. The music is heavier with a harder edge to it and the album is a great conceptual work. IMO this review would suffer by individualizing each song as they are all extraordinary but ' One Little Victory', ' Ghostrider' and ' The Stars Looks Down' are just for starters but ' Peaceable Kingdom' IMO the highpoint, lyrically and musically, as hard hitting as a1200cc BMW bike dismissing an insect at high speed, leaving nothing but the whiff of a thin vapor trail. Essential listening.

VAPOR TRAILS presents a rejuvenated RUSH, pumping out songs that are simultaneously layered, heavy, proggy, and groove-heavy, shedding all of the lyrical awkwardness from their 90s albums and featuring porribly their most unique package of songs in their oeuvre.

Why the low rating, then? The mastering.

According to the story, and Rush has refused to point fingers at the guy who did it because they are stand-up guys, someone who was recording their instrumental takes had the levels all wrong, resulting in distortion of every instrumental track. The final masters of the album had horrible distortions in every single song, causing the album to be nearly unlistenable. Which is a damn shame, because songs like "One Little Victory", "Ghost Rider" and "Secret Touch" are fantastic songs, featuring heavy, groove-centric patterns, but they are slaughtered by the mastering. This would easily be a four-star album, perhaps (though not likely) higher if the mixing and mastering could be fixed or if it was rerecorded. But as it is, this only can get 3. Let's hope.

In 2002, the good news was that Rush was back, after a six year absence. But after the personal tragedies that Neil Peart had to endure, who could blame them. The bad news was that they had all but forsaken their progressive roots on this album. But "roots" seemed to be the word of the day for this album. Despite an overlying air of modern hard rock, there is a constant reminder of Rush's beginning from the start to the finish of the album. I hear echoes of Led Zeppelin, The Who and other hard rock pioneers. For example, How It Is with it's jangly guitar, sounds like it was inspired by The Byrds.

There are some very good songs, but nothing astounding musically (although Peart does write some of his best, and most personal lyrics). One Little Victory and Secret Touch are my favorites on the album. And Freeze (Part IV of Fear) approaches prog.

All in all, it was good to have Rush back.

I cannot describe my feelings about receiving the news of a new album from Rush, after the weak Test For Echo and the strong personal problems that evolved Neil Peart. I was really fearing a new miss, but what we got is a good album that makes us say that this IS the real Rush we love !

When in Presto Rush left the synthesizer guided music in order to return to its original heavier sound, the only problem I found was that Presto was a musical miss, with songs that does not reaches the band's musical quality. The followers were uneven, the good Counterparts, the average Roll The Bones and the miss Test For Echo. Then came Vapour Trails with its well defined heavy sound, with strong composition that missed in Presto and a clear view of what is this album about.

Unlike Counterparts with a killing opener, there are no highlights here. All songs, supported by superb musicianship, construct a continuum of heavy prog ambience with no weak point. And how nice it is to see a power trio giving such a lot of presence with no need of keys or a second guitarist and also with so many difference from those fabulous bands of the sixties and seventies.

I think this album would have a fantastic acceptance from Rush's fan if it was released in the time and place of Presto. A strong musical change marked by a memorable album with first line song quality. Four stars.

I think that this is tricky one to review. I think that musically, this is Rush's best album since Signals (excepting the delightful aberration known as Counterparts). I can tell you why I think that, and I think the arguments are convincing. But, it sure is hard to get past the sound of the album. Almost every review mentions it - the over the top loudness, bad EQ, the digital artifacts. I'm probably willing to let that slide more than most, because the music is so good and because a lot of albums are guilty of this. I just bought a jazz organ trio album by Dr Lonnie Smith recorded in 2010 that is filled with digital artifacts! Go figure. It would be nice to have a remaster of Vapor Trails, but I do think that this is very aggressive album and it doesn't need to be softened up too much.

One of the reasons that I really like this disc is that Rush is finally experimenting again. To me, they've played it pretty safe since Hold Your Fire. Vapor Trails is not safe. The song forms are more interesting, maybe not proggy but definitely not pop. Keyboards are not replaced with huge power chords or single note riffs as in Counterparts, but instead with intricate layers of polysonic guitars. Alex Lifeson is as creative as he has ever been, creating textures that sometimes border on atonal and that are always subtle and engaging. Geddy Lee's bass line are often in the same range as the guitar (and sometimes higher) which creates some very clever musical effects. The vocal lines are approached in a similar fashion at times creating a wall of sound that is mesmerizing in its counterpoint. Maybe this is one reason why the album is so loud - there is a lot going on!

Lyrically, the album is dark, as well it should be, and there is no feeling of aloofness that one sometimes feels from Peart's lyrics. It all feels real, agonizingly so. A quick listen to Test for Echo puts all of this in stark perspective; TFE sounds like cotton candy in comparison. Highlights for me include Ghost Rider, Earthshine, Peaceable Kingdom, Freeze, and the title track.

It's really shame what happened to this album. If it sounded better, I think it would be hailed as one of Rush's masterpieces. The band themselves seem to disowned the album in a way. They played precious little of it on the supporting tour and have played less of it since. Maybe this is because of the memories associated with making this album; maybe it is because the complexity of the arrangements made playing a lot of this material prohibitive. Rush would go on to make Snakes and Arrows which sonically sounded a lot better but lacked the experimentalist tendencies of Vapor Trails. I hope that as time passes, this offering by the band will be reevaluated in a more positive light.

In 1997, Neil Peart suffered a terrible tragedy that threaten not only his life but the life of the band but after 5 years of healing, he was ready to go again. With Vapor Trails Rush came back with a new heaviness not found on Counterparts but they really deliver in some anger and rage courtesy of Neil. The lyrics for the songs are just as moving on songs like Ghost Rider and Secret Touch. With One Little Victory, Neil comes in with a heavy drum track and stays for the whole song which in a way celebrates the fact that Rush survived that 5 year painful journey Neil had to go through.Overall, this is a great album to signify the return of this great band but some of the songs don't have a lasting appeal. 4 stars. Highlights: One Little Victory, Ghost Rider, Secret Touch, Earthshine

If Counterparts was a car-crash, Vapor Trails is a train-wreck!

For Vapor Trails, Rush seem to have entered the studio with a clear idea of what they wanted to sound like, but seemingly without any melodic ideas whatsoever. Like on 1993's Counterparts album the kind of sound they opted for here was once again an Alternative Rock/Grunge one. In many ways, Vapor Trails can be seen as a follow up (or should that be "counterpart") to Counterparts. Vapor Trails is however even more noisy and monotonic to these ears and the song writing is more lacklustre than ever. It is almost as if they tried to hide the lack of good songs behind a thick and dense wall of sound. Also like on Counterparts, the keyboards were once again completely ditched in favour of the basic power trio format of guitars, bass, drums and vocals. Personally, I enjoy Rush a lot more when they are utilizing a wider musical palette as they did on their best and most successful albums in the 70's and 80's. If all you knew from Rush was their self-titled debut album from 1974 and the present album, it would be strictly speaking impossible to even begin to imagine that albums like 2112, Hemispheres, Moving Pictures or ever Presto could be found in between in the very same band's discography. Indeed, the songs on Vapor Trails are as straightforward as those of the debut album, only that the production values of the late 60's (even if released in 1974, Rush's debut sounded like Led Zeppelin in 1969) have been replaced by those of the 90's (even if released in 2002, Vapor Trails sounds very much like a product of the 90's).

There seems to be consensus about that the previous Test For Echo album was something of an anomaly in between Counterparts and Vapor Trails. The latter two albums go naturally together while Test For Echo is rather different. For me Test For Echo was a positive anomaly. Even if it did contain a couple of weaker tracks, it was a much more enjoyable album to these ears than the two that surrounded it. Test For Echo was altogether more harmonic and melodic than is the present album. Where are the melodies on Vapor Trails? Instead, the songs are based on rather simple and loud riffs. There is nothing wrong with riffs though, of course. Indeed, some of my favourite music is based on riffs. But these particular riffs are utterly uninspired. The 13 tracks are all between four and a half and six and a half minutes long and sound very much the same as every other. Behind the contemporary and noisy production, there are 13 songs based on the same tired formula as the band have used for years.

The renewed interest in progressive Rock that emerged in the 90's and 00's (partly due to the internet and sites like this one) seems to have passed Rush by entirely. There were some traces of recognition of their own past on Test For Echo, but on Vapor Trails there is not even the slightest attempt to connect to the band's Prog-phase in the mid 70's to the early 80's. It is almost as if they are trying their very hardest here to disown the label of progressive Rock. It is indeed respectable that an old band are trying to do something new instead of just doing what they did in their youth, but it has to be done with passion and which I find clearly lacking here.

For this reviewer, Vapor Trails is Rush's worst album ever and even lacklustre efforts like Power Windows and Roll Your Bones, and even Vapor Trails' musical brother Counterparts, offer more listening pleasure for me

It took me the longest time to get into this album, perhaps longer than any other Rush album, with perhaps the sole exception of Grace Under Pressure - which never grew on me. Musically, it's not very inspiring, not too many solos, it has the feel of a 'rush'ed job in the studio. There are a handful of worthy tracks here that I like...it's just I wouldn't miss them if I never heard them again. It's quite a grungy sound which I don't go for. But the really weak aspect of this record is the quality of the audio. Something went terribly wrong in the mixing process and it sounds noisy, even when played at low volume. This is the main reason I seldom play it...the fear of upsetting the neighbors if I put it on the hi fi. If I listen to it through headphones, I really fear I will go deaf. Two stars, I'm afraid. And that's generous.

Rush seems to have moved into a new direction with Vapor Trails, and it's at least interesting enough for Rush fans, and probably even enough to win over some new ones, although it doesn't represent their sound in general. The songs are more insular than usual, and will probably require a good amount of repeated listenings to undestand them - some of that also being due to the sound they go for on this one, a very heavy, almost over the top thickly layered production, that is shocking at first, but ultimately impresses, and lends a new perspective to their playing, which remains top notch on this album. Lifeson has many great guitar lines that melt into Lee's grumbly bass, while Peart plays just as impressively as always, but it's his lryics that really elevate the songs on Vapor Trails. He's always come across as a lyricist who wants to help the world, and he's only continued to develop his ability to do so, while the band provide just the right amount of urgency to bring attention to these well expressed sentiments on songs such as "One Little Victory", "Ceiling Unlimitied', "Earthshine", "Secret Touch", and "Peaceable Kingdom." Worth checking out, even if you're new to Rush, and if you are new to Rush, then take a listen to their other albums as well. They're a great band.

After his wife and daughter both died within a year of each other, it seemed as though Neal Peart was simply too shattered to continue with Rush. After a lot of soul-searching and a long road trip, Peart finally felt ready to get back in the saddle and the result was Vapor Trails.

Alas, the original release of the album had an absolutely horrible mix. Nu-metal was hot at the time, which meant that dark and murky production in general was common in hard rock circles in general, and the loudness war had escalated to a ridiculous extent. The end result obscured many of the album's merits under a mass of oversaturated audio and silly gimmicks.

Rush realised the original mix was a bad mistake, however, and that led to the release of a new mix in 2013 - the same year that Marillion released a new mix of Radiation, another turn-of-the-millennium prog album whose original released was blighted by an unfortunate mixing job. And as was the case with Radiation, the rerelease of Vapor Trails turned out to be something of a revelation, revealing an actually pretty decent album which had been obscured by a mixing desk atrocity.

I'm not going to say Vapor Trails is a flat-out groundbreaking classic, but I will say that in the remixed version it's very, very good - perhaps their best since Grace Under Pressure. In the corrected mix, it comes across as a confident development of the general approach of Counterparts and Test For Echo, but enhanced simply by stronger songwriting, and a warmer feeling all over. There's less sense of the excessive artifice which had touched all the albums from Power Windows to Test For Echo, and more sense of a band doing what comes naturally to them.

Perhaps the boys were just thrilled to be working together again, and that joy seeped into the recording process; either way, whatever they were doing differently here worked, it's just that it was disguised for over a decade by the original mix. Shave a star - or even two stars - off this rating if you are considering the original mix, but it's pretty obvious that Rush regard the remix as the canonical version of the album. They aren't wrong there.

"Lighting up my unconscious, And the secret places of the heart.'

'Vapor Trails' is the last Rush studio album I got hold of as I knew it did not receive favourable reviews. I really only bought it as there was nothing else in the shop worth purchasing. I listened to it in the car on the way home and was underwhelmed to say the least. Apart from a few decent songs in the first half it is a very half hearted return to the studio from the virtuoso musicians that have produced some genius work over the years. The keyboards have been locked in a cupboard somewhere, and Lifeson has put his guitar soloing on hold. The sound is compressed and it is a raw aggressive sound overall. A lot of the songs have appeared on 'Live In Rio' and I prefer those versions any day however at least it is superior to some of the mediocrity in the 80s such as 'Presto' and 'Hold Your Fire'.

The background of the album is more famous than the actual songs. The production is below par but the music has passion and lyrically is very strong. There were some extenuating circumstances in which the album was released. Tragically Neil Peart suffered terrible losses with the death of his daughter and subsequently his wife. The lyrics reflect the pain of loss and grief and as such have a lot to say to us about suffering and dealing with grief.

The album cover is an iconic image of a meteor blazing away, or perhaps it is the sun, and we see the vapour trails of the burning mass. The image is symbolic of burning away the dross of the past, the turmoil of tragedy, and moving on which is a key point of the album. There are some definitive highlights as on any Rush album and most of these come at the first half of the album. so I will begin with these first.

'A certain measure of righteousness, A certain amount of force, A certain degree of determination, Daring on a different course, A certain amount of resistance, To the forces of the light and love, A certain measure of tolerance, A willingness to rise above'.

'One Little Victory' starts things off with a thunder clap of loud guitar and drum pounding. The band sound serious and really thrash this out with conviction. Rush are back and they want the world to know it. It is a fantastic song with tons of melodic guitar and very powerful lyrics. One of the better Rush songs of recent years and it sounds incredible live.

'The vacant smile, Of true insanity, Dressed up in the mask of Tragedy, Programmed for the guts and glands, Of idle minds and idle hands, I rest my case, Or at least my vanity, Dressed up in the mask of Comedy, If laughter is a straw for a drowning man.'

'Ceiling Unlimited' is a feast of guitar and fast paced basslines with indelible percussion. The quick tempo works well making it feel very urgent and quite uplifting. The lyrics border on impenetrable but of course Peart was keeping a lot of his thoughts private and it is open to interpretation. The song drags on a bit and is not memorable but not too bad overall thanks to the driving beat.

'Sunrise in the mirror, Lightens that invisible load, Riding on a nameless quest, Haunting that wilderness road, Like a ghost rider, Just an escape artist, Racing against the night, A wandering hermit, Racing toward the light.'

'Ghost Rider' has a beautiful melody sung well by Lee and augmented with some very innovative guitar licks. The hopeful lyrics depict Peart motorcycling across North America following the tragedy of losing both his wife to a terminable disease and daughter in a car crash in the same year. The song is one of the best things on this album and it is Peart's songwriting that makes it extra special; 'nothing can stop you now'.

'All this time we're burning like bonfires in the dark, A billion other blazes are shooting off their sparks, Every spark a drifting ember of desire, To fall upon the earth and spark another fire, A homeward angel on the fly, A wave toward the clearing sky.'

'Peaceable Kingdom' begins with preternatural vocalisations and there is a strong cadence. The verses are primarily bass and some ambient guitars. Later there is a crunching guitar riff that is raw and harsh but it has emotion and passion. It feels like a throwaway track but at least it is heavier than the material on previous albums. I especially like the riff at 3:30 and the way it builds with layered vocals.

'Like the rat in a maze who says, 'Watch me choose my own direction', Are you under the illusion, The path is winding your way? Are you surprised by confusion, When it leads you astray? Have you lived a lifetime today, Or do you feel like you just got carried away?'

'The Stars Look Down' is based on the 1935 novel by A. J. Cronin that was concentric on how mankind is powerless to comprehend the main reasons why we have to suffer pain due to the tragedies that befall us. Of course Peart related to this and eloquently is able to convey the emotions of grief in the lyrics. The melody is upbeat but Lifeson's heavy guitars add a darker texture. The twelve-string guitar is a welcome addition, and Peart's drumming is forced and appropriate to the heavy atmospheres. The song is a highlight as it is a very different sound for Rush.

'Here's a little trap, That sometimes catches everyone, When today's as far as we can see, Faith in bright tomorrows, Giving way to resignation, That's how it is, How it's going to be.'

'How It Is' continues a fast pace with a ton of 12 string acoustic and a happier feel especially in the lyrics. I am not so taken with it and it is not one that stands out among the others on the album.

'Atmospheric phases make the transitory last, Vaporize the memories that freeze the fading past, Silence all the songbirds, Stilled by the killing frost, Forests burn to ashes, Everything is lost.'

'Vapor Trail' is another highlight with great musicianship. A touch of synth enhances the guitar break. Peart is terrific on fast drumming fills and the bass accentuates the sound. Overall the vocals sound excellent and this is always one of the delights of the album on every listen.

'Out of touch, With the weather and the wind direction, With the sunrise, And the phases of the moon, Out of touch, With life in the land of the loving, With the living night, And the darkness at high noon.'

'Secret Touch' is one of my favourites with it's memorable 'the way out is the way in,' mantra. I heard this live a few times on one of the many DVDs I own. The melody is nice and the whole thing sounds uplifting and optimistic. I like Peart's lyrics here and especially the way Lee injects so much emotion in the vocals. One of the best Rush moments on this album.

'Earthshine, Stretching out your hand, Full of starlit diamonds, Earthshine, Reflected light, To another's sight, And the moon tells a lover's story.'

Earthshine' is another fast paced track with some innovative guitar work. I like how it misses a beat in some sections. Lifeson unleashes a great lead break which is a nice change on this album. I like the lyrics that focus on the way occasionally the sun's light bounces off the Earth's surface and reflects to the moon, and then the moon shines its light back to the Earth. Perhaps this reflects Peart's thoughts as he controls the grief he feels by putting on a brave face hiding his true feelings like a mask. I think we can all relate to doing this occasionally to hide our feelings. I like the ideas that surface on this album such as this.

'I wasn't walking on water, I was standing on a reef, When the tide came in, Swept beneath the surface, Lost without a trace, No hope at all.'

'Sweet Miracle' is another sleeper that I have rarely heard but it is okay. The guitars are akin to the U2 sound of Edge. The lyrics are again full of hope despite tragedy and it is a credit to Peart that he was able to express such feelings. The music is also uptempo and bright to enhance the mood.

'Set off on a night-sea journey, Without memory or desire, Drifting through lost latitudes, With no compass and no chart, Flying through hallucination, Distant voices, signal fires, Lighting up my unconscious, And the secret places of the heart.'

'Nocturne' has a booming drum tempo and some grinding guitar distortion. The lyrics question if the protagonist had the dream or did the dream have him. The aggressive fuzz guitars are a welcome sound, and overall this is one of the darker explorations of Peart's thoughts. I like this as something very unique in the Rush canon, with a diverse sound and instrumentation. Lee screams in one section adding to the mystical atmospheres.

'Coiled for the spring, Or caught like a creature in the headlights, Into a desperate panic, Or a tempest of blind fury, Like a cornered beast, Or a conquering hero, The menace threatens, closing, And I'm frozen in the shadows.'

'Freeze (Part IV of Fear)' is the continuing saga began on earlier albums that deals with fear. The riffing and deep growling bass are a feature but it is monotonous. It is an unremarkable song but still not half as bad as a lot of material on their 80s albums, so at least the band have stepped up a notch on this heavier sound. It is a bit noisy though, the multilayered processed vocals are annoying after a while, and it is way too long and repetitive.

'It's a hand, That rocks the cradle, It's a motion, That swings the sky, It's method on the edge of madness, It's a balance on the edge of a knife, It's a smile on the edge of sadness, It's a dance on the edge of life, Endlessly rocking.'

'Out Of The Cradle' closes things off with a breakout of heavy guitar riffs and energetic drumming. Lee still opts for a processed vocal which does not resonate with me when I know he has great vocals without studio trickery. It is again not a highlight on the album but rocks hard and is an interesting song to finish on. Peart is saying despite all that has happened the band will keep on endlessly rocking, and thank heavens for that!

Overall 'Vapor Trails' is certainly not half as bad as the critics attest. It is no masterpiece but at least it rocks and the lyrics are some of the best Peart has penned. 3 solid stars.

I honestly have no idea what the band was thinking when releasing this album. This is so far removed from the Rush of the late 70's and early 80's it might as well be a different band. The heavier, almost alternative rock approach does nothing for me. The songs are not very good at all. But this is a moot point when considering the absolutely atrocious production job on this album. Everything is so severely compressed and muddied to the point it is practically unlistenable. Maybe it was a product of the loudness war, as their later albums certainly have a similar problem, even if a bit less so. Regardless, this is not an acceptable album especially considering the masterpieces Rush released in the 70's and 80's.

1/10

A six year wait for this album since the last one - was it worth it? Peart had come through a very torrid period relating to life and was now ready to continue with the band and with the music. Again the band use the harder rock approach on this album. Highlights for me here are "One Little Victory", "Ghost Rider", "Secret Touch", "Earthshine". Personally I prefer the previous release to this one. There is nothing wrong with the music but there is not much that stands up and grabs me by my eyebrows. Formulaic hard rock with no direction is how I'd describe this effort. Kind of like Rush coasting down a hill in neutral gear. Not a bad album by any means but not an attention holder for me either. A three star effort for me - no more and no less.

In my view, Rush is one of the best-preserved prog dinosaurs, consistently releasing new material into their fifth decade with basically no-change line-up. At the same time, its clear that their creative years are behind them. For those new listeners who started with their best work and moved on to the rest, the thing to know about late-period Rush is that they are not especially progressive, fast, catchy or melodic. The best words to use, I guess, is mature, textured and groovy. They are also prone to filler songs.

Vapor Trails is known in the Rush canon as the album with perhaps most inspired, hard-hitting songs since the 80s (my favorites are the explosive rocker One Little Victory, and dreamy-yet-heavy Earthshine with its monster opening riff), but with atrocious muddy and compressed production. Even the band members were ashamed. The remastered version was finally released in 2013 in 8-disk box set, and it was this that prompted my review. Frankly, any remix would be an improvement over the original, and this manages to clear out the instruments. You can actually feel the layers. But there is only so much a remix could do with the source material. At times it sounds hollow and lifeless, and the vocal is mixed way upfront. They also couldn't get rid of the hugely annoying whiny ooh-ooh backing vocals. But for those looking for the best-sounding versions of the songs, luckily there is the huge Rush live canon. I know that I prefer a live version of Earthshine, for example, with a better guitar solo.

Vapor Trails Remixed is beautiful. The new mixing imposes new magic to hear this album, that it was always underestimated. Now it's enjoyable to listen to, understand and highlight each song, for example, the song One Little Victory. Early on, the bass and drums of this song were once a kitchen full of noises that hindered his audition, but now, with the new mix, became more harmonious and gives you a gas to hear the rest of the album. The bass Lee is less saturated, well as the battery Peart. There is a magnificent album, but it certainly provides a new experience for Rush fans and for those who appreciate quality rock.

After the horrible tragedies of Neil Peart losing both his wife and daughter within a year's time, RUSH was put on hold for a few years but after the dust settled they put out their 17th studio album VAPOR TRAILS. This album has been criticized for its horrendous production but I disagree with these critiques finding this "alternative" production to lend a totally different kind of sound for RUSH that has that loud distorted 90s feel to it. This album seems like it should have been released after "Counterparts" (thereby skipping "Test For Echo") because it rather continues the same sound, feel and songwriting. Unfortunately it also continues the now too frequent tradition of one good side and a second side that just painfully goes on too long. In fact it probably would have been better to take side one of "Counterparts" and combine it with side one of this album to make a really good album.

Once again, I was expecting more from this one. After the life changing events that took place it seems like they would have made more of an impact on this music this time around, but VAPOR TRAILS doesn't sound significantly different than the other tepid outputs of the 90s, however, the first side is fairly interesting and it is an album that does make it into the player now and again unlike some of their absolute weakest members of their discography.

Rush - Vapor Trails

After being on hiatus since 'Test for Echo', Rush came out with my favorite Rush album. Seeing as Peart lost his wife and daughter during Rush's hiatus, it makes sense that Vapor Trails is one of Rush's darkest albums. This is no light and uplifting album, this is a dark album where Peart unleashes his emotions very well in the lyrics.

This album signaled yet another new era of Rush, a much heavier style having the most metal moments since probably 'Hemispheres'. It is also the first Rush album to not have keyboard since 'Caress of Steel'. It's not all the same sound though, you get a nice variety with heavy driving riffs on tracks like 'One Little Victory' or melancholy ominous tracks like 'Ghost Rider'. The lyrics are among Rush's best in my opinion, with themes as 911('Peaceable Kingdom'), Death of Peart's wife and daughter('Ghost Rider'), and Change('Celing Unlimited').

The song structure is stronger, with the bridges of songs like 'Secret Touch' transitioning perfectly. Speaking of the bridge of 'Secret Touch', Lifeson gives some of his best riffs in a while driving throughout the bridge while Lee slaps the bass and Peart keeps a strong beat. We get to see another part of the 'Fear' saga as well, with 'Freeze' having some heavy riffs and lyrics about fight or flight. To close of the album there is a much lighter song, 'Out of the Cradle', to end the album off on a nice note.

Most of the songs on the album are dark and heavy, so if you're into Rush's darker and heavier stuff you will probably enjoy it. 'Peaceable Kingdom' and 'Earthshine' are my personal favorites.

A lot of people dislike the production, yet I honestly think it fits. The production is dark and raw matching the mood of the songs, and I think that is how it was supposed to be. Even if you don't like the production though, Rush recently re-mixed the album with a different production so more people can enjoy it I suppose.

Overall, I think Vapor Trails is Rush's first flawless album since 'Moving Pictures'. Even though it may not appeal to some, I think this is when Rush entered their best era. It's darker, heavier, and raw.

Give it a chance.

To say the mid-to-late 90s were not very kind to Rush is quite the understatement. First there was 1996's Test for Echo, which was widely regarded as one of the band's biggest disappointments with the critics and the fanbase; then there was the infamous car accident that killed Neil Peart's daughter and the battle with cancer that his wife lost. Any of this would have been good reasoning to retire and call it a day... hell, he actually DID tell his bandmates he was retiring around that time. But was this the true end for Rush and Neil Peart's careers? Nope! Instead, Peart decided to take a lengthy sabbatical throughout North and Central America to reflect and mourn what events had transpired. After writing a book about his travels, he decided to remarry and then tell his bandmates that he was finally ready to return to the fold. What came of all this was Vapor Trails, a great comeback album that displays the band in top form again.

Don't get me wrong, however; it's still not the perfect comeback a lot of people were clamoring for. The most common criticism of Vapor Trails is a pretty well-founded one, and that's the record's mix. It's easy to conclude that the record was a victim of the loudness war, which was becoming more frequent around the 2000s; because of this, there's a bit too much loudness and compression permeating the whole thing. Luckily, this doesn't do much to lessen the impact of the songwriting because of how strong these tunes are from the get-go. One listen to the opening number "One Little Victory" can tell you that this isn't synth-era Rush anymore. Instead, we're given some of the beefiest and most metal-oriented guitar lines Alex Lifeson's ever played, highly overdubbed and layered bass lines courtesy of Geddy Lee, and the most inspired lyrics and drum work from Neil Peart in over a decade. It's really great to hear Rush go back to a more traditional sound again, and Vapor Trails represents sort of a mixture of all their eras into one. "One Little Victory" has a more modern progressive rock/metal sound to fit the 2000s, the motifs of "Ghost Rider" and the title track sound like something that could come out of their Roll the Bones days, and the more prominently displayed virtuosity on this album recalls their more complex 70s and early 80s material like A Farewell to Kings or Hemispheres.

But what pushes Vapor Trails over the edge is just how damn inspired the whole thing sounds. This is not only a reinvention of the band, but it feels like one. A lot of this comes from Peart, whose lyrics on this are probably the most personal and hard-hitting the band have ever had in their career (alongside Clockwork Angels, I'd say). Also, as I mentioned, this album can be really hard-hitting and heavy for Rush standards, especially "One Little Victory," "Peaceable Kingdom," and "Secret Touch." The latter is especially notable for its heavy syncopated main riff which is perfect for some headbanging; what I'm saying is that these tend to be some pretty metal songs, which is something that Rush would continue for the next two albums. But the intensity levels are never excessive, and the band usually know when to scale things back and focus on a more layered or subdued musical environment. One of the best traits of Rush has always been how the three musicians blend their instruments together and sound like a cohesive unit despite such complex pieces, and Vapor Trails is no exception to this. It also helps that Geddy Lee's vocals are quite varied on the album, able to fit whichever mood the song has created with ease. In fact, he can still hit some pretty damn high notes despite his age around this time, especially that one note he sustains near the end of "Peaceable Kingdom."

Vapor Trails is no classic, but it's a substantial improvement over Test for Echo and probably the band's best work since Power Windows. Despite the weird production (which has thankfully been improved in the 2013 remix) and being a bit too lengthy (over an hour long), this is a great display of Rush being reborn for the new decade. Musically, it makes enough nods to their past while remaining firmly in the present, with a great variety of lyrical and musical concepts to reflect this. All of this leads to my final words: thank you for rejoining the band, Neil Peart.

'Vapor Trails' is an interesting anomaly in Rush's catalog. After a long hiatus during which the members of the band were each suffering personal issues, especially Neal Peart, the band got back together with Geddy and Alex jamming out ideas while Neal worked separately writing lyrics. This was a fairly typical way for Rush to work, and once everyone had enough ideas, they would all get together to work them out. It was decided that the band would not use keyboards in this album, which is actually the first time they did this since 'Caress of Steel' which was the band's 3rd studio album. This was not such a bad thing, and even Alex's decision not to do any guitar solos was not a bad thing, because the music that they ended up with was good. The problem was that production is terrible on the album because of the recording.

Rush was not happy with the sound on this album, even though they did love the songs. As Peart said, the recording, which concentrated on making everything louder, took away all dynamics and nuances of the music. What you end up with is a very clinical sounding album with a lack of much emotion.

I agree that the songs themselves are great, at least for the most part, but they sound tinny and too much alike. I also miss the occasional keyboard and Alex's usual solos. The lyrics are also amazing, some of Neal's most personal lyrics. Song structure is good, musicianship is great as always, but one of the most important things is missing from the original recording, and that is any variety and any emotion. I completely agree that the fault lies mostly with the bad production, it is quite obvious when compared with other Rush releases.

I never bothered to listen to the remixed version of this album so I can't say for certain that it made things better, but I can imagine it did. Some day, I will listen, but it's difficult to return to an album where you have had bad listening experiences previously. There are, of course decent songs here like 'Peaceable Kingdom' and 'Ghost Rider' but the cheap sounding recording, which was recorded way too loud creating distortion and destroying dynamics, make the overall experience of this album a negative one. Without hearing the remixed album, I would recommend listening to that, because it definitely can't be worse than this, by any means. I wish I would have heard it that way first, because it makes it difficult to want to listen to it again. I can at least give it 3 stars based on everything else though. I'm sure it would have gotten at least 4 stars otherwise.

Rush returned to the studio in early 2001, and in contrast to their usual speedy recording process, it took them nearly a year to finish this release. The result was 2002's Vapor Trails. Vapor Trails was distinct from Rush's preceding albums in that it wholly lacked keyboards?the first time this occurred since Caress of Steel?and that there are almost no guitar solos. Lifeson's guitar tones are rawer than on past releases, and Peart's drumming is more aggressive than usual. He specifically cited The Who's Keith Moon as an influence on his drumming style for this album.

(Note: I'm using the 2013 remix of Vapor Trails for this review. The initial release was muddy as hell, and this remaster sounds much better.)

The increased aggression is a nice change of pace compared to some of their more anodyne releases in the '90s, but that doesn't exactly make up for weak songwriting. The opening "One Little Victory" is maddeningly repetitious, and it wears out its welcome about two minutes into its five-minute runtime. "Ceiling Unlimited", the second track, is stronger in that it has more ideas in it and those ideas are more interesting than those in "One Little Victory". Despite this, it once again runs too long, though it features one of the rare solos on the album.

"Peaceable Kingdom" is one of the more engaging tracks on the album, as it's not just big walls of distortion. There are some genuinely interesting dynamic contrasts, and there's a rather Collective Soul-y riff in there. However, like most songs on Vapor Trails, it's simply too long. "The Stars Look Down" is another strong point, featuring some of the band's most complex structures in a long time. It also helps that this is one of the shorter songs on the album. "Earthshine" is probably the best song on the album, though. It reminds me a lot of "Driven" off Test for Echo with its metallic riffs and highly melodic chorus.

Despite this handful of decent songs, Vapor Trails is mostly a slog. The individual songs are too long, and that piles up into an exhausting album. Caress of Steel may not have featured any keyboard tones, but Lifeson deployed a greater variety of guitar tones, and the band demonstrated much more ambitious songwriting. Vapor Trails is a monotonous, tedious record, though it's not their worst.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2020/04/27/deep-dive-rush/