I think it's below average by Rush standards.

It's easy to say 'Moving Pictures' is better (which I think it is ) but the comparison is probably unfair. It's almost a completely different style of music on VT. I dont hate it, but I dont rate it either. It's just not interesting enough for me, after listening to Rush for years. The overall feel of the music is very 'samey' throughout, the production is poor and the choruses are not memorable.

Hi-lights for me; 'One Little Victory' & 'Earthshine' (Both very good live tracks)

Well, to my mind many of the songs are at least average, but the arrangements (I never thought it was possible to have too much guitar in rock music but clearly I was wrong) and the production/the mixing/whatever went wrong with the engineering of the record make them sound below average... It's as if the songs are left gasping for air amidst all the layers of guitar and vocals. On top of that, there is also stuff like The Stars Look Down, Sweet Miracle and Freeze on it, which don't help matters at all  

I've decided to give Rush an airing this evening, after a very long pause, but Vapor Trails is not going to be the record to "grace" my stereo -no, I will opt for another highly produced album in the catalogue, namely Hold Your Fire.

Bt-Tor
Newbie

You looking for a fight! That deliberate misspelling doesn't fool me!

Snow Dog wrote: Bt-Tor Newbie You looking for a fight! That deliberate misspelling doesn't fool me!

Sit!!!

This is below average BY ANYONE'S STANDARDS

Personally, I don't think any new Rush album is that easy to get into at first if anyone is used to or loves that heavy metal - monster tone sound from early albums, pure instrumental - extended lenght covers, and some conceptual albums/master pieces, created by the band during three decades...

Although, I really love their new material after listening to it several times, I think the direction which the band is taking, seems pretty interesting, and still creative, but many people could disagree on this (still, that is just their opinion)... You are not to expect the same old sound from previous records... Every Rush album is different in each aspect, including production, mastering, mixing, and it is hard to guess how is it going to be like at the end... You'll never know!

I have been listening to Rush for quite a long time, but not that long in terms of their career as musicians... It was by the time Presto was released that I was introduced to them... Which it turns out to be 16 years (aprox.) up to now.

I was 15 years old by the time I listened to the my first Rush album, which was a Chronicles tape, released in 1990... A good choice for starters, which includes most of their popular/hit songs... The first tape, since I don't remember ever listening to a CD at that time, was so easy for me to get into because I was more into the hard rock - heavy metal sound, but listening to tape number two was kind of hard to swallow at the begining, although the songs were really good in terms of musicianship, complexity and outstanding performance by the three members.

I couldn't believe that there were only three guys making it sound like if there were 6 or 10.

The truth is that I wasn't into the 80s synths or electronics era. I really loved that hard - metal edge/tone of the guitar, and that was what I expected from most of the bands I used to listen to at that time (Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Metallica, The Cult, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Pantera, Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, etc., etc.).

After listening to that tape over and over again, as many times as you can't imagine, I begun to understand it more and more... I decided to purchase every Rush album, starting from Fly By Night, All The World's A Stage, Hemispheres, Exit... Stage Left, Roll the Bones, which was one of the latest from that time, and of course, how could I miss it, the master piece from 1976, 2112, although, I really appreciated more after listening to the CD.

When I was able to get the CDs, I first purchased Moving Pictures, Permanet Waves, Rush, their debut album, which is still a good one, Caress of Steel, A Farewell To Kings, and the controversial Signals.

Then, I decided to try listening to the band in terms of their playing skills - for them as considered to be outstanding, gifted, virtuosos, etc., etc., etc., and their use of complex time signatures in most of their music... Ending up collecting every Rush album without hesitation of their sound, style, and direction, including their live materials frome each era, as well as their re-masters, and compilations or mini-box sets.

That was the true point for me to understand Rush's music, and getting deeper into every album, including their controversial releases in the last 12 years: Counterparts, Test For Echo, and Vapor Trails... As well as their DVD videos and other video tapes which are still not released on DVD format up to this date.

I try to understand their music in terms of their trademark as true musicianship and complexity. So I know what to expect from any album, besides the direction, or style, they might take...

Rush rules

The songs are just great. I actualy love them. The problem with this album is the sound. If you listen to the songs live they sound more fresh and dynamic. I stand between love and above average (4/5).