RFD: Rush - Vapor Trails

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Wherein our beloved power trio goes all alt/goth/Smashing Pumpkins/jangle and attempts to rule The Wedge circa 1994. I'm curious what people think of this. I haven't heard any of their other albums post-Moving Pictures. This is a big change. So far I quite like "Ceiling Unlimited", the title track, and "Earthshine". "Ghost Rider" is nice too. The only song I strongly dislike is the sub-Econoline-Crush "One Little Victory", which is a really unfortunate opening to the album. The anti-guitar-solo in "Earthshine" is really quite lovely, as are the layered jangles and guitar melodies in "Ceiling Unlimited". At some points, I feel like Peart's drumming might be busier than is required for the relatively straightforward songs.

One really striking element is how prominent the vocals are, multitracked and layered all over the record. Geddy Lee seems to have developed an intriguing range of vocal approaches and has learned to sing pretty when he wants to. I'm a little undecided about what I think of the melismatic Tori Amos warble he smears all over tracks like "Sweet Miracle".

If this came out in 1994, I think I might have loved it and wouldn't have stopped listening to them.

― sundar subramanian, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

BTW, is anyone going to see them in Toronto July 17?

― sundar subramanian, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I gather this album was a bit of a mutual dare at points -- something like Lifeson challenged Lee not to use keyboards and Lee responded by daring Lifeson not to play any solos. The results do work very well, they do.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Apart from the opening track, which I like a lot, I've only heard this once, and then it was on a listening post and I was skipping the ends of some tracks. What struck me was the extent to which the music sticks to/accentuates low frequencies - as I said elsewhere, Alex's guitar growls throughout. I will probably get this at some point.

― Jeff W, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

oh and while this record may indeed be a huge leap away from Moving Pictures, it's not all that different to their 90s LPs. Check out Presto, which is is probably their best of the more recent ones.

― Jeff W, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Oh. This IS the same band that did KINGS, PICTURES, SIGNALS etc.? I found the CD for 300/- in my frequented CD store, but it looked nothing like Rush. Not even the band photo. Have they had haircuts? btw I didn't buy it.

― Anna Rose, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I randomly heard this on a stereo at a house party. The crowd was loud, and at first I had no idea what it was, just that it sounded nice & tight. Then that voice, too ridiculous to ignore, and the sudden shock ... I don't think I'll spend any money on it, but it's got to be their best work in years. It sounded all trim, no filler, and the basslines were really strong ...

― Dare, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I don't think I'll spend any money on it, but it's got to be their best work in years. It sounded all trim, no filler, and the basslines were really strong ...

If you don't atleast submit a review to Ryan, giving it a 6.6, I will be disappointed. When he tries to lower your rating to a 0.6, I expect tears.

― dleone, Tuesday, 18 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

After a few listens I think a 5 or 6 might be what I'd give it. For the most part I don't think the vocal melodies are really that inspired or fresh, though there is some quite nice playing on the record. Some of the riffs are a little cheesy too. And I still much prefer Lee's earlier voice. And I'm sure they've been this way for the past two decades and I'm just being a hardass but I don't know if I really get the point of a Rush album that's 4/4 almost the whole way through. I've played it more than once, a number of times actually, which may or may not make it better than the first album, but I think I like it less than the rest of the first eight.

― sundar subramanian, Thursday, 20 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

seven years pass...

I've been listening to this a lot lately, weirdly. It's held up remarkably well, especially "Earthshine" and "Freeze". I don't know what I was on about when I said it was mostly in 4.

― Sundar, Saturday, 12 September 2009 03:05 (fourteen years ago) link

I still like One Little Victory a lot. Specially if you think about what was going on Peart's life and how it reflected on his lyrics.

― Shin Oliva Suzuki, Saturday, 12 September 2009 11:57 (fourteen years ago) link

three years pass...

Remixed Vapor Trails coming 9/30.

“Vapor Trails was an album made under difficult and emotional circumstances – sort of like Rush learning how to be Rush again – and as a result, mistakes were made that we have longed to correct. David Bottrill’s remixes have finally brought some justice and clarity to this deserving body of our work,” says Geddy Lee.

― Esperanto, why don't you come to your senses? (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 1 August 2013 22:01 (ten years ago) link

I love Rush, but "Counterparts," "Test for Echo" and "Vapor Trails" never clicked for me. It's possible I've never even listened to "Test..." In its entirety.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 1 August 2013 22:13 (ten years ago) link

two months pass...

Remix streaming online here: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rush-remix-their-polarizing-album-vapor-trails-premiere-20130927

― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 1 October 2013 10:48 (ten years ago) link

Thanks for this. It sounds like an improvement already, just listening to the first track.

― EveningStar (Sund4r), Tuesday, 1 October 2013 15:03 (ten years ago) link

I'm looking forward to this. Vapor Trails has grown on me a lot over the years, but some tracks just sound horrendous. It really deserves the remix treatment.

― Moodles, Tuesday, 1 October 2013 15:09 (ten years ago) link

Whoa, this guitar solo was barely even noticeable in the original mix of "Ceiling Unlimited"!

― EveningStar (Sund4r), Tuesday, 1 October 2013 15:11 (ten years ago) link

I haven't yet listened to the whole thing, but it sounds pretty radically different so far. Much drier overall, guitars are way de-emphasized, vocals much clearer. Not sure if it is better per se, but it is a change.

I'm curious about also checking out the other albums on the Atlantic years set. I know they weren't completely remixed, but Presto for example could benefit from a bit of beefing up through remastering.

― Moodles, Wednesday, 2 October 2013 13:32 (ten years ago) link

Presto is great. Most underrated/mellow/introspective/jazzy (?) Rush album.

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 2 October 2013 13:51 (ten years ago) link

It definitely has a bunch of great songs, but my enjoyment of it has always been lessened by the overall thinness of the recording

― Moodles, Wednesday, 2 October 2013 14:22 (ten years ago) link

I haven't yet listened to the whole thing, but it sounds pretty radically different so far. Much drier overall, guitars are way de-emphasized, vocals much clearer. Not sure if it is better per se, but it is a change.

It is MUCH better in my opinion. The guitars were swallowed in digital distortion before and sound much clearer now. And, yes, the vocals sound fantastic! Lee was doing a lot on this album that's really coming out now. Each part is always distinct and audible, unlike before.

― EveningStar (Sund4r), Wednesday, 2 October 2013 15:18 (ten years ago) link

three years pass...

out of the cradle, endlessly rocking

\m/

― reggie (qualmsley), Monday, 14 August 2017 15:47 (six years ago) link

word

― Moodles, Monday, 14 August 2017 16:30 (six years ago) link

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