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Vapor Trails: Remixed

JohnRogers

By JohnRogers,
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Listened to the remix?  

59 members have voted

  1. 1. Have you listened to Vapor Trails Remixed?

  2. 2. Has the remix changed your opinion of Vapor Trails?

    • Yes, I like better
      38
    • No, my opinion has not changed
      21

  3. 3. How come you haven't purchased the remixed album?

    • I didn't know aboot it
      1
    • It can't really be different enough to change my opinion
      4
    • I don't give a fudge enough aboot Rush to try it out
      1
    • The last good Rush album was Hemispheres
      0
    • I'm a broke ass mo-fo
      5
    • I did buy it
      45
    • I at least gave it a listen
      3

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DirtyMidnighter

DirtyMidnighter

Posted
Posted

It's been a long road with this issue. At first, in 2002, I did not like Vapor Trails that much. Something about the mix is just headache inducing when you try to power through the whole album.

 

Fast forward to 2007 and Snakes and Arrows- Vapor Trails has grown on me a bit thanks largely to seeing material performed live from it. One Little Victory, Secret Touch and Earthshine DESTROY live. Particularly, Secret Touch became one of my very favorite Rush songs. Something about the elegant repeating lyrics, the unpredictable structure and raw force really struck a nerve. It didn't sound like other Rush- it sounded like other amazing heavy bands that i had gotten into since Rush. I relistened to Vapor Trails and started to pick out other overlooked gems: Ghost Rider, Ceiling Unlimited, How It Is, Out of the Cradle, Sweet Miracle.

 

Fast forward to 2013- Vapor Trails is my favorite post-Grace Under Pressure album. The Remix is released and the album finally gets the love it deserves from fans. However, I had grown so fond of the ragged edges of Vapor Trails that the remix seems kind of... restrained. These the most noticeable changes are as follows, for better of worse.

 

Good-

 

Album no longer gives headaches.

Less choir of Geddy Lee wails throughout.

One Little Victory has a short guitar solo.

Ceiling Unlimited has a normal length guitar solo.

Stars Look down is revealed to be a very, nice, pretty song.

Vapor Trail is less difficult to make it through.

There is a clear keyboard in Sweet Miracle!

Nocturne is more melodic and atmospheric.

Freeze no longer resembles the sound of guitars being smashed to pieces.

 

Bad-

 

Levels are inconsistent- even jarring at times.

One Little Victory can't quite settle into a groove. It sounds hobbled together, as it likely was and then masked with reverb originally.

Final section of Ceiling Unlimited vocals are arranged for the worse.

Peaceable Kingdom is unsalvageable- the one bad song on the album.

How It Is has noticeably less edge to it and suffers greatly for it.

Earthshine guitars don't have the same punch.

Freeze no longer resembles the sound of guitars being smashed to pieces.

 

So, you win some you lose some. The album has yet to have a perfect mix but if I were to try it would go like this:

 

One Little Victory- Retrospective 3 Version (Not the same as remix- what the f**k??)

Ceiling Unlimited- Remix

Ghost Rider- Remix

Peaceable Kingdom- Remix

Stars Look Down- Remix

How It Is- Original

Vapor Trail- Remix

Secret Touch- Remix

Earthshine- Retrospective 3

Sweet Miracle- Remix

Nocturne- Remix

Freeze- The most different experience depending on mix, take your pick

Out of the Cradle- Original

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laughedatbytime

laughedatbytime

Posted
Posted

Peaceable Kingdom is unsalvageable- the one bad song on the album.

Liked the post above for this statement alone...

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LedRush

LedRush

Posted
Posted

It's been a long road with this issue. At first, in 2002, I did not like Vapor Trails that much. Something about the mix is just headache inducing when you try to power through the whole album.

 

Fast forward to 2007 and Snakes and Arrows- Vapor Trails has grown on me a bit thanks largely to seeing material performed live from it. One Little Victory, Secret Touch and Earthshine DESTROY live. Particularly, Secret Touch became one of my very favorite Rush songs. Something about the elegant repeating lyrics, the unpredictable structure and raw force really struck a nerve. It didn't sound like other Rush- it sounded like other amazing heavy bands that i had gotten into since Rush. I relistened to Vapor Trails and started to pick out other overlooked gems: Ghost Rider, Ceiling Unlimited, How It Is, Out of the Cradle, Sweet Miracle.

 

Fast forward to 2013- Vapor Trails is my favorite post-Grace Under Pressure album. The Remix is released and the album finally gets the love it deserves from fans. However, I had grown so fond of the ragged edges of Vapor Trails that the remix seems kind of... restrained. These the most noticeable changes are as follows, for better of worse.

 

Good-

 

Album no longer gives headaches.

Less choir of Geddy Lee wails throughout.

One Little Victory has a short guitar solo.

Ceiling Unlimited has a normal length guitar solo.

Stars Look down is revealed to be a very, nice, pretty song.

Vapor Trail is less difficult to make it through.

There is a clear keyboard in Sweet Miracle!

Nocturne is more melodic and atmospheric.

Freeze no longer resembles the sound of guitars being smashed to pieces.

 

Bad-

 

Levels are inconsistent- even jarring at times.

One Little Victory can't quite settle into a groove. It sounds hobbled together, as it likely was and then masked with reverb originally.

Final section of Ceiling Unlimited vocals are arranged for the worse.

Peaceable Kingdom is unsalvageable- the one bad song on the album.

How It Is has noticeably less edge to it and suffers greatly for it.

Earthshine guitars don't have the same punch.

Freeze no longer resembles the sound of guitars being smashed to pieces.

 

So, you win some you lose some. The album has yet to have a perfect mix but if I were to try it would go like this:

 

One Little Victory- Retrospective 3 Version (Not the same as remix- what the f**k??)

Ceiling Unlimited- Remix

Ghost Rider- Remix

Peaceable Kingdom- Remix

Stars Look Down- Remix

How It Is- Original

Vapor Trail- Remix

Secret Touch- Remix

Earthshine- Retrospective 3

Sweet Miracle- Remix

Nocturne- Remix

Freeze- The most different experience depending on mix, take your pick

Out of the Cradle- Original

 

I agree with a lot of this, but the retrospective versions aren't nearly as good as the full album remixes, IMHO.

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toymaker

toymaker

Posted
Posted (edited)
How come Rush albums keep getting blamed for causing headaches? It could be completely circumstantial. Maybe you had too much wheat. Maybe you're dehydrated. I get headaches from time to time like anyone I suppose, and never once has listening to Vapor Trails or Clockwork Angels given me a headache. I've tried speakers quiet, speakers loud, headphones quiet, headphones loud, over the ears headphones, earbuds . . . nothing works! I can't seem to get a headache! Now I'm thinking, well maybe it's just that I have really amazing speakers or something. But then I look at my speakers and go . . . no, that can't be it. They're not cheapies, but they're certainly not audiophile quality. Something about me? There was that time when I was a boy when I put a beebee in my ear. That was stupid, but my mother was able to get it out. I don't think it did anything to my eardrum. The only thing I can come up with is that I have spent so much of my time listening to f***ing awesome Rush albums of the 70s and early 80s that I have adjusted my physiology to listening to f***ing awesome later albums like Vapor Trails and Clockwork Angels. I'm glad about that, because I would be sad if these albums gave me headaches. I probably wouldn't like them as much if I heard what other people seem to be hearing. Whew! Edited by toymaker
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The Analog Grownup

The Analog Grownup

Posted
Posted

The remix is a lot less noisy but it doesn't make the songs any better. The kick drum is way too far forward in the mix. Sounds like a constipated turtle fart. Fert...fert...fert...fert...fert...fert....

 

I agree somewhat on the sound of the kick drum. It would prefer a tighter slightly more modern sounding kick drum.

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geodesicdomer

geodesicdomer

Posted
Posted

Secret Touch is such a wonderful example of great players playing at their best and most passionate. The remixed version helped me realize that--- initially, I may have underestimated the strength of the song. Probably the one most improved by the process in my book.

 

Such is the magic of Rush....

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Na na na

Na na na

Posted
Posted
I love Vapor Trails...but I'm not too fond of the remix, I like the original mix better, a lot better, so I guess I'm stuck with Vapor Trails 2002 with all It's flaws :cool:
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LedRush

LedRush

Posted
Posted

I know this is old, but why was Vapor Trails remixed? And remixed by whom?

 

It was remixed because everyone in the band was unhappy with the original recording, which was so overloud that many sounds were drowned out and it gave a lot of people headaches with how cluttered it was.

 

I think David Bottrill did the remix.

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Derek19

Derek19

Posted
Posted
I've liked "Vapor Trails". When, and ever since the remix has been released, I think it's better, and improved from the original. I have noticed that there has been a difference in it.
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