Vapor Trails: Swept beneath the surface

[PermanentMovingSignals]

I would like to say a few things about the Vapor Trails album.

 

I became a Rush fan somewhere around 1997/1998 when a long time Rush fan, who was about twenty years older than me, introduced me to them. Before that my favorite bands were Led Zeppelin and the Smashing Pumpkins. The first album to come out when I became a Rush fan was Different Stages, a live album I still love very much to this day.

 

Back then I was under the impression Rush were finished. I heard the stories of the tragedies that went on in Neil's life and I thought there would be no more new studio albums. When I heard they were working on a new album around 2002 I could not believe it. I was over the moon.

 

I remember finally getting Vapor Trails and listening to it for the first time. The drum intro to One Little Victory blew me away. Vapor Trails sounded like nothing the band had done before. It sounded so fresh to me. I really loved every song on the album. The lyrics really touched me. I still think some of Neil's most profound and touching lyrics are to be found on the Vapor Trails album. I also really loved Neil's drumming and Geddy's bass playing on the album. But more than anything else, I felt the songs were powerful and beautiful.

 

To this day, I love Vapor Trails and it is still one of the albums I listen to the most. The production never bothered me. In fact, I like the original production more than the remixed album. I think the original production suits the vibe of the album.

 

In my opinion, Vapor Trails is one of their best albums. The songwriting is fantastic and the songs have a very powerful, emotive quality to them. Songs like Ceiling Unlimited, Ghost Rider, Earthshine, and Secret Touch are diamonds in the Rush catalog in my opinion. Secret Touch I consider one of their very best songs.

 

Songs like How It Is, Sweet Miracle, and The Stars Look Down are also personal favorites of mine.

 

I love Vapor Trails a lot. It is a beautiful album in my opinion. This album gets a lot of hate, mainly because of the production, so I just wanted to write something positive about it, just because I love it so much.

[rugen]

Good for you if you enjoy it! For me, it's my least favorite not because of the production and the playing, but for the songwriting who is uninspired compared to what they have done in the past. I think it reflects Neil's rage and it has a raw grunge sound and style of writing that takes us back to Counterpart but with songs that are not in the same caliber. I still like the title track, Secret Touch and One Little Victory.

[PermanentMovingSignals]

I think it reflects Neil's rage

Really? I find the lyrics to be the opposite of rage... I would say the albums theme is one of hope, the acceptance of loss, and a belief in the beauty of life.

[rugen]

I think it reflects Neil's rage

Really? I find the lyrics to be the opposite of rage... I would say the albums theme is one of hope, the acceptance of loss, and a belief in the beauty of life.

I was talking more about the music, it's direct in your face kind of album, but hope, acceptance of loss can come after an initial shock...

[PermanentMovingSignals]

I think it reflects Neil's rage

Really? I find the lyrics to be the opposite of rage... I would say the albums theme is one of hope, the acceptance of loss, and a belief in the beauty of life.

I was talking more about the music, it's direct in your face kind of album, but hope, acceptance of loss can come after an initial shock...

Fair enough. Yes, a lot of the songs are a bit 'in your face'. But there are also some softer songs on it like How It Is and The Stars Look Down.

[toymaker]

I too was very pleased when I heard it for the first time. I didn't think Rush could knock me on my ass any more.

[Mithrandir]

Love the album. Except Sweet Miracle.

[JohnnyBlaze]

I dedicate this post to vaportrailer and his fondness for calculating averages and conjuring mathemagic. :hail:

 

 

Using my former high school’s grades and corresponding GPAs...

 

SUPERIOR

A+ : 4.33

A : 4.0

A- : 3.67

 

ABOVE AVERAGE

B+ : 3.33

B : 3.0

B- : 2.67

 

AVERAGE

C+ : 2.33

C : 2.0

C- : 1.67

 

BELOW AVERAGE

D+ : 1.33

D : 1.0

D- : 0.67

 

FAILURE

F : 0.0

 

 

1. One Little Victory: C

2. Ceiling Unlimited: C

3. Ghost Rider: B

4. Peaceable Kingdom: B-

5. The Stars Look Down: C-

6. How It Is: C

7. Vapor Trail: B

8. Secret Touch: B-

9. Earthshine: A-

10. Sweet Miracle: D

11. Nocturne: D

12. Freeze: C-

13. Out of the Cradle: D

 

Vapor Trails’ Overall GPA: 2.10

 

This seems about right to me. There’s nothing on it that I dislike but there are certainly some below average unforgettables on it for me. Still, there are 5 tunes on there (B- through A-) that I definitely enjoy.

 

Earthshine didn’t get the full A or A+ mark because I’m a hard ass.

 

It’s not a bad album for probably being fourth from the bottom.

 

[Segue Myles]

I would like to say a few things about the Vapor Trails album.

 

I became a Rush fan somewhere around 1997/1998 when a long time Rush fan, who was about twenty years older than me, introduced me to them. Before that my favorite bands were Led Zeppelin and the Smashing Pumpkins. The first album to come out when I became a Rush fan was Different Stages, a live album I still love very much to this day.

 

Back then I was under the impression Rush were finished. I heard the stories of the tragedies that went on in Neil's life and I thought there would be no more new studio albums. When I heard they were working on a new album around 2002 I could not believe it. I was over the moon.

 

I remember finally getting Vapor Trails and listening to it for the first time. The drum intro to One Little Victory blew me away. Vapor Trails sounded like nothing the band had done before. It sounded so fresh to me. I really loved every song on the album. The lyrics really touched me. I still think some of Neil's most profound and touching lyrics are to be found on the Vapor Trails album. I also really loved Neil's drumming and Geddy's bass playing on the album. But more than anything else, I felt the songs were powerful and beautiful.

 

To this day, I love Vapor Trails and it is still one of the albums I listen to the most. The production never bothered me. In fact, I like the original production more than the remixed album. I think the original production suits the vibe of the album.

 

In my opinion, Vapor Trails is one of their best albums. The songwriting is fantastic and the songs have a very powerful, emotive quality to them. Songs like Ceiling Unlimited, Ghost Rider, Earthshine, and Secret Touch are diamonds in the Rush catalog in my opinion. Secret Touch I consider one of their very best songs.

 

Songs like How It Is, Sweet Miracle, and The Stars Look Down are also personal favorites of mine.

 

I love Vapor Trails a lot. It is a beautiful album in my opinion. This album gets a lot of hate, mainly because of the production, so I just wanted to write something positive about it, just because I love it so much.

 

It's the most precious album of Rush to me. Musically, I think AFTK through to MP are there best. But this album moves my soul. I've been through so much shit and your post sums up my feelings towards it absolutely.

 

Thank you.

[goose]

I think it reflects Neil's rage

Really? I find the lyrics to be the opposite of rage... I would say the albums theme is one of hope, the acceptance of loss, and a belief in the beauty of life.

:goodone:

 

It's a rare effort from Neil in that respect, and I found it inspiring on release. I still do.

[goose]

I think it reflects Neil's rage

Really? I find the lyrics to be the opposite of rage... I would say the albums theme is one of hope, the acceptance of loss, and a belief in the beauty of life.

I was talking more about the music, it's direct in your face kind of album, but hope, acceptance of loss can come after an initial shock...

Fair enough. Yes, a lot of the songs are a bit 'in your face'. But there are also some softer songs on it like How It Is and The Stars Look Down.

The album is full of constrasts and contradictions, not just from song to song but within songs, even.

 

I get that musically the choices might not appeal to many RUSH fans, especially those fond of the proggier AFTK/Hemi side of the band, and the production complaints are justified. But the sincerity of Vapor Trails pulls me in like no other RUSH album. It's clear they poured their hearts into this one.

[PermanentMovingSignals]

It's clear they poured their hearts into this one.

Indeed!

[Permanent-Rush]

I love this album a lot!!

[Todem]

Stand out tracks for me:

 

OLV

Ghost Rider

Vaportrail

Secret Touch

Earthshine

Nocturne

Sweet Miracle

Stars Look Down

Freeze

 

 

I am not a fan of the production at all, but when the mood strikes me I pop in the original mix. I also like some of the remix better than old mix. Depends what song. Maybe the harsh crappy ass mix and master is charming to some.....but it makes my ears bleed at higher volumes. Just far below the sonic standards the band set on Waves and Pictures just to name a few. Clipping, and just a terrible hot master tape....it is a mess and the band knows this. Hence the remix, which cleaned up a lot of the fuzz.

 

The passion is there. They played their hearts out on the record and without VT happening we don't get all the tours and records that came after. So thank god for VT.

Edited September 6, 2018 by Todem

[Fridge]

It's still shit.

[vaportrailer]

I dedicate this post to vaportrailer and his fondness for calculating averages and conjuring mathemagic. :hail:

 

 

Using my former high school’s grades and corresponding GPAs...

 

SUPERIOR

A+ : 4.33

A : 4.0

A- : 3.67

 

ABOVE AVERAGE

B+ : 3.33

B : 3.0

B- : 2.67

 

AVERAGE

C+ : 2.33

C : 2.0

C- : 1.67

 

BELOW AVERAGE

D+ : 1.33

D : 1.0

D- : 0.67

 

FAILURE

F : 0.0

 

 

1. One Little Victory: C

2. Ceiling Unlimited: C

3. Ghost Rider: B

4. Peaceable Kingdom: B-

5. The Stars Look Down: C-

6. How It Is: C

7. Vapor Trail: B

8. Secret Touch: B-

9. Earthshine: A-

10. Sweet Miracle: D

11. Nocturne: D

12. Freeze: C-

13. Out of the Cradle: D

 

Vapor Trails’ Overall GPA: 2.10

 

This seems about right to me. There’s nothing on it that I dislike but there are certainly some below average unforgettables on it for me. Still, there are 5 tunes on there (B- through A-) that I definitely enjoy.

 

Earthshine didn’t get the full A or A+ mark because I’m a hard ass.

 

It’s not a bad album for probably being fourth from the bottom.

 

 

 

Dear Prof. Hard Ass;

These calculations seem suspect to my walleyed eye, but the sincerity of your conviction fills me with wonder and a type of joy.

I remain;

Dr. Softdonkey

 

 

 

 

 

And while I'm here...this album f*ckin rocks. Fueled by the sound of Peart playing for his life, this is potent and excellent stuff.

Top 5 Rush recording for my walleyed ears.

 

http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/coverpics/VTpromopic.jpg

[Crimsonmistymemory]

I never had any quams with the album other that it was a bit over produced. With that said I really enjoyed the remastered version. Realizing I am one of the types of :rush: fans that enjoy all the eras and love most everything off all the albums.

[Segue Myles]

I dedicate this post to vaportrailer and his fondness for calculating averages and conjuring mathemagic. :hail:

 

 

Using my former high school’s grades and corresponding GPAs...

 

SUPERIOR

A+ : 4.33

A : 4.0

A- : 3.67

 

ABOVE AVERAGE

B+ : 3.33

B : 3.0

B- : 2.67

 

AVERAGE

C+ : 2.33

C : 2.0

C- : 1.67

 

BELOW AVERAGE

D+ : 1.33

D : 1.0

D- : 0.67

 

FAILURE

F : 0.0

 

 

1. One Little Victory: C

2. Ceiling Unlimited: C

3. Ghost Rider: B

4. Peaceable Kingdom: B-

5. The Stars Look Down: C-

6. How It Is: C

7. Vapor Trail: B

8. Secret Touch: B-

9. Earthshine: A-

10. Sweet Miracle: D

11. Nocturne: D

12. Freeze: C-

13. Out of the Cradle: D

 

Vapor Trails’ Overall GPA: 2.10

 

This seems about right to me. There’s nothing on it that I dislike but there are certainly some below average unforgettables on it for me. Still, there are 5 tunes on there (B- through A-) that I definitely enjoy.

 

Earthshine didn’t get the full A or A+ mark because I’m a hard ass.

 

It’s not a bad album for probably being fourth from the bottom.

 

 

 

Dear Prof. Hard Ass;

These calculations seem suspect to my walleyed eye, but the sincerity of your conviction fills me with wonder and a type of joy.

I remain;

Dr. Softdonkey

 

 

 

 

 

And while I'm here...this album f*ckin rocks. Fueled by the sound of Peart playing for his life, this is potent and excellent stuff.

Top 5 Rush recording for my walleyed ears.

 

http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/coverpics/VTpromopic.jpg

 

I don't have a definite favourite Rush album anymore. But if I did, right now it is between Hemispheres, Vapor Trails and Moving Pictures.

 

Vapor Trails is a really vibrant and intoxicating listen. It takes me on a real emotional journey.

[canadianice]

I am going to blast this as I cruise down the QEW highway to Fallsview Casino tonight. Crank it!!!!!!!!

[thizzellewashington]

VT is a really unique album because the sound is more important than the songs. Some of the songs are really good and some of them (especially on the back end) are pretty dull if taken individually. It's an album that works better as a complete work than it does on a track-by-track basis, which isn't true of every Rush album. Snakes & Arrows for example has a lot of individual songs I like a lot but it's exhausting to listen to in its entirety because there's so little variation in tempo.

[Segue Myles]

VT is a really unique album because the sound is more important than the songs. Some of the songs are really good and some of them (especially on the back end) are pretty dull if taken individually. It's an album that works better as a complete work than it does on a track-by-track basis, which isn't true of every Rush album. Snakes & Arrows for example has a lot of individual songs I like a lot but it's exhausting to listen to in its entirety because there's so little variation in tempo.

 

Disagree. I think the songs are sublime and rise above all the sound issues.

[geodesicdomer]

I liked Vapor Trails a lot when it was released for most of the same reasons that the OP has so eloquently expressed. These days, I may listen infrequently but always think it holds up well. Funny, I like some of the songs better after the sonic improvements and some better on the original version. Hey, at least they had the good sense to try and fix something they were not happy with....I hear some Rush influence from songs like Secret Touch / Earthshine on lead guitar riffs by bands such as Muse and others during this period. From what I remember reading back then...Lifeson got some pretty good reviews and feedback from colleagues and peers for his playing on VT.

 

I certainly remember the goosebumps when I first heard the intro to OLV. Neil was back. Rush was back. A quintessential moment for the band. Oh my, it was glorious.

[yyz305]

My favourite RUSH album!

[thizzellewashington]

VT is a really unique album because the sound is more important than the songs. Some of the songs are really good and some of them (especially on the back end) are pretty dull if taken individually. It's an album that works better as a complete work than it does on a track-by-track basis, which isn't true of every Rush album. Snakes & Arrows for example has a lot of individual songs I like a lot but it's exhausting to listen to in its entirety because there's so little variation in tempo.

 

Disagree. I think the songs are sublime and rise above all the sound issues.

A lot of them are great! "Noctourne" and "Out of the Cradle" are pretty forgettable, though.

[goose]

"Noctourne" and "Out of the Cradle" are pretty forgettable, though.

I really like Out of the Cradle. So does Walt...