Vapor Trails Remix/Remaster

[Oracle]

I prefer Vapor Trails as it is. Sure, it sounds like it came out of the bowels of a bull, but it was them in true raw form. They were still in that reformation stage and nothing was going to be perfect. It really shows a more human side to them, that they have that (very wide) margin of error that we all have. A remix would be nice, sure; but I don't see the point now. Would enough people buy it EXCLUDING the fans? Would it sound any different? It's too late now to really think about doing anything with this album. Many people say it was just a blight on their discography, but I think Vapor Trails is just another key part of Rush and their history together. Without VT, this band would have died long ago.

[Nick66]

If the don't want to pay to remaster VT, why not just license it to Audio Fidelity (not to be confused with Mobile Fidelity), ala the recent Roll the Bones remaster? Doesn't cost them anything, and Audio Fidelity (who does a great job) does all the work. They still get a % of every copy sold, so it's a win/win for Rush and their fans. Edited February 7, 2012 by Nick66

[drbirdsong]

QUOTE (Nick66 @ Feb 7 2012, 10:25 AM)

If the don't want to pay to remaster VT, why not just license it to Audio Fidelity (not to be confused with Mobile Fidelity), ala the recent Roll the Bones remaster?  Doesn't cost them anything, and Audio Fidelity (who does a great job) does all the work.  They still get a % of every copy sold, so it's a win/win for Rush and their fans.

They do a great job sound wise, but as far as reproducing the artwork goes it might as well be toilet paper. I would still get it.

Edited February 7, 2012 by drbirdsong

[druid13]

QUOTE (presto123 @ Feb 6 2012, 07:37 PM)

To this day I still wonder how did the thing get released like that considering Rush are perfectionists and clipping would be one of the main quality checkpoints you look at before it goes to press. Heck....I can check for clipping in one minute here on my home PC.

Alex listened to versions on a Walkman...Geddy had headaches....it was just badly handled and should have been caught during mixing....once it got to mastering...? No good.

 

It sounded to me like the recording process took so long that they were frustrated and tired by the time it went to mixing mastering. I seem to remember reading about this and it came across as defensive ...

 

then everyone started complaining abo tthe sound quality on message boards.....

[Mika]

QUOTE (Oracle @ Feb 7 2012, 01:45 AM)

I prefer Vapor Trails as it is. Sure, it sounds like it came out of the bowels of a bull, but it was them in true raw form. They were still in that reformation stage and nothing was going to be perfect. It really shows a more human side to them, that they have that (very wide) margin of error that we all have. A remix would be nice, sure; but I don't see the point now. Would enough people buy it EXCLUDING the fans? Would it sound any different? It's too late now to really think about doing anything with this album. Many people say it was just a blight on their discography, but I think Vapor Trails is just another key part of Rush and their history together. Without VT, this band would have died long ago.

I also like the sound of Vapor Trails. I like that it sounds edgy, raw, loud. I've listened to the previously mentioned Hildie version, and it sounded more subdued. I missed the 'we're back now and in your face!' sound of the original VT. Maybe I need to give the remixed version another chance, listen to it more thoroughly, but that's my first impression.

 

Now, the 'wimpy' sound of Presto - that I would certainly tweak. But maybe I just like my music beefy! (assuming, of course, that this is an all-beef weiner)

 

It would be interesting to hear a remastered VT, but I muchly enjoy it the way it is, though it seems I'm certainly in the minority here! But on that note, I'd be interested in hearing redone versions of any Rush stuff, just for curiosity's sake. Oh boy, give me demo versions of VT, and I would be in a very happy place indeed!

[Nick66]

[marblesmike]

QUOTE (canadianice @ Feb 6 2012, 05:49 PM)

QUOTE (Queslington @ Feb 6 2012, 04:23 PM) I think Steven Wilson should remix/remaster VT if or when they decide to do so. just dont let Steve Hoffman, get his hands on it! Why not Steve Hoffman? He's known to be one of the best mastering engineers in the business.

[Phantom]

I believe I read something from Rich Chycki that said he/they were about to start work on it, but with everything else going on, it's on the back burner for a bit.... we'll see.

[Apollo]

I really hope they do this. Vapor Trails was mixed/mastered so badly that I had to get a new CD player to listen to it. I had been using the same CD player since 1988 and Vapor Trails was recorded so hot it sounded awful and distorted on my system. I realized the war of loudness had been going on for many years but Vapor Trails was the first CD to push the limit all the way to unplayability. Terrible job but I love the album and hope it gets the justice it deserves. And while I'm complaining, it would be nice to see Rush play Freeze live.

[Jaminbenb]

[drbirdsong]

QUOTE (Apollo @ Feb 9 2012, 06:23 PM)

I really hope they do this. Vapor Trails was mixed/mastered so badly that I had to get a new CD player to listen to it. I had been using the same CD player since 1988 and Vapor Trails was recorded so hot it sounded awful and distorted on my system. I realized the war of loudness had been going on for many years but Vapor Trails was the first CD to push the limit all the way to unplayability. Terrible job but I love the album and hope it gets the justice it deserves. And while I'm complaining, it would be nice to see Rush play Freeze live.

[analog guy]

I wish they would do it, because I think the songs on it deserve that service.

 

If that album was mixed and mastered to sound like the previous two records were, it would be much more highly regarded than it is, I think.

 

I think it is musically superior to both records, but the production makes it almost unlistenable to these ears. It really does. It matters.

 

[The Owl]

I hope it happens soon... the album has been out for a decade now, 10 years of really bad audio quality for an album that is on all other levels pretty good.

[canadianice]

One might try---Vapor trails less Vapor---The Bubba Skarda Remaster----

[SlyJeff]

QUOTE (presto123 @ Feb 6 2012, 07:37 PM)

To this day I still wonder how did the thing get released like that considering Rush are perfectionists and clipping would be one of the main quality checkpoints you look at before it goes to press. Heck....I can check for clipping in one minute here on my home PC.

If you spend too much time completely focused on something, your just gets usd it. My previously favorite song I've ever written sounded great to me at the end of the mastering process- some time away from it and now I can't stand it- the mix and master is horrible and just kills it for me.

 

This is the peril of recording an album the way Rush did, but it was probably the only way they were able to get back in the studio and produce something.

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (SlyJeff @ Feb 12 2012, 07:46 AM)

QUOTE (presto123 @ Feb 6 2012, 07:37 PM) To this day I still wonder how did the thing get released like that considering Rush are perfectionists and clipping would be one of the main quality checkpoints you look at before it goes to press. Heck....I can check for clipping in one minute here on my home PC. If you spend too much time completely focused on something, your just gets usd it. My previously favorite song I've ever written sounded great to me at the end of the mastering process- some time away from it and now I can't stand it- the mix and master is horrible and just kills it for me.   This is the peril of recording an album the way Rush did, but it was probably the only way they were able to get back in the studio and produce something. There really is no excuse IMHO - a band with this much longevity and experience letting something like that get released is inexcusable.

[SlyJeff]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Feb 12 2012, 10:29 AM)

QUOTE (SlyJeff @ Feb 12 2012, 07:46 AM) QUOTE (presto123 @ Feb 6 2012, 07:37 PM) To this day I still wonder how did the thing get released like that considering Rush are perfectionists and clipping would be one of the main quality checkpoints you look at before it goes to press. Heck....I can check for clipping in one minute here on my home PC. If you spend too much time completely focused on something, your just gets usd it. My previously favorite song I've ever written sounded great to me at the end of the mastering process- some time away from it and now I can't stand it- the mix and master is horrible and just kills it for me.   This is the peril of recording an album the way Rush did, but it was probably the only way they were able to get back in the studio and produce something. There really is no excuse IMHO - a band with this much longevity and experience letting something like that get released is inexcusable. I wasn't saying it was excusable- just stating why I think it probably happened. Just like in my case- a sing I love got destroyed. Do I shrugs and say "oh we'll, not much I could have done"? Nope, I knowthat I dropped tha ball. I move on, but I regret that it didn't get the treatment I feel it deserved. I do not ever plan on going back to re-record the song.   I DO think that recording VT the way they did was probably necessary to get back in the game, but there are measures they could have taken to prevent releasing VT as it went out. At the very least they should have had someone they trusted to give them some honest feedback on the recording before it got printed, because whoever did bless it really dropped the ball.

[Presto-a RUSH fan!]

QUOTE (ucsteve667 @ Feb 6 2012, 03:53 AM)

if they do great, if not I dont care. I love this record for all its poorly mixed/masteredness.

 

rushgoober...I just don't get it!!!

[Presto-a RUSH fan!]

Sorry if this has been mentioned in this thread already, but I found the following on Wikipedia. Just look up Vapor Trails on Wikipedia and read the last sentence of the section titled Criticism, which is:

 

On February 4, 2011, the band announced that they would be remixing Vapor Trails in its entirety.

[danielmclark]

QUOTE (Presto-a RUSH fan! @ Feb 12 2012, 06:38 PM)

Sorry if this has been mentioned in this thread already, but I found the following on Wikipedia. Just look up Vapor Trails on Wikipedia and read the last sentence of the section titled Criticism, which is: On February 4, 2011, the band announced that they would be remixing Vapor Trails in its entirety.

And the source of that tidbit from Wikipedia is this article:

 

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermo...wsitemID=153379

[Presto-a RUSH fan!]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Feb 12 2012, 09:00 PM)

QUOTE (Presto-a RUSH fan! @ Feb 12 2012, 06:38 PM) Sorry if this has been mentioned in this thread already, but I found the following on Wikipedia.  Just look up Vapor Trails on Wikipedia and read the last sentence of the section titled Criticism, which is: On February 4, 2011, the band announced that they would be remixing Vapor Trails in its entirety. And the source of that tidbit from Wikipedia is this article:   http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermo...wsitemID=153379 I saw that it had a reference source but didn't follow it to see where it came from. I am not familiar with that website, is it not a reliable source or were you just pointing out where it came from just for our information?   Because I am hoping it's true as I really want them to remaster it and listen to them both and see what it is I'm missing, or if my ears are just to bad to hear the difference at all.

[danielmclark]

[Presto-a RUSH fan!]

[GUPower Windows]

I'll just be content with my copy of it. The "clipping" doesn't bother me. It makes the music that much grittier.

 

:goodone:

Basically this. I really think by "restoring it" they will just take away what partially makes the music so powerful. I don't want S&A mastered VT... it would ruin it.