RUSH out and buy it (Vapor Trails - Rush)

Member Name: SimonCook

Product:	Vapor Trails - Rush
Date:	07/06/02 (124 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent Lyrics, Sublime and complicated music

Disadvantages: A few weak songs

After a six-year hiatus in which Neil Peart sadly lost his daughter and his wife, Rush fans have waited patiently while sending out their love to Neil. With a solo album from Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson out for several years, these albums didn’t quite fill the void that was Rush. Geddy Lee’s album (My Favorite Headache) could be considered an interim Rush album as although only Geddy performs on this album it is very much in the style of Rush; it does concentrate on Geddy’s phenomenal bass playing at times but really didn’t show much different from Geddy. Alex Lifeson’s album (under a different band name which I cannot recollect) is supposed to be very different from Rush – I cannot really comment as I have not heard this album, although reviews I have read say that Lifeson experimented on this album and it is perhaps because of this experimentation that we really hear a different side of Lifeson on this new Rush album,

Many people believed that Rush would never produce another album; the pain seemed too much and we never really believed that Neil could find the inspiration and drive to help create a typical Rush album. Hardened fans always expected another album even if it was the final album; I myself expected an album but was unsure of the quality – I was concerned of the drive and motivation of Peart, and even expected him to be replaced – how wrong I was on both counts.

With the news that Rush had gone back to the studio, die-hard fans sat back and waited. Was the wait worth it?; would Neil Peart be able to produce top quality lyrics and continue to produce quality percussion? Would Rush go back to the old tried and tested formula, continue on using keyboards or totally surprise us with a new sound?

Vapor Trails is the resulting album; it is a mixture of old style Rush with a modern twist that is unexpected and refreshing. It is a Rock album that has an edge, but also a soft side that
should appeal to old and new fans alike. Quite simply it is an album that signals that Rush are back and aiming to get into the Rock and Roll hall of fame. The style is perhaps different than many expected posing a different Rush to the audience – gone are Lifeson’s amazing solos (apart from one or two examples) to be replaced a far more rounded and musical guitar experience – some of the riffs that Lifeson produces are simply beautiful and highlight the reason why he remains one of the best guitarists around today. (It should be mentioned that often his guitar playing can be heard on documentaries and other unexpected TV shows – this is a testament to the fact that Lifeson often has a haunting sound that cannot be reproduced by many).

With their previous two albums (Counterparts and Test for Echo) Rush embarked on a new style; gone were the keyboards and ‘modernizations’ that existed in the 80s, to be replaced by a harder, re-energized sound that was more akin to albums like ‘fly-by-night’. Vapor Trails represents the next stage in their transformation as it is perhaps more like their early music than any of their recent albums. It is perhaps one of their most powerful albums and goes back to the roots of rock music while experimenting with ‘grunge’ and modern heavier rock sounds. It is a key album in the development of Rush; for me it is perhaps one of their most musically complete albums; every element is excellent from Neil’s clever often off-beat drumming, to Geddy’s wonderful vocals and amazingly fast and energetic bass playing that often seems to speak to you. Lifeson’s guitar playing is a revelation; hardened fans will perhaps miss the solos, but for me the variation and quality of guitar playing is exceptional.


This album explores vocals and guitar work in a way that only Rush could; layered vocals (this isn’t really harmonics, but a combination of d
ifferent keys and varying melodies that combines to produce layers) and guitars replaced the keyboard from the eighties and somehow produces a more melodic and harder sound that reminds me of some of their greatest works (The Trees, 2112 etc). Lifeson seems to concentrate more on riffs, producing some superb guitar sequences that can be listened to over and over again (My favorite Riff is at the beginning of track 8 – Secret Touch – it is almost haunting in its melody that seems to wrap around).

Neil Peart is as good as ever – the choice to open the album with Peart is not only telling the fans ‘I’m OK’ but also saying – ‘listen to this guy, he’s damn good’. The drums are very prevalent in every song and combine well to the overall experience. Additionally, his lyrics are more surreal than I have heard from Rush – metaphorically they are superb and although there are some personal notes, he doesn’t focus too much on his recent painful experiences. Peart’s drum playing remains exceptional – perhaps elevating him to one of the best percussionists of all time; he varies the beat in many songs making rhythms work with the music and also producing some stunning sound effects.

I have listened to the album over and over again and find that it is growing on me; initially I thought there were 3 or 4 great tracks, but the more I listen, the more I hear the subtleties that make this one of the better Rush albums; for those of you who like to know about each individual track, please see my notes below.


1. One Little Victory
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This set the tone of the album with it’s no nonsense rock and roll approach. Peart immediately lets us know he is fine as the drumming is very prevalent. This song relates how life can provide victories when we least expect them ; every day there are minor victories – this is perhaps
a statement of how Neil Peart has overcome his pain. Lee shows us his vocal range in this song, proving once again that he is a quality singer.

The bass is very strong throughout this song giving this a very heavy rock feel that is more like the old Rush. This will be played on the Rock stations many times and may develop into a Rush classic.

Rush made a conscious decision to make this the first single of the album and the opening track. The decision was lead by the fact that Peart opens the track with a burst of drums that is almost akin to Rush running on stage and celebrating their re-emergence. It is a fast-paced song that will appeal to all fans of Rush but I suspect it won’t win over too many fans. New fans may find this track just a little to hard to key into – it highlights the skill of the band well and also shows a variance in Lee’s voice; however as an introduction to Rush it perhaps is too much too soon – a softer song like Ghost Rider may well tempt new fans to listen to Rush and then One Little Victory may grow on them quickly.


2. Ceiling Unlimited
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This is predominantly a lead guitar song; it is a combination between a rock and a kind of blues sound that is interesting but also somehow off-putting. The vocals are perhaps the most straight forward on the album. The song is good but seems to be an experiment of guitar mixed with bass. I initially found this hard to listen too as there seemed to be too much competition between each element of music; this ‘fighting’ within the song seem too mixed up making it hard for me to get a grip with the melodies that are subtly blended into the hard sound; it did grow on me eventually (like most Rush songs do!). This is perhaps one of the most experimental songs on the album, and perhaps indicates the direction Rush may take in the future – with a little more work and perhaps a little less competi
tion this style could become classic.


3. Ghost Rider
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Neil Peart is a cyclist – he recently published a novel called ‘Ghost Rider’. The song takes inspirations from Neil’s adventures on his bike and leads us to realize that the bike became an important tool in Neil’s healing. Losing his wife and daughter within a year was devastating and often the solitude of the bike helped Peart to clear his thoughts and think through his emotions and feelings. This song for me is the most important of the whole album – it signifies the struggle Peart had and the victory he achieved through facing his Ghosts. There are so many subtleties to this song, and so many deep meanings that you really have to listen to it over and over again to fully appreciate this work of art.

The song itself is a dark and immensely haunting tune that has meanings on several different levels.. It is, in my opinion, the best track of the album. The vocals are truly awesome, proving that Geddy Lee is an amazingly talented vocalist. The music is secondary, but in it’s softness and subtlety it perfectly complements the vocals. It is perhaps the closest song to a ballad on the album (not as soft and gentle as the classic ballad Rivendell). It combines soft melodies cleverly with an underlying hardness that somehow mirrors the mixed emotions and feelings within the lyrics.

What makes this a great song is the profound lyrics that combine beautifully to make this one of the most thought provoking songs of the album. This is the Rush that I remember from many years ago and this is the future of Rush.

"Pack up all those phantoms
Shoulder that invisible load
Keep on riding north and west
Haunting that wilderness road
Like a ghost rider"

This is the opening lyric to the track; it epitomizes the struggle between wanting to keep hold of the anger and ghosts
of the past and how it is very hard to let go and become free. It tries to explain that the open road will allow you to take these struggles with you and perhaps if you are lucky, you may eventually exorcize these ghosts in the loneliness. The ‘wilderness road’ really refers to the fact that this struggle is yours alone and although people around you may try and help, only you can discover the way to freedom upon this lonely road.

4. Peaceable Kingdom
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Another classic hard rock song from Rush that contains a powerful message relating the importance of our struggle for peace; it comments on how those who can do something about the struggles never do (this has been a constant theme throughout many Rush albums and highlights the fact that Rush see that those in authority are not always those who will end up saving the earth – they talk of corruption and a simple lack of interest or even a conflict of interest at times).

The song is a power song combining a severe bass line with power chords and energetic drums. This in fact may appeal to the modern day hard rockers. Geddy Lee’s vocals are clear but seem a little drowned out by the music. Lee’s bass playing is perhaps the most prevalent on this track, moving very quickly and energetically and giving this song almost a surreal feel as melodies attack you from a different direction than expected.


5. The Stars Look Down
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Many times Peart’s lyrics are questioning. Hinting at how fate is controlled by the stars, Peart leaves us wondering about how life seemingly is controlled by forces beyond our understanding. This is probably a very introspective song as Peart tries to reflect on his past and tries to realize that he has no control over what happens and sometimes events just happen because that is what fate intended.

Musically this song is very diverse
; at times melodic, and at times heavy this song seems to switch tempo several times. The guitar solo is particularly high powered fast and energetic, proving the vast talent of Alex Lifeson. Again this song seems very experimental, perhaps focusing more on the percussion as its tempo seems to have a life of its own – this mirrors the thoughts in the song which relate that life really moves to its own tempo that is controlled by forces beyond our control and understanding.



6. How It Is
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Another great track that although it is upbeat, has an underlying feel that is dark and depressing – this is perhaps most obvious in the lyrics – although on the surface they seem optimistic, they almost become disillusioned by life and the differences between one’s expectations and one’s reality. The lyrics reflect that everything is dark and gloomy and focuses on the differences ‘between how it is and how it ought to be’.

Despite the gloomy undertones the song is one of the most melodic and interesting on the album. Lifeson continues to surprise us with interesting riffs (in direct contrast to previous albums that highlighted his guitar playing in solos.) The diversity of the musical styles on the album is amazing and this song perhaps highlights the differences – it combines several different styles within one song – it switches between these styles so quickly and easily that we don’t really notice.

I found that the rhythm of the percussion of this song is decidedly subtle, moving you through the song very quickly while cushioning you from the variances of melodies that occur – this clever song intertwines melodies, powerful chords and devilish bass very wickedly.

This is a complete song that in my opinion is perhaps the most likely to succeed on the charts – it isn’t quite the best song on the album but still is an amazi
ng piece of work.

7. Vapor Trail
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The title track to the album is another combination of layered vocal’s with a riff that is subtle and interesting. The layers of vocals seem more akin to a Simon and Garfunkel album than a Rush album – the contrast in melodies isn’t obvious until you listen closely. This is another track that is a ‘team’ effort; the drums produce sounds that normally are only heard from synthesizers – this really shows how talented Peart is; the guitar and bass combine to produces subtle ‘dancing’ tunes that link perfectly with the vocals. The vocals yet again prove how well Lee sings as he takes us through the song almost gently.

The meaning of this song Is very hard to discern; everyone will perhaps get different feelings and thoughts from the lyrics – for me it seems to be saying that what we do in life will mostly disappear – although it often leaves a shadow that although faint can be found if searched for – thus vapor trail is an apt title.


8. Secret Touch

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This is perhaps one of the best opening riffs I have heard in a long time; it sets the scene for the whole song as Lee begins to sing the chorus ‘The Way out is the Way in’ – the riff starts of gently swirling around as if Lifeson is merely touching the strings and not strumming – as the song progresses it converts into a powerful chord combination that is simply classic; this song combines the best of modern day grunge rock music with classic Rush rock to produce a unique sound that is stimulating and interesting – at times it is very heavy and then suddenly it transforms into a melodic tune. This is a classic Rush song that hopefully will be played over and over again. The lyrics are very retrospective telling again of Peart’s journey to healing, and almost thanking his friends (i.
e. Lee and Lifeson) without actually saying thanks! Peart explains in other songs that healing can generally only be achieved by yourself, but within this song he seems to concede that without his friends around him, his friends who were prepared to end their careers for him, he couldn’t have started out on the journey he needed to follow.

This is perhaps the most inspirational song on the album as it touches your soul deeply and really makes you think about things that are important. Musically it is one of the more clever songs on the track combing an opening riff cleverly with an opening chorus to produce an amazing sound.

9-13 Earthshine – Sweet Miracle – Nocturne – Freeze – Out of Cradle
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The final five tracks are all similar songs; Rush continue to explore music and lyrics as they add a harder edge to the final songs. Sweet Miracle is a journey through Peart’s despair as we are swept along in a melodic way through his pain.

Each song has its own idiosyncrasies but general the good old fashioned Rush reappears in these songs with a vengeance. They are experimental to a certain extent, double layering the lyrics and guitars at times, and adding a grunge feel that makes them fit in to today rock world. It is quite interesting to hear a very hard rock line that borders on the grunge rock scene to be suddenly interrupted by Lee’s melodic voice as the song suddenly transforms into progressive rock for a few seconds.

I have not separated them because to me they were weaker than the previous nine tracks; this isn’t saying that they were bad, in fact they each have their moments, they just didn’t grab me in the same way as the above tracks.

Conclusion
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This album was definitely worth the six year wait; it signifies a more mature, musica
lly experienced Rush that are able to comment on their own lives as well as the troubles of the world. As an album it is perhaps the most complete Rush album I have heard for a long time. Musically it is very clever, providing a new spin on the old Rush.

Some have commented that this may be a ‘final goodbye’ from Rush – I do not think so – this album shows that Rush are continually growing and experimenting with music and that shows a desire to continue. It has modernized the Rush sound while still maintaining a sound that is purely Rush.

On a final note, I’ll be interested to see if this album transfers to a live setting; I’ll be at the July 11tth concert in New Jersey USA and somehow wonder how Rush will deliver much of the complexities of the album.

Final Thought
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I am a big Rush fan, but trying to be objective for once, I cannot see how Rush are not in the Rock and Roll hall of fame. Rush have had such a profound effect on modern day music, and although the likes of Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd etc had influences I feel that Rush’s influence is never talked about.

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