Rush - Vapor Trails

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• RUSH VAPOR TRAILS

Music reviews of Vapor Trails

Music Review: Finally, the wait is over...
Rating: 4 Stars

1.)One Little Victory ***
A good album opener, as well as the first single to be released from VT. This rocker is indicative of what can be found on the rest of the album: multi-layered guitars, no keyboards, and Geddy's falsetto (which is complimented nicely by multiple overdubs, something new for Rush).

2.)Ceiling Unlimited *****
An instant classic. Propelled by Alex Lifeson's chordal riffing, this tune is reminiscent of Rush past (especially @ 3:45, where Geddy goes absolutely nuts with his trademark aggressive bass-style). Great lyrics by Neil, with a slight nod to Oscar Wilde ("If culture is the curse of the thinking class...").

3.)Ghost Rider ***1/2
Opening with a mid-tempo bass riff reminiscent of I Mother Earth's "Good For Sule", this song melds with Neil's lyrics perfectly. The theme of soul-searching and positive-thinking can be found through out the whole album, and this song can certainly be interpreted as Neil attempting to find solace on the open road following his tragedies.

4.)Peaceable Kingdom ****
Originally intended to be an instrumental, this tune was over-hauled after the attacks of 9/11. Probably the darkest cut on VT, Neil writes of the hopelessness in convincing the brain-washed into listening to reason ("All this time we're hoping and praying we all might learn/While a billion other teachers are teaching them how to burn..."). A slow and VERY heavy riff (kinda like a variation on Test For Echo's "Half The World") is joined by a very Zeppelinesque riff intermittently
and to great affect.

5.)The Stars Look Down **1/2
A mid-tempo number with a decent falsetto during the chorus, this song kinda leads nowhere. As with the rest of the album, Alex eschews lead solos in favor of chordal/dissonant riffing during the breaks. I think this song would have been so much better with a more traditional solo, as the verse/chorus/verse structure renders the tune uneventful.

6.)How It Is *1/2
The worst tune on the cd, bar none. Very poppy and REM-like. I like REM, but I don't expect them to write songs that sound like "Cygnus X-I" or "Scars"! Rush should sound like RUSH!

7.)Vapor Trail ***1/2
Ahh, back to Rush sounding like they've got a pair! The (almost) title song to the album is a mid-tempo, moody number that sounds like a stripped-down version of Counterpart's "Animate" (especially during the ride-out). Neil's tribal rhythm during the pre-choruses is a very welcome sight (err, sound)!

8.)Secret Touch *****
Alex's clean-toned arpeggio during the opening belies the frantic, prog-rock jam that follows. The band just kicks in this tune. At 6:34, this is the longest song on the album, and not surprisingly, the most unpredictable. Many time signature changes, plus some great treatments made to Geddy's vocal tracks during certain parts. Rush at it's best...impeccable musicianship moving forward into the unknown.

9.)Earthshine *****
Another great cut, featuring Geddy singing like he hasn't in years. Old school fans from the band's classic period (1977-1981)will love this song, as Geddy wails like this was a lost cut from Permanent Waves or Moving Pictures.

10.)Sweet Miracle **
Poised to be the second single from VT, this song is a little too mainstream sounding for my tastes. Geddy sings the title of the song over and over again ad nauseum, though to be fair, this is common through out the whole record. The problem is that it just sounds a little too radio-friendly, with none of that Rush "flair" to bring it to life. Too common for them.

11.)Nocturne ***1/2
The intro to this tune features a nice drum pattern that's quite similar to such Rush 1980's cuts like "Mystic Rhythms", "The Body Electric" and "High Water". Geddy just SCREAMS during the pre-chorus, and as always, Alex is at the head of his game with his sonic guitar "sculpting". A fiery, melodic rocker, if a tad repetitive.

12.)Freeze (Part IV of Fear) ****
Famous for its concept albums and storybook compositions, Rush gave us a multi-song exploration of fear that covered three albums (Moving Picture's "Witch Hunt", Signals "The Weapon", and Grace Under Pressure's "The Enemy Within"). The last thing anybody expected was Rush to revisit this cycle, but oh what a sweet thing it is! The past chapters dealt with mob mentality, outside forces, and self-doubt. This time, Neil writes of the "fight or flight" response and how we deal with it. Musically, Rush shows its chops in this tune, albeit in a more subtle fashion. "Freeze" fits in nicely with the rest of the "Fear" cannon, and hopefully this and the other chapters will be included on the new tour.

13.)Out Of The Cradle ****
Very upbeat and melodic, this song is a fitting end to Vapor Trails. One cannot help but think this is a signal of things to come, that Rush will be back again soon (none of this "I think this is their last album" nonsense! Please, people have been saying this since 1984's "Grace Under Pressure"!)
"Here we come out of the cradle/Endlessly rocking..."

In a nutshell, Vapor Trails is the realization of what Rush has been trying to accomplish for the past couple of albums. Fewer keyboards, more guitars, and vocal-oriented songs have been the norm for Rush since Presto(1989), but Vapor Trails is the first time that this stripped-down style has been presented in such a cohesive, energetic way. The only fault that I find is that synths and instrumental leads should have been included in certain places to add more color to the songs/album (as well as keeping with the classic "spirit" of Rush's famed chops). That said, I still give them four stars as they certainly achieved what they strived to achieve with this record. Old school fans will appreciate these guitar-driven songs, and non-fans just might enjoy the album for its raw, stripped-down sound.

Description of Vapor Trails

Classic Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• Rock