We're inching closer to the R40 concert in Chicago by counting down the Rush studio albums from least-glorious to Moving Pictures.
Will and were wildly disagreeing about No. 17, but we're on the same page as we close out the first quarter of the countdown.
No. 16: Vapor Trails and Vapor Trails Remixed
Released in 2002 and 2013.
Highlights: “Earthshine,” “How it Is,” “Ceiling
Unlimited.”
Least-glorious moments: “Secret Touch.”
Cool Neil Peart lyrical moment:
“Celebrate
the moment
As it
turns into one more
Another
chance at victory
Another
chance to score”
-- “One Little Victory”
This one gets complicated.
As Rush fans, we need to celebrate that the
this album exists at all, because it means the band still existed after a
six-year hiatus following Neil’s well-documented personal tragedies.
So, while thrilled to see a new Rush release
of any kind, the album was still a disappointment. Aside from the unevenness of
the material, the album sounded horrible. The layered vocals were tough to
understand and the instruments sounded like a big pile of mush.
Switch back and forth between Vapor Trails
and Counterparts to hear the difference. “Animate” crackles from the opening
smacks of Neil’s drums, and it’s so crisp that you feel like you’re standing in
the room.
Vapor Trails, in comparison, feels like you’re
listening to someone playing it in the dorm room across the hall with the doors
closed.
Much has been written about the process used
to write the songs, too. Geddy speaks of digitally recording jam sessions with
Alex, then cutting and pasting bits together over the course of 14 months to
make songs that might match with Neil’s lyrics.
It’s a magnetic poetry approach that
generated some wonderful songs, like “Earthshine” and “How it Is.” But, not so
much with large parts of the album.
It was apparent that the band knew there was
something wrong with the sound when remixed version of “Earthshine” and “One
Little Victory” appeared on compilations. The band went and released a completelyremixed version of the album in 2013.
I didn't jump to buy that one. I had the
remixed versions of two of the songs I liked best. And, I felt a little burned
that the band was asking us to buy something a second time, not because it was
including extras or was taking advantage of new technology, but because the
first version was screwed up.
I finally checked out a copy of Vapor Trails
Remixed from my local library last month. It is much better. The instruments
and vocals are more clearly defined. Geddy is still over-layered, but he’s
easier to understand.
First impressions are hard to shake,
especially after 13 years have passed. I’m glad the remix is out there, and
takes the place of the original. But it’s tough to rekindle a friendship that wasn't so strong in the first place.
And it looks like Will is thinking along the same lines:
No. 16: Vapor Trails
Released: 2002
Well, look at that:
We're in perfect agreement. Well, not perfect, because I love Secret Touch, but
this isn't a song list; it's an album list.
Yeah, I was pretty
excited when Rush finally released this album, and my excitement evaporated
almost immediately upon listening. Vapor Trails was a huge move away from Test
for Echo sonically as well as musically, and, of course, Rush was saluted for
returning to their harder rock roots.
I didn't like it. One problem, as Dave mentioned, was the sound. Rush always had overdubbed Geddy's vocals but never to this extent, and the whole album dissolved into mush.
I didn't like it. One problem, as Dave mentioned, was the sound. Rush always had overdubbed Geddy's vocals but never to this extent, and the whole album dissolved into mush.
Of course, that wasn't
going to stop me from seeing the boys live, and I caught their stop in
Cincinnati at the outdoor Riverbend venue on a witheringly sweltering August
day.
Aside from the oppressive heat, the thing that struck me when they struck up the notes on their first song from Vapor Trails -- "Earthshine" --was how GOOD the song sounded. I knew it from the album, but this was WAY better than the album, crisper and cleaner.
That night, they also played "One Little Victory," "Ceiling Unlimited," and "Secret Touch," and it was more of the same:The songs all sounded better live. I haven't heard the remixed version, but I'll take Dave's word for it that it's better.
Here's the band playing "One Little Victory" at the same show.
The larger problem
with this album is ... the songs overall aren't that great. Maybe I need to go
back and listen again, but if it weren't for "Earthshine" and "Secret Touch," I'd
probably have Vapor Trails lower on my list.Aside from the oppressive heat, the thing that struck me when they struck up the notes on their first song from Vapor Trails -- "Earthshine" --was how GOOD the song sounded. I knew it from the album, but this was WAY better than the album, crisper and cleaner.
That night, they also played "One Little Victory," "Ceiling Unlimited," and "Secret Touch," and it was more of the same:The songs all sounded better live. I haven't heard the remixed version, but I'll take Dave's word for it that it's better.
For everyone just catching up, here are the previous rankings:
No comments:
Post a Comment