It suffered from terrible sound. The remixed version is much better, but I think the record was really destroyed due to recording it in a makeshift studio. I know at the time the band wanted a pressure free environment. The place they were in was fine for writing and rehearsing. They should've ditched that studio and recorded the record at Ocean Way or Henson Recording in Los Angeles (close to where Neil resides) to get the CD properly recorded. I am a real believer in using proper recording studios if a band is financially able to do it. It makes a difference. There are some great tunes on VT. The title track is one of the most underrated songs in Rush's catalog (Geddy agrees), and it is a song they should have performed live. One Little Victory is very inspiring. Ghost Rider, How It Is, Earthshine and Secret Touch are also diamonds.
Matt Smith from my understanding, it was not the recording studio or the process that really killed that album, but rather the mastering. They just nuked it. Total distortion.
Oluwaboriogun Afolabi - That was the other issue. I forgot to mention that. The CD was brickwalled....a victim of the loudness wars (although I think "Clockwork Angels" is even worse than VT in that area). The remix has lowered volume. But still, the recording room wasn't good enough. According to Geddy they actually had to change mixing engineers near the end of the record because the first team had terrible problems mixing the record. That suggests to me that there were problems with the room. Certainly not problems with the recording engineer for VT, Paul Northfield, who engineered Rush's best sounding records. In fact, the room was so bad that according to Paul, the band had to redesign the thing to get better sounds.
It is by far and away my most favorite Rush album. And to me, there is no “certain day”. Every time I listen to it it brings tears to my eyes for one or 1 million different reasons
@@devotrippin Vapor Trails was a strong and solid comeback. It’s hard for me to understand why this record wasn’t so well received. Same with Test For Echo But looking back on Vapor Trails, how it came to be, songs like Ghost Rider, and it being Neil’s comeback (One Little Victory)…. It’s kind of a grim album considering what would happen to Neil beginning 13 or 14 years later You realize that despite his “one little victory” making a comeback through recovery l, he wasn’t out of the woods. It like a curse was lingering and wouldn’t go away
I love Vapor Trails. I must be one of the weirdos that prefers the original release to the remixed. I loved the sense of confusion and anger and aggression in the original that was sterilized out of the remixed version. I will never forget the elation I felt when they opened the show in Dallas; I was so happy to see them again after feeling that chapter had closed. It was made even more special because it was my son's first show - and we never missed another.
I tried to switch to the remixed version, but eventually keep only the original in my library. Although sometimes it gets oversaturated in terms of the sound, but indeed, the remixed one feels just sterilized, even if the objective sound quality is higher.
@@katttok I went through both...both have good points, both have sketchy points, I just liked what they did with the songs live! (And to qualify, I'm more of a live fan than a studio fan, so)
I saw their opening show in Hartford, CT, and it was great. It wasn't until yrs later that I realized why it was so plowerful, and how powerful it was, if that makes any sense.
RUSH is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of the fluidity of MASTERING TIME SIGNATURES! I play drums and there are a few things that you need to know about Neil Peart’s ( pronounced PEER-T) character: First he writes the lyrics so he knows in advance what TYPE of song it’s meant to be ie ballad, driver, etc. Second he COMPOSES on the drums… like a carpenter who looks at a set of blueprints before building the object. Neil lays out a SKETCH in his mind of the VOICES of the drumset and builds the song from there. He is also a great LISTENER knowing when NOT to step over Geddy’s singing or Alex’s solos! Finally, he had perfect timing and fluidity of time changes. He said himself that it’s not about COUNTING the time signatures as much as fluid motion to change the tempo without counting: in other words it should FLOW! He hates repeating the same drum patterns in the same song meaning if he plays a fill one way the first time around he will play it differently the second time around. IE. Rolls down the toms the first time around and triplets or quads (all four limbs) the second time around. In short there will NEVER be another like him on planet earth 🌍 🌏 🌎! REST IN PEACE PROFESSOR! With heart felt admiration and sincerity! Gary
I don't care what ANYBODY says, i REALLY LOVE VAPOR TRAILS!!!! My heart broke for all the horrible heartbreaking shit that Neil had to deal with at that time....... he's my hero!!!! Jump on your bike and just take off riding...... see ya when i see ya!!!
Loved this record, I was lucky enough to be in Hartford for the first show of the tour and it was one of the most emotionally uplifting experiences of my life. The crowd was amazing and the boys seemed sooooo happy on stage. Best concert experience ever.
One of their absolute best. The emotion is really what gets me with every listen. I feel sorry for the people that don’t find something inspirational in every phase of this band. They really don’t know what they’re missing.
My son’s first concert I’m happy to say. Pittsburgh. 2002? He was 8 yrs old. We were 9 rows back. Dead nuts center. Which means we were right in front of Neil. As a drummer, I had been trying to figure out the sticking for One Little Victory. Couldn’t get it. Then I saw him do it. “OF COURSE!!!” RIP Professor. Never to be forgotten.
Coming to think of it, this record got me through a lot of rough stuff in my life. The songs whilst being about heartache still have a positive attitude about them. It’s a sort of a rebellion against pain.
I agree. In fact, I'd go as far to say that VT and CA are two of Rush's most defining re-inventions as a band. VT being a gift to Alex to overlay guitars like Geddy did to synths in the mid to late eighties, and CA as a recap of sorts, with an absolute perfect swan song. RUSH are truly a band for good people of the earth.
I think this album is one of their best. I do think that Permanent waves is their epic defining album, but this album speaks to me in so many levels. I love it and is the one I most listen to these days, these past ten years really.
Rush is impressive not only for the obvious but, for their musical growth being so evident in their more recent recordings. Their material is always marked by a willingness to explore that vast reservoir they have tapped into. Their musicianship is so unique and always ready for a challenge. Neil will be greatly missed. After all, Neil is the most influential drummer ever. Neil Peart University Alumni ( TM )
The last of the grinder's... permanent and lasting visual impressions inside their Music out there on the road grinding it out.. 40+ years.. Vapor Trail's Is truly some of the best they "have" not had --ever written.. the performance was impressive...the Ghostriders story is-- Timeless and Human... the work they had done was some of the most important work they ever completed... I look forward to welcoming the music back , ...but until then I have my own Mental Jukebox full of my heroes ....even if I were to fall deaf 000---oh the sounds I do hear .. thanks, Rush - Alex, Geddy, Neil...
One of their best. As an audio engineer and musician, it's clear that there was distortion(not the good kind) in the original recording/mix/master process. SO happy they sorted that out in the remixed release!
I have been playing my Geddy Lee Fender Jazz Bass for 14 years... I have become OK...I had not listened to this album since 202-2003 being that I was going thru a difficult time then and just ignored it.. I played it about 1000 times easily with the Vapor Trails, Secret Touch and Earthshine being the Triduum of this album. Now that I have listened to it again with good expertise... I am at amazement of the difficulty of the bass playing ... Geddy quickness matching the intervals of Neil ... well,, The Triduum is even more amazing listening now... I have listened to the Triduum about 100 times now and the bass is becoming me..
The entire world owes a debt of gratitude to the 3 gentlemen of RUSH. Without the sorrowful tragedy of Neil's experiences, this album masterpiece would not exist.
Hearing all the struggles they went through, they came out as a much stronger band after this period. And I agree with most people in these comments, Vapor Trails is one of their best albums, along with Snakes and Arrows, so much intensity in those 2 albums.
Geddy and Alex are such engaging guys who have so much to say that has meaning. I liked a few of the tracks on that album but to me it represented the return from a certain ending. Earth Shine is great and moving.
Geddy once said in an interview "when something like this hits, you don't want to do the wrong thing. You don't want to try to comfort them and find out that you're only just comforting yourself" I don't think any interviewers should've *ever* asked *any* of them about it. You know what happened. You can only imagine how he felt. But unlike a news reporter or paparazzi, you should have common sense to avoid that subject.
Just Joyously saw Cinema Strangiato, and very hungry for more Rush! VT's is a very mystical piece for them, to me its more Yang or Dark than Bright but not negative. Rush is a Religion :)
Every Rush fan had a different listen to this album, after a tragedy in the lyricist of the band,I had to take a different listen to this album. Yes,a whole bunch was going on in the music, but I listened between the lines..
I'm amazed at how one can say this or that album is the best that rush has done because, to me, any album I'm currently listening to by them is the "best".
Vapor Trails is one of those albums that speaks to you at particular moments in your life. Some Rush albums fit almost any time or feeling but this one, as a whole, is more particular. For me it is one of their great albums but I can understand why it doesn’t speak to everyone all of the time.
These guys are more like marriage councilors than Musicians. they are so "real" and down to earth individuals, not putting them higher than anyone else. True gentlemen and professionals and Artist!
I like Vapor Trails. It’s a sad album for many reasons, some obvious. But despite the “we are back!” vibe, I wondered at the time if that was the end of Rush. That was sad for me.
the state of our global music industry now it Is important for interviews to be about the song writing, how songs are put together - there is simply so much mechanical - the creative process is somewhat ignored and denied - they are true geniuses
Out of all the interviews I did on my cable show (Megadeth, Blind Melon, WASP, King's X, Primus, Vince Neil, Brett Michaels etc.) - 'The Metal Mike Show' - I never managed to reach Rush. 😐 "sigh"
Virtually everyone agrees that the original VT was “over baked” mix-wise. But it’s odd to me that after decades of making records they would somehow forget how to mix an album.
Seeing Anthony DeCurtis interview Rush is just, well, weird. I would be willing to bet that he hasn't listened to many Rush records over the years. He even admitted one time to being a stereotypical critic that dislikes prog rock. This interview was simply an assignment.
Would it be fair to call this album Rush's "St. Anger"? I mean, it's infinitely more listenable than that Metallica album, but there are several analogous comparisons that can be made. Both albums were made by their respective bands after an extended break from making any new music. Both were significant departures from the bands' usual sounds. And both were looked upon unfavorably by a majority of fans (although it'd be fair to call the reaction to Vapor Trails more "mixed" than overwhelmingly negative). I've grown to appreciate this album over the years, and to be honest, I think I prefer the original release over the remix they did in 2013.
What happened at 26.20? Awful audio and camera work, and did anyone do any research for the interviewer at the 30.30 mark as why they were away for so long? Good stuff before that though.
It's not the first record I would use to introduce a friend to Rush, that would probably be Permanent Waves. Vapor Trails is a hard listen for me. Besides the original master suffering from terminal clipping, there are not a lot of classic Rush elements in there. Most of the songs barely break a sweat on the bpm scale, and its lack of guitar solos and 'drumnastics' make Vapor Trails an odd addition to the Rush catalogue.
Not many fans seem to be big on Vapor Trails. I think its one of their best. Very emotional charged.
It suffered from terrible sound. The remixed version is much better, but I think the record was really destroyed due to recording it in a makeshift studio. I know at the time the band wanted a pressure free environment. The place they were in was fine for writing and rehearsing. They should've ditched that studio and recorded the record at Ocean Way or Henson Recording in Los Angeles (close to where Neil resides) to get the CD properly recorded. I am a real believer in using proper recording studios if a band is financially able to do it. It makes a difference. There are some great tunes on VT. The title track is one of the most underrated songs in Rush's catalog (Geddy agrees), and it is a song they should have performed live. One Little Victory is very inspiring. Ghost Rider, How It Is, Earthshine and Secret Touch are also diamonds.
One of their best. Don't care for the remixed version. The heavy sound totally suited the project.
Matt Smith from my understanding, it was not the recording studio or the process that really killed that album, but rather the mastering. They just nuked it. Total distortion.
Vapor Trails is one of my favorite albums.
Oluwaboriogun Afolabi - That was the other issue. I forgot to mention that. The CD was brickwalled....a victim of the loudness wars (although I think "Clockwork Angels" is even worse than VT in that area). The remix has lowered volume. But still, the recording room wasn't good enough. According to Geddy they actually had to change mixing engineers near the end of the record because the first team had terrible problems mixing the record. That suggests to me that there were problems with the room. Certainly not problems with the recording engineer for VT, Paul Northfield, who engineered Rush's best sounding records. In fact, the room was so bad that according to Paul, the band had to redesign the thing to get better sounds.
Vapor Trails is my favorite Rush album. It is soo deep and heavy. It touches my heart. And, on a certain day, can bring a tear to my eye.
It is by far and away my most favorite Rush album. And to me, there is no “certain day”. Every time I listen to it it brings tears to my eyes for one or 1 million different reasons
@@devotrippin Vapor Trails was a strong and solid comeback. It’s hard for me to understand why this record wasn’t so well received. Same with Test For Echo
But looking back on Vapor Trails, how it came to be, songs like Ghost Rider, and it being Neil’s comeback (One Little Victory)…. It’s kind of a grim album considering what would happen to Neil beginning 13 or 14 years later
You realize that despite his “one little victory” making a comeback through recovery l, he wasn’t out of the woods. It like a curse was lingering and wouldn’t go away
I love Vapor Trails. I must be one of the weirdos that prefers the original release to the remixed. I loved the sense of confusion and anger and aggression in the original that was sterilized out of the remixed version. I will never forget the elation I felt when they opened the show in Dallas; I was so happy to see them again after feeling that chapter had closed. It was made even more special because it was my son's first show - and we never missed another.
Don't worry you're not a weirdo, I very much prefer the original recording over the remixed too.
Robert Ritter I’ve never heard the original before I’ve only heard the remixed version
I tried to switch to the remixed version, but eventually keep only the original in my library. Although sometimes it gets oversaturated in terms of the sound, but indeed, the remixed one feels just sterilized, even if the objective sound quality is higher.
@@katttok I went through both...both have good points, both have sketchy points, I just liked what they did with the songs live! (And to qualify, I'm more of a live fan than a studio fan, so)
I saw their opening show in Hartford, CT, and it was great. It wasn't until yrs later that I realized why it was so plowerful, and how powerful it was, if that makes any sense.
More man hours spent on Ghost Rider than the other songs... TOTALLY. WORTH. IT.
RUSH is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of the fluidity of MASTERING TIME SIGNATURES! I play drums and there are a few things that you need to know about Neil Peart’s ( pronounced PEER-T) character: First he writes the lyrics so he knows in advance what TYPE of song it’s meant to be ie ballad, driver, etc. Second he COMPOSES on the drums… like a carpenter who looks at a set of blueprints before building the object. Neil lays out a SKETCH in his mind of the VOICES of the drumset and builds the song from there. He is also a great LISTENER knowing when NOT to step over Geddy’s singing or Alex’s solos! Finally, he had perfect timing and fluidity of time changes. He said himself that it’s not about COUNTING the time signatures as much as fluid motion to change the tempo without counting: in other words it should FLOW! He hates repeating the same drum patterns in the same song meaning if he plays a fill one way the first time around he will play it differently the second time around. IE. Rolls down the toms the first time around and triplets or quads (all four limbs) the second time around. In short there will NEVER be another like him on planet earth 🌍 🌏 🌎! REST IN PEACE PROFESSOR!
With heart felt admiration and sincerity!
Gary
This was Rush coming back to life. This was one of the best records they have ever done.
I don't care what ANYBODY says, i REALLY LOVE VAPOR TRAILS!!!!
My heart broke for all the horrible heartbreaking shit that Neil had to deal with at that time....... he's my hero!!!! Jump on your bike and just take off riding...... see ya when i see ya!!!
Loved this record, I was lucky enough to be in Hartford for the first show of the tour and it was one of the most emotionally uplifting experiences of my life. The crowd was amazing and the boys seemed sooooo happy on stage. Best concert experience ever.
Nocturne is Rush's most underrated track. It's incredible
One of their absolute best. The emotion is really what gets me with every listen.
I feel sorry for the people that don’t find something inspirational in every phase of this band.
They really don’t know what they’re missing.
Vapor Trails..is one of the best Rock albums ever made. Ceiling unlimited... is my favourite track.
My son’s first concert I’m happy to say. Pittsburgh. 2002? He was 8 yrs old. We were 9 rows back. Dead nuts center. Which means we were right in front of Neil. As a drummer, I had been trying to figure out the sticking for One Little Victory. Couldn’t get it. Then I saw him do it. “OF COURSE!!!” RIP Professor. Never to be forgotten.
Coming to think of it, this record got me through a lot of rough stuff in my life. The songs whilst being about heartache still have a positive attitude about them. It’s a sort of a rebellion against pain.
One of my favorite albums! I’m hard core old school Rush, but this album really speaks to me.
The original Vapor Trails record is one of my favorite, all-time records. Fantastic, in so many respects.
Definitely one of their best albums.
I agree. In fact, I'd go as far to say that VT and CA are two of Rush's most defining re-inventions as a band. VT being a gift to Alex to overlay guitars like Geddy did to synths in the mid to late eighties, and CA as a recap of sorts, with an absolute perfect swan song.
RUSH are truly a band for good people of the earth.
I agree! Such great energy. Out of the Cradle is so great!
I think this album is one of their best. I do think that Permanent waves is their epic defining album, but this album speaks to me in so many levels. I love it and is the one I most listen to these days, these past ten years really.
Rush is impressive not only for the obvious but, for their musical growth being so evident in their more recent recordings. Their material is always marked by a willingness to explore that vast reservoir they have tapped into. Their musicianship is so unique and always ready for a challenge. Neil will be greatly missed. After all, Neil is the most influential drummer ever. Neil Peart University Alumni ( TM )
The last of the grinder's... permanent and lasting visual impressions inside their Music
out there on the road grinding it out.. 40+ years..
Vapor Trail's Is truly some of the best they "have" not had --ever written..
the performance was impressive...the Ghostriders story is-- Timeless and Human...
the work they had done was some of the most important work they ever completed...
I look forward to welcoming the music back ,
...but until then I have my own Mental Jukebox full of my heroes
....even if I were to fall deaf 000---oh the sounds I do hear ..
thanks, Rush - Alex, Geddy, Neil...
One of their best. As an audio engineer and musician, it's clear that there was distortion(not the good kind) in the original recording/mix/master process. SO happy they sorted that out in the remixed release!
I love the remix version it realy brings out Alex’s guitar work that was muddled in the original
I have been playing my Geddy Lee Fender Jazz Bass for 14 years... I have become OK...I had not listened to this album since 202-2003 being that I was going thru a difficult time then and just ignored it.. I played it about 1000 times easily with the Vapor Trails, Secret Touch and Earthshine being the Triduum of this album. Now that I have listened to it again with good expertise... I am at amazement of the difficulty of the bass playing ... Geddy quickness matching the intervals of Neil ... well,, The Triduum is even more amazing listening now... I have listened to the Triduum about 100 times now and the bass is becoming me..
The entire world owes a debt of gratitude to the 3 gentlemen of RUSH. Without the sorrowful tragedy of Neil's experiences, this album masterpiece would not exist.
a debt of gratitude?
Vapor trails is one of their best by far! I absolutely love that album
a gentle hand, a secret touch on the heart...
One of my top 5 Rush albums... opening of "One Little Victory" was a great welcome back.
Luv this album soooo much.
Hearing all the struggles they went through, they came out as a much stronger band after this period. And I agree with most people in these comments, Vapor Trails is one of their best albums, along with Snakes and Arrows, so much intensity in those 2 albums.
Geddy and Alex are such engaging guys who have so much to say that has meaning. I liked a few of the tracks on that album but to me it represented the return from a certain ending. Earth Shine is great and moving.
Geddy once said in an interview "when something like this hits, you don't want to do the wrong thing. You don't want to try to comfort them and find out that you're only just comforting yourself"
I don't think any interviewers should've *ever* asked *any* of them about it. You know what happened. You can only imagine how he felt. But unlike a news reporter or paparazzi, you should have common sense to avoid that subject.
@@jsullivan2112 I wonder if that would explain Alex's unassuming/somber vibe during these interviews.
I love this album I remember a lot of thing of it. earth shine one little victory all of it it's great.
I love vapor trails, how it is! great tune!!!
Did I have a dream? Or, did the dream have me? … I dreamt that Rush was coming to town again. I was overjoyed. Then I woke… and wept.
You were most certainly had!
I never saw this one ! Great sound on here wonderful comeback. I regret not seeing the tour.
Loved this album very heavy, and sounds exactly like the era it was written in, yet is still undeniably RUSH
I have said it before and I will say it again ... God bless RUSH
I love Vapor Trails!!! I just bought Snakes And Arrows and Clockwork Angels!!
Forget the music for a minute. The friendship is the real takeaway here!
Just Joyously saw Cinema Strangiato, and very hungry for more Rush! VT's is a very mystical piece for them, to me its more Yang or Dark than Bright but not negative. Rush is a Religion :)
Every Rush fan had a different listen to this album, after a tragedy in the lyricist of the band,I had to take a different listen to this album. Yes,a whole bunch was going on in the music, but I listened between the lines..
Secret touch is a favorite of mine..and earth shine, just heavy.
I'm amazed at how one can say this or that album is the best that rush has done because, to me, any album I'm currently listening to by them is the "best".
This album is part of the soundtrack of my life in the '00. Love this album and the remix.
Vapor trails especially the remixed version geddy. Said it now sounds the way it should have been. It’s so good!!!!!
I love Rush Rush through Clockwork Angels loved them all!
I love Vapor Trails
Vapor Trails is one of those albums that speaks to you at particular moments in your life. Some Rush albums fit almost any time or feeling but this one, as a whole, is more particular. For me it is one of their great albums but I can understand why it doesn’t speak to everyone all of the time.
These guys are more like marriage councilors than Musicians. they are so "real" and down to earth individuals, not putting them higher than anyone else. True gentlemen and professionals and Artist!
I like Vapor Trails. It’s a sad album for many reasons, some obvious. But despite the “we are back!” vibe, I wondered at the time if that was the end of Rush. That was sad for me.
the state of our global music industry now it Is important for interviews to be about the song writing, how songs are put together - there is simply so much mechanical - the creative process is somewhat ignored and denied - they are true geniuses
I loved VAPOR TRAILS...
What superlative musicians...from this level of playing how can they be humble Canadians.
Vapor Trails was a strong and solid comeback. It’s hard for me to understand why this record wasn’t so well received. Same with Test For Echo
great interview, thanks for posting!
Out of all the interviews I did on my cable show (Megadeth, Blind Melon, WASP, King's X, Primus, Vince Neil, Brett Michaels etc.) - 'The Metal Mike Show' - I never managed to reach Rush. 😐 "sigh"
The coolest ive ever seen geddy look
Men Stood With Their Sons and Wept at the Final Tour in 2015 I Was One Of Them
Always Toward The Clearing Skies
I met Geddy just before Vapor Trails was released.Difficult for Rush after 5 years of being absent not playing or practicing.
You can really see Alex get intense over Secret Touch
man, how was this 20 years ago? Seems like yesterday
Hey LIFESON, where's my twenty bucks !!
Dream of a Peaceable Kingdom
Virtually everyone agrees that the original VT was “over baked” mix-wise. But it’s odd to me that after decades of making records they would somehow forget how to mix an album.
Great album, love it. Don’t listen to the detractors.
Seeing Anthony DeCurtis interview Rush is just, well, weird. I would be willing to bet that he hasn't listened to many Rush records over the years. He even admitted one time to being a stereotypical critic that dislikes prog rock. This interview was simply an assignment.
Lol
Poor Neil :((
🐐🐐🐐
Frankly, I can't believe how they came up with these songs.
Would it be fair to call this album Rush's "St. Anger"? I mean, it's infinitely more listenable than that Metallica album, but there are several analogous comparisons that can be made. Both albums were made by their respective bands after an extended break from making any new music. Both were significant departures from the bands' usual sounds. And both were looked upon unfavorably by a majority of fans (although it'd be fair to call the reaction to Vapor Trails more "mixed" than overwhelmingly negative). I've grown to appreciate this album over the years, and to be honest, I think I prefer the original release over the remix they did in 2013.
This is more like their Death Magnetic lol
🎸🥁🎸
Which Rush album was their first to record in a DAW?
What happened at 26.20? Awful audio and camera work, and did anyone do any research for the interviewer at the 30.30 mark as why they were away for so long? Good stuff before that though.
These guys left it all in the studio. Then left it all again every night on stage.
Its not the Heat its the Inhumanity
It's not the first record I would use to introduce a friend to Rush, that would probably be Permanent Waves. Vapor Trails is a hard listen for me. Besides the original master suffering from terminal clipping, there are not a lot of classic Rush elements in there. Most of the songs barely break a sweat on the bpm scale, and its lack of guitar solos and 'drumnastics' make Vapor Trails an odd addition to the Rush catalogue.
Rip
🎼👦👨🏻🧑🏻🎶 🎙
Great music but the mix is terrible
The remaster is much better. Check it out!
I love Vapor Trails