"Vapor Trails" is the seventeenth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on May 14, 2002, by Atlantic Records. Its total length is 67:15. The band's lineup includes vocalist and bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart. It was the first album since 1975's "Caress of Steel" not to feature synthesizers from the band.
Rush also released a remixed version of the album on September 30, 2013. This was mostly due to the band's dissatisfaction with the original mix that sounded too loud and many of the sounds were lost in the mix. I do prefer the remixed version, its production is far more polished and gives new life to the album.
Rush's previous release "Test for Echo" was disjointed and lacked direction. It was Rush's most unfocused and lackluster effort in their entire discography and is pretty much viewed as the band's weakest album. "Vapor Trails" was a huge step for the band, not only for its much-improved sound but also for the fact that Neil Peart was able to bounce back from the horrible tragedy of losing his daughter and wife shortly after the release of "Test for Echo."
"Vapor Trails" was a popular release as it charted at #6 on the Billboard 200 chart and #3 on the Canadian Albums chart. The strengths of the album are its very heartfelt lyrics, great guitar sounds, its hard rock sound, and its abundance of catchy choruses. The weaknesses of the album include the fairly high number of weaker tracks for a Rush album, the inconsistent nature album, and the somewhat poor production value of the original mix. Here are my thoughts on each track.
1. "One Little Victory" 5:08 (8/10)
"One Little Victory" was Rush's way of stating that they were back and ready to rock. With frantic guitar riffs, bass lines, and drumming, "One Little Victory" demands the listener's attention immediately. Geddy's vocals throw me off a bit though. His voice just does not sound quite right and he tries to go really high sometimes and sounds pretty bad. Still, I love the drumming, bass, and guitar work on the song and the lyrical message it has. "One Little Victory" is one of the best tracks on the entire album.
2. "Ceiling Unlimited" 5:28 (6/10)
"Ceiling Unlimited" begins with a really peaceful sounding guitar riff and the bass lines here are also very good. My problem with "Ceiling Unlimited" is how non-climatic it is. It never really has any impressive parts and overall becomes a somewhat boring listen at times. Geddy's vocals are actually pretty good though and the guitar riffs are very distorted and pleasing to the ear. The guitar solo is definitely my favorite single section of the song, but Geddy's bass work is its most redeeming quality. Lyrically, the song is very good though, but "Ceiling Unlimited" is a pretty average tune overall.
3. "Ghost Rider" 5:41 (8/10)
"Ghost Rider" is one of the most emotional tunes from the entire album. Lyrically, it is very emotional and serious. Lifeson's distorted guitar riffs are marvelous at times and Geddy's bass work is subtle at times, but perfectly fits the track. Vocally, Geddy sounds very good as well. The chorus is definitely one of the best from the album and is my favorite part of the song. "Ghost Rider" is one of the best tracks the album has to offer due to its emotional lyricism and its good musical qualities.
4. "Peaceable Kingdom" 5:23 (4.5/10)
"Peaceable Kingdom" suffers from being so non-climatic and unimpressive. The song sort of meanders and never really has any wow moments. The guitar riffs are fairly heavy and the bass is audible, but the song does not feel complete. Geddy's vocals are fine, but they don't really wow. Neil's drumming is solid, but doesn't really stand out on the album. "Peaceable Kingdom" is very mediocre and really boring.
5. "The Stars Look Down" 4:28 (5.5/10)
"The Stars Look Down" has a very beautiful chorus that is memorable and a peaceful feeling about it. Geddy's vocals sound really weak at times, but as a whole his performance is okay. The songs verses aren't impressive at all, but they are not bad. The verses are just so mediocre though. The guitar solo is really distorted and unique, but it doesn't last long enough and the other instruments are too loud while it's playing. "The Stars Look Down" is an inconsistent track with its moments of brilliance.
6. "How It Is" 4:05 (3/10)
"How It Is" sounds kind of like a U2 song gone bad, honestly. Geddy's vocals are pretty poor during the song. Lifeson's riffs are probably the best thing about the song. I really don't like the chorus. Geddy's vocal delivery during this section of the song is weak at best. "How It Is" does not really have any redeemable qualities and may be the weakest track on the entire album.
7. "Vapor Trail" 4:57 (8.5/10)
"Vapor Trail" is definitely one of the most emotional tracks from the entire album. It has some really nice guitar work from Lifeson that compliments the other instruments perfectly. The bass work is top tier and the drumming is powerful. Neil's lyrics are heartfelt and emotional. The chorus is one of the few meaningful and memorable choruses from the entire album. The guitar solo is very good and is a nice addition to the song. I really enjoy "Vapor Trail" and remains one of the more meaningful tracks on the album.
8. "Secret Touch" 6:34 (9/10)
"Secret Touch" is probably the most catchy song from the entire album. I like Lifeson's guitar riffs and Geddy's fast paced bass lines. Neil's drumming also sounds great. The chorus of the song is fantastic. It's beautiful and really catchy. "Secret Touch" is one of those tracks that you just have to sing along to. "Secret Touch" is one of the few songs that I actually enjoy Geddy's vocal delivery. "Secret Touch" is a very strong song at every level.
9. "Earthshine" 5:38 (9.5/10)
"Earthshine" begins with an awesome heavy guitar riff that is one of my favorite guitar riffs that the band has ever done. Geddy's vocals are good and Neil's drumming is impressive as well. The chorus is the best from the album. It's very anthemic and perfect for being played live. The guitar solo is awesome and full of distortion. I love "Earthshine" and it is definitely the highlight of this album.
10. "Sweet Miracle" 3:40 (7.5/10)
"Sweet Miracle" begins with a quick tempo guitar riff that is very calming and pleasant. Geddy's vocal delivery is enjoyable during most of the track. "Sweet Miracle" has one of the best choruses from the entire album. It is beautiful and easy to sing along to. "Sweet Miracle" does have one downfall and that is the fact there is not anything in particular about it that makes it special. "Sweet Miracle" is still a very nice simple tune.
11. "Nocturne" 4:49 (6/10)
"Nocturne" begins with powerful drums. Soon the drums are joined by an interesting guitar riff. The chorus is a bit strange, but I enjoy it. I really like Geddy's vocal delivery, it really fits the song well, because of its strange style for a somewhat psychedelic track. "Nocturne" suffers from the same fate that many tracks on the album have due to its non climatic nature.
12. "Freeze" 6:21 (6/10)
"Freeze" is the fourth and final part of the fear series. It begins with an eerie guitar and very audible bass. Geddy's vocals are solid and Neil's drumming is also very good. I like the lyrics of the song because they add to the dark atmosphere of the track. "Freeze" shows some promise, but because of an upbeat chorus that really does not keep the dark atmosphere that the song clearly needs. "Freeze" had potential to be a great song, but falls more into the average category.
13. "Out of the Cradle" 5:03 (3.5/10)
"Out of the Cradle" is not exactly a strong closer. Geddy's vocals are poorly delivered for the most part and I really do not enjoy the chorus. Lifeson's riffs are pretty repetitive and boring, Geddy's bass playing is fine, and Neil's drumming is decent. It is a poor closer to the album and continues the album's inconsistent nature.
My Verdict:
"Vapor Trails" is certainly one of Rush's weaker albums in their discography, but it was a huge success for the band to begin making good material again after the tragedy Neil experienced in his life. Many of the songs are beautiful and some of them rock hard. I like the themes of the album and the playing is very good. "Vapor Trails" is an okay release as a whole but is a huge achievement considering the horrible tragedy experienced by Neil Peart.
