Rush - Vapor Trails
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Free Music Notes for Vapor Trails
Free Music Review: Rush's hardest album to date
Hit: 5 Stars
The last time you heard new Rush was 1996's Test For Echo. For the longest time, people thought breakup, band member leaving. Flash forward 5 1/2 years later and they're rocking harder than they ever have. The one thing about this album is that there is a LOT of guitar overdubs. One will be doing one thing while another one will be layered doing another.One Little Victory: The first single of the album. Many drummers say Neil Peart is an influence and they picked well. The track opens with a brutal beat before the guitars kick in, then the bass and they're off. Contains a very odd solo by Lifeson. ...
Ceiling Unlimited: This is a great track. In the chorus, I have to admit, Geddy sounds cool when he sings this. The verse has a very "fun" sounding bassline. ...
Ghost Rider: On Moving Pictures there's a track called Red Barchetta which is about a car. This song isn't about a car but it gives you the feeling you're travelling somewhere. During the opening verse, there's a cool guitar line playing. This could be a very good live song. ...
Peaceable Kingdom: Rush's response to 9/11. The guitars sound VERY distorted like you can barely hear the chords. A lot of lyrics deal with cards in this song. Even in the liner notes, there's a picture of a card. This is a very good song but it's just those guitars. Of course it's a very raw album which is just as good....
The Stars Looked Down: The lyrics can be interpreted as Peart's recent loss of his wife and daughter couple years ago. A song with a lot of overdubs as well. This song is ok, it's not a bad song but it's one of the good piles rather than the awesome piles. Contains finally a solo by Lifeson. Nothing amazing, just played fast. ...
How It Is: This one is a lot of people's favourites. It's another song I'd add in the good pile. It does have potential to be the next single. It reminded me of R.E.M. The verse rocks hard and then it slows down in the chorus with strummed guitar chords. It's a very optimistic song. It'll grow on me....
Vapor Trail: Peart's back to the space-y lyrics.... This actually has a great chorus with some background vocals sounding like tribal chants. This is actually a song that grew on me fast. Has a lot of great lyrics. ...
Secret Touch: Has a vocalizing part by Geddy on the lyric "the way out is a way in." This is one of my favourites. This would also be a great live song. Lot of overdubs in this one. ...
Earthshine: Opens up with a very heavy riff. This would make an excellent live song. This would be a great song to blast in your car. Has a very different sounding solo in the song. Sounds very easy. ...
Sweet Miracle: This also could be a good single. Lyrically it can also be brought by Peart's recent losses. Has a very catchy chorus and some vocalizing by Geddy close to the end. It's a very good song. ...
Nocturne: Opens with a very driving drum beat which leads into the verse. The chorus has quite a bit of guitars. Has a cool lyric "Did I have a dream or did the dream have me?" It's a very rocking song. ...
Freeze: This is part IV in the Fear set which contains The Enemy Within, The Weapon and Witch Hunt. This is my favourite on the album. Opens up with a fast sounding bassline and the guitars join in with harmonics. Big sounding guitars in the next part. Right after the chorus is this excellent bridge with clean guitars. Even sounds like synth in the background. ...
Out Of The Cradle: This song is probably my least favourite. Mind you, IMO there isn't any bad Rush song but this one hasn't held my attention much. Lately the closers to the albums have been excellent: You Bet Your Life, Everyday Glory, Carve Away The Stone but this one doesn't really fit well. Secret Touch was actually at one point the final song which I thought would've fit nicer. But it's still good...not great though. ...
Free Music Review: Rush does it 5 Stars
Think about it.....How many bands can keep coming out with new material that sounds fresh, new, inventive and interesting enough to keep you popping that disc back in the player for There's NO boudt about it, the album is 'chalk full' of guitar, bass, and drum 'tidbits' which reminds me that Rush are true masters of their instruments.I want to say that I have been playing drums for close to 20 years, and as any musician will tell you, the better you get...the better you realize how good the masters are!
I have been a Rush fan since I was 10 years old, when I heard 'Natural Science' and was blown away by Geddy's singing and the songs energy!!!(Yes, even a kid can easily notice true talent!!!!) Anyways, this is relevent because I feel that I have grown up with the band, and can always relate to their changes that keep them growing.
I should also point out that anyone who thinks that Neil's drumming is mediocre, give 'freeze' or 'peaceable kingdom' another listen. Only 'genious' can make a difficult song sound as if it is simple. He has come along way with his 'rythmic flow' and I know he has worked very hard to acheive this. Don't get me wrong when I say this about a band like Dream Theater, who are amazing musicians who I deeply respect and enjoy. However, a song should be more than just 5 minutes of trying to show the world how good, or fast, or difficult you can be. After all, you should always play an instrument to serve the song, and to keep it flowing forward, which can mean straight ahead or difficult parts depending on which serves the song the best. Rush never forgets this.
Lyrics on this album are perfect! Subtle tones from Sept. 11 and Neil's own tragedies knit their way throughout this album, without making you feel that life is hopeless. This is why I feel that the 'care free' emotion of the album, as a whole, seems to work magically together. (Isn't it cool that after this long, Neil's influence as a kid, Keith Moon, for the first time becomes apparent within the end of 'One Little Victory'?)
I thinks that's pretty
The album, as a whole, works beautiful. I have been working on a deck on the weekends, and must have played the CD about 8 times in a row on those days. Also, whoever would come and visit would comment on the album. That says a lot, especially when Geddy's voice is usually not socialy acceptable!
True gems:
Ceiling Unlimited(Tons of energy... to the point where something should explode), Peaceable kingdom(Great lyrics and great flow... I think should be the next single), The Stars Look Down(Great guitar...and great beauty within this song), Vapor Trail (Great overall emotion...great lyrics), Earthsine(Great kick-[bottom] straight ahead rock song), Freeze(You figure it out...AWSOME) and Out of the Cradle(Amazing energy...and a great way to end the CD, as if to say we're not going away anytime soon and that life carries on!!!!!!!).
I feel that without the keyboards it gives Geddy and Alex more room to interact with each other, rather than working around a common theme, which could have arose from a keyboard riff.
PLEASE, if you assume that this album is no good, because the guys have been around for a long time, or they have been off for too long, or they are too ugly, or scream too much, or whatever, I think you are missing some of the greatest rock music of the last decade!!!!!!! Once you listen to it (it takes a few listens to soak up all the parts) you will not be dissapointed!!!!!!!
GREAT ALBLUM FROM A GREAT BAND
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GEDDY, YOUR VOICE IS SOUNDING MORE AMAZING EVERY ALBUM!
THAT'S HOW IT IS, AND HOW IT OUGHT TO Music Review: One BIG victory for Rush: They're back with "Vapor Trails"!
Hit: 5 Stars The first Rush studio album since 1996's "Test for Echo," and the first thing released since 1998's "Different Stages" live collection, Vapor Trails shows Rush is back and still rocking hard after almost thirty years of their present incarnation. Vapor Trails opens with the bombastic, powerful single "one Little Victory." It's a great song, and sets the stage well for the rest of the 67+ minute album. The great thing about the album is the same that's great about all the other Rush albums: it's different from their previous material. Rush has always explored new musical ideas and experimented with different sounds and styles, and that's what makes them one of my favorite bands. But in doing so, they also maintain their trademark distinctive sound, so there is no mistake you are listening to Rush. The album should please new fans who enjoyed "One Little Victory," as well as diehard fans such as myself. Of particular interest to seasoned fans is track 12, titled "Freeze." It's part IV of the "Fear" trilogy, which was started on the 1981 masterpiece "Moving Pictures," with "Witch Hunt"(part III of Fear), and continued with "The Weapon"(part II of Fear)on Signals, and "The Enemy Within" (part I) on "Grace Under Pressure. All the songs that are parts of "Fear" are great works of musical and lyrical genius, and all the albums that contain these songs are great achievements. "Vapor Trails" is no exception. All the songs are superb, Vapor Trail, Earthshine, Nocturne, Freeze, One Little Victory, Ghost Rider, Peacable Kingdom, Ceiling Unlimited, Sweet Miracle, Secret Touch, And the Stars lookd Down, and Out of the Cradle are all magnificent. The only song that slumps for me is How it Is, but it is still good. The songs feature interesting time signatures, Amazing vocal harmonies and wonderful bass playing by Geddy, great riffs from Alex, and tasteful yet complex drumming and excellent lyrics from the master, Neil Peart. It took me awhile to get used to the change in sound and the different feel on this album, but repeated listening has proved that this is a great musical achievement for the band.It has some similarities to the sound of "Test For Echo" (a great album, I don't care what anybody says), but ultimatley has a more "go for it" feel to it. If there was one word I would use to describe the album, it would either be confident or bold. everybody was unsure of how good the quality of the album after the break for Neil's tragedies, but I feel they've proved they've still got it. It's all here, Great playing, intelligent and philosophical lyrics, and well-crafted songs. The biggest treats for me were Geddy's better-than-ever vocals in combination with Peart's fantastic lyrics, and Peart's awesome fills and innovative and musical patterns, especially in Vapor Trail, Nocturne, Freeze, Earthshine, Ceiling Unlimited, and Ghost Rider, my favorites from the album, but I could just as easily write sown every song under my favorite moments ont he album, they've all got something nteresting to offer. I also think it's interesting how they approached "Peacable Kingdom," a song about the September 11th events. Rather than being a tale of remorse and anger, it's a cry out about how we should all be learning to live together, and to think logically and try to fix problems before acting on emotion and hatred/prejudice (similar to the persecutional lyrics of "With Hunt"). I could go on forever, but you really just have to listen for yourself. Go buy this album, it's an exceptional album from some of the most innovative musical geniuses in rock. Long Live Rush!
Free Music Review: A meticulous, powerful rock blitz.
Hit: 5 Stars
It took me several listens to start enjoying this album. It definitely rock hard, but it's also Rush's most complex album in many years, with a recording that perhaps needed some more clarity.That said, I think the songwriting is outstanding. Initially I have to admit all the songs kind of bled together indistinguishably and it was a difficult album to listen to. However, as I began to dissect the music, I found I liked it quite a bit! Complex textures abound on this album, as Alex Lifeson explores textural washes with his guitar. Lifeson sounds more energized than he's sounded in years, and with NO keyboards, his space in the mix is huge. Back is the determined interplay between guitar & bass, and the grooves are endless. Geddy Lee is experimenting with his voice a little more too. He takes a few opportunities to sing at the highest ranges he has in years. No screaming, but high nonetheless.
I've only had this album for a little while now, and I'm pretty excited about it. I've been listening to it a lot, and I see where the songs are going to get their lasting appeal. At face value, everything is pretty rocking and there's great riffs on just about every song. Complexity is revealed over the course of many listens. Your ear will be initially hooked by a catchy riff or a slick bass line. Further listening reveals plenty of guitar overdubs, intricate syncopations, complex counterpoints, and great drumming. Neil Peart is awesome on this album -- his monster grooves are everywhere. Some of his lyrics are markedly more personal this time around, which is an interesting change.
My only problem lies in the distortion on Lifeson's guitar. On Vapor Trails he has essentially changed into a textural player. Some of the chord structures are just too complex to be played out with the buzzing distortion effects he has here, and some textures degenerate into little more than noise.
The songs are excellent: "One Little Victory" is a riff-monster, hard and aggressive; "Vapor Trail" moves between an clean electric sheen and a distorted frenzy; "Earthshine" is mysterious, ethereal and heavy; "Ghost Rider", is built on an incredible groove with coruscating guitar textures, detailed arrangements, and inspiring melodies. "How It Is" begins with guitar chords recalling a lullaby, then it twists into a crisp groove of ringing guitars and humming bass. Also interesting is "Peacable Kingdom", a very complex piece musically. Lyrically, it has been called a response to September 11, but since it was written before that fateful day, it seems more eerily prophetic. Look at these lines:
"All this time we're shuffling and laying out our cards
While a billion other dealers are slipping past our guards
And all this time we're hoping and praying that we might learn
While a billion other teachers are teaching them how to burn"
The song is also clever because of how it works in metaphors of Tarot (?) cards into the subject matter. Peart's still a great lyricist.
In the end, I'd say this is Rush's best album in many years. As Peart writes in "Out of the Cradle", "Here we come out of the cradle, endlessly rocking." Since that's the last song, I hope this is a sneaky message that the band will continue to make music. Over the years, they've proven to be one of my favorite artists and Vapor Trails is a very strong return in my opinion. Most Rush fans have probably picked it up already, but if you've been hesitant, I encourage you to give it a try.
Free Music Review: Best Rush album in a long time
Hit: 5 Stars
I mean no disrespect to the Rush albums "Counterparts" and "Test For Echo" - both of which I like very much - but this album is better than those, and beats the pants off of Rush's failed attempt at Funk, "Roll the Bones."The album starts with a bombastic Neil Peart drum part, which leads into the single "One Little Victory." At once, the band seems to be announcing "we're back!" With it's wall-of-sound, "One Little Victory" leads the listener into believing that VAPOR TRAILS is going to be another TEST FOR ECHO. It's not. This album is something completely new for Rush... a big step forward, and a true artistic achievement.
Rush purists will be happy to hear that there are NO KEYBOARDS on this CD. None. Geddy Lee isn't even credited on the jacket as having played keyboards (just bass and vocals). Surprisingly, there are also no guitar solos on the disc (or very few)! These two provisions - no keyboards and no guitar solos - were part of Alex Lifeson's agenda when making the CD, and the listener doesn't feel the album is missing anything. But think back... when was the last time a Rush song didn't have a guitar solo? I can't think of any... they ALL have guitar solos! Not on this disc.
Not to say that there isn't a big guitar presence on the CD. There is! Layers and layers of hard-rocking guitar!
Geddy Lee's voice is often layered, too, and it's never sounded this good. Taken as a whole, VAPOR TRAILS features Lee's best vocals ever. The band obviously spent a lot of time layering the vocals and working with the meter of the lyrics to get a good sound, and the hard work pays in spades.
Lee's Fender Jazz bass can be heard offering 'twiddly bits' on every track. It sounds amazing; Lee's style of playing on the past couple of Rush albums has been labeled "flamenco bass," and here on VT, this technique of his really sounds great. There are times where the tone and speed of Lee's basslines would suggest that he's playing with a pick, though he never has in the past.
For fans who have spent the last five years wondering whether or not the personal tragedies suffered by drummer/lyricist Neil Peart would creep into Rush's lyrics, or if the events of 9/11/01 would affect the lyrics, I offer this:
"Peaceable Kingdom," one of the last tracks written for VT, is a 9/11/01 song. Most of the songs for the CD had been written prior to September 11th, but not this one. With it's political theme and the Tarot card "The Tower" reprinted alongside the lyrics, this is undoubtedly a 9/11 song. The rest of the tracks on the disc, while not speaking of Peart's tragedies outright, can easily be shown to reflect his grief and healing/recovery in recent years.
The album rocks from start to finish! There's only one mid-tempo song on the entire CD ("Ghost Rider") and only brief moments of 'mellow-ness' on the other tracks. The rest is hard-rocking progressive music.
Rush have released a disc that is something entirely new, but still has a distinct Rush stamp. With VAPOR TRAILS, dramatic shifts in tempo and time signature once again grace a Rush album. More than any other Rush effort in recent memory, this CD could most accurately be labeled 'progressive.'
Time and tempo changes. Personal lyrics. Layers of guitars, but no guitar solos. Layered vocals, sometimes sung falsetto or in an odd meter. No keyboards. Flamenco bass. Bombastic drums.
A welcome back to Rush, who sound better than ever!