# New Rush Album **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 13, 2002, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881 "2002-05-13T20:21:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![irish\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ac91a4/32.png) [@irish\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irish_bill)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/1 "2002-05-13T20:21:05Z")
I was fortunate to get hold of this at the weekend, it rocks! Given the comparative weakness of Test For Echo(IMHO), it is inspiring to listen to the new album and wonder at it’s sheer intensity. Peart plays with ferocity throughout, and Lifeson matches him all the way. Geddy Lee ‘sings’ with greater expression than previously thought possible. The complete abandonment of keyboards may suprise some people, but it works here. I have to go listen to it again. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/2 "2002-05-15T03:32:00Z")
GAH! I’ve been waiting for…forever…for this CD to come out and now I’m too broke to buy it! The next sound you hear will be Rushgeekgirl pulling out couch cushions…desperately seeking spare change… What is BIG NEWS like this doing on page two? Fellow Rush fans, for shame! ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/3 "2002-05-15T04:33:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rushgeekgirl \* > \*\*GAH! I’ve been waiting for…forever…for this CD to come out and now I’m too broke to buy it! > The next sound you hear will be Rushgeekgirl pulling out couch cushions…desperately seeking spare change… > > What is BIG NEWS like this doing on page two? Fellow Rush fans, for shame! \*\* one of my coworkers gave me a copy of it today out of the blue. Some damn fine stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/4 "2002-05-15T08:00:00Z")
I checked about, oh, 2,500 record stores in Amsterdam today. None of them had _Vapor Trails_ in yet. World wide premiere, my ass. 😉 Go to [www.getmusic.com](http://www.getmusic.com) for an interview with Lifeson and Lee, including little snippets of the songs themselves. Yes, based on those, I’d say we have a winner on our hands. Having said that, you can’t really tell until the album is a few months old. I played _Test for Echo_ all day every day for two months when it came out, and have touched it ten times since. If that. _Counterparts_, however, took a little more getting used to. But it’s still one of my all times faves now, 9 years later (has it been that long? Yikes). This Friday, I pick up my copy! Extensive review to follow after the weekend. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/5 "2002-05-15T08:01:33Z")
Oh, and even though the sound clip is maybe 10 seconds long, I can tell that “Earthshine” rocks HARD. GAH!!! Gimme gimme gimme, now! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![irish\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ac91a4/32.png) [@irish\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irish_bill)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/6 "2002-05-15T12:38:36Z")
Coldfire, If you think that Counterparts is good, you should love this album. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/7 "2002-05-15T13:58:06Z")
Well I got the album yesterday at lunch. I’ve listened to it 5-6 times now I guess. So far I’m not all that impressed. So far the only songs that have really stuck out are Ceiling Unlimited, Ghost Rider and Sweek Miracle. I have only listened to it once at home though so I really haven’t had a chance to sit down and really listen to it, read the lyrics etc. I think that after I do that I’ll know a little better if I like it or not. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/8 "2002-05-15T14:04:00Z")
Well I got the album yesterday at lunch. I’ve listened to it 5-6 times now I guess. So far I’m not all that impressed. So far the only songs that have really stuck out are Ceiling Unlimited, Ghost Rider and Sweek Miracle. I have only listened to it once at home though so I really haven’t had a chance to sit down and really listen to it, read the lyrics etc. I think that after I do that I’ll know a little better if I like it or not. ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/9 "2002-05-15T19:11:07Z")
I’m listening to it right now, but it’s only my second listen since I picked it up yesterday. One Little Victory has grown on me and I dig some of the other tunes but I haven’t been looking at the liner so I can’t tell you what the names of the songs are. **Edward** , you still gonna see Rush at Nissan? If so did you get your tickets already and for what section? I ask this because the only person I can get to go with me is my GF, but when I asked her her response was “I get to go to a Rush concert _and_ hang out with a bunch of people you met off the internet? How romantic” which leads me to believe that I’d be better off leaving her at home. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/10 "2002-05-15T23:18:39Z")
Hey Edward! If your impression remains the same, shall I send you my address? You don’t want to waste valuable space on a recording that you don’t absolutely love, you know… ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/11 "2002-05-16T15:28:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Asylum \* > **Edward** , you still gonna see Rush at Nissan? If so did you get your tickets already and for what section? I ask this because the only person I can get to go with me is my GF, but when I asked her her response was “I get to go to a Rush concert _and_ hang out with a bunch of people you met off the internet? How romantic” which leads me to believe that I’d be better off leaving her at home. Yeah I’m going. I ended up getting lawn seats. I think I paid around 37 for them, it was an 11 buck mark up! I’m going with at least two to three other people and problably more. Any one else who wants to hook up let me know. It should be a lot of fun to get a number of people there. Oh and RGG no you can’t have my copy, just cause it’s not the best thing in the world I’ll still keep it! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/12 "2002-05-16T19:13:06Z")
**Edward** , sweet. I was willing to go by myself but these sorts of things are more enjoyable with company. Head on over to [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=115583) and we can start making plans for meeting. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/13 "2002-05-17T02:04:51Z")
I downloaded most of the songs tonight. The album wil hit the stores tomorrow over here, and I just couldn’t wait. I figured since I’m a Rush Fan who owns over 15 legally purchased albums, and am certainly buying this one no matter what, they’ll forgive me the 24 hour break of copyright. 😉 Still letting it all get to me. It’s different, in lyrics. More personal where the last albums were about general topics. Not surprising, seeing what Neil went through. The music is very well-produced, and that’s in MP3 format on my PC. Can’t wait to get it into my Rotel CD player. 😃 Can’t judge a lot about the songs yet - I usualy have to let it sink in for a few weeks. Oh, I’ll say one thing: the bass intro to _Ghost Rider_ is a thing of absolute beauty. Very haunting. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/14 "2002-05-17T08:08:15Z")
For some reason, the thread didn’t move up in the list when I posted last night, so I’ll just bump it. Have mercy, Uke. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/15 "2002-05-17T13:37:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > I played _Test for Echo_ all day every day for two months when it came out, and have touched it ten times since. If that. > > _Counterparts_, however, took a little more getting used to. But it’s still one of my all times faves now, 9 years later. This exactly describes _CP_ & _TFE_ for me too. That said, the new album is really growing on me. I really dig #4, “Peaceable Kingdom” and the outro on #8, “Secret Touch”, is outstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Mars\_Horizon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mars_horizon/32/2804_2.png) [@Mars\_Horizon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mars_Horizon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/16 "2002-05-17T16:55:34Z")
**Vapor Trails** is an excellent album, and definitely represents Rush’s renewed enthusiasm for their craft. It is hard hitting, aggressive, and rarely lets up, only for the occasional verse or two. My favorites are **Vapor Trail, Secret Touch,** and **One Little Victory**. My personal prediction is that on the upcoming tour, Rush will break their longstanding tradition of opening the concert with the first song _off a previous album_, and will instead open with OLV. It rocks, and in the words of Neil Peart, “One Little Victory” ma[kes] such an uncompromising announcement, “They’re ba-a-a-ack!” Parting thoughts courtesy of Neil Peart on the [Rush.com](http://Rush.com) site: > [@](#): > > Knowing that our music is nothing if not idiosyncratic, and doesn’t really cater to popular “taste,” we also envisioned advertising slogans along the lines of, “If you hated them before, you’ll really hate them now!” Or, “And now-more of everything you always hated about Rush!” > > But of course, like everyone, we do hope people will enjoy our work, and that our shared enthusiasm, energy, and love for what we do communicates itself to the listener. When you set yourself on fire and aim for the sky, you hope to leave behind some sparks of heat and light. > > Like a vapor trail. Mars ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/17 "2002-05-21T13:00:57Z")
I got it last night … it’s quite OK. I’m not as much of a fan of their “newer” (the last 10 - 15 years) stuff, and _Vapor Trails_ reinforces that opinion. Their producer certainly is a fan of the drums and bass! They are mixed way, way too high IMHO. Being an Alex fan, I am sad to have to strain to decipher all that’s going on with the virtuoso guitar playing. I miss the production values of the 70s and 80s. I dig the album cover; certainly a lot more abstract than I was expecting. Hugh Syme certainly has changed a lot as an artist and graphic designer. Now all I need is a Florida tour date and I’m all set. So far, none. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/18 "2002-05-21T13:17:33Z")
Woohoooo!! It ROCKS. _Hard_. No keyboards to be found on this album, no sirree. I’ll echo RTA to an extent: there are no guitar solos on there either, and frankly, Lifeson could have gotten a bit more airplay. What he’s doing is superb, however: better and more powerful riffs than on any other Rush album. The production is simply awesome. Very agressive, very in-your-face. Crystal clear, highly detailed. Beautiful. Reminds me of that other fantastic production: _Counterparts_. Lee and Peart seem to have the overtones on this album, musically speaking. I haven’t had a chance to sit down and read the lyrics yet: I’ve been playing it in the car a lot over the weekend. The compositions are good, very good. A lot better than most songs on _Test for Echo_ (IMHO, only “Dog Years” and “Totem Pole” have stood the test of time on that one), and -so far- quite close to the quality of the songs on _Counterparts_, my favourite Rush album besides, of course, _Moving Pictures_. I can see how someone who prefers the 80’s sound of albums as _Power Windows_ and _Hold your Fire_ would be disappointed with another rock-oriented album. But I for one welcome the turn the band has taken. _Ghost Rider_ and _Earthshine_ stick out as favourites, so far. But more important: I can’t really pick a _bad_ song on this album, something I could easily do on TfE. Thank you, Rush, for being worth the wait once more. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/19 "2002-05-21T21:10:48Z")
So… anyone else? Huh? _Huh??_ [sub]Forgive me Uke, for I have sinned… a shameless bump![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881/20 "2002-05-23T11:57:55Z")
As a native of Southern-Ontario, where **Rush** fandom is mandated by law, I’ve always been on the fringes. Frankly, they mostly annoy the hell out of me. The last (and only) album of theirs I owned was _Moving Pictures_ which I listened to obsessively as a young teen although I quickly grew tired of the whole overwrought experience. Over the decades, I periodically checked out their material (not hard to do as they get a fair amount of airplay here) and still found plenty to annoy me. Geddy’s wail? Check. Cheeseball synths? Check. Obscure lyrics? Check. And did I actually hear Geddy _rap_ a verse in _Roll the Bones_?? Or was that just some bizzare figment of my imagination? And yet, I’m now officially intrigued. I’d been hearing nothing but praise for _Vapor Trails_ both here and IRL so I went to CDNow to listen to all the audio clips and I actually _liked what I heard!_ It sounds like they’ve toned down the pyrotechnics while still rocking hard. Thus, it is with mixed feelings that I am going to break a decades old covenant with myself and by a new **Rush** album. I hope you diehard cultists are happy with yourselves 😉 [Michael Corleone] Just when I thought that I was out they _pull_ me back in. [/Michael Corleone] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rush-album/108881.md?page=2)