Vapor Trails
Brought to you by the letter “3”.
Released Atlantic/Anthem, 14 May, 2002.
- One Little Victory (5:08)
- Ceiling Unlimited (5:28)
- Ghost Rider (5:41)
- Peaceable Kingdom (5:23)
- The Stars Look Down (4:28)
- How It Is (4:05)
- Vapor Trail (4:57)
- Secret Touch (6:34)
- Earthshine (5:38)
- Sweet Miracle (3:40)
- Nocturne (4:49)
- Freeze (Part IV of “Fear”) (6:21)
- Out Of The Cradle (5:03)
Music by Lee and Lifeson. Lyrics by Peart.
Produced by Rush and Paul Northfield.
Neil’s real-life experiences could never have been predicted in any song, but to cope with his tragedies he became the traveller, not knowing if he was running away or moving towards a goal, concerned only with where his motorbike would take him each day. The possibility of his emergence from this transcontinental journey of the soul was slim indeed; the idea of the threesome getting together to record again was even slimmer. ‘One Little Victory’ might not be a standard opener, but this is not just any album – this is a triumphant return of a band, and it is reasonable that Neil should take the podium for the first few bars. Guitar and bass follow in an unadulterated heavy blues riff, the Willowdale three reunited in a single purpose, to get out there and do what they do so well.
Equally unsurprising is Neil’s desire to document his experiences, though it is slightly unnerving that he wears his heart so openly on his sleeve. Sharing titles with his journeyman’s diary, ‘Ghost Rider’ offers a deep insight into his recent history, as does the title track. Here and everywhere else the drums are at the front of every mix, no more so than ‘Vapor Trails’, which is not so much a song, as a drum solo with additional parts.
Otherwise, the music suggests a return to base. ‘Ceiling Unlimited’ is classic Rush, as is ‘Peaceable Kingdom’; ‘The Stars Look Down’ could have fitted on ‘Roll The Bones’, and ‘How It Is’ harks back to ‘Presto’. None is a complete rehash – the music is unmistakeably new millennium, a return to the post-grunge straightforwardness the band was discovering on the previous album. ‘Out Of The Cradle’ revisits ‘Half The World’, and ‘Nocturne’ starts in a similar way to ‘Middletown Dreams’, but that is where the similarity ends – back come the guitars, no sign of synthesizers here. Finally, the ‘Fear’ trilogy gets a fourth part with ‘Freeze’, this time exploring the symptoms of fear, rather than the causes.
There are some signs of progress, not all of them welcome: ‘Secret Touch’ continues Geddy’s tendency to chant, rather than sing – shame that his melody-making skills sometimes play second fiddle to the textural requirements of the guitars. His still-inimitable vocals could never vanish too far into the mix, however. ‘Earthshine’ and ‘Sweet Miracle’ are examples, with short lyrics and heavy guitars, the standardised song structure leaving little room for the melody to shine.
Some have said that the album is once again influenced by whatever is current, in this case nu-metal bands such as Tool. This may be so, but not this time through any active desire to replicate what is going on elsewhere. ‘Vapor Trails’ does not break too much new ground; rather, and perhaps for the best, it is a restating of past values. It is best to ignore the lack of sonic clarity and to focus on the songs, which are testament to a resilience against tribulations that many would falter before. There’s still plenty here to be going on with, and clearly there is a load more where it came from.