11 Years To Finally Hear... And It's A Beautiful Thing...

In May of 2002, almost 6 years after their last record "Test For Echo", Rush finally released their comeback album "Vapor Trails"... As a lifelong die hard Rush fan, I snapped it up the day it came out and couldn't wait to hear what my all time favorite band had finally released... and the result was... not quite what I expected... not even close... And in the end it wasn't the songs or the lyrics that killed it for me...it was something else entirely... Let me explain... [but first a little background on why it took almost 6 years to make a Rush record...]

After the release and tour of 1996's "Test For Echo", drummer/lyricist Neil Peart was struck by personal tragedy upon losing his daughter in a car accident in 1997 and his wife to cancer in 1998.  The band was on an indefinite hiatus in an effort to help him heal and the time was spent by Peart touring North America on his motorcycle... healing, reflecting, and working through everything.  When he was ready to come back he informed the band and the legwork for the next release began... For a complete chronicle of his journey pick up "Ghost Rider: Travels On The Healing Road" (ISBN 1-550-22548-0)

The hiatus had lasted 5 long years, and in the interim bits and pieces of the record began to form.  When it came time to put it all together, a lot of the material was assembled on computers as they took a lot of their jams and pieced them together.  This was not the conventional way they have made albums previously, and in no way in my opinion did the songs suffer for the change in recording style... The record also contained no synthesizer, keyboard or organ parts at all.  Not since the early 70's was this a conscious choice... also, while guitar driven, it is almost devoid of traditional guitar solos... [it also took 14 months to put together, longer than any other Rush album...]

So... let's see... computer assembled, no keys, and no guitar solos... all of these things should sway my opinion on the record...but in the end it wasn't even close... The reason for my failed expectations upon it's release is...

It was TOO LOUD!!... [Yes... Too Loud!...]

I don't mean too loud in the sense of volume...too loud in the sense of mastering... The record was mastered too loud and digital distortion was generated during the production of the cd.  The band did also state that there was digital distortion in the original recordings which also contributed to the overall sound.  In an effort to make the record sound punchy and in your face they raised the levels during mastering to just before the point of audible distortion and the result was a record that simply didn't have room to breathe.  The life was sucked out of it...

It clipped...it was noisy...and more importantly... it was [to me] unlistenable... When "One Little Victory" came screaming [and I mean screaming...] through my speakers I was standing there thinking "I'm sure that there is a great song somewhere in there...but I'll never know, because I can't hear it!'... The rest of the record had it's moments, but overall I listened through it a few times and then put it away... more than likely I then put my oft played copy of Dream Theater's "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence" on for the 1000th time... Or Dio's "Killing The Dragon"...Anyway...

The only way to fix this [and you can't fix the distortion that exists on the original recordings] is to remix the record and bring the levels down.  I figured even a band like Rush would never go back and fix the record so when the next record came out, 2004's EP "Feedback" [which I thoroughly enjoy], I picked it up and added it to the catalog, and glanced at the "Vapor Trails" disc in the rack as I made room for "Feedback" [Doesn't everyone keep their cd's in alpha order by artist and then in release order...?] So I figured that "Vapor Trails" was a lost cause...

Flash forward to 2009... and Atlantic records releases "Retrospective 3"... The first two Retrospective records were on their original label, Mercury, and offered no new tracks so I never bothered to pick it up.  What made "Retrospective 3" special was because it had remixes of "One Little Victory" and "Earthshine" from Vapor Trails [and an unreleased live version of "Ghost Of A Chance" from "Roll The Bones"...] So now... I finally had the chance to give the remixed songs another chance... and the result was...significantly better...it gave me hope...and it also meant that when I mixed Rush songs on a cd I had a better version of "One Little Victory"... The remixes were done by Richard Chycki who had recently worked on the "Snakes & Arrows" record.  The positive results led the band and the record label to consider remixing the whole record, and it was rumored as such for a very long time...

Flash forward again...to 2013... and Atlantic Records announces it will remaster all of the Atlantic era albums ["Presto" through "Snakes & Arrows"] and will also...dum dum dum [for dramatic effect] REMIX THE "VAPOR TRAILS" record!!... 

To say that I was a little excited was an understatement...for both the box set and the remixed record.  I do a lot of audio mixing and the levels on the earlier records were very low and having all seven mastered to similar levels sounded wonderful.  [and for the low going rate of $38.88 (or $5.55 per album) on Amazon...how can you go wrong?]

Getting back to the album at hand... "Vapor Trails Remixed" was released in the box set and also as a single album if you're just looking to pick it up separately [but get the box set instead...you won't be disappointed...].  

The record was remixed by David Bottrill [Tool/Staind/Mudvayne/Stone Sour/Dream Theater] and the result is... Magnificent!... the record definitely breathes, the levels have been brought down to hear the nuances, and the songs really shine as if they have been given new life.  The noise is gone and songs like "Secret Touch" Click HERE and "Ghost Rider" Click HERE sound great, and the opening of "One Little Victory" starts us off with a bang, but for the right reasons this time... You can actually hear the individual instruments stand out... one of the reasons to listen to this band in the first place. "Freeze" Click HERE opens and you can hear Alex Lifeson's guitars really build, and it brings it together... One thing the remixing has done is take the some of the edge off of Geddy Lee's voice.  On the original record it sounded as if it was on top of the wall of sound, and now it blends with the music. On the remix it sounds warmer and the vocals roll off better ["Sweet Miracle" Click HERE stands out to me...].  Some of the changes are very subtle, but the overall effect really does give this record a second chance.

What was once a lost cause has become one of my favorite Rush records, and I find myself drawn to listening to it more often [that, and the "Clockwork Angels" record..which I think is a masterpiece...but I digress...]  If you have had a similar situation where you found the record unlistenable or it just didn't sink in...I implore you to pick up the remixed record and give it another chance... If you haven't heard the record before give it a listen...you will find a return to form after a host of tragedies from one of the greatest [and now Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame members...] bands in the rock era... "One Little Victory" indeed...

This Week's Sonic Flashback...

[I have a very good friend named Matt... He lives in Georgia... Matt...If you're reading... Please skip to the next section... You will only shake your head upon listening and go "I Don't Get It"... and that's OK...]

I find myself listening to music seasonally...and maybe that's a little weird... but some of you may understand it.  Whenever an album comes out that lands in the playlist, as I cycle through it I will find myself listening to it again roughly the same time of year it originally came out... For example... Van Halen's "5150" hit in the Spring of my senior year of high school [March 24th...] and I always find myself throwing it into the rotation that time of year.  Radio stations program somewhat like that...and songs will cycle through right around the time they originally came out... That being said...

It was 20 Years ago today... [and by today I mean Feb 7th..]

20 years ago today I was searching for a new release in a small independent record shop in New Canaan, CT called The Gramophone Shop... the album I was looking for... "Brave"... And the band... Marillion [if Matt is still reading he is now groaning...] 

For the uninitiated, Marillion are a Neo-Progressive rock band from England that released their first full length record "Script For A Jester's Tear" in March of 83... Hit #1 on the UK album charts with their third record, the concept album "Misplaced Childhood" and #2 on the UK singles chart with "Kayleigh" Click HERE in '85, lost original singer Fish after their 4th record "Clutching At Straws"... Replaced him with How We Live/The Europeans vocalist Steve Hogarth...Made 2 more records..the transitional "Seasons End" and the more pop-oriented "Holidays In Eden"...  and then decided to go back to their progressive roots with the 1994 concept album "Brave"... Which brings us to where we are now... [a judiciously edited history...]

A critical success but not the commercial success their record label, EMI, had hoped for... this record took much longer to make than the usual Marillion album, cost much more than was budgeted and was released to a fanbase that was discouraged over the more pop leanings of "Holidays In Eden" and were hungry for the old prog band they once knew...

And the result is...something worth hearing.  Lead singer Steve Hogarth wrote the story outline after hearing about a girl who was found wandering on the Severn Bridge between London and Scotland.  The woman was brought into police custody and was unable to communicate as to what happened to her.  Here is where singer/lyricist Hogarth picked up the story and wrote a fictional account of what had transpired and led her to the Severn Bridge.  The songs tell the story of an abusive family, a descent into drugs, and in the end someone is who is simply fragile and broken and ready to give up on it all.  It's dark and brooding, upbeat and [on the last track "Made Again"] uplifting... And if you are a fan of musicians who can play, look no further. The musicianship is stellar and the ambiance created by the atmospheric sound effects really draw you in.  

So...If you're looking to listen to something with a little more depth than the pop tripe streaming out of most radio stations... If you are a fan of "The Wall", "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway", "Metropolis Pt.2: Scenes From A Memory"or "Operation: Mindcrime", where the story pulls you in and the musicianship keeps you there... Give this a listen... I doubt you'll be disappointed...

Track 2... "Living With The Big Lie"...

Track 7... "Alone Again In The Lap Of Luxury/Now Wash Your Hands"...

Track 9... "Brave"...

As I continue I will dust off many great records that may have been forgotten about...or maybe have been missed the first time around...

New Stuff...Old Stuff Made New Again...and Things You Might Have Missed...

Another box set that will be reviewed here [once it finds itself in my possession...] is Yes' "The Studio Albums 1969-1987"... this set covers the first 12 Yes records from 1969's "Yes" all the way through 1987's "Big Generator" Every album was originally remastered in 1995 and released on Rhino Records.  These reissues compile the 12 records on 13 discs and include bonus tracks on all of them.  The discs have all been released separately with bonus tracks with the exception of "Big Generator" which is finally released with bonus tracks in this set.  Again, a great value if you want to fill in your Yes collection or enjoy the remastered sound of these wonderful albums.  [The set is $63.98 on Amazon (which comes out to $5.33 a disc...)]

More new releases for you to consider...

This record came out in 2012 and was re-released in October of 2013 and if you are a fan of music, this talented young lady may provide something different for you to listen to... Lindsey Stirling is a violin prodigy [who actually incorporates dance into her performance... as if the violin wasn't hard enough...]who reached the quarter finals of "America's Got Talent"... and while she got mixed reviews from Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne, I think this is a great listen... and for $8.99 on sale at Best Buy...worth taking a chance on...

Guitarist Jake E. Lee returns after keeping a very low profile for a very long time with his new group Red Dragon Cartel [Out 1/28]

Prog super group Transatlantic [Roine Stolt (Flower Kings)/Pete Trewavas (Marillion)/Mike Portnoy (Ex-Dream Theater/Winery Dogs/Ex-Adrenaline Mob/Flying Colors)/Neal Morse (Ex-Spock's Beard/Flying Colors) returns with Kaleidoscope [Out 1/28]

German Power Metal returns in the form of Primal Fear with their latest "Delivering The Black [Out 1/28]

Rock Candy Records reissue the first three Dokken records each with a remaster and expanded liner notes [Out 1/28]

Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation return with "Hydra"... the followup to their outstanding "The Unforgiving" [out 2/4]

One new...one not so new...but worth mentioning... Def Leppard did a residency at The Joint at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel and Casino..the result is a recording of the entire Hysteria album in order plus the hits and some older classics...definitely worth checking out... the other is the re-release of 1996 album "Slang" which has been given the "Deluxe" treatment with a total of 30 tracks with demos and rough mixes... [Out 2/11]

Former October Project vocalist Mary Fahl releases her fifth full length record, "Love And Gravity"... Simply an amazing voice... [out 2/11]

And finally for your new release needs... a little band called The Beatles released a box set of their first 13 American albums... Meet The Beatles!, The Beatles Second Album, A Hard Day's Night, Something New, The Beatles Story, Beatles '65, The Early Beatles, Beatles VI, Help!, Rubber Soul, Yesterday And Today, Revolver, and Hey Jude [Out 1/21]

To tie things up I leave you with this...

And Now... For This Week's Gratuitous 80's Hair-Metal Video...

Thanks For Coming Along For The Ride,

J.