Rush – Vapor Trails (2002)

Introduction (May 2025)

“Out of sync
With love in the land of the living
A gentle hand, a secret touch on the heart”

Today (14th of May) marks 23 years since Rush released the album ‘Vapor Trails’. To write that this album means a lot to me is an understatement. To this day, the record offers me comfort, support, energy and zest for life at the times I need it most. It is by no means a typical Rush record. Whereas most of their later recordings are mainly about societal themes, ‘Vapor Trails’ is deeply personal. It deals with loss, grief, depression, but most importantly, overcoming it.

The lyrical content on ‘Vapor Trails’ covers the events in the life of Rush’s drummer Neil Peart in the years leading up to the making of this record. Within a year, he lost both his (at the time) only daughter and wife. He broke down emotionally and fled on his motorcycle, driving away from all those memories in the hope of finding himself again by making a trek of some 90,000 kilometres. Afterwards, he wrote a book about his trip, ‘Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road’ in which he chronologically describes his (emotional) journey. I highly recommend the book to everyone, even for non-Rush fans. It is a remarkable experience to be able to follow his journey with him and it makes the lyrics on this album fall into place even better.

Atmospheric phases make the transitory last
Vaporize the memories that freeze the fading past
Silence all the songbirds
Stilled by the killing frost
Forests burn to ashes
Everything is lost

Taken from ‘Vapor Trail’

Peart exposes his soul completely in some of the songs. Such as deep, deep grieving in the song ‘Vapor Trail’ where Peart mourns the loss of his daughter and in ‘Earthshine’ where he honours the relationship with his late wife. There are also songs where I personally find recognition, such as Peart’s description of hopelessness and trying to find resignation in fate in ‘How It Is’. In addition, the need to get moving despite the burden and thereby create space in your head found in ‘Ghost Rider’. But also ‘Secret Touch’ where Peart tries to reconnect with those around him after his heart has been broken, accepting their love and allowing himself to fall in love again.

You can never break the chain
There is never love without pain
A gentle hand, a secret touch on the heart

Taken from ‘Secret Touch’

There is also plenty of room for triumphs like celebrating each (small) victory in ‘One Little Victory’ (as Peart himself described it as an ideal first sign of life to the fans “They’re ba-a-a-a-ack!” The sensitive ‘Sweet Miracle’ where he moves his mindset from darkness to light and the closing track ‘Out of the Cradle’ where Peart seems to have returned to ‘the land of the living and the loving’ despite his suffering.

‘Vapor Trails’ is musically heavy, pure and honest which suits the lyrics perfectly. It is a product that celebrates both Peart’s recovery and that of the band. It has been therapeutic for them, but also for me as a listener on the long road to light and happiness.

“It’s a smile on the edge of sadness
It’s a dance on the edge of life”

Rush – Vapor Trail (originally written in February 2020)

So what better starting point to write about than one of the most important albums of your musical exploration? Especially after the death of Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart (one month before writing the original piece), it feels appropriate to highlight this album. The Canadian rock band, consisting of Geddy Lee (vocals, bass guitar) and Alex Lifeson (guitar) in addition to Peart, released nearly 20 studio albums. What’s so clever about Rush is that they are always recognisable but never really sound the same. Their catalogue is diverse, hard rock in their early years, in the late 70s/early 80s it was ‘classic’ progressive rock that was the order of the day, in the 80s a more ‘poppy’ sound with the use of keyboards and in the 90s they slowly moved back to a more heavy sound. The different styles mean that Rush fans each have their own favourite albums/periods. What most fans will agree on is that this album is definitely not among their best. Still, it is one of the most important albums they ever made. A therapeutic album that brought the band back together after a break of almost four years following the tragedies in Peart’s life.

Reflected light
To another’s sight
And the moon tells a lover’s story

My borrowed face
And my third-hand grace
Only reflect your glory

Taken from ‘Earthshine’

First, a quick word about my connection with ‘Vapor Trails’. This album may have been the most important album for my musical development. But why exactly this album? It was the spring of 2009, I was about 14/15 years old and fed up with the music that was popular at the time. Looking for something new, I came across the soundtrack of an old video game (Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2), which contained a number of rock songs that appealed to me. One of them was ‘One Little Victory’, the opening track of this album. Curious for more, I found out that they had the album at the library (even if you don’t read books, the library is very valuable). I will never forget the magical moment when ‘Ceiling Unlimited’ started playing after the familiar first song. ‘This is it, this is sound I’m looking for!’ The loud guitars, the solid but also melodic bass playing, the driving drumming and that quite distinctive voice of Lee, I hadn’t heard anything like it before. Since then, I have not only been a fan of Rush, but also fell in love with the whole rock/metal genre.

A certain degree of surrender
To the forces of light and heat
A shot of satisfaction
In a willingness to risk defeat

Taken from: ‘One Little Victory’

When Rush had completed the tour of their previous album ‘Test for Echo’ in the summer of 1997, Peart’s only daughter (at that point) died in a tragic car accident. As if this was not hard enough, his wife passed away a few months later after a battle with cancer. As a result, Peart also lost himself and decided to leave everything and everyone behind. He jumped on a motorcycle and embarked on a journey of almost 90,000 kilometres across the American continent. For Rush, this seemed to be the end. To still have something to do, Lee made his first and so far only solo album (‘My Favorite Headache’) during this period. During the recording of that album, Peart resurfaced and indicated he wanted to return to the band. In early 2001, they headed for the studio and began a long 14-month process to work on ‘Vapor Trails’, the longest the band has ever worked on an record.

Since joining the band, Peart has taken on the role of lyricist. Whereas he initially wrote sci-fi lyrics, over the years he shifted more and more towards social issues. On ‘Vapor Trails’, he got personal and bared his soul. The lyrics describe his grief, the search for himself and how he has fought his way back. Although not exactly a concept album in the strictest sense, the reference to tarot cards is striking. Each song is linked to a tarot card and contains references to its assigned card.

The Hermit against The Lovers
Or the Devil against the Fool
Swords against the kingdom
The Wheel against the rules

Taken from: ‘Peaceble Kingom’

‘Vapor Trails’ is perhaps the heaviest album the band has ever recorded. The music is mainly the outcome of Lee and Lifeson’s many jam sessions. This makes the whole thing sound less ‘contrived’ than before, with which ‘Vapor Trails’ seems to take a different path from their previous albums. Despite Lifeson’s solid guitars, it is Lee in particular who asserts himself on the album. Lee plays more chords on his bass guitar and often plays the melody parts where Lifeson provides more of a foundation by playing mainly rhythm guitars. ‘Vapor Trails’ is also the only Rush album without traditional guitar solos on it. Lifeson does play several lead guitar parts (especially on the remix version of the album), but these are more in service of the songs without him emphatically taking the leading role. In addition, this is one of the few Rush albums that does not feature any keyboards or synthesisers, something Lifeson in particular was keen on. Also worth mentioning is that in terms of vocals, Lee goes all out on ‘Vapor Trails’. Whereas on Rush’s previous album (‘Test for Echo’) he sang in a somewhat restrained way, here he once again dares to reach the heights of his voice and sounds really animated. He has also started to experiment more with harmonies, making his vocals more colourful. Peart drumming is great as always but does not leave a very explicit mark on this record. He mainly plays in service of the songs with some remarkable fills here and there.

Sunrise in the mirror
Lightens that invisible load
Riding on a nameless quest
Haunting that wilderness road 
Like a ghost rider

Take from ‘Ghost Rider’

The album opener ‘One Little Victory’ immediately pops out your speakers with Peart’s powerful drums. Rush rarely sounded as heavy as it does here. Musically, the song is made up of several of Lifeson’s spontaneous guitar parts assembled by Lee. After years of absence, this song is there to let you know they are back. And how! Using a weather phenomenon as a metaphor, we move on to ‘Ceiling Unlimited’, the song that for me provided the spark that made me fall in love with the music. A powerful intro and beautiful lyrics, complemented by a great bass solo from Lee make the song perfect. On the remix version, some lead guitar has been added, spicing up the song just a bit more. One of the most emotionally charged songs is the subsequent ‘Ghost Rider’, written about Peart’s road trip experiences. It is one of the songs that took the most work to bring lyrics and music together. It has paid off as ‘Ghost Rider’ contains one of Peart’s most beautiful and emotional lyrics he has ever written. It is full of sorrow and grief, but it is hauntingly beautiful and intense.

The particularly heavy track ‘Peaceble Kingdom’ was initially intended to be an instrumental, but was given lyrics at the producer’s insistence. With the 9/11 attacks in mind, this was the last song to be completed for the album. I doubt the song would have been compelling enough as an instrumental because for that, it does lack some musical depth and variety. Thanks to the addition of the lyrics, the song comes out much better. On the flip side, ‘The Stars Look Down’ is one of the first songs written for the album. Overwhelmed by the majesty but tarry powerlessness of the universe, Peart wonders what it’s all good for. Although the lyrics and Lee’s layered vocals are fascinating, the song still doesn’t quite grab me in the way most other songs do. It’s certainly not bad but for me it’s clearly the least favourite track on the album.

It’s such a cloudy day
Seems we’ll never see the sun
I feel the day is all uncertainty
Burning in the moment – trapped by the desperation
Between how it is and how it ought to be

Taken from ‘How It Is’

A snapshot from Peart’s deep lows, that’s ‘How It Is’. A short and sensitive song with sad lyrics about being powerless and surrendering to your feelings. Lifeson adds several acoustic guitars and mandola in the verses, something that clearly comes out better in the remix version than the original mix. On their very last tour (‘R40’), they played this song live for the first time. The title track ‘Vapor Trail’ continues the processing of grief. The song has inky lyrics, partly from a poem which was recited at the funeral of Peart’s daughter. Yet it is musically powerful and somehow hopeful too. Over the years, I have come to appreciate this song more. One of the highlights on the album is ‘Secret Touch’. A heavy and emotionally charged song about Peart’s return to ‘the land of the living and loving’. Without a doubt, the song has one of the album’s most beautiful and powerful choruses. Instrumentally, the band goes loose in the bridge section to work towards a beautiful outro at the end.

Out of sync
With the rhythm of my own reactions
With the things that last
And the things that come apart
Out of sync
With love in the land of the living
A gentle hand, a secret touch on the heart

Taken from ‘Secret Touch’

‘Earthshine’ went through several guises before ending up on the album in this form. Lyrically, the basis was already long in place, a kind of love song with the natural phenomenon where the earth’s shadow reflects back via the moon as a metaphor. Lifeson’s guitar tone is heavy and pops at you right at the start, only to play a subtle guitar lead in the bridge section. A beautiful section anyway in yet another emotional song. A more compact song is ‘Sweet Miracle’. One of the relatively ‘softer’ songs on the album, ‘Sweet Miracle’ is hopeful and delicat. Another song that didn’t really do much for me before but has grown on me over the years. Somehow, the bridge section has always reminded me a bit of U2’s ‘One’.

After the sorrowful songs, we dive into the world of dreams and the lessons we can learn from them in ‘Nocturne’. Although I don’t think the chorus comes out quite right, this is made up for by the rather nice verses. All in all, one of the somewhat less striking songs of ‘Vapor Trails’, despite some nice instrumental pieces. With ‘Freeze’, a new part of the former ‘Fear’ trilogy was bore. This was a series of songs from the 1980s in which fear is the central theme (‘The Enemy Within’ from ‘Grace Under Pressure’, ‘The Weapon’ from ‘Signals’ and ‘Witch Hunt’ from ‘Moving Pictures’). In terms of sound, ‘Freeze’ is obviously not comparable to the earlier volumes, but lyric-wise it ties in well with them. Musically, it is a good example where the guitar repeats several chords and where the bass guitar takes more of a leading role. The album closes somewhat light-heartedly with ‘Out of the Cradle’. Rush and Peart in particular look into the future with confidence. Although it is nice to end cheerfully after an emotion-fuelled ride, I cannot deny that as a whole it is not a hugely strong song and, for me, the second least on the album. Still, the fine lyrics and some instrumental pieces make it a pleasant finale.

Blood running cold
Mind going down into a dark night
Of a desperate panic
Or a tempest of blind fury
Like a cornered beast
Or a conquering hero

Taken from ‘Freeze’

For the geeks, a quick word about the production. The first mix of the album was a hell of a job to execute. Lifeson and Peart pulled out and Lee was given the task of mixing the album. Lifeson, who had taken a golf break, had to judge the result from his car’s stereo system. During mastering, the mix was damaged and the sound became distorted. As a result, the original mix sounds very harsh with little dynamics (a typical victim of the “Loudness War”). The gents were not exactly satisfied with this themselves either and for a long time nurtured the need to release a new mix. For the compilation album ’Retrospective III’, ‘One Little Victory’ and ‘Eartshine’ were successfully remixed which led to the entire album getting the same treatment in 2013 (the versions on ‘Retrospective III’ are not the same as on the 2013 reissue). The new mix has since become the standard, but the old mix can also be found on various streaming services. The music is given more breathing space, more details are audible and it sounds a lot more dynamic as a whole. At the same time, the drums in particular sound a bit stiffer and I find it a shame that some of Lee’s upper vocals have been pulled back in the mix. From a sentimental point of view, I continue to have a soft spot for the original mix, but especially if you are not yet familiar with the album, the remix is definitely the version to go for.

Overall, quite a story, but this record really deserves that. It is an album that means an awful lot to me and, more importantly, to the band and Peart in particular. What ‘St. Anger’ was for Metallica, ‘Vapor Trails’ is for Rush (though the latter album is a lot more accomplished as far as I’m concerned). Is this the ideal starter to get to know Rush? To be fair, not really. It is not very representative of Rush’s other records, less refined and a lot rawer than they usually sound. Yet it’s also a lot more pure and personal, and maybe that’s what appeals to me so much. Vapor Trails is at times acrid but it cuts through your soul, at least mine.

****,5

It’s a smile on the edge of sadness
It’s a dance on the edge of life

Taken from ‘Out of the Cradle’