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PopMatters

Rush has emerged with more edge and energy than some bands can even dream of.

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Billboard

The more time one spends with Vapor Trails, the richer and more nuanced it becomes. Consider this an absolute triumph.

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Nude As The News

Vapor Trails is a great, straight-forward hard rock album from a band that actually seems to be getting better as it ages.

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E! Online

A welcome return.

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Entertainment Weekly

Prog-rock never sounded so listener-friendly. [17 May 2002, p.78]

ShakingThrough.net

Ultimately, Vapor Trails rises above its own musical shackles, propelled by pleasantly memorable melodies and an aura of lyrical poignancy.

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CDNow

Dispensing with the synthesizers and glossy production that marred previous efforts, the group instead delivers no-frills, arena-ready rockers with a dense, almost punkishly raw sound.

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Austin Chronicle

The good news is Vapor Trails is Rush's best album in a decade. The bad news is it's still no Moving Pictures.

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Blender

Vapor Trails combines the cartoonish familiarity of Geddy Lee's helium-tinged vocals and [Neil] Peart's hyperkinetic drumming with the tuneful, concise writing they've favored since 1989's Presto. [Jun/Jul 2002, p.113]

Q Magazine

Rush sound like they're slowly but audibly running out of puff. [July 2002, p.118]

Rolling Stone

Vapor Trails is Rush's most focused effort in many years, thanks to a renewed emphasis on songwriting.

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All Music Guide

Vapor Trails does an amiable job of signaling the welcomed return of Rush.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 123 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Kelly R gave it a5:
Anything by Rush is great! CD's Suck anyway! Vinyl is alive and never dies - if cared for properly. Originally mastered in the true glorious and untainted analogue signal. Ask Neil, Alex or Geddy and they'd all agree!

sushi gave it a10:
There have been 3 highpoints in the Rush continuum. Three milestones. Three classics from 3 amazing musicians. First there was 2112. Then came Moving Pictures. And now Vapor Trails. Perfect albums all.

Paul L gave it an8:
I have been an avid Rush fan sice the early 70's when I was a pre-teen. I was turned on to them along with all the classic rock of that era. I saw them on the Moving Pictures tour when transportation problems made them 2 hours late for the show. They rewarded us by playing almost a 5 hour show hitting every possible highlight of their catalog up to that point. I see many people complain about the "sound" of this album being sub-par. Everyone expects another 2112 or moving pictures with every new release, just as everyone wants the Stones to put out Exiled On Mainstreet parts 2-infinity. This Rush album is a welcome edition to their powerful catalog and the differences in the sound are one thing I really enjoy. Change is usually good in life and this is no exception. A powerful disc that never fails to deliver the goods as Rush have done for the most part in their illustrious career. I recommend this disc to any Rush fan and actually rank it among my top 8 of their releases. It needs no "remastering" or other doctoring. All it needs is a good cd player and a set of ears who appreciates Rush and change.

Jon O gave it an8:
Their strongest album since the mid-80s. Suffers somewhat from overproduction and poor mixing, but power and energy shine through from the rejuvenated band.

Tony G gave it a7:
Some real hidden gems on this one yet, after succeeding to produce all previous albums with that flawless and to be expected Rush studio mastering, Alex flubbed this one up. The distortion exists on some of the most intriguing tracks... Too bad! ...and like Altlantic would ever admit to missing the mark and clearing up the master tapes...

Marco H gave it a10:
I never heard Rush before V.T. I'm actually a big fan thanks to this album. I don't think they lowered their music quality after that break, the band simply evoluted.

Geoff N gave it a2:
I have every Rush album and love nearly every one of the - except this one - the sound is rubbish - any one who thinks this is good "Rush" music is kidding themselves – just listen to the rest of the music they have made over the years.

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Vapor Trails

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