VAPOR TRAILS

I don't know what I was expecting when this CD was released. Having been so long, I was longing for new Rush, and silently hoping that things might actually be okay.

Upon my first listen I was confused, and my ears were sort of squinting like my eyes do near twilight. What was this muddy mess all about I was asking myself. But I listened again. And again. I knew better than to think Rush would simply create something for the sake of making a CD. There had to be something here.

I continued to listen, and I'm not sure when, but it slowly began to occur to me what was going on. The "muddied" sound I had head earlier was a front, a distraction if you will - - a thin veil over layers of genius -- melody, harmony, rhythm. I was all there, and better than before. Like a fine wine, or an oyster, you have to give it a chance; come back to it again and again before it reveals it's inner beauty to you.

I'm glad I stuck with it. I "hear" it now. It has a bittersweet quality like no other Rush album, and I can easily say it's the best since Moving Pictures. The layers unfold, and if at first you can't discern a coherent motif, let your mind fill it in. In fact, try this experiment: Listen to the CD as many times as you wish, you will hear something new on each listen.

My only complaint about this CD is that I hate to hear it end.