Engineer Comments On RUSH 'Vapor Trails' Remix

Canadian rock legends RUSH are planning to remix and re-release their 2002 album "Vapor Trails".

Commented American mix and recording engineer Rich Chycki: "A while back, I remixed 'One Little Victory' and 'Earthshine' from RUSH's 2002 release 'Vapor Trails', to be included on their 2009 release, 'Retrospective 3'. The remixes were very well-received so the band has decided to let me move ahead and remix the remainder of the CD.

"To put rumors to rest, there was no re-recording or performance correction done on the first two tracks and that will continue for the remainder of the CD. The reason 'new' details may seem to have appeared in those songs is due to the fact that I listened to the multitracks and interpreted the mix structure without first analyaing the original [deliberately] — so tracks either muted or turned down in the original mixes may shine through differently (the acoustic guitars in 'Earthshine' might be a good example of this). As well, the same technical tweaks will continue for the remaining songs and I still will not have a buss limiter on the mix set to stun.

"In any case, both the band and I are really excited to re-visit 'Vapor Trails' and hope you'll all enjoy the remix."

RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson said about the "Vapor Trails" remix, "We were never happy with the production. Perhaps we should have taken more time over the record. But now we've got the chance to improve things." He added, "There will be no re-recording, just a remix."

The seventeenth studio album by RUSH, "Vapor Trails" was produced by Paul Northfield and released in May 2002. According to the band, the entire developmental process for the LP was extremely taxing and took approximately 14 months to finish, by far the longest the band had ever spent writing and recording a studio album.

Despite controversy surrounding its production and sound quality, the album debuted to moderate praise and was supported by the band's first tour in six years, including first-ever concerts in Mexico City and Brazil, where they played to some of the largest crowds of their career. The album was certified gold in Canada in August 2002.

The "Vapor Trails" song "Ghost Rider" appeared on the album and was written by drummer Neil Peart as a tribute to his travels around America after his tragic loss (on August 10, 1997, Peart's 19-year-old daughter, Selena Taylor, was killed in a single-car accident on Highway 401 near the town of Brighton, Ontario while his common-law wife of 22 years, Jacqueline Taylor, succumbed to cancer only 10 months later),while "One Little Victory" served as the first single in order to announce the band's return from hiatus.