Rush are premiering “Vapor Trails Remixed”, an updated version of the band’s 2002 album that will be released on October 1.
"We overcooked it," bassist/singer Geddy Lee tells Rolling Stone. "The mixes were really loud and brash. The mastering job was harsh and distorted."
Lee came to this realization not long after the record came out, but there was little he could do to fix the situation. "It's a terrible feeling that, due to lack of objectivity, you let an imperfect piece of work get out there," he says. "But the songs are very strong and people really responded to the record and people were welcoming us back. The sonic defects of it got lost in the excitement of the band's return to functionality. It's always been a bee in my bonnet."
Eleven years after the album came out, Rush fixed the situation by hiring producer David Bottrill to remix the album. "He understood what it should sound like," he says, "so I'm very pleased with the end result. I think he's finally brought some completion and some justice to some of those songs we'd put so much of our heart and soul into."
“Vapor Trails Remixed” will be available via CD, double LP, and digital download, and will also be a part of the 7-disc boxed set, “The Studio Albums 1989-2007.”
Due October 1, the boxed set includes every studio album Rush recorded for Atlantic Records, with each album presented in a wallet sleeve that faithfully reproduces the original artwork.
The package was initially released digitally via iTunes in May, and now fans will have access to the physical version of the set.
Hear the full “Vapor Trails Remixed” album here.
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