Worst production on a commercial CD release?

[S2M]

You either like Vapor Trails or you don't. Keep in mind we almost got no more new music from Rush. A few years earlier they were as good as done following unfortunate tragic events that Neil suffered. Considering what they've done on the last two CDs, I'm glad they didn't hang it up. Test For Echo would not have been a good way to close a career.

The way VT sounds and the fact that there were almost no more Rush CDs are separate issues. While I agree with you that it was too early to hang it up, if your point was that T4E was a less than stellar effort...I'll have to disagree with you. T4E, Presto, and RTB are my top 3.

[brywool]

Two cuts come to mind - "open up your eyes" from Tonic on the Lemon Parade album just reeks of distortion For that matter, the rest of the album is pretty bad too and I love Tonic.

Lemon Parade is an amazing album. I hear the distortion, but it seems to be a planned deal. Kind of like Perry's distorted vocal thoughout TBF (which to me, kind of didn't fit with his voice).

[MCM]

VAPOR TRAILS - Rush

Hands down....anybody in agreement? Major, major clipping. Distortion...etc. Can't even put the volume up past 3 without causing all of the above.

If you want to drop the $15 on their Retrospective 3 you can hear what might have been with Vapor Trials. It contains One Little Victory and Earthshine as re-mixes (not remasters). There is quite a difference between these two tracts and what you hear on the original disc. You can actually hear that there might be a great album under all that mud.

[verslibre]

You either like Vapor Trails or you don't. Keep in mind we almost got no more new music from Rush. A few years earlier they were as good as done following unfortunate tragic events that Neil suffered. Considering what they've done on the last two CDs, I'm glad they didn't hang it up. Test For Echo would not have been a good way to close a career.

The way VT sounds and the fact that there were almost no more Rush CDs are separate issues. While I agree with you that it was too early to hang it up, if your point was that T4E was a less than stellar effort...I'll have to disagree with you. T4E, Presto, and RTB are my top 3.

Wow, Presto and RTB contain several of Rush's worst songs. You place those albums above Counterparts, Signals, Grace Under Pressure, etc.?

[S2M]

You either like Vapor Trails or you don't. Keep in mind we almost got no more new music from Rush. A few years earlier they were as good as done following unfortunate tragic events that Neil suffered. Considering what they've done on the last two CDs, I'm glad they didn't hang it up. Test For Echo would not have been a good way to close a career.

The way VT sounds and the fact that there were almost no more Rush CDs are separate issues. While I agree with you that it was too early to hang it up, if your point was that T4E was a less than stellar effort...I'll have to disagree with you. T4E, Presto, and RTB are my top 3.

Wow, Presto and RTB contain several of Rush's worst songs. You place those albums above Counterparts, Signals, Grace Under Pressure, etc.?

I like ALL of T4E....only songs I do not like on Presto are Scars, Superconductor, and Red Tide....only song I do not like on RTB is Face Up.

Believe me, I've been a Rush fan since 1978...granted that I haven't been there since the beginning, and thats only because I'm not old enough. I'm sort of a Rushtourian, if you will. Been to 71 shows since '78. Have close to 300 bootleg shows. I'm in deep, dude. I don't trade much anymore, but I was in heavy. I guess you could say alot more than I am with Journey...

[G.I.Jim]

Red13 is the worst to me. I honestly believe that if I had a couple of days with that album in a real studio, I could make it sound better than the piece of shit it became! There was nothing done right with the album. I'm not talking about the songs (which all sucked in my opinion except for "Walking Away From The Edge"), I'm talking strictly quality of the recordings. Terrible!

[JrnyScarab]

Two cuts come to mind - "open up your eyes" from Tonic on the Lemon Parade album just reeks of distortion For that matter, the rest of the album is pretty bad too and I love Tonic.

Lemon Parade is an amazing album. I hear the distortion, but it seems to be a planned deal. Kind of like Perry's distorted vocal thoughout TBF (which to me, kind of didn't fit with his voice).

It's funny you and cscott mention this CD. I picked it up after hearing it on Rhapsody a long time ago because the songs are just great. A real "10" kind of CD. When I listen to it though, it just grates on my ears. Much too hot mastering. Tough on the ears to get through. Sounds like the worst ripped MP3's but this was the actual CD! Seems like there are too many GREAT Cd's that don't pass muster when it comes to sound quality.

[Voyager]

Boston's "Corporate America" sucked major ass. That was the worst album I have heard from a major artist - even worse than Vapor Trails.

Let's face it, Rush sucks without keyboards - and Boston sucks when Tom Scholz let's his new wife collaborate on writing songs for the band.

[Rick]

Boston's "Corporate America" sucked major ass. That was the worst album I have heard from a major artist - even worse than Vapor Trails.

Let's face it, Rush sucks without keyboards - and Boston sucks when Tom Scholz let's his new wife collaborate on writing songs for the band.

Didn't know he married her.

There were a couple of tracks on Corporate America that I liked. Those being the ones Delp sang on. I'm a big Brad Delp fan. RIP.

[Voyager]

Boston's "Corporate America" sucked major ass. That was the worst album I have heard from a major artist - even worse than Vapor Trails.

Let's face it, Rush sucks without keyboards - and Boston sucks when Tom Scholz let's his new wife collaborate on writing songs for the band.

Didn't know he married her.

There were a couple of tracks on Corporate America that I liked. Those being the ones Delp sang on. I'm a big Brad Delp fan. RIP.

Scholz married his second wife, Kim Hart, in the Florida Keys on January 11, 2007.

I was mistaken... I thought he married the female bass played named Kim... but her last name is Dahme.

I liked all the Delp stuff, but I didn't like it when Kim Dahme sang songs on Corporate America. It sounded like country music, and had no place on a Boston album.

[Rick]

Boston's "Corporate America" sucked major ass. That was the worst album I have heard from a major artist - even worse than Vapor Trails.

Let's face it, Rush sucks without keyboards - and Boston sucks when Tom Scholz let's his new wife collaborate on writing songs for the band.

Didn't know he married her.

There were a couple of tracks on Corporate America that I liked. Those being the ones Delp sang on. I'm a big Brad Delp fan. RIP.

Scholz married his second wife, Kim Hart, in the Florida Keys on January 11, 2007.

I was mistaken... I thought he married the female bass played named Kim... but her last name is Dahme.

I liked all the Delp stuff, but I didn't like it when Kim Dahme sang songs on Corporate America. It sounded like country music, and had no place on a Boston album.

Wholefuckingheartedly agreed.

[Duncan]

Boston's "Corporate America" sucked major ass. That was the worst album I have heard from a major artist - even worse than Vapor Trails.

Let's face it, Rush sucks without keyboards - and Boston sucks when Tom Scholz let's his new wife collaborate on writing songs for the band.

Didn't know he married her.

There were a couple of tracks on Corporate America that I liked. Those being the ones Delp sang on. I'm a big Brad Delp fan. RIP.

Rick - This may be of interest to you.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/guitarmiller2



----------------
Now playing: Faith No More - A Small Victory

[Rick]

Boston's "Corporate America" sucked major ass. That was the worst album I have heard from a major artist - even worse than Vapor Trails.

Let's face it, Rush sucks without keyboards - and Boston sucks when Tom Scholz let's his new wife collaborate on writing songs for the band.

Didn't know he married her.

There were a couple of tracks on Corporate America that I liked. Those being the ones Delp sang on. I'm a big Brad Delp fan. RIP.

Rick - This may be of interest to you.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/guitarmiller2

Thanks Duncan. I hadn't seen that.

[cscott]

It's not so much the distortion on Lemon Parade I object to, it's the overall EQ and mixing that make it practically unlistenable. Although I do believe that the gain structure was screwed up and tends to distort without any headroom as well. Great songs, too bad they aren't very well represented. The new Emerson Hart album is terrific by the way.

[Voyager]

You either like Vapor Trails or you don't. Keep in mind we almost got no more new music from Rush. A few years earlier they were as good as done following unfortunate tragic events that Neil suffered. Considering what they've done on the last two CDs, I'm glad they didn't hang it up. Test For Echo would not have been a good way to close a career.

The way VT sounds and the fact that there were almost no more Rush CDs are separate issues. While I agree with you that it was too early to hang it up, if your point was that T4E was a less than stellar effort...I'll have to disagree with you. T4E, Presto, and RTB are my top 3.

Wow, Presto and RTB contain several of Rush's worst songs. You place those albums above Counterparts, Signals, Grace Under Pressure, etc.?

After Power Windows it all went downhill.

[aorgeneral]

Shy - Once Bitten Twice Shy. Potentially one of the greatest AOR albums of all time made practically unlistenable.

----------------
Now playing: Brendan Benson - Eventually

I agree one of the greatest AOR records of all time the version of reflections on there is stunning. As far as the production it was released on some shitty indie NWOBHM record label called Ebony which released a lot of great but shitty sounding records. Grim Reaper See you in Hell was on that label. I have a lot of that stuff on vinyl. The cd reissue was taken right from the vinyl you can hear the scratches.

[JohnH]

Tom Scholz married a Kim, but it's not Boston's bass player Kimberly Dahme. RIP Brad two years ago today.

[verslibre]

You either like Vapor Trails or you don't. Keep in mind we almost got no more new music from Rush. A few years earlier they were as good as done following unfortunate tragic events that Neil suffered. Considering what they've done on the last two CDs, I'm glad they didn't hang it up. Test For Echo would not have been a good way to close a career.

The way VT sounds and the fact that there were almost no more Rush CDs are separate issues. While I agree with you that it was too early to hang it up, if your point was that T4E was a less than stellar effort...I'll have to disagree with you. T4E, Presto, and RTB are my top 3.

Wow, Presto and RTB contain several of Rush's worst songs. You place those albums above Counterparts, Signals, Grace Under Pressure, etc.?

After Power Windows it all went downhill.

Dude, you gotta get Counterparts before you make such an assessment.

[verslibre]

You either like Vapor Trails or you don't. Keep in mind we almost got no more new music from Rush. A few years earlier they were as good as done following unfortunate tragic events that Neil suffered. Considering what they've done on the last two CDs, I'm glad they didn't hang it up. Test For Echo would not have been a good way to close a career.

The way VT sounds and the fact that there were almost no more Rush CDs are separate issues. While I agree with you that it was too early to hang it up, if your point was that T4E was a less than stellar effort...I'll have to disagree with you. T4E, Presto, and RTB are my top 3.

Wow, Presto and RTB contain several of Rush's worst songs. You place those albums above Counterparts, Signals, Grace Under Pressure, etc.?

I like ALL of T4E....only songs I do not like on Presto are Scars, Superconductor, and Red Tide....only song I do not like on RTB is Face Up.

Presto hasn't aged as well as nearly any other Rush album, bar the very first one. I used to like it a lot more when it first came out. "The Pass," "Superconductor" and "Anagram (For Mongo)" are embarrassing. "Scars" I used to like quite a bit, but now...eh. The title track...so-so. "Red Tide" sounds forced. "Hand Over Fist" isn't too bad and "Show Don't Tell" is still pretty cool. However, "Chain Lightning" is a neat tune which should have been a single, and "Available Light" was an excellent closer.

With RTB, I have issues with the entire second half (or "Side B") with the exception of "Ghost Of A Chance." The first half is great, and "Face Up" is very solid. "Bravado" and "Dreamline," of course, are now regarded as signature Rushtunes. But the second half...oof. "The Big Wheel" is okay but feels like a novel that lacks a deus ex machina to resolve the story. "Heresy" and "Neurotica" aren't very interesting. And for the closer, the boys recorded one of the worst songs they've ever put out. It's times like these when outside perspectives are integral to evaluating the finished work. And I hate to say this, but Presto and RTB aren't high points for Neil, where his lyrics are concerned.

[wastingbeerz]

My pick for worst production of any commercial release ever is hands-down-absolutely-without-question the original version of Nevermore's Enemies Of Reality. So bad they released a remastered version only 2 years later... songs are killer though, regardless of which version you hear. Seriously, though... the original version is almost bootleg quality!!!

[Ehwmatt]

You either like Vapor Trails or you don't. Keep in mind we almost got no more new music from Rush. A few years earlier they were as good as done following unfortunate tragic events that Neil suffered. Considering what they've done on the last two CDs, I'm glad they didn't hang it up. Test For Echo would not have been a good way to close a career.

The way VT sounds and the fact that there were almost no more Rush CDs are separate issues. While I agree with you that it was too early to hang it up, if your point was that T4E was a less than stellar effort...I'll have to disagree with you. T4E, Presto, and RTB are my top 3.

Wow, Presto and RTB contain several of Rush's worst songs. You place those albums above Counterparts, Signals, Grace Under Pressure, etc.?

I like ALL of T4E....only songs I do not like on Presto are Scars, Superconductor, and Red Tide....only song I do not like on RTB is Face Up.

Presto hasn't aged as well as nearly any other Rush album, bar the very first one. I used to like it a lot more when it first came out. "The Pass," "Superconductor" and "Anagram (For Mongo)" are embarrassing. "Scars" I used to like quite a bit, but now...eh. The title track...so-so. "Red Tide" sounds forced. "Hand Over Fist" isn't too bad and "Show Don't Tell" is still pretty cool. However, "Chain Lightning" is a neat tune which should have been a single, and "Available Light" was an excellent closer.

With RTB, I have issues with the entire second half (or "Side B") with the exception of "Ghost Of A Chance." The first half is great, and "Face Up" is very solid. "Bravado" and "Dreamline," of course, are now regarded as signature Rushtunes. But the second half...oof. "The Big Wheel" is okay but feels like a novel that lacks a deus ex machina to resolve the story. "Heresy" and "Neurotica" aren't very interesting. And for the closer, the boys recorded one of the worst songs they've ever put out. It's times like these when outside perspectives are integral to evaluating the finished work. And I hate to say this, but Presto and RTB aren't high points for Neil, where his lyrics are concerned.

The Pass is one of my favorite Rush songs. How is it embarrassing? I really like almost all of RTB too... Ghost of a Chance alone makes that CD worth the purchase, plus Dreamline, Bravado and others...

[conversationpc]

The two that immediately come to mind are "Vapor Trails" by Rush and "...And Justice for All" by Metallica.

[Behshad]

The two that immediately come to mind are "Vapor Trails" by Rush and "...And Justice for All" by Metallica.

I can understand if your 8track didn't have the same quality as my record player but Justice... was one of the best records I used to own when it comes to production and capturing the sound. I remember "one" was one of my songs to demonstrate my sound system to my buddies.

[strangegrey]

uncle redjoe is gonna beat me up .. but VAN HALEN 3 sounded .. well ,, just not well..

Eh, Gotta disagree here. VDIII SOUNDS phenominal. It has a raw clarity that's just unmistakably awesome.

Where VDIII earns it's nickname, are the songs. The fucking songs on that record blow, badly. There isn't one good track on the record...partially because Ed forced a certain tonality out of Gary....and partially because I think this record casts a very big spotlight on Ed's speedy musical decline in the late 90s. It's not an accident this band hasn't recorded a full fucking album since then....




As far as the worst produced record, I have to throw in a vote for Chalfant's Two Fires, Ignition. The first one sounded great....the second one was so bad, it was unlistenable. The drums sound like they were recorded in bat cave....

[Red13JoePa]

I like Van Halen III very much, it had the #1 Without You and a bunch of other great songs...vocally I think Cherone was their most talented vocalist but he rolled b/c of the knee-jerk reaction (something Augeri persevered through).

[wastingbeerz]

I don't understand why everyone poops on "Vapor Trails", it wasn't that bad, just a bit flat... same goes for VH's "OU812"... and it lacks punch due to almost nonexistent bass, but what album in the 80's didn't have that problem?