Rush has just released a seven-LP vinyl box set featuring reissues of the Canadian power trio’s final four studio albums. The Albums: 2002-2012 includes vinyl editions of Vapor Trails (2002), Feedback (2004), Snakes & Arrows (2007), and Clockwork Angels (2012).
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The new collection follows the 2024 vinyl box set The Albums: 1989-1996, which featured reissues of the first four albums Rush recorded for the Atlantic Records label—Presto (1989), Roll the Bones (1991), Counterparts (1993), and Test for Echo (1996).
The Albums: 2002-2012 is a limited-edition release; only 3,000 copies will be available worldwide. The box set, which is priced at $149.98, can be purchased now at RushBackstage.com and Rhino.com.
The versions of Vapor Trails, Snakes & Arrows, and Clockwork Angels featured in the vinyl collection are two-LP sets, while Feedback appears on a single disc.
Here are more details about each album featured in the package:
About Vapor Trails
Vapor Trails, Rush’s 17th studio album, was released in 2002, more than five years after the group’s previous album, Test for Echo. This marked the longest gap between studio efforts for the band.
The extended period between albums was due to drummer Neil Peart’s decision to retire from music, albeit temporarily, after the tragic deaths of his daughter and common-law wife in 1997 and 1998, respectively. Following the tragedies, Peart traveled around America on his motorcycle. Dealing with the losses, and his experiences on his journeys, eventually inspired Neil to create music again, leading to what became the Vapor Trails album.
The album peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 in Rush’s native Canada. Lead single “One Small Victory” reached No. 10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
About Feedback
Feedback is comprised of cover songs by artists who inspired Rush at the beginning of the band’s career. The eight-track collection was issued in celebration of Rush’s 30th anniversary.
Feedback features the band’s renditions of songs either originally by or popularized by The Who, Buffalo Springfield, Cream, Love, and The Yardbirds.
The album peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard 200. Rush’s cover of “Summertime Blues” reached No. 30 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock tally. The version included on The Albums: 2002-2012 only features seven tracks, omitting a cover of The Who’s “The Seeker.”
About Snakes & Arrows
Snakes & Arrows peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and on the Canadian albums chart. “Far Cry,” the lead single from the album, peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
Snakes & Arrows also featured three instrumental tracks, one of which, “Malignant Narcissism” was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Rock Instrumental Performance category.
About Clockwork Angels
Clockwork Angels was Rush’s 20th and final studio album. The record is a concept album that follows a young man’s journey through an apocalyptic, steampunk-inspired world.
Clockwork Angels reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, tying Counterparts as Rush’s highest-charting studio album in the U.S. It also debuted at No. 1 on the Canadian albums chart.
The track “Headlong Flight” peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
Rush retired in 2015 after the band wrapped up a 40th anniversary tour. Sadly, Peart died of brain cancer in January 2020 at age 67.
Other Recent Rush News
In March, Rush released a career-spanning box set celebrating its 50th anniversary, appropriately titled Rush 50. The expansive collection was issued in multiple configurations and on multiple formats.
Rush 50 features a mix of classic songs, deep cuts, live performances, and fan-requested rarities. It includes at least one song from every Rush studio album, live release, and reissue, as well as seven previously unreleased tracks.
The Albums: 2002-2012 Track List:
Vapor Trails
Side A
- “One Little Victory”
- “Ceiling Unlimited”
- “Ghost Rider”
Side B
- “Peaceable Kingdom”
- “The Stars Look Down”
- “How It Is”
- “Vapor Trail”
Side C
- “Secret Touch”
- “Earthshine”
- “Sweet Miracle”
Side D
- “Nocturne
- “Freeze” (Part IV of “Fear”)
- “Out of the Cradle
Feedback
Side A
- “Summertime Blues”
- “Heart Full of Soul”
- “For What It’s Worth”
Side B
- “Mr. Soul”
- “Seven and Seven Is”
- “Shapes of Things”
- “Crossroads”
Snakes & Arrows
Side A
- “Far Cry”
- “Armor and Sword”
- “Working Them Angels”
Side B
- “Larger Bowl”
- “Spindrift”
- “Monkey Business”
Side C
- “The Way the Wind Blows”
- “Hope”
- “Faithless”
Side D
- “Bravest Face”
- “Good News First”
- “Malignant Narcissism”
- “Hold On”
Clockwork Angels
Side A
- “Caravan”
- “BU2B”
- “Clockwork Angels”
Side B
- “The Anarchist”
- “Carnies”
- “Halo Effect”
Side C
- “Seven Cities of Gold”
- “The Wreckers”
- “Headlong Flight”
Side D
- “BU2B2”
- “Wish Them Well”
- “The Garden”
(Photo by C Flanigan/FilmMagic)
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