CD came yesterday, listened to it last night.
I can understand why this has pissed off some Rush purists. The original mix attacked like a fevered Tyrannosaurus Rex that hasn't seen a lady Tyrannosaurus for 65 million years. The remix doesn't quite do that. But Rush purists are idiots.
In every way that matters, this is infinitely superior. For the first time, VT is actually listenable. In fact, it's better than that, it even sound, dare I say it, good. The instruments have room to breathe, and the listener doesn't have a headache at the end. Some of the changes will take a little geting used to, but a) I was never that used to the old VT, as I hardly ever listened to it, and b) who cares when it sounds this good?
It's the "B-list" material that benefits most. Songs like "Sweet Miracle", previously dismissed as filler, are a revelation. The acoustic guitars on "How It Is" are actually audible. A fantastic re-release, and one well worth waiting 11 years for. Man, I hope they play some of this stuff on the next tour...