Presto (album)
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| Presto | ||
 |
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| Studio album by Rush | ||
| Released | November 18, 1989 | |
| Recorded | June-August 1989 | |
| Genre | Pop Rock | |
| Length | 52:11 | |
| Label | Anthem Records (Canada) Anthem/Atlantic Records |
|
| Producer(s) | Rupert Hine and Rush | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rush chronology | ||
| A Show of Hands (1989) |
Presto (1989) |
Roll the Bones (1991) |
Presto is the thirteenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1989 (see 1989 in music). The album was recorded at Le Studio in Morin Heights and at McClear Place in Toronto.
Presto was the band's first album with their new label Atlantic Records which the band signed to in early 1989 after the band decided not to re-new their contract with Mercury/PolyGram Records. Also, Atlantic gave Rush creative control over their future musical directions (Rush still records with Atlantic today).
Presto was intended to be co-produced with Peter Collins, who had produced the previous two studio albums, Power Windows and Hold Your Fire. However, Collins reluctantly declined the offer for personal reasons. An objective ear was found in Rupert Hine, who may have contributed to the record's relatively dark, reverb-heavy sound.
Many Rush fans will agree that Presto marks the beginning of a transition period from the synthesizer-heavy "new wave" period of the 1980s to the heavier styles of the 1990s. At the very least, synthesizers and sequencers are generally used in a more discreet fashion compared to previous records. “Chain Lightning”, "Scars", "Anagram for Mongo" and “Red Tide” still feature keyboards as a prominent instrument, but other songs like “Show Don’t Tell” and “Superconductor” are more guitar-motivated. Bass lines continue to follow the usual Rush style; a short solo is evident in “Show Don’t Tell” while “The Pass” is driven heavily by bass guitar chords.
"Scars" features a complex and impressive drum pattern in which both acoustic and electronic drums are utilized. The pattern was derived from a tribal rhythm Neil Peart experienced while on a bicycle tour of Africa (later chronicled in his first book, The Masked Rider). Peart has gone on to incorporate this pattern into his live drum solos. "Scars" also features the use of a sequencer in place of and often mistaken for a bass guitar.
According to Geddy Lee during the Rush in Rio concert, “The Pass” is one of the band’s favorite songs. “Superconductor” and “Show Don’t Tell” remain popular among many Rush fans, while "Available Light" and "Red Tide" represent some of the few Rush songs to contain significant piano usage.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
- "Show Don't Tell" – 5:01
- "Chain Lightning" – 4:33
- "The Pass" – 4:51
- "War Paint" – 5:24
- "Scars" – 4:07
- "Presto" – 5:45
- "Superconductor" – 4:47
- "Anagram (for Mongo)" – 4:00
- "Red Tide" – 4:29
- "Hand Over Fist" – 4:11
- "Available Light" – 5:03
All music by Lee and Lifeson with lyrics by Peart.
[edit] Personnel
- Geddy Lee - bass guitar, synthesizers, vocals
- Alex Lifeson - electric and acoustic guitars
- Neil Peart - drums, percussion
- Rupert Hine - additional keyboards
[edit] Miscellanea
- The subtitle of "Anagram (for Mongo)" is a reference to the line "Candygram for Mongo" from Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles. The song was originally titled just "Anagram". "Who is Mongo?" is one of the questions most frequently asked to Neil Peart about his song titles along with "What is the 'Gangster Of Boats Trilogy'?" from "Where's My Thing" on Roll The Bones.
[edit] Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Billboard 200 | 16 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Show Don't Tell" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1990 | "The Pass" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 5 |
| Rush |
| Geddy Lee | Alex Lifeson | Neil Peart |
| John Rutsey |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums: Rush | Fly by Night | Caress of Steel | 2112 | All the World's a Stage | A Farewell to Kings | Hemispheres | Permanent Waves | Moving Pictures | Exit...Stage Left | Signals | Grace Under Pressure | Power Windows | Hold Your Fire | A Show of Hands | Presto | Roll the Bones | Counterparts | Test for Echo | Different Stages | Vapor Trails | Rush in Rio | Feedback (EP) |
| Compilations: Archives | Chronicles | Retrospective I | Retrospective II | The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974-1987 | Gold |
| Related articles |
| The Rush Portal
Rush discography | Rush music videos | History of Rush | Rush instrumentals | Victor | My Favorite Headache | A Work In Progress | Anatomy of A Drum Solo | "Fear" Series | Cygnus X-1 Series |
