Presto (album)

Presto
Studio album by Rush
Released 21 November 1989
August 31, 2004 [1] (remastered CD)
Recorded June - August 1989 Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec & McClear Place, Toronto, Ontario
Genre Hard rock, pop rock
Length 52:11
Label Anthem (Canada)
Atlantic
Producer Rupert Hine and Rush
Rush chronology
A Show of Hands
(1989)
Presto
(1989)
Roll the Bones
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [2]
Rolling Stone [3]

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. It was the band's first album with their new international label Atlantic Records which the band signed to in early 1989 after deciding not to renew its contract with Mercury/PolyGram Records.

The band had intended to co-produce the album with Peter Collins, who had produced the previous two studio albums, Power Windows and Hold Your Fire; however, he reluctantly declined the offer for personal reasons. An objective ear was found in producer Rupert Hine.

All singles released from the album ("Show Don't Tell", "The Pass", "Superconductor") charted, with "Show Don't Tell" hitting #1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart.[4] The album itself was ranked #16 by Billboard, and sales placed Presto in gold status in the United States, and Platinum in Canada.[5]

Contents

Musical style and direction

The album is generally held by fans to have marked the beginning of a transition period, moving away from a sound dominated by synthesizers and toward more traditional rock instrumentation and pop songwriting. In an interview in Canadian Musician, Geddy Lee explained:

"We wanted [Presto] to be more of a singer’s album, and I think you’ll notice that the arrangements musically support the vocal[s]. . . . Neil’s lyrics to me are a lot more heartfelt. Presently, they’re experience oriented. I think they deal with living . . . This album was a real reaction against technology in a sense. I was getting sick and tired of working with computers and synthesizers. Fortunately, so was [co-producer] Rupert [Hine]. . . . We made a pact to stay away from strings, pianos, and organs—to stay away from digital technology. In the end, we couldn’t resist using them for colour."[6]

"Scars" features a complex 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: Cycling in West Africa). Peart has gone on to incorporate this pattern into his live drum solos. The song 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 (as well as the recent "Box Set" episode on VH1 Classic), “The Pass” is one of the band’s favourite songs. In a 2011 interview, Peart said of Presto, "That was an album that, for all of us, should have been so much better than it was... If we could do one [album] again, it would be that one, because we still love the songs from it, but... you can never make magic happen." [7]

During the 1990 Presto Tour, the title track itself was never played. It was first played live during the Time Machine Tour in 2010.

Track listing

All lyrics written by Neil Peart, all music composed by Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee.

No. Title Length
1. "Show Don't Tell"   5:01
2. "Chain Lightning"   4:33
3. "The Pass"   4:52
4. "War Paint"   5:24
5. "Scars"   4:07
6. "Presto"   5:45
7. "Superconductor"   4:47
8. "Anagram (for Mongo)"   4:00
9. "Red Tide"   4:29
10. "Hand Over Fist"   4:11
11. "Available Light"   5:03

Personnel

Sales certifications

Country Organization Sales
U.S. RIAA Gold (500,000)
Canada RIAA Platinum (100,000)

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1990 The Billboard 200 16

Singles

Information
"Show Don't Tell"
  • Released: 1989
  • Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson & Neil Peart
  • Produced by: Rupert Hine and Rush
  • Chart positions: #1 US Mainstream Rock
"The Pass"
  • Released: 1990
  • Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson & Neil Peart
  • Produced by: Rupert Hine and Rush
  • Chart positions: #15 US Mainstream Rock
"Superconductor"
  • Released: 1990
  • Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson & Neil Peart
  • Produced by: Rupert Hine and Rush
  • Chart positions: #37 US Mainstream Rock

References