A Show of Hands

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  • Artist: Rush
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1989 01
  • Total Time: 74:22
  • Type: Live
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Although keyboards dominated Rush's 1988 double live set A Show of Hands, it's a definite improvement over its somewhat flat predecessor, 1981 's Exit...Stage Left. The band's music isn't as hard rock-based as it previously was, evidenced by the more modern-sounding compositions selected for this third live album (the first Rush album to be produced completely by the band). The only tracks from the pre-1982 period to be featured are "Closer to the Heart," which is expanded to include a jamming section at the end, and the spooky "Witch Hunt," originally from 1981's Moving Pictures. The remainder of the album's track list is comprised of Rush's best compositions from 1982-1987, such as "Subdivisions," "Distant Early Warning," "Force Ten," "Time Stand Still," and "Red Sector A," as well as several tracks that have been forgotten over time ("Marathon," "Turn the Page," "Mission," etc.). Also featured for the first time on a live Rush album is a completely unaccompanied drum solo by Neil Peart -- the intricate "Rhythm Method." The inspired A Show of Hands is an excellent snapshot of Rush in concert during the mid- to late '80s. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi

Previous:A Shout Toward Noon (1986 Album by Leo Kottke)
Next:A Show of Hands (1996 Album by Victor Wooten)
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A Show of Hands
Live album by Rush
Released January 9, 1989 (1989-01-09)
June 3, 1997 (Remastered CD)
Recorded 1986, 1988
Genre Progressive rock, hard rock
Length 74:22
Label Anthem (Canada)
Mercury (U.S.)
Vertigo (Europe)
Producer Rush
Rush chronology
Hold Your Fire
(1987)
A Show of Hands
(1989)
Presto
(1989)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3.5/5 stars[1]
Rolling Stone 2/5 stars[2]
Kerrang! 4/5 stars[3]

A Show of Hands is a live album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1989. The band released a video of the same name, originally on VHS and laserdisc in 1989. A DVD version was released as part of a box set in 2006, and as an individual DVD in 2007.

The album was recorded in Birmingham (UK), New Orleans, Phoenix, and San Diego during the 1988 Hold Your Fire tour as well as in the Meadowlands (East Rutherford, NJ) during the 1986 Power Windows tour. The opening track "Intro" features the Three Stooges theme song "Three Blind Mice" playing in the background; the band used this jingle to open many of their concerts during the 1980s.

Contents

Track listing

All songs written by Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee and Neil Peart, except where noted.

  1. "Intro" – 0:53
  2. "The Big Money" – 5:59
  3. "Subdivisions" – 5:22
  4. "Marathon" – 6:39
  5. "Turn the Page" – 4:41
  6. "Manhattan Project" – 5:18
  7. "Mission" – 5:46
  8. "Distant Early Warning" – 5:15
  9. "Mystic Rhythms" – 5:32
  10. "Witch Hunt (Pt. III of Fear)" – 4:00
  11. "The Rhythm Method" (Peart) – 4:37
  12. "Force Ten" (Lifeson, Lee, Peart, Pye Dubois) – 4:55
  13. "Time Stand Still" – 5:13
  14. "Red Sector A" – 5:18
  15. "Closer to the Heart" (Lifeson, Lee, Peart, Peter Talbot) – 4:54

Personnel

Charts

Album – Billboard (North America)[4]

Year Chart Position
1989 The Billboard 200 21

Singles

  • "Closer to the Heart / Witch Hunt" (7")
  • "Mission" (12" promo)
  • "Marathon" (12"/CD promo)

Sales certifications

Country Organization Sales
U.S. RIAA Gold (500,000)[5]
Canada CRIA Platinum (80,000)[6]

Remaster details

A remaster was issued in 1997.

  • The tray has a picture of three fingerprints: light blue, pink and lime green (left to right, mirroring the cover art of Retrospective II) with "The Rush Remasters" printed in all capital letters just to the left. All remasters from Moving Pictures to A Show of Hands are like this.
  • Includes all of the artwork that came with the original album.

A Show Of Hands was remastered again in 2011 by Andy VanDette for the "Sector" box sets, which re-released all of Rush's Mercury-era albums. A Show Of Hands is included in the Sector 3 set. [7]

References

  1. ^ Prato, Greg. "Rush A Show of Hands review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-show-of-hands-r17115/review. Retrieved 2011-10-15. 
  2. ^ Azerrad, Michael (20 April 1989). "Rush A Show of Hands". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/a-show-of-hands-19890420. Retrieved 2011-10-15. 
  3. ^ Hotten, Jon (14 Jan 1989). "Rush 'A Show of Hands'". Kerrang!. 221. London, UK: Spotlight Publications Ltd.. pp. 21. 
  4. ^ "A Show of Hands Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-show-of-hands-r17115/charts-awards. Retrieved 2011-12-01. 
  5. ^ "RIAA Database Search for Rush". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH. Retrieved 2011-11-20. 
  6. ^ "Gold Platinum Database - Title: A Show of Hands". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=show&ica=False&sa=rush&sl=&smt=0&sat=-1&ssb=Artist. Retrieved 2011-11-20. 
  7. ^ http://www.themasterdiskrecord.com/2011/11/andy-vandette-on-remastering-14-rush-albums

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