Presto

Presto
Studio album by Rush
Released	21 November 1989
Recorded	June - August 1989 Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec & McClear Place, Toronto, Ontario
Genre	Hard rock
Length	52:11
Label	Anthem (Canada) Atlantic
Producer	Rupert Hine and Rush
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Rolling Stone link
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. It was the band's first album with their new label Atlantic Records which the band signed to in early 1989 after deciding not to renew its contract with Mercury/PolyGram Records.

Intended to be co-produced with Peter Collins, who had produced the previous two studio albums, Power Windows and Hold Your Fire, 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. ^[1] The album itself was ranked #16 by Billboard, and sales placed Presto in gold status. ^[2]

Musical style and direction

The album is generally held by fans to have marked the beginning of a transition period, wherein the synthesizer-heavy songwriting of the 1980s began to give way to a more guitar-oriented sound in later releases. 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. Additionally, "Available Light" and "Red Tide" represent some of the few Rush songs to contain significant piano usage. Bass lines continue to follow the usual Rush style, however, “The Pass” is driven heavily by bass guitar chords.

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."^[3]

"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 favorite songs.

Track listing

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

Personnel

• Geddy Lee - bass guitar, synthesizers, vocals
• Alex Lifeson - electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
• Neil Peart - drums, percussion
• Rupert Hine - additional keyboards

Sales certifications

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles

References