Jump to content

Presto!


JohnRogers
 Share

Recommended Posts

Presto isn't BAD it's just...forgettable. I like it but it's so unremarkable I often forget it's even there. Roll The Bones I genuinely dislike but I remember it because it's insulting to me, Presto is just..."oh yeah, that exists".
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great for a place to set your drink. And trying to convince someone they have tinnitus. That's about it.

don't forget skeet shooting target. especially when you can buy them at the gas station in the $1.99 pile.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the thing that changed the most in ten years wasn't the band, it was the folks following the band.

 

Presto isn't sonically that far removed from the early stuff. People rightfully complain about the thin sound, and don't get me wrong, it's thin. But a lot of Rush's older material also had some thinness to it. People praise Terry Brown for making the instrumentation crystal clear, and he should be praised for that. But the fine-line between mud extraction and thin production is right where he walked, and I think Presto walks the same line, only very marginally less successfully than most of Terry Brown's work.

 

Musically, the band honestly wasn't that different than it was on Permanent Waves. If you want to believe they were, that's great. But both Permanent Waves and Presto have their fair share of Rush-isms musically. Lifeson solos, Lee bass riffage, Peart slamming the drums. And elementally, Presto may not be as in-your-face progressive as many would like, but honestly, neither was Permanent Waves or Moving Pictures. For every instance you can point to of an odd time signature in Permanent Waves, you can find one in Presto just about.

 

The main difference is that the outlier 8+ minute tracks are missing on Presto, and that's basically it. People complain about the lyrics not being prog or epic something, but really, the lyrics on Permanent Waves and moving Pictures weren't either, with two notable exceptions: Natural science and The Camera Eye. But even then, the lyrics on all three of these records are no longer stories, but rather just examinations of the human condition.

 

To me, the band did some growing up in the 70's, and starting with Permanent Waves, and certainly continuing to Presto and beyond, wrote great material.

 

And a few clunkers along the way, but hey, that happens.

 

No, the biggest difference I can find between Presto and Permanent Waves isn't in the musicians, it's in the audience. An audience that was 10 years older, and not as impressionable as they were when they took that first Rush listen back in the day.

 

That's my opinion, at least.

 

Presto is older than me. Permanent Waves is older than me. They both sound like good rock albums from where I sit, but I've always assumed that's because I listened to them at about the same period in my life.

 

I always thought the only thing similar about the two records is they both have black and white covers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

HYF and Presto are the point in time where it screams that they were just going through the motions. Al has said in the past that it was around this time that they were thinking about breaking it up. Not surprising. Edited by 2112FirstStreet
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Presto just kind of existed for no good reason for the longest time with me. Over the years, it has grown on me, most likely because of what followed. I feel that the only album which was Rush "going through the motions" was RTB. I think that every other album at least had something unique to offer.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

HYF and Presto are the point in time where it screams that they were just going through the motions. Al has said in the past that it was around this time that they were thinking about breaking it up. Not surprising.

Presto just kind of existed for no good reason for the longest time with me. Over the years, it has grown on me, most likely because of what followed. I feel that the only album which was Rush "going through the motions" was RTB. I think that every other album at least had something unique to offer.

 

 

Three albums that never really impressed me (except for maybe one or two songs) were Hold Your Fire, Presto, and Roll the Bones ....Presto probably has the least amount of stuff that I like, and I would not have been totally surprised if they "called it" after that run! I just remember not liking HyF, except for maybe two songs, liked the first little bit of Presto, but not much else, and after Dreamline, pretty much hated RtB! I remember buying the CD on my way to a recording class, basically got through Dreamline, and a little bit into Bravado before I had to go to the class...walked into the studio, and the rest of the guys I had class with had it on, and were all standing there with disappointed faces...The one guy said "after the first tune, it all sucks!" And as I listened to it several times after that..had to agree!.. Just could never get into it!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not a bad album, but all the songs sound the same and that is what gets to me after listening to a few of them.

You could make the "sounds the same" argument about the Hemispheres album. Presto has a distinctive sound, but for the most part, each song is pretty different from the others. Edited by goose
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to try brushing my teeth to Superconductor. :)

I'm going to start brushing my teeth.

hold on a sec...

Excuse me sir but I have some senseless SOCN to get to, so hurry the frack up.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not a bad album, but all the songs sound the same and that is what gets to me after listening to a few of them.

You could make the "sounds the same" argument about the Hemispheres album. Presto has a distinctive sound, but for the most part, each song is pretty different from the others.

 

That's your opinion.

 

I'll keep my own.

 

:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not a bad album, but all the songs sound the same and that is what gets to me after listening to a few of them.

You could make the "sounds the same" argument about the Hemispheres album. Presto has a distinctive sound, but for the most part, each song is pretty different from the others.

 

That's your opinion.

 

I'll keep my own.

 

:)

Yours is wrong.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not a bad album, but all the songs sound the same and that is what gets to me after listening to a few of them.

You could make the "sounds the same" argument about the Hemispheres album. Presto has a distinctive sound, but for the most part, each song is pretty different from the others.

 

That's your opinion.

 

I'll keep my own.

 

:)

TRF is not aboot letting one keep their own opinion. This place is not some idealistic Neil Peart lyric.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to try brushing my teeth to Superconductor. :)

I'm going to start brushing my teeth.

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg293/goose_trf/vaderpresto_zpslipjfbep.jpg

Excuse me sir but I have some senseless SOCN to get to, so hurry the frack up.

fixed

:LOL:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not a bad album, but all the songs sound the same and that is what gets to me after listening to a few of them.

You could make the "sounds the same" argument about the Hemispheres album. Presto has a distinctive sound, but for the most part, each song is pretty different from the others.

 

That's your opinion.

 

I'll keep my own.

 

:)

TRF is not aboot letting one keep their own opinion. This place is not some idealistic Neil Peart lyric.

 

Are you telling me we must all be cloned or be cast out?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not a bad album, but all the songs sound the same and that is what gets to me after listening to a few of them.

You could make the "sounds the same" argument about the Hemispheres album. Presto has a distinctive sound, but for the most part, each song is pretty different from the others.

 

That's your opinion.

 

I'll keep my own.

 

:)

TRF is not aboot letting one keep their own opinion. This place is not some idealistic Neil Peart lyric.

If I could wave my magic wand...
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ironically, I found my copy of Presto last night while looking for a DVD. So at least I can listen to it if I ever get the urge (although I'm pretty sure I could find it online free anyways).
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to try brushing my teeth to Superconductor. :)

I'm going to start brushing my teeth.

 

Be sure to do it to Superconductor.

 

I'll let you know how I did tomorrow. I probably won't get far because I'll be laughing. :D

 

The verdict is in.

 

:boo hiss: on brushing to the song.

 

:ebert: on flossing! Quite a beat to floss to. :banana: :banana: :banana:

 

Try it and see! :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...