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Presto: Rush's most awkward era


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I rate this record as the worst RUSH album of all.

 

Solid middle of the pack for me.

 

RTB on the other hand...

The thin, plastic production on Presto is even thinner than Roll the Bones and the bad tracks on Presto are really bad.

 

The production fits the slick, quirky pop tunes that make up Presto. It doesn't do any service to the driving rock, light funk, and ballideering of RTB.

Well I've still got Presto rock bottom in my RUSH rankings.

 

I’ve got it at 4th or 5th from the bottom, certainly above Snakes (THE lowest), Bones, and Test for Echo. It may or may not beat Vapor Trails which is why it’d be 4th or 5th weakest

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I wouldn’t say it’s a matter of better or worse, but Freddie definitely refined his drumming, introduced some different technique, and sent it in a direction that it had not gone before.

 

And I am a musician. But I don’t think that necessarily qualifies my opinion any more than a non-musician.

I'll just say this: the man who played drums on 2112 didn't need lessons from ANYONE!

 

I understand where you’re coming from...BUT- I would say that Neil was definitely not the same person that he was in 1994-‘95, compared to 1976 (could anyone be, really? I am definitely not the same person that I was nearly 20 years ago. But I digress).

 

Neil sought out Freddie Gruber because of something he wanted to change, to advance, in his skills. Whether the fans are happy with the results of that are a completely moot point. Neil changed direction because he wanted to. And I can only surmise that he was happy with the results he got. And as far as I can tell, that’s really all that matters.

Compared to earlier records, it's not the change in his style that I don't enjoy as much as the actual SOUND of his drums.
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Presto was how I discovered Rush so it will always sound great to me.

Thirty years on, it really does hold up, in ways that their other albums and songs have not. (Lookin at you, prog era.)

I'm with you. Because of the production, when I listen to Presto, I turn the bass up, but I LOVE most of the music, the execution, the lyrics and the vocals.
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I rate this record as the worst RUSH album of all.

 

Solid middle of the pack for me.

 

RTB on the other hand...

The thin, plastic production on Presto is even thinner than Roll the Bones and the bad tracks on Presto are really bad.

 

The production fits the slick, quirky pop tunes that make up Presto. It doesn't do any service to the driving rock, light funk, and ballideering of RTB.

Well I've still got Presto rock bottom in my RUSH rankings.

 

I’ve got it at 4th or 5th from the bottom, certainly above Snakes (THE lowest), Bones, and Test for Echo. It may or may not beat Vapor Trails which is why it’d be 4th or 5th weakest

What's your overall rankings?

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I rate this record as the worst RUSH album of all.

 

Solid middle of the pack for me.

 

RTB on the other hand...

The thin, plastic production on Presto is even thinner than Roll the Bones and the bad tracks on Presto are really bad.

 

The production fits the slick, quirky pop tunes that make up Presto. It doesn't do any service to the driving rock, light funk, and ballideering of RTB.

Well I've still got Presto rock bottom in my RUSH rankings.

 

I’ve got it at 4th or 5th from the bottom, certainly above Snakes (THE lowest), Bones, and Test for Echo. It may or may not beat Vapor Trails which is why it’d be 4th or 5th weakest

What's your overall rankings?

These are pretty firmly entrenched in their positions...

 

1. MP

2. PeW

3. Hemis

4. AFTK

5. 2112

6. Sigs

7-13. ((all these albums are swirling around))

14. Rush

15. Presto

16. VT

17. T4E

18. Bones

19. Snakes

 

* As I said earlier, Presto & VT are duking it out, so it’s close there. But I definitely like the debut more than either.

** I didn’t start disliking songs until Bones came out. Yes, that includes NOT disliking Tai Shan or Rivendell. That’s not to say I like them though. And I dislike plenty on Clockwork but there’s a handful that I think are quality.

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I rate this record as the worst RUSH album of all.

 

Solid middle of the pack for me.

 

RTB on the other hand...

The thin, plastic production on Presto is even thinner than Roll the Bones and the bad tracks on Presto are really bad.

 

The production fits the slick, quirky pop tunes that make up Presto. It doesn't do any service to the driving rock, light funk, and ballideering of RTB.

Well I've still got Presto rock bottom in my RUSH rankings.

 

I’ve got it at 4th or 5th from the bottom, certainly above Snakes (THE lowest), Bones, and Test for Echo. It may or may not beat Vapor Trails which is why it’d be 4th or 5th weakest

What's your overall rankings?

These are pretty firmly entrenched in their positions...

 

1. MP

2. PeW

3. Hemis

4. AFTK

5. 2112

6. Sigs

7-13. ((all these albums are swirling around))

14. Rush

15. Presto

16. VT

17. T4E

18. Bones

19. Snakes

 

* As I said earlier, Presto & VT are duking it out, so it’s close there. But I definitely like the debut more than either.

** I didn’t start disliking songs until Bones came out. Yes, that includes NOT disliking Tai Shan or Rivendell. That’s not to say I like them though. And I dislike plenty on Clockwork but there’s a handful that I think are quality.

Presto has got some good songs like Presto, Chain Lightning, Show Don't Tell, The Pass and Available Light but these are spoiled by the super-thin production with weak drum sound and trebly bass. Then the rest of the album is full of stinkers like Superconductor, Scars, Red Tide and plodders like Anagram, Hand Over Fist and War Paint.

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I rate this record as the worst RUSH album of all.

 

Solid middle of the pack for me.

 

RTB on the other hand...

The thin, plastic production on Presto is even thinner than Roll the Bones and the bad tracks on Presto are really bad.

 

The production fits the slick, quirky pop tunes that make up Presto. It doesn't do any service to the driving rock, light funk, and ballideering of RTB.

Well I've still got Presto rock bottom in my RUSH rankings.

 

I’ve got it at 4th or 5th from the bottom, certainly above Snakes (THE lowest), Bones, and Test for Echo. It may or may not beat Vapor Trails which is why it’d be 4th or 5th weakest

What's your overall rankings?

These are pretty firmly entrenched in their positions...

 

1. MP

2. PeW

3. Hemis

4. AFTK

5. 2112

6. Sigs

7-13. ((all these albums are swirling around))

14. Rush

15. Presto

16. VT

17. T4E

18. Bones

19. Snakes

 

* As I said earlier, Presto & VT are duking it out, so it’s close there. But I definitely like the debut more than either.

** I didn’t start disliking songs until Bones came out. Yes, that includes NOT disliking Tai Shan or Rivendell. That’s not to say I like them though. And I dislike plenty on Clockwork but there’s a handful that I think are quality.

Presto has got some good songs like Presto, Chain Lightning, Show Don't Tell, The Pass and Available Light but these are spoiled by the super-thin production with weak drum sound and trebly bass. Then the rest of the album is full of stinkers like Superconductor, Scars, Red Tide and plodders like Anagram, Hand Over Fist and War Paint.

 

There are Presto tunes I don’t care about (like some of the ones you mentioned) but I don’t dislike any of them...Hand Over Fist comes close though

Edited by JohnnyBlaze
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I rate this record as the worst RUSH album of all.

 

Solid middle of the pack for me.

 

RTB on the other hand...

The thin, plastic production on Presto is even thinner than Roll the Bones and the bad tracks on Presto are really bad.

 

The production fits the slick, quirky pop tunes that make up Presto. It doesn't do any service to the driving rock, light funk, and ballideering of RTB.

Well I've still got Presto rock bottom in my RUSH rankings.

 

I’ve got it at 4th or 5th from the bottom, certainly above Snakes (THE lowest), Bones, and Test for Echo. It may or may not beat Vapor Trails which is why it’d be 4th or 5th weakest

What's your overall rankings?

These are pretty firmly entrenched in their positions...

 

1. MP

2. PeW

3. Hemis

4. AFTK

5. 2112

6. Sigs

7-13. ((all these albums are swirling around))

14. Rush

15. Presto

16. VT

17. T4E

18. Bones

19. Snakes

 

* As I said earlier, Presto & VT are duking it out, so it’s close there. But I definitely like the debut more than either.

** I didn’t start disliking songs until Bones came out. Yes, that includes NOT disliking Tai Shan or Rivendell. That’s not to say I like them though. And I dislike plenty on Clockwork but there’s a handful that I think are quality.

Presto has got some good songs like Presto, Chain Lightning, Show Don't Tell, The Pass and Available Light but these are spoiled by the super-thin production with weak drum sound and trebly bass. Then the rest of the album is full of stinkers like Superconductor, Scars, Red Tide and plodders like Anagram, Hand Over Fist and War Paint.

 

There are Presto tunes I don’t care about (like some of the ones) but I don’t dislike any of them...Hand Over Fist comes close though

The interesting thing about Presto is it was the first album for quite a while to feature acoustic guitar. I think since Permanent Waves.

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Presto has got some good songs like Presto, Chain Lightning, Show Don't Tell, The Pass and Available Light but these are spoiled by the super-thin production with weak drum sound and trebly bass. Then the rest of the album is full of stinkers like Superconductor, Scars, Red Tide and plodders like Anagram, Hand Over Fist and War Paint.

 

I'll give you Superconductor (that modulation is terrible near the end), but Scars is terrific. I love when Neil gets African. Mystic Rhythms too -- the interplay of his patterns with Alex's arpeggio is really special.

 

The others that you consider duds are some of my favorites. And the production on Presto was at least ballsier than HYF, so there's that.

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I remember being 'blown away' with the opening to 'Red Tide' the first time I heard it.

 

I do like about all of this CD but wish it would be be recorded as strong as 'Counterparts'

Presto is 'Diet Rush' musically.

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I do like about all of this CD but wish it would be be recorded as strong as 'Counterparts'

Presto is 'Diet Rush' musically.

 

It's not the songwriting that makes it sound like "Diet Rush"; the songs are structurally equivalent to the songs on the previous 4 or 5 synth era albums.

It's the sound engineering that weakens the album.

I wish all their music from GuP to RtB could be re-recorded to sound like Counterparts.

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I remember being 'blown away' with the opening to 'Red Tide' the first time I heard it.

 

I do like about all of this CD but wish it would be be recorded as strong as 'Counterparts'

Presto is 'Diet Rush' musically.

 

Red Tide is a great song. I haven't listened to it for a long time and I'm going to go listen to it right now.

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Presto: Rush's most awkward era

 

That's funny. I thought this was Rush's most awkward era. :D-13:

 

tumblr_p66aezlU8G1tsxh9ko1_1280.jpg?w=605&ssl=1

 

 

Sorry to keep hijacking but I'm starting to wonder if this is a gag photo or a photo shoot gone horribly wrong. Has anyone ever seen Geddy onstage in that outfit and hairdo? Especially that hairdo!

 

 

Obligatory Presto content:

 

I think Presto's production sound sucks but it has some pretty good songs on it.

 

What Presto isn't:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk

 

Presto is just another example of Rush's tendency to seek out new sounds and styles that they could Rushify and their mileage varied in those efforts. There's a built-in potential for awkwardness for any artist who tries to evolve. Neil Young's Trans anyone? But I'll take awkwardness over stagnancy any day.

 

I guess I'd say their wardrobe and hair style choices were fairly awkward from '82 to, I don't know, '92? And of course their '70s glam looks were some real howlers. They began looking more comfortable onstage when they started dressing more conventionally if more boringly from T4E onward (Alex's leather pants notwithstanding). I really dislike a lot of their fashion choices in the '80s but their '70s looks are just so cheesy I have to love them. Whenever they tried to look like rock and/or pop stars they just came off like regular Canadian guys playing dress up and man that is always awkward. lol.

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It’s funny when I read ‘that ballet slipper man Freddie’ I thought when did Neil play for Queen?.duh
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Presto: Rush's most awkward era

 

That's funny. I thought this was Rush's most awkward era. :D-13:

 

tumblr_p66aezlU8G1tsxh9ko1_1280.jpg?w=605&ssl=1

 

 

Sorry to keep hijacking but I'm starting to wonder if this is a gag photo or a photo shoot gone horribly wrong. Has anyone ever seen Geddy onstage in that outfit and hairdo? Especially that hairdo!

 

 

Obligatory Presto content:

 

I think Presto's production sound sucks but it has some pretty good songs on it.

 

What Presto isn't:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk

 

Presto is just another example of Rush's tendency to seek out new sounds and styles that they could Rushify and their mileage varied in those efforts. There's a built-in potential for awkwardness for any artist who tries to evolve. Neil Young's Trans anyone? But I'll take awkwardness over stagnancy any day.

 

I guess I'd say their wardrobe and hair style choices were fairly awkward from '82 to, I don't know, '92? And of course their '70s glam looks were some real howlers. They began looking more comfortable onstage when they started dressing more conventionally if more boringly from T4E onward (Alex's leather pants notwithstanding). I really dislike a lot of their fashion choices in the '80s but their '70s looks are just so cheesy I have to love them. Whenever they tried to look like rock and/or pop stars they just came off like regular Canadian guys playing dress up and man that is always awkward. lol.

 

How old are you? Their get-up in that pic is typical of the seventies - early to mid. I hated it. It was so artificial. Plus, who could walk with those shoes on? They were horrid.

 

Geddy looked his best at that last Molson concert before Neil's tragedy, and he didn't look too shabby when he and Alex were donning their miami vice jackets in the mid-80s. Neil looked his best during the GUP tour. After that, his face changed and he developed that "Neil look" he carried until the day he departed. I often wondered what happened to him to harden him so after that tour.

 

Just my two cents. Won't get you anywhere. :) :D-13:

Edited by Lorraine
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Presto: Rush's most awkward era

 

That's funny. I thought this was Rush's most awkward era. :D-13:

 

tumblr_p66aezlU8G1tsxh9ko1_1280.jpg?w=605&ssl=1

 

Dig those platform shoes!

 

Al grabbing Neil: No you have to be in this picture no matter how stupid you feel wearing that stuff.

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