Pound of Obscure Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Hand over fistPaper around the stoneScissors cut the paperAnd the rock must stand alone..... This is the kind of stuff that has plagued Rush lyrics beginning with GUP.Makes me want to put the song in a bottle and throw it in the cyber sea. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steevo Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Years ago I had a friend who was intro death metal and industrial metal, yet he absolutely loved Available Light. Beauty cannot be denied! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bathory Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I like plenty of old death metal and I like plenty of tracks off presto hmm maybe superconductor was their attempt at thrash? I doubt it, but I read an interview from the hold your fire era and geddy said he loved metallica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steevo Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I like plenty of old death metal and I like plenty of tracks off presto hmm maybe superconductor was their attempt at thrash? I doubt it, but I read an interview from the hold your fire era and geddy said he loved metallica lol, Rush and Thrash? Hmmmm...but I know the feeling is mutual with the Met guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 That song is pure heavy metal noise! Geddy sounds like all three witches, the weird sisters from Macbeth! Cackling like a maniac! :haz: :haz: :haz:Hand over fistPaper around the stoneScissors cut the paperCut the paper to the boneHand over fistPaper around the stoneDouble, double trouble and we'll toil and troubleStand alone Fire burn, and cauldron bubble I could disappear into the crowdThrice the brinded cat hath mew'dBut not if I keep my head in the cloudsI could walk away so proudIt's easy enough if you don't laugh too loud I thought I was okay alone, Wait for the postman killing swine and the telephoneLost in a world of my ownI thought I could run aloneThought I could run through the night alone Hand over handDoesn't seem so muchHand over handAll hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter! You talk as we walk alongYou never imagined I could be so wrongHumming your favorite songYou know I've hated that song for so long How can we ever agree? When shall we three meet againIn thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurly-burly's done,When the battle's lost and won.Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none!Like the rest of the worldWe grow farther apartI swear you don't listen to meHolding my hand to my heartHolding my fist to my racing heart Take a walk outside myselfIn some exotic landGreet a passing strangerFeel the strength in his handFeel the world expand Sleep shall neither night nor dayHang upon his pent-house lid. I feel my spirit resistBut I open up my fistLay hand over hand overHand over fist 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OGr8imL84AD8inF8sBlackSedan Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I've always liked Hand Over Fist and many of the songs on Presto. I thought Neil wrote some of his most creative and ingenious lyrics then. Not necessarily his best work but certainly unique. Anagram for example is really skillfully written. The music though is so thin and airy it's really Rush light. I've heard Geddy refer to this period as almost, or more like jazz. Presto has a few hidden gems on it as mentioned in other post, Available Light, Hand Over Fist, Anagram, Red Tide ,and Chain Lightning (except for that God awful guitar solo) for instance...But it also has Superconductor..an all time dud. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geddy's Soul Patch Posted February 15, 2014 Author Share Posted February 15, 2014 I don't really understand why so many hate Superconductor; I think it's super catchy! And it rocks hard! Although it does does a little bit like a battery commercial... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus 2112 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 I love when Geddy sings "In The Available Light." Some of his best moments imo. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pause Rewind Replay Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 I'm one of the resident Presto lovers here.. Show Don't Tell made me a Rush fan and there isn't a weak song on it. The only downside is when I hear the DS version of SDT I at how amazing this album could have beenWhen Hand Over Fist pops into my head it's usually this line "..humming your favorite songYou know I've hated that song for so long" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangster of Goats Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 "The new Energizer Superconductor!" <Energizer Bunny makes his way across the TV screen *dum dum dum dum dum...*> "Watch his every move!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WavesandWindows Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I prefer Anagram. But this is a pretty well written song, I don't like how it sounds, but I appreciate the writing of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken hawk Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Love the whole Album. I listen to it often. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losingit2k Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Not one of their best songs on Presto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mika Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Presto is one of the last albums I 'discovered', and it's become one of my favourites... I like the dry sound of Geddy's voice - even though the overall abum sound is rather thin and a bit lacking - and there are some great songs, like 'The Pass' and 'Available Light' and 'Show Don't Tell' and 'Scars'... I'm surprised 'Scars' a bit maligned here - I love the groove, and wish I could find a full version of what was on the Rush in Rio documentary, a music-only track of it! That said, 'Hand Over Fist' isn't one of my favourites... I'm not sure why... it has some good parts, but as a whole, there are other Presto songs that outshine it, for me. Same thing with 'Anagram' - I really like what Neil did with the lyrics, and appreciate his efforts, but the song as a whole just doesn't excite me the way 'Chain Lightning' or 'Red Tide' does. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandDesigner Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I always thought Hand Over Fist was an underrated song of theirs in general. Its buried deep in the back of one of their more obscure albums, and is overshadowed by the heavy hitters like SDT, The Pass, and title track. I definitely think it's one of the best on the album and a pretty unique song where the chorus is clean/low-key instead of the verse. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleMoon Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I don't really care for the song. It sounds very 80s "soft pop- ish". Not that that's necessarily a bad thing but I don't think it's really a good thing for Rush. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony R Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 It's a song about masturbation but it's not worth a wank. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That One Guy Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) Echoing what a couple people said, Hand Over Fist is a song that could've been good, but just isn't. Probably would've worked better with some Counterparts-like treatment and heavyness. Rush might as well release a "Redo" album. Tracks from previous years altered for the better. I will say that I drove through Utah's national forests in my '87 truck listening to Presto in its entirety. That was a nice experience. Edited February 17, 2014 by That One Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ucsteve667 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 and echoing others its a really good song 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coventry Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 What a beautiful song off a beautiful album. Geddy's Taurus pedals at the "I feel my spirit resist" mini-bridge are earth shaking, especially through good speakers and a sub. Yes, much of the production is somewhat thin, but the album stands as a subtle concept album. In an album all about finding oneself and one's place in the world in all different aspecs, "HOF" resonates with Neil's then-recent experiences cycling through Africa and meeting tons of different people ('Scars', about the solitude of traveling through Africa, is the other half of that experience). And 'Superconductor' is as cheesy and grandiose - complete with huge chorus, sudden modulation, etc., as the over-exposed pop culture of the late-80's. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 What a beautiful song off a beautiful album. In an album all about finding oneself and one's place in the world in all different aspecs, "HOF" resonates with Neil's then-recent experiences cycling through Africa and meeting tons of different peopleFeel the strength in his hand...feel the world expand. Presto, like Vapor Trails, is an album where Neil's writing is at its most human and personal. Probably why I love both albums so much. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eshine Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 (edited) One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite Rush records. I love the overall bracing feel of it - the angry lyrics, the razor sharp guitar, Geds vocal delivery is spot on. It's weird to me that of all albums, Presto takes a lot of flack for being too "thin" or corny or whatever. Even the band themselves don't care for it. Presto actually restored my faith in the band after HYF, an album I have grown to appreciate, but was a listless, meandering dissapointment back in the day. When I heard Show Don't Tell on the radio, I was blown away. It was like " holy shit, Rush are writing rock songs again". I certainly wasn't thinking about the "thin" production. As far as I was concerned, Presto was a balls out rocker compared to its predecessor - with cohesive lyrics and melodies that totally resonated with me as an 18 year old kid. As a big fan of Geddys singing, I also consider Presto to be a vocal tour de force. Edited February 18, 2014 by eshine 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eshine Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Incidentally, Hand Over Fist was originally slated to be an instrumental. Just as with Peaceable Kingdom, Neil presented Geddy with lyrics that he felt were a perfect fit to the music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnoble Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Incidentally, Hand Over Fist was originally slated to be an instrumental. Just as with Peaceable Kingdom, Neil presented Geddy with lyrics that he felt were a perfect fit to the music. Darn you, I clicked on this thread for the sole purpose of pointing that out! I hope they wouldve juiced it up a little because it sounded like it would've been a pretty boring instrumental otherwise. If I had to guess, Show Don't Tell wouldve sounded like the one would-be instrumental later put to words. Especially the intro/main riff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnoble Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 (edited) One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite Rush records. I love the overall bracing feel of it - the angry lyrics, the razor sharp guitar, Geds vocal delivery is spot on. It's weird to me that of all albums, Presto takes a lot of flack for being too "thin" or corny or whatever. Even the band themselves don't care for it. Presto actually restored my faith in the band after HYF, an album I have grown to appreciate, but was a listless, meandering dissapointment back in the day. When I heard Show Don't Tell on the radio, I was blown away. It was like " holy shit, Rush are writing rock songs again". I certainly wasn't thinking about the "thin" production. As far as I was concerned, Presto was a balls out rocker compared to its predecessor - with cohesive lyrics and melodies that totally resonated with me as an 18 year old kid. As a big fan of Geddys singing, I also consider Presto to be a vocal tour de force. I've always considered Presto as one of Geddy's best vocal albums overall. Not as screechy as the '70s/early '80s and not as toned down and (as on the last couple albums) strained sounding. Say what you will about his production but Rupert Hine was able to make Geddy's singing shine on Presto. Edited February 19, 2014 by jnoble 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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