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Presto and Roll The Bones...


Scooch
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As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, I’m not a fan of the Presto/Roll the Bones era. Admittedly, I have spoken unkind words of these albums in the past. Over the years, though, I’ve quieted down a bit. Yes, personally this is my least favorite run of albums, but that doesn’t mean they are” bad”. So as of lately I’ve listened to these albums with more of an open mind than I had in the past. It’s worth noting, even when these albums came out I did actually like some of the songs. I’ve always thought the openers to both albums worked very well – particularly Dreamline. So here’s my quick rundown of both album, with only positive things to say:

 

Presto – I know this is a simple album, cover, but I always thought it was kind of cool. Being basically what looks like a black and white photo, it was different for them (cool that they opened and closed the 80’s with black & white covers). Plus this is the album where we first see Geddy Lee with the glasses that he still wears today. Like I mentioned above, very cool lead song. I’ve always liked this one and it works as the first single, showcasing their more guitar oriented sound. And that is something I’ve always liked about this album – it was them going back to being more of a 3 piece, with a lot less keyboards and not as many layers. It’s not a full on rock sound so I guess these albums can be viewed as their transitional time where they were breaking away from the keys and moving towards a more organic 3 piece sound. Throughout the album Geddy Lee’s voice sounds great (the run from Hold Your Fire through Roll the Bones, Geddy Lee sounds great vocally). I also like the addition of the backing vocals which we didn’t hear much of on previous albums (“That’s true!” from Red Lenses LOL). The standout tracks for me are the first three, plus Available Light (again, it’s the vocals in AL that do it for me). This is not saying the other songs are bad – on the contrary, I think they album is very consistent in both sound and writing. As with every Rush album you can hear the arrangements were handled with care, and the songs do a good job of evoking certain feels and emotions between the verses and choruses.

 

Roll the Bones – again, great opening track and cool album cover! Personally, I like this a little more than Presto. The reason why is Roll the Bones seems to have more “flavors”, yet it still sounds like a unified album. I like how the album blends some funk elements and even Hip-Hop, yet the album doesn’t sound like it’s all over the place. Plus for the first time in years we got a Rush instrumental! Production wise I think this sounds a lot like Presto, but from a songwriting perspective I think Roll the Bones is a little stronger. Again, lots of background vocals especially with the closing track You Bet Your Life. Also, lyrically for me there was more to relate to. The songs here on RTB have a little more energy, and are even a little more stripped down from Presto. For me as a fan, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this album when it came out. It was released when Grunge was happening, and popular bands like U2 were reinventing themselves. RTB wasn’t a reinvention (and it didn’t need to me), but I was kind of surprised to hear what was basically a continuation in sound from their previous album. I guess I was expecting Counterparts in 1991 – LOL.

 

This was a weird period for me as a fan. I didn’t see them on either tour, nor did I hear a lot about these albums when they came out. The one thing that does come to mind was how well RTB charted when it came out – but this was their first album to be release after albums were charted strictly on sales. I think the industry realized with the release of this album that Rush had some fans out there! I’m glad I’ve given these albums a chance as one of my favorite songs by them now is The Pass, and it’s never a bad thing to absorb as much music as possible!

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I'm pretty much in the same boat... but I can add Hold Your Fire into that mix....

 

Songs aren't horrible...but they just aren't the same flavor as most of what a lot of us wanted out of Rush.

 

Dreamline is probably in my top bunch of favorite songs (hard to say top 10 or even 25..Rush has a LOT of music!) But it's in there, and always a good one live!

 

As I've said before.. I give these albums a shot occasionally, and I'm still not on their bandwagon. OF the bunch I have to say Presto is probably the least favorite by a big margin, with HyF and RtB close to it...

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Hold Your Fire took a while to grow on me, Jaminbenb. I listened to it for a month or so when it first came out and then basically ignored it for almost a year. It wasn't until I took a long road trip and let it play a few times that I really "got it". It's an album of subtleties, but now it's in my top 5.
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Always loved Presto - even though it sounds a bit tinny in retrospect. I didn't mind that much back in 1989. This was before grunge, remember.

 

Roll the Bones sounds very similar to Presto, but they took too many chances that didn't work. For me anyway. Never cared for the rap in the title song, I always thought Ghost of a Chance changed tempos too quickly, Heresy sounds like a CNN commercial, and the "Anarchist, Reactionary......" bit from You Bet Your Life sounds like a commercial for sugarless charm.

 

Clem

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When Presto came out I liked it out of loyalty for a while, then I didn't listen to it for a long time. Here's a lazy cut-n-paste from another thread, the short version of my usual critique:

 

Show Don't Tell - love it. No complaints

Chain Lightning - promising start, but completely wimps out in the chorus

The Pass - liked it a lot at first, and the lyrical message is important, but I never dug it as much as the band does

War Paint - another promising start - and then the synths take over. But I like it well enough

Scars - I try to zone in on the great guitar leads throughout - so I can listen to it.

Presto - I don't mind this, but I think it could have been so much more. I remember loving hearing an acoustic guitar so prominently in a Rush song again (notwithstanding that plastic thing Lifeson plays on Mystic Rhythms)

Superconductor - I like the lyrics better than the music in this one. It "rocks" I guess, but it sounds like a Kim Mitchell riff.

Anagram - sort of like Chain lightning. Slapped silly by synths. Fun lyrics though. And I like the piano break/bridge bit.

Red Tide - no complaints

Hand Over Fist - pretty much can't stand it from start to finish, though I grant that Lifeson has a bit o' life in him at times here.

Available Light - I appreciate this song, but I don't like the way Lee delivers some of the lines (especially "play of light, a photograph")

 

Over all, the album has a thinner sort of sound that doesn't feel right to me.

 

The cover is pure genius.

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I'm pretty much in the same boat... but I can add Hold Your Fire into that mix....

 

Songs aren't horrible...but they just aren't the same flavor as most of what a lot of us wanted out of Rush.

 

Dreamline is probably in my top bunch of favorite songs (hard to say top 10 or even 25..Rush has a LOT of music!) But it's in there, and always a good one live!

 

As I've said before.. I give these albums a shot occasionally, and I'm still not on their bandwagon. OF the bunch I have to say Presto is probably the least favorite by a big margin, with HyF and RtB close to it...

 

Pretty much my exact feelings about these albums as well.

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When Presto came out I liked it out of loyalty for a while, then I didn't listen to it for a long time. Here's a lazy cut-n-paste from another thread, the short version of my usual critique:

 

Show Don't Tell - love it. No complaints

Chain Lightning - promising start, but completely wimps out in the chorus

The Pass - liked it a lot at first, and the lyrical message is important, but I never dug it as much as the band does

War Paint - another promising start - and then the synths take over. But I like it well enough

Scars - I try to zone in on the great guitar leads throughout - so I can listen to it.

Presto - I don't mind this, but I think it could have been so much more. I remember loving hearing an acoustic guitar so prominently in a Rush song again (notwithstanding that plastic thing Lifeson plays on Mystic Rhythms)

Superconductor - I like the lyrics better than the music in this one. It "rocks" I guess, but it sounds like a Kim Mitchell riff.

Anagram - sort of like Chain lightning. Slapped silly by synths. Fun lyrics though. And I like the piano break/bridge bit.

Red Tide - no complaints

Hand Over Fist - pretty much can't stand it from start to finish, though I grant that Lifeson has a bit o' life in him at times here.

Available Light - I appreciate this song, but I don't like the way Lee delivers some of the lines (especially "play of light, a photograph")

 

Over all, the album has a thinner sort of sound that doesn't feel right to me.

 

The cover is pure genius.

 

I agree with a lot of what you said. Especially regarding Hand Over Fist...

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Presto to me is Moving Pictures part 2. Something about it shares the same magic and feel. Always felt it, always will. It is playful, and modern, and really commercial without completely abandoning their roots.

 

Presto I love unconditionally. One of my favourite albums ever, no joke.

 

Roll The Bones is good, with greatness. Not a top end favourite, but Bravado gives me life!

 

Presto: 9.5/10

Roll The Bones: 6/10

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Presto is Amazing i will defend it to the grrave. Yes Rush fans.....they did an AOR record.........fabulously.

 

RTB. The songs would work way better live. Cause the album is produced Awfully.

 

and is Weighed down by a bunch of god awful songs and worse lyrics.

 

Presto- 8/10

 

RTB-4/10

 

Mick

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Presto is Amazing i will defend it to the grrave. Yes Rush fans.....they did an AOR record.........fabulously.

 

RTB. The songs would work way better live. Cause the album is produced Awfully.

 

and is Weighed down by a bunch of god awful songs and worse lyrics.

 

Presto- 8/10

 

RTB-4/10

 

Mick

 

Dreamline

Bravado

Roll The Bones

The Cher Ballad

Ghost Of A Chance

 

Too much goodness for a 4!

 

Clockwork Angels, on the other hand...

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Presto is Amazing i will defend it to the grrave. Yes Rush fans.....they did an AOR record.........fabulously.

 

RTB. The songs would work way better live. Cause the album is produced Awfully.

 

and is Weighed down by a bunch of god awful songs and worse lyrics.

 

Presto- 8/10

 

RTB-4/10

 

Mick

 

Dreamline

Bravado

Roll The Bones

The Cher Ballad

Ghost Of A Chance

 

Too much goodness for a 4!

 

Clockwork Angels, on the other hand...

 

Awfulness that kills it

 

Face up

Neurotica

Heresy

You Bet your Life.

 

Add the production.......all that makes it a 4.

 

Mick

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Presto is Amazing i will defend it to the grrave. Yes Rush fans.....they did an AOR record.........fabulously.

 

RTB. The songs would work way better live. Cause the album is produced Awfully.

 

and is Weighed down by a bunch of god awful songs and worse lyrics.

 

Presto- 8/10

 

RTB-4/10

 

Mick

 

Dreamline

Bravado

Roll The Bones

The Cher Ballad

Ghost Of A Chance

 

Too much goodness for a 4!

 

Clockwork Angels, on the other hand...

 

Awfulness that kills it

 

Face up

Neurotica

Heresy

You Bet your Life.

 

Add the production.......all that makes it a 4.

 

Mick

Oh yeah... Eew...

 

But The Cher Song, better than Xanadu when I need my cheese fix!

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Presto is Amazing i will defend it to the grrave. Yes Rush fans.....they did an AOR record.........fabulously.

 

RTB. The songs would work way better live. Cause the album is produced Awfully.

 

and is Weighed down by a bunch of god awful songs and worse lyrics.

 

Presto- 8/10

 

RTB-4/10

 

Mick

 

Dreamline

Bravado

Roll The Bones

The Cher Ballad

Ghost Of A Chance

 

Too much goodness for a 4!

 

Clockwork Angels, on the other hand...

 

Awfulness that kills it

 

Face up

Neurotica

Heresy

You Bet your Life.

 

Add the production.......all that makes it a 4.

 

Mick

Oh yeah... Eew...

 

But The Cher Song, better than Xanadu when I need my cheese fix!

 

i like how it's just the Cher song now, lol

 

Looking for LOOOOVE!!!!!!!

 

Mick

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Presto is Amazing i will defend it to the grrave. Yes Rush fans.....they did an AOR record.........fabulously.

 

RTB. The songs would work way better live. Cause the album is produced Awfully.

 

and is Weighed down by a bunch of god awful songs and worse lyrics.

 

Presto- 8/10

 

RTB-4/10

 

Mick

 

Dreamline

Bravado

Roll The Bones

The Cher Ballad

Ghost Of A Chance

 

Too much goodness for a 4!

 

Clockwork Angels, on the other hand...

 

Awfulness that kills it

 

Face up

Neurotica

Heresy

You Bet your Life.

 

Add the production.......all that makes it a 4.

 

Mick

Oh yeah... Eew...

 

But The Cher Song, better than Xanadu when I need my cheese fix!

 

i like how it's just the Cher song now, lol

 

Looking for LOOOOVE!!!!!!!

 

Mick

 

What do you mean?

 

Does it have another name?

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Presto 0/10

 

You should change your name to "laughedatbysegue"

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Presto is Amazing i will defend it to the grrave. Yes Rush fans.....they did an AOR record.........fabulously.

 

RTB. The songs would work way better live. Cause the album is produced Awfully.

 

and is Weighed down by a bunch of god awful songs and worse lyrics.

 

Presto- 8/10

 

RTB-4/10

 

Mick

 

Dreamline

Bravado

Roll The Bones

The Cher Ballad

Ghost Of A Chance

 

Too much goodness for a 4!

 

Clockwork Angels, on the other hand...

 

Awfulness that kills it

 

Face up

Neurotica

Heresy

You Bet your Life.

 

Add the production.......all that makes it a 4.

 

Mick

Oh yeah... Eew...

 

But The Cher Song, better than Xanadu when I need my cheese fix!

 

i like how it's just the Cher song now, lol

 

Looking for LOOOOVE!!!!!!!

 

Mick

 

What do you mean?

 

Does it have another name?

 

such a missed opportunity. Cher guesting on that for r40.

 

Fans would hate it........i'd be rolling on the floor :laughing guy:

 

Mick

Edited by bluefox4000
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Presto is Amazing i will defend it to the grrave. Yes Rush fans.....they did an AOR record.........fabulously.

 

RTB. The songs would work way better live. Cause the album is produced Awfully.

 

and is Weighed down by a bunch of god awful songs and worse lyrics.

 

Presto- 8/10

 

RTB-4/10

 

Mick

 

Dreamline

Bravado

Roll The Bones

The Cher Ballad

Ghost Of A Chance

 

Too much goodness for a 4!

 

Clockwork Angels, on the other hand...

 

Awfulness that kills it

 

Face up

Neurotica

Heresy

You Bet your Life.

 

Add the production.......all that makes it a 4.

 

Mick

Oh yeah... Eew...

 

But The Cher Song, better than Xanadu when I need my cheese fix!

 

i like how it's just the Cher song now, lol

 

Looking for LOOOOVE!!!!!!!

 

Mick

 

What do you mean?

 

Does it have another name?

 

such a missed opportunity. Cher guesting on that for r40.

 

Fans would haye it........i'd be rolling on the floor :laughing guy:

 

Mick

 

Cher is Geddy Lee...

 

http://memecrunch.com/meme/GXVX/dont-doubt-me/image.jpg

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Presto 0/10

 

You should change your name to "laughedatbysegue"

There are worse things. Like agreeing with a Springsteen fan on anything that has to do with music.

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