Album · Live
A Show of Hands
A Show of Hands is a live album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1989 on Epic/Sony. It arrived as a companion to a video of the same name, which came out the same year on VHS and LaserDisc. The record is also a snapshot of the band's progressive rock leanings in the late 1980s, sitting after Hold Your Fire (1987) and alongside Presto, which also appeared in 1989.
The video had a long afterlife, turning up on DVD in a 2006 box set and as a standalone disc in 2007. In 2015 the album was reissued in a version remastered by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios, part of a project in which Rush themselves approached him to remaster their whole back catalogue. For anyone who knows the studio records, it is a handy way to hear how the band sounded on stage.
A Show of Hands: tracklist, credits and charts
15 tracks · 1:14:31Tracklist
- 1Intro0:53
- 2The Big MoneyLee, Lifeson, Peart5:59
- 3SubdivisionsLee, Lifeson, Peart5:23
- 4MarathonLee, Lifeson, Peart6:40
- 5Turn the PageLee, Lifeson, Peart4:41
- 6Manhattan ProjectLee, Lifeson, Peart5:19
- 7MissionLee, Lifeson, Peart5:47
- 8Distant Early WarningLee, Lifeson, Peart5:16
- 9Mystic RhythmsLee, Lifeson, Peart5:34
- 10Witch HuntLee, Lifeson, Peart3:59
- 11The Rhythm MethodNeil Peart4:38
- 12Force TenLee, Lifeson, Dubois, Peart4:58
- 13Time Stand StillLee, Lifeson, Peart5:12
- 14Red Sector ALee, Lifeson, Peart5:18
- 15Closer to the HeartLee, Lifeson, Peart, Talbot4:56
- Produced by
- Rush
- Recorded at
- National Exhibition Centre, Lakefront Arena, Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Pechanga Arena, Meadowlands Arena
- Recorded
- 1986 1988
- Labels
- Epic/Sony, Anthem
- Length
- 1:14:31
Line-up
- Geddy Lee · synthesizer, bass guitar, lead vocals
- Alex Lifeson · synthesizer, electric guitar, background vocals
- Neil Peart · percussion
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1989 | 12 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1989 | 21 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) · 1989 | 7 |
| Swedish Albums · 1989 | 28 |
| German Albums · 1989 | 35 |
| Dutch Albums · 1989 | 38 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada · 1990 | Platinum |
| United States · 1989 | Gold |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
52.9
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
221
ListenBrainz listeners
58k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
4.5k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Also released on 9 January
Every year →
More from Rush
Full discography →
Rush
1974
Fly by Night
1975
Caress of Steel
1975
2112
1976
All the World’s a Stage
1976
Cygnus X‐1
1977
A Farewell to Kings
1977
Archives
1978
Hemispheres
1978
Rush Through Time
1979
Permanent Waves
1980
Moving Pictures
1981
Exit… Stage Left
1981
Signals
1982
Grace Under Pressure
1984
Power Windows
1985
Grace Under Pressure Tour
1986
Hold Your Fire
1987
Presto
1989
Chronicles
1990
Roll the Bones
1991
Counterparts
1993
Test for Echo
1996
Retrospective I: 1974–1980
1997
Retrospective II: 1981–1987
1997
Different Stages Live
1998
Vapor Trails
2002
The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974–1987
2003
Rush in Rio
2003
Feedback
2004
R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour
2005
Gold
2006
Replay X3
2006
Snakes & Arrows
2007
Snakes & Arrows Live
2008
Retrospective 3
2009
Working Men
2009
Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland
2011
Clockwork Angels
2012
The Studio Albums 1989–2007
2013
Clockwork Angels Tour
2013
R40 Live
2015
The best of 1989
All of 1989 →
Disintegration
The Cure · 1989
Bleach
Nirvana · 1989
Mother’s Milk
Red Hot Chili Peppers · 1989
Doolittle
Pixies · 1989
Pretty Hate Machine
Nine Inch Nails · 1989
The Real Thing
Faith No More · 1989
Pump
Aerosmith · 1989
Blew
Nirvana · 1989
Steel Wheels
The Rolling Stones · 1989
The Miracle
Queen · 1989
Trash
Alice Cooper · 1989
The Offspring
The Offspring · 1989
More on Epic/Sony
The label →
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date sources disagree on the year (1988, 1989)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 21 December 1988 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 9 January 1989 | |
| Wikidata | 9 January 1989 | |
| US release | 1989 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 2 January 1989 | earliest UK or European date |
16 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | XE | Anthem Records | 0731453463721 | other |
| 21 December 1988 | JP | Epic/Sony | 4988010232054 | original |
| 1989 | XE | Vertigo | 042283634619 | other |
| 1989 | US | Mercury Records | other | |
| 1989 | CA | Anthem Records | other | |
| 1989 | CA | Anthem Records | other | |
| 1989 | US | Mercury Records | 042283634626 | other |
| 2 January 1989 | GB | Vertigo | 042283634626 | other |
| 1995 | CA | Anthem Records | 06682510552 | other |
| 1 July 1997 | US | Mercury Records | 731453463721 | remaster |
| 1 July 1997 | DE | Mercury Records | 731453463721 | other |
| 1 May 2007 | CA | Anthem Records | 602498798065 | other |
| 21 June 2007 | — | Island Mercury | 00731453463721 | other |
| 11 December 2015 | US | Mercury Records | 602547266774 | remaster |
| 11 December 2015 | US | Anthem Records | 602547118301 | other |
| 1 December 2017 | XW | Anthem Records Inc. | 066825219263 | remaster |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1435x1435, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1435×1435 | upscaled: minor: best source 1435x1435, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |