Album
Presto
Presto is the thirteenth studio album by the Canadian trio Rush, released in November 1989. It followed Hold Your Fire from 1987, and the band took six months off after that record's tour before starting work. It was also their first album issued internationally by Atlantic Records, after they left Mercury, with Anthem Records still carrying the release.
The big change is in the sound. The synthesizers that had shaped their mid-eighties records are pulled back, and the arrangements lean on guitar again. That makes it a useful stepping stone between the keyboard-heavy years and the rock-focused records that followed. "Show Don't Tell" reached No. 1 on the US Album Rock Tracks chart, with "The Pass" and "Superconductor" also released as singles. The album reached No. 7 in Canada and No. 16 in the US, and went gold there.
Presto: tracklist, credits and charts
11 tracks · 52:16Tracklist
- 1Show Don't TellLee, Lifeson, Peart5:01
- 2Chain LightningLee, Lifeson, Peart4:33
- 3The PassLee, Lifeson, Peart4:51
- 4War PaintLee, Lifeson, Peart5:25
- 5ScarsLee, Lifeson, Peart4:07
- 6PrestoLee, Lifeson, Peart5:46
- 7SuperconductorLee, Lifeson, Peart4:47
- 8Anagram (for Mongo)Lee, Lifeson, Peart4:00
- 9Red TideLee, Lifeson, Peart4:30
- 10Hand Over FistLee, Lifeson, Peart4:11
- 11Available LightLee, Lifeson, Peart5:05
- Produced by
- Rupert Hine, Rush
- Recorded at
- Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec, McClear Place, Toronto, Ontario
- Recorded
- June–August 1989
- Labels
- Anthem Records, Anthem
- Length
- 52:16
Line-up
- Rupert Hine · keyboard, background vocals · guest
- Jason Sniderman · keyboard · guest
- Geddy Lee · electric bass guitar, synthesizer, lead vocals
- Alex Lifeson · guitar
- Neil Peart · drums (drum set), percussion
Singles
- “Show Don't Tell” · November 1989
- “The Pass” · March 1990
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1989 | 16 |
| UK Albums Chart · 1989 | 27 |
| Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ) · 2025 | 15 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) · 1989 | 17 |
| German Albums · 1989 | 60 |
| Dutch Albums · 1989 | 70 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada · 1989 | Platinum |
| United Kingdom · 1989 | Silver |
| United States · 1990 | Gold |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
68.8
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
1.7k
ListenBrainz listeners
98k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
6.2k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 17 November
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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
A Show of Hands
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 →
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The Cure · 1989
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Red Hot Chili Peppers · 1989
Doolittle
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Nine Inch Nails · 1989
The Real Thing
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Pump
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Blew
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Steel Wheels
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The Miracle
Queen · 1989
Trash
Alice Cooper · 1989
The Offspring
The Offspring · 1989
More on Anthem Records
The label →Hold Your Fire
Rush · 1987
Counterparts
Rush · 1993
Test for Echo
Rush · 1996
Different Stages Live
Rush · 1998
R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour
Rush · 2005
Clockwork Angels Tour
Rush · 2013
R40 Live
Rush · 2015
Gold
Rush · 2006
Snakes & Arrows Live
Rush · 2008
Rush in Rio
Rush · 2003
Working Men
Rush · 2009
Replay X3
Rush · 2006
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 1989-11-17 vs 1989-11-07 (musicbrainz), 1989-11-21 (wikidata)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 7 November 1989 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 17 November 1989 | |
| Wikidata | 21 November 1989 | |
| US release | 21 November 1989 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 1989 | earliest UK or European date |
19 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | XE | Atlantic | 075678204029 | other |
| — | XE | Anthem Records | 075678204029 | other |
| 1989 | FR | Anthem Records | 066825210598 | other |
| 1989 | GB | Atlantic | 075678204012 | other |
| 1989 | US | Atlantic | 075678204029 | other |
| 1989 | US | Atlantic | 075678204012 | other |
| 1989 | US | Anthem Records | 075678204029 | other |
| 1989 | US | Anthem Records | 075678204012 | other |
| 7 November 1989 | CA | Anthem Records | 066825210598 | original |
| 7 November 1989 | JP | Atlantic | 4988029000446 | original |
| 17 November 1989 | CA | Anthem Records | 066825110591 | other |
| 21 November 1989 | US | Atlantic | 075678204029 | other |
| 2004 | US | Atlantic | 075678373626 | other |
| 30 August 2004 | XE | Atlantic | 075678373626 | other |
| 2013 | US | Rhino Atlantic | 603497923069 | other |
| 25 September 2013 | JP | Anthem Records | 4943674141401 | other |
| 15 July 2014 | US | Audio Fidelity | 780014218225 | other |
| 23 October 2015 | US | Atlantic | 081227954550 | remaster |
| — | — | Atlantic | 075678373664 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1400x1400, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1400×1400 | upscaled: minor: best source 1400x1400, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |