About Presto
Presto is Rush’s 13th studio album, released in 1989. It was recorded at Le Studio in Morin Heights and at McClear Place in Toronto. Presto was Rush’s first album with Atlantic Records, which the band signed to in early 1989 after a longstanding relationship with Mercury/PolyGram. It was co-produced by Rupert Hine, an English musician, songwriter and producer who had worked with Saga, The Fixx, Howard Jones, and Bob Geldof.
The album’s lyrical centerpiece is its atmospheric single ‘The Pass,” in which Neil addresses teenage isolation and the tragic romanticism of youth suicide.
“All of us get lost in the darkness; dreamers learn to steer by the stars”
One strange quirk at the time was the fact that the first side of Presto was much longer than the second, forcing Rush to instruct fans to play the A side much louder to compensate for sound loss.
Credits
Produced by
Rupert Hine and Rush
Engineer
Arrangements by
Rush and Rupert Hine
Additional keyboards
Rupert Hine
Jason Sniderman
Additional backround vocals
Rupert Hine
Mastering
Bob Ludwig
Masterdisk
NYC
Management
Ray Danniels
SRO Management Inc.
Executive Production
Moon Records
Val Azzoli and Liam Birt
Art Direction
Photography
Scarpati
Wrabit Wrangler
Mark Demont
Fins, Feathers, and Furs
Portraits
Show Don’t Tell
Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson
Lyrics: Neil Peart
how many times do you hear it?
it goes on all day long
everyone knows everything
and no one’s ever wrong
until later
who can you believe?
it’s hard to play it safe
but apart from a few good friends
we don’t take anything on faith
until later
Show Don’t Tell
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
You’ve figured out the score
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
I’ve heard it all before
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
I don’t care what you say
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
you can twist perceptions
reality won’t budge
you can raise objections
I will be the judge
and the jury
I’ll give it due reflection
watching from the fence
give the jury direction
based on the evidence
I, the jury
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
Hey – order in the court
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
Let’s try to keep it short
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
Enough of your demands
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
Witness take the stand
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
Hey – order in the court
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
Let’s try to keep it short
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
I don’t care what you say
SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME
Let’s see exhibit A