Rush a Show of Hands

Although keyboards dominated Rush's 1989 double live set A Show of Hands, it's a definite improvement over its somewhat flat predecessor, 1981 's Exit…Stage Left. The band's music isn't as hard rock-based as it previously was, evidenced by the more modern-sounding compositions selected for this third live album (the first Rush album to be produced completely by the band)…

Although keyboards dominated Rush's 1989 double live set A Show of Hands, it's a definite improvement over its somewhat flat predecessor, 1981 's Exit…Stage Left. The band's music isn't as hard rock-based as it previously was, evidenced by the more modern-sounding compositions selected for this third live album (the first Rush album to be produced completely by the band)…

A SHOW OF HANDS includes all of Rush's mid-'80s hits: "The Big Money," "Subdivisions," "Distant Early Warning" and "Time Stand Still," which featured 'Til Tuesday's Aimee Mann singing backup on a giant video screen. Also included is "Witch Hunt" from MOVING PICTURES and A FAREWELL TO KINGS' "Closer To the Heart." Of course no Rush concert would be complete without a drum solo, and "The Rhythm Method" shows why Neil Peart is considered one of the best rock drummers ever.

Continuing a tradition that began more than a decade earlier, Rush follows its 12th studio album with a live one, A SHOW OF HANDS. The album draws almost exclusively from the third chapter of Rush's life, 1982-89, stressing the notion that their newer material was just as important as their classics. By this time they had eschewed the typical guitar trio sound for one that emphasized layers and texture. Amazingly, they were able to reproduce their studio albums live without taking extra musicians on the road or playing along with sequencers. Although they didn't physically play every instrument, every sound heard live was triggered by Geddy, Alex and Neil using whatever appendage was available.

Although keyboards dominated Rush's 1988 double live set A Show of Hands, it's a definite improvement over its somewhat flat predecessor, 1981 's Exit…Stage Left. The band's music isn't as hard rock-based as it previously was, evidenced by the more modern-sounding compositions selected for this third live album (the first Rush album to be produced completely by the band). The only tracks from the pre-1982 period to be featured are "Closer to the Heart," which is expanded to include a jamming section at the end, and the spooky "Witch Hunt," originally from 1981's Moving Pictures. The remainder of the album's track list is comprised of Rush's best compositions from 1982-1987, such as "Subdivisions," "Distant Early Warning," "Force Ten," "Time Stand Still," and "Red Sector A," as well as several tracks that have been forgotten over time ("Marathon," "Turn the Page," "Mission," etc.). Also featured for the first time on a live Rush album is a completely unaccompanied drum solo by Neil Peart – the intricate "Rhythm Method." The inspired A Show of Hands is an excellent snapshot of Rush in concert during the mid- to late '80s.

Sector 3, the third installment of Rush’s Sector series of box sets, finds the band diving headlong into the ‘80s with a more synth-oriented approach. Featuring the albums Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows, Hold Your Fire, and the live album A Show of Hands, this period of Rush's career finds them focusing more on Geddy Lee’s multi-layered synthesizer excursions and finds guitarist Alex Lifeson moving into more of a support role as he begins to experiment with a more effects-heavy sound…

On their fourth live album since their inception in the early '70s, Rush's three-CD Different Stages: Live is similar in approach and feel to their first in-concert release, 1976's All the World's a Stage. Instead of overdubbing and cleaning up the performances as they did on their last two live albums (1981's Exit…Stage Left and 1988's A Show of Hands), the tracks are left raw and rocking…