I adore this album. Caught 3 shows on this tour and it was cemented into my life. It’s turned into my Go-To. Yeah it doesn’t close with Witch Hunt > Vital Signs so it will never be considered the finest Rush effort by nearly all, but it is a brilliant album. Unfortunately they chose the weakest 2 songs as a focus. War Paint & Super Conductor were shoved to the forefront but the other songs were far better in my humble opinion. Figure a title like War Paint would have more gritty content. Start to finish its solid. We can gripe about the synth direction until our lips fall off, but they really deliver any way you look at it. They made it through the gauntlet known as the 80’s just fine. Don’t overlook this album. It’s wonderful in a world class end of the 80’s kind of way. XO

Hand Over Fist is one of my favorite Rush tracks.

On February 23rd 1990 I witnessed what was to become a marvel of melodic madness!!! Rush live at the Orlando Centroplex in FLA. this album sums up my entire adolescent hood. Take a listen and be prepared to be taken on a sonic journey and let the music from this amazingly awesome album take you there again and again!!!! RUSH IS THE GREATEST BAND OF ALL TIME!!!

The Pass is the best song they ever wrote.

I really loved this album when it first came out, but don't love it quite so much now. Rush became a vocal pop band here or maybe more appropriately a progressive vocal pop band, with Geddy Lee's vocals dominating the songs. On one hand, this was good as Geddy had more catchy vocal melodies than on the last three album's combined. Bad, because Geddy's vocals dominate the songs so much that Lifeson and Peart feel more like backing musicians . Though this was the first step in cutting back on the synths and the power chording of Lifeson rear's it's head a few times, this is still a keyboard (and vocal) dominated album. My favorite song, both musically and especially lyrically, is Anagram For Mongo. The lyrics are quite clever....I did not realize for a long time that it is a series of anagrams! Pretty neat! I also quite like the piano solo. Also quite good is Available Light. And I quite like the heavy riff for Show Don't Tell, though I'm not too crazy about the rest of the song. Overall, a likable album but hardly one of their best.

The Pass has maybe my favorite lyrics. Motivational to get up, get moving, keep going. No matter what life throws at me, I can, I will, I must. I got this. Thank You, Rush.

As an "early" Rush fan by the mid-1980s they began to lose me after Grace Under Pressure. With this disclosure I rate this album low, as one of their poorest albums. The sound is shrill and the production is terrible. Alex' guitars are pushed into the background but when they appears it is high pitched. The guitar fx are shrill and rather than round out the sonic space it is all a high pitched whine along with the high synth. The song writing and arrangement are just not musical, flowing, or good in way too many spots. Of the songs I cared about Presto to some degree, then enjoyed Hand Over Fist and Available Light. I am not sure why they sacked Terry Brown as producer, but since then Rush headed downhill for a while from the heyday through Signals/GUP. So, I didn't like it and it was a chore to listen through it twice. Doesn't that say something? Some people seem to like it but I believe that some or many early fans would not.

As always, Rush absolutely excels on this album. Presto serves as a natural continuation of their musical evolution throughout the 80's, and is a wonderful stepping stone for their early 90's sound, as well. Songs such as "Show Don't Tell", "Superconductor", and "Hand Over Fist" are excellent showcases of the band's absolutely unique sound, which no other band has ever been able to match. Absolutely worth many, many listens!

I have been listening to this album for 20 years, still not sick of it. I listened to the entire album again yesterday and it is note for note an absolute, unblemished masterpiece. I can't believe that Rush or anyone else would apologize for this work of art. BTW, I am a musician of 30 years and a tough critic.

I think "Available Light" is one of my favorite songs by Rush. This album is an emotional rollercoaster. And probably one of their more interesting albums. I remember they had a bunch of hawt broads walk on stage in playboy bunny suits on this tour. The crowd being mostly nerds or musical snobs were thrilled.