A Show of Hands

The Big Money (live video)
Subdivisions (official music video)
Marathon (live video)
Turn the Page (live video)
Mission (live video)
Distant Early Warning (from 1984 P/G tour)
Mystic Rhythms (live audio)
Witch Hunt (from 1984 P/G tour)
Drum solo (live video)
Force Ten (live video)
Time Stand Still (official music video)
Red Sector A (live video)
Closer to the Heart (live video)

Review

A Show of Hands sums up Rush’s last four albums: Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows, and Hold Your Fire. Not a body of work the band will be remembered for when all is said and done, but each has its share of good tracks, which the band slices from their original source with a surgeon’s skill. On stage, Geddy Lee splits his time between bass and synthesizer, so the bottom end drops out from time to time, making the performance seem a little flat. Still, what the band lacks in passion they make up for in execution, delivering clean, accurate versions of the originals. And the selection here is spot on: “Subdivisions,” “Time Stand Still,” and “The Big Money” are obvious choices, but drawing out album cuts like “Turn The Page,” “Mission,” “Marathon,” and “Distant Early Warning” are eminently informed additions. What’s missing isn’t insubstantial—“New World Man,” “The Body Electric,” “Prime Mover”—but you can’t have everything. Compared to their previous two live sets (All the World’s a Stage and Exit . . . Stage Left), A Show of Hands is cold and remote, which isn’t an indictment, since that’s where Rush was musically at the time. The set’s warmest moment comes at the close, with a version of “Closer to the Heart” that the audience clearly relishes. Anyone familiar with the band’s work since Signals should know what to expect from A Show of Hands.”—daveconn on Prog Archives

Liner Notes

Geddy Lee: bass guitar, synthesizers, vocals
Alex Lifeson: guitars, synthesizers, backing vocals
Neil Peart: acoustic and electronic percussion

Produced by Rush
Engineered by Paul Northfield

Recorded during the Hold Your Fire tour ’88: Birmingham U.K., New Orleans, Phoenix, and San Diego; and the Power Windows tour ’86: Meadowlands, N.J.

Live recording by Le Mobile, assisted by Dave Roberts; and Advision Mobile, assisted by Gary Stewart and Peter Craigie. Engineered by Guy Charbonneau.
Executive Production by Val Azzoli.

Mixed at McClear Place Studios, Toronto, assisted by Rick Anderson
Mastered by Bob Ludwig and Brian Lee at Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, Maine

Art Direction and Design by Hugh Syme
Photography by Fin Costello and Dimo Safari
The Rockin’ Constructivists created by John Halfpenny

The voice of Aimee Mann appears courtesy of Epic Records.

Management by Ray Danniels, SRO Management Inc., Toronto
Tour Manager and Lighting Director: Howard Ungerleider
President and Stage Manager: Liam Birt
Production Manager: Nick Kotos
Concert Sound Engineer: Jon Erickson
Stage Left Technician: Skip Gildersleeve
Centre Stage Technician: Larry Allen
Stage Right Technician: Jim Johnson
Synthesizer Care and Feeding: Tony Geranios
Stage Monitor Engineer: Steve Byron
Concert Projectionist: Lee Tenner
Personal Shreve: Kevin Flewitt
Carpenter (and Stage Right Assistant): George Steinert

Concert Sound by Audio Analysts: Michael Caron, Paul Parker, Dan Schriber and Mike Mule
Lighting and See Factor Inc.: Frank Sciling, Jack Funk, Conrad Coriz, Roy Niendorf, Ethan Weber, Russell Sladek
Varilites: Matthew Druzbik, Daniel Koniar, Bill Snawder
Rear Screen Projections created by Keen Pitures, Norman Stangl
Concert Rigging by Myriad/One: Billy Collins, Don Collins, Tim Wendt, Bill Spoon
Lasers by Laser Media: Craig Spredeman; and Laserlite FX: Stev Magyar
Drivers: Tom Whittaker, Mac MacLear, John Davis, Daniel Harmer, Tom Hartman, Leonard Southwick, Bill Barlow, Rande Wolters, and Russell Fleming
Booking Agencies: International Creative Management, NYC, The Agency Group, London; The Agency, Toronto

For valuable and continuing technical assistance we would like to thank Jim Burgess and Saved By Technology, Wal basses, Signature guitars, Ludwig drums, Avedis Zildjian cymbals, Russ Heinl, and The Percussion Center, Fort Wayne.
And at SRO/Anthem: Wayner, Stu Gaatz, Pegi, Sheila, Kim, Evelyn, Bob, Cindy, Wall-Tor, Linda and Pat.

Dedicated to the memory of Sam Charters (Screvato)