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).
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.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Big MoneyGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:59 | 13 MB | 39 MB |
| 2 | SubdivisionsGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:22 | 12 MB | 36 MB |
| 3 | MarathonGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 06:39 | 15 MB | 42 MB |
| 4 | Turn the PageGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 04:41 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 5 | Manhattan ProjectGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:18 | 12 MB | 32 MB |
| 6 | MissionGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:46 | 13 MB | 35 MB |
| 7 | Distant Early WarningGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:15 | 12 MB | 34 MB |
| 8 | Mystic RhythmsGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:33 | 12 MB | 35 MB |
| 9 | Witch HuntGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 03:58 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 10 | The Rhythm MethodNeil Peart | Rush | Play | 04:38 | 10 MB | 28 MB |
| 11 | Force TenPye Dubois, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 04:57 | 11 MB | 31 MB |
| 12 | Time Stand StillGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:11 | 11 MB | 34 MB |
| 13 | Red Sector AGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:18 | 12 MB | 34 MB |
| 14 | Closer to the HeartGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart, John Michael Talbot | Rush | Play | 04:54 | 11 MB | 30 MB |
| 73 mins | 168 MB | |||||
| 73 mins | 470 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rick Andersen | Mixing Assistant |
| 2 | Val Azzoli | Executive Producer |
| 3 | Guy Charbonneau | Engineer |
| 4 | Fin Costello | Photography |
| 5 | Pete Craigie | Assistant Engineer |
| 6 | Pye Dubois | Composer |
| 7 | Brian Lee | Mastering |
| 8 | Geddy Lee | Composer, Guitar (Bass), Producer, Synthesizer, Vocals |
| 9 | Alex Lifeson | Composer, Guitar, Producer, Synthesizer, Vocals (Background) |
| 10 | Bob Ludwig | Mastering |
| 11 | Aimee Mann | Vocals |
| 12 | Paul Northfield | Engineer |
| 13 | Neil Peart | Composer, Electronic Percussion, Percussion |
| 14 | Dave Roberts | Assistant Engineer |
| 15 | Rush | Primary Artist, Producer |
| 16 | Dimo Safari | Photography |
| 17 | Gary Stewart | Assistant Engineer |
| 18 | Hugh Syme | Art Direction, Design |
| 19 | John Michael Talbot | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |