PRESTO

"Presto" has the band sounding more restrained and refined than ever before; each note sounds meticulous and the album's production is so squeaky clean you'll be wondering if the mixing board erased all the rock from the songs. Honestly, the tracks are all very good-- but they are also very dull.

Peart's lyrics are as smart as ever but, like much of the band's playing here, just can't generate the same excitement as before. There are few songs that you'll remember and even fewer that the band themselves perform live today. My biggest complaint, however, is the positively anemic sound of Alex's once majestic guitar.

I would say that this is their weakest album of the '80's; fun for dedicated fans of the band but a poor example of the group's virtuosity.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 2 Lyrics/Vocals: 3 Style/Emotion/Replay: 2