{{About|the Rush album|the TV shorts|A Show of Hands (TV series)|other uses|Show of hands (disambiguation){{!}}Show of hands}} {{Use Canadian English|date=February 2015}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox album | name = A Show of Hands | type = live | artist = [[Rush (band)|Rush]] | cover = Rush A Show of Hands.jpg | alt = | released = {{start date|1989|1|9}} | recorded = 1986, 1988 | venue = | genre = [[Progressive rock]], [[hard rock]] | length = 74:22 | label = [[Anthem Records|Anthem]] | producer = Rush | prev_title = [[Hold Your Fire]] | prev_year = 1987 | next_title = [[Presto (album)|Presto]] | next_year = 1989 }} {{Album reviews |rev1 = [[AllMusic]] |rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-show-of-hands-mw0000652701 | title = A Show of Hands - Rush | access-date = October 15, 2011 | last = Prato | first = Greg | work = [[AllMusic]] | archive-date = October 20, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131020123920/http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-show-of-hands-mw0000652701 | url-status = live }}</ref> | rev2 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]'' | rev2Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year=2007|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|edition=4th|isbn=978-0195313734|title-link=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[Martin C. Strong|The Essential Rock Discography]]'' | rev3Score = 5/10<ref name="Strong">{{cite book |last1=Strong |first1=Martin Charles |title=The Essential Rock Discography |edition=8th |year=2006 |publisher=Open City Books |isbn=1-84195-860-3 |pages=938–939 |chapter=Rush }}</ref> |rev4 = ''[[Kerrang!]]'' |rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Hotten | first1 = Jon | author-link1 = Jon Hotten |title = [[Kerrang!]] | chapter = Rush: 'A Show of Hands' | volume = 221 | publisher = Spotlight Publications Ltd. | date = January 14, 1989 | location = London, UK | pages = 21}}</ref> | rev5 = ''[[MusicHound Rock]]'' | rev5Score = {{rating|2.5|5}}<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Graff|editor1-first=Gary|editor2-last=Durchholz|editor2-first=Daniel|title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Farmington Hills, MI|year=1999|section=Rush|isbn=1-57859-061-2|page=965}}</ref> |rev6 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' |rev6score = {{Rating|1.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/a-show-of-hands-19890420 | title = A Show of Hands | access-date = January 10, 2015 | last = Azerrad | first = Michael | author-link = Michael Azerrad | date = April 20, 1989 | magazine = [[Rolling Stone]] | archive-date = February 28, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140228025129/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/a-show-of-hands-19890420 | url-status = live }}</ref> | rev7 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' | rev7score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/rush/albumguide|title=Rush: Album Guide|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=February 17, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130704223108/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/rush/albumguide|archive-date=July 4, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev8 = ''[[Colin Larkin|The Virgin Encyclopedia of 80s Music]]'' | rev8Score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>{{Cite book|author=[[Colin Larkin|Larkin, Colin]]|year=2003|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of 80s Music|isbn=1852279699|publisher=[[Virgin Publishing]]|section=Rush|pages=414–415}}</ref> | noprose = yes }}
'''''A Show of Hands''''' is a live album by the Canadian [[rock music|rock]] band [[Rush (band)|Rush]], released in 1989. The band released a [[A Show of Hands (video)|video of the same name]], originally on [[VHS]] and [[LaserDisc]], the same year. A [[DVD]] version was released as part of a [[box set]] in 2006, and as an individual DVD in 2007. In 2015 it was reissued after being remastered by Sean Magee at [[Abbey Road Studios]] following a direct approach by Rush to remaster their entire back catalogue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abbeyroad.com/engineer/sean-magee|title=Abbey Road - Engineers - Sean Magee|access-date=December 14, 2020|archive-date=December 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214135425/https://www.abbeyroad.com/engineer/sean-magee|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Recording== The majority of the performances on this album were from the 1988 ''[[Hold Your Fire]]'' tour, recorded in the American cities of [[New Orleans]], [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], and [[San Diego]], and the British city of [[Birmingham]]. "[[Mystic Rhythms]]" and "[[Fear (song series)|Witch Hunt]]" were recorded in [[East Rutherford, New Jersey]], during the 1986 ''[[Power Windows (album)|Power Windows]]'' tour.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19880900backstageclub.htm |title="'A Show of Hands' by Neil Peart" - Backstage Club Newsletter, September 1988 |access-date=January 11, 2017 |archive-date=May 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511014220/http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19880900backstageclub.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The opening track "Intro" features [[The Three Stooges]] theme playing in the background; the band used this music to open many of their concerts during the 1980s.
With the exception of "[[Closer to the Heart]]", the tracklist focuses almost entirely on the band's material from the 1980s, and is Rush's only live record to feature no performances of songs released before 1977. Unlike ''[[All the World's a Stage (album)|All the World's a Stage]]'' and ''[[Exit... Stage Left]]'', this album does not have any songs that had to be omitted for single CD release. The first two were released prior to the introduction of compact discs and were double album sets, whilst this album was initially released on CD so time restrictions were already taken into account.
==Video release== The video was filmed at the first of two Birmingham (UK) shows which took place on April 23–24, 1988 at the city's [[Resorts World Arena|NEC Arena]] - one of the sources of the live album. The song order and selection of the video are different from the live album. The laserdisc release also includes the song "[[Lock and Key (Rush song)|Lock and Key]]".
==Singles== *"Closer to the Heart" / "Witch Hunt" (7") *"Mission" (12" promo) *"Marathon" (12"/CD promo)
==Track listing== All songs written by [[Alex Lifeson]], [[Geddy Lee]] and [[Neil Peart]], except where noted. {{track listing | headline = Side one | extra_column = Location | title1 = Introduction | length1 = 0:53 | title2 = [[The Big Money]] | extra2 = [[Birmingham]], UK | length2 = 5:59 | title3 = [[Subdivisions (song)|Subdivisions]] | extra3 = Birmingham, UK | length3 = 5:22 | title4 = [[Marathon (Rush song)|Marathon]] | extra4 = Birmingham, UK | length4 = 6:39 }} {{track listing | headline = Side two | extra_column = Location | title1 = Turn the Page | extra1 = [[New Orleans]], LA | length1 = 4:41 | title2 = [[Manhattan Project (song)|Manhattan Project]] | extra2 = [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], AZ | length2 = 5:18 | title3 = [[Mission (song)|Mission]] | extra3 = [[San Diego]], CA | length3 = 5:46 }} {{track listing | headline = Side three | extra_column = Location | title1 = [[Distant Early Warning (Rush Song)|Distant Early Warning]] | extra1 = Birmingham, UK | length1 = 5:15 | title2 = [[Mystic Rhythms]] | extra2 = [[Meadowlands Arena|Meadowlands]], NJ | length2 = 5:32 | title3 = [[Witch Hunt (song)|Witch Hunt]] | note3 = Part III of "Fear" | extra3 = Meadowlands, NJ | length3 = 4:00 | title4 = [[List of Rush instrumentals|The Rhythm Method]] | writer4 = Peart | extra4 = Birmingham, UK | length4 = 4:37 }} *Track 4 features a drum solo. {{track listing | headline = Side four | extra_column = Location | title1 = [[Force Ten (song)|Force Ten]] | writer1 = Lifeson, Lee, Peart, [[Pye Dubois]] | extra1 = Phoenix, AZ | length1 = 4:55 | title2 = [[Time Stand Still (song)|Time Stand Still]] | extra2 = Birmingham, UK | length2 = 5:13 | title3 = [[Red Sector A]] | extra3 = Birmingham, UK | length3 = 5:18 | title4 = [[Closer to the Heart]] | writer4 = Lifeson, Lee, Peart, Peter Talbot | extra4 = Birmingham, UK | length4 = 4:54 }}
==Personnel== *[[Geddy Lee]] – bass guitar, synthesizers, vocals *[[Alex Lifeson]] – electric and acoustic guitars, synthesizers, backing vocals *[[Neil Peart]] – drums, percussion
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" ! scope="col"| Chart (1989) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|Netherlands|38|artist=Rush|album=A Show of Hands|rowheader=true|access-date=July 3, 2020}} |- !scope="row"|Finnish Albums ([[Suomen virallinen lista]])<ref>{{cite book |url=https://musiikkiarkisto.fi/oa/_tiedostot/julkaisut/sisaltaa-hitin.pdf#page=221|first=Timo |last=Pennanen |year=2021 |title=Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 |section=Rush|page=221|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava |location=Helsinki|access-date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> |align="center"|7 |- {{album chart|Germany|35|id=32277|artist=Rush|album=A Show of Hands|rowheader=true|access-date=July 3, 2020}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|28|artist=Rush|album=A Show of Hands|rowheader=true|access-date=July 3, 2020}} |- {{album chart|UK2|12|date=19890122|rowheader=true|access-date=July 3, 2020}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|21|artist=Rush|rowheader=true|access-date=July 3, 2020}} |}
==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|artist=Rush|title=A Show of Hands |award=Platinum|relyear=1989|certyear=1990}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist= Rush|title= A Show of Hands|award=Gold|relyear=1989|certyear=1989}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
==Remaster details== ''A Show of Hands'' was remastered in 2011 by Andy VanDette for the "Sector" box sets, which re-released all of Rush's Mercury-era albums. ''A Show Of Hands'' is included in the ''Sector 3'' set.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.themasterdiskrecord.com/2011/11/andy-vandette-on-remastering-14-rush-albums |title=Andy VanDette on Remastering 15 Rush Albums | the Masterdisk Record |access-date=May 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823055546/http://www.themasterdiskrecord.com/2011/11/andy-vandette-on-remastering-14-rush-albums/ |archive-date=August 23, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Discogs master|type=album|7380|name=A Show of Hands}}
{{Rush}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Show of Hands, A}} [[Category:1989 live albums]] [[Category:Anthem Records live albums]] [[Category:Rush (band) live albums]] [[Category:Mercury Records live albums]] [[Category:Vertigo Records live albums]]