Permanent Vacation [LP]

by Aerosmith

Overview

The much-ballyhooed reunion of the original Aerosmith lineup had pretty much fallen flat on its face after 1985's hit-and-miss Done With Mirrors. Realizing that the band simply couldn't do it alone, A&R guru John Kalodner capitalized on the runaway success of Run-D.M.C.'s cover of "Walk This Way" and decided to draft in the day's top hired hands, including knob-twiddler extraordinaire Bruce Fairbairn and career-revitalizing song doctors Desmond Child and Jim Vallance. Together, they would help craft Permanent Vacation, the album which would reinvent Aerosmith as '80s and '90s superstars. Yet, despite the mostly stellar songwriting, which makes it a strong effort overall, some of the album's nooks and crannies haven't aged all that well because of Fairbairn's overwrought production, featuring an exaggerated sleekness typical of most mid-'80s pop-metal albums. Furthermore, Desmond Child's pedantic writing often compromises the timeliness of even the best material. On the other hand, pre-fab radio gems like "Rag Doll" and "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" remain largely unassailable from a "delivering the goods" perspective. But remember kids, this is Aerosmith, so that can only mean one thing: a guaranteed number of incredible tracks for any time and place. These include the earthy voodoo blues of "St. John" and the excellent hobo-harmonica fable of "Hangman Jury." And, although some of the remaining cuts lean to the filler side, both the awkwardly Caribbean title track and the cover of the Beatles' "I'm Down" are well executed. Finally, the crowd-pleasing schmaltz of "Angel" showcases the band at the peak of its power ballad cheese. A valiant effort, this album proved to be the crucial catalyst in reintroducing Aerosmith to the masses, but if you're looking for an even better example of the band's renewed strength, check out Pump first. ~ John Franck & Ed Rivadavia

Product Details

Release Date:	11/04/2016
Label:	Geffen / Island
UPC:	0602547954374
Rank:	30641

Tracks

1. Heart's Done Time
2. Magic Touch
3. Rag Doll
4. Simoriah
5. Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
6. St. John
7. Hangman Jury
8. Girl Keeps Coming Apart
9. Angel
10. Permanent Vacation
11. I'm Down
12. The Movie

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Aerosmith   Primary Artist
Drew Arnott   Primary Artist,Mellotron
Steven Tyler   Piano,Vocals,Harmonica,Lead Vocals
Joey Kramer   Drums
Henry Christian   Trumpet
Tom Keenlyside   Clarinet,Sax (Tenor)
Jim Vallance   Organ
Brad Whitford   Guitar
Bruce Fairbairn   Cello,Trumpet,Vocals (Background)
Joe Perry   Guitar,Lead Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Ian Putz   Clarinet,Sax (Tenor),Sax (Baritone)
Tom Hamilton   Bass,Bass (Electric)
Morgan Rael   Drums (Steel)
Margarita Horns   Horn
Scott Fairbairn   Cello
Bob Rogers   Trombone,Sax (Baritone)
Christine Arnott   Vocals

Technical Credits

Paul McCartney   Composer
Steven Tyler   Composer,Wardrobe
Joey Kramer   Composer
Tom Keenlyside   Arranger
John Lennon   Composer
Desmond Child   Composer
Huddie Ledbetter   Composer
Jim Vallance   Arranger,Composer
Mike Fraser   Mixing,Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Bob Rock   Engineer
George Marino   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Aerosmith   Art Direction
Brad Whitford   Composer
Bruce Fairbairn   Producer
Holly Knight   Composer
Ken Lomas   Assistant Engineer
Joe Perry   Composer
Toby Francis   Engineer,Pre-Production,Guitar Technician
Bob Dowd   Road Manager
Tom Hamilton   Composer
Kim Champagne   Art Direction
Neal Preston   Photography
Takashi Ochiai   Liner Notes
Minoru Harada   Product Manager
Hitoshi Takiguchi   Remastering Engineer
Joel Lopez   Assistant,Photography
Teresa Barrick   Wardrobe
Andy Engel   Illustrations