SirAlex's Full Review: Done With Mirrors by Aerosmith
(Edited 5-24-00)
The original Aerosmith lineup reunited in February of 1984. They fought hard to be free of their original contracts and eventually signed to Geffen records. This album was released in 1985, six years since the original Aerosmith lineup had recorded to together. The six year separation is very noticeable. I suppose the best word to describe this album is stale. It's a solid enough effort, but not strong enough to be a comeback album. However, it did serve as a bridge to Aerosmith's true comeback in a couple years. Essentially they had to start all over again. But, this album allowed Aerosmith to go back on tour, and keep most of the profits (with some creative accounting). This was desperately needed, since most of the band members were now broke.
The album opens with "Let the Music Do the Talking", which is a remake of a song that appeared on Joe Perry's first solo album. This is a great song, fueled by awesome slide guitar work and a driving rhythm. Steven Tyler rewrote Perry’s lyrics and turns a good song into a classic. "My Fist Your Face" is another one of my favorites from the album. This is one of the heaviest songs that Aerosmith has ever recorded. It features some of my favorite drumming by Joey Kramer.
The next two songs are two of my least favorite by Aerosmith. During the making of this album, the band rushed through the writing process in an attempt to get on the road as soon as possible. The drugs were taking their toll, and they weren’t physically or emotionally able to really write a great record. “Shame on You” has a good guitar riff, but this song gets far too repetitive. The lyrics are kind of funny here and on the next song, “The Reason a Dog”. Musically, “The Reason a Dog” is one of the weakest songs that Aerosmith has ever recorded.
Fortunately, the rest of the album is pretty consistent. Although most of songs feel unfinished, some of them really stand out. “Shela” has a really nest guitar riff that is unlike anything I’ve ever heard the band play. This song also has the best guitar solo of the album. “Gypsy Boots” also has some great guitar work. It is one of the band’s coolest songs that very few people have had an opportunity to hear. “She’s on Fire” is a simple song. It starts to get repetitive after awhile, but the acoustic slide guitar part is pretty cool.
My favorite song on the album is “The Hop”. Not only does it have the coolest music of the album, but also Tyler’s lyrics are full of his trademark sexual innuendo. This is also the only song of the album where he plays a harmonica solo. “Darkness” (which wasn’t available on the original LP) is an awesome keyboard driven tune. It has some of the coolest piano parts this side of Billy Joel. Aerosmith finishes the album off strong with this song.
This is a very basic album, with little flash or anything that really stands out. The band's much heralded reunion was a disappointment to the record label. Although it wasn’t a big seller, it is still a pretty decent album. I would say that this album is more of the classic Aerosmith sound than the band’s next album Permanent Vacation. Although Permanent Vacation has more hits, this album has more rock. Give it a try.
Song Selection
1. Let the Music Do the Talking
2. My Fist Your Face
3. Shame On You
4. The Reason a Dog
5. Shela
6. Gypsy Boots
7. She's On Fire
8. The Hop
9. Darkness
Top picks: Let the Music do the Talking, My Fist Your Face, Gypsy Boots, The Hop
Songs to Skip: Shame on You, The Reason a Dog
Band Members:
Steven Tyler: vocals, piano, harmonica
Joe Perry: guitars, vocals
Brad Whitford: guitars
Tom Hamilton: bass
Joey Kramer: drums
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.