Aerosmith
Done With Mirrors

THE REVIEW

The quintessential "forgotten" album of Aerosmith. One might wonder why, given the not-so-massive discography of the Boston band. Well, in 1985, the five go through the classic transition phase; after a great album like "Rock in a Hard Place" dated 1982, which featured the two "replacements" Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay, the nostalgia factor kicks in (or the factor "let's stage the reunion, do a mega tour, and refill the coffers," which is the same). So here we are, three years later with "Done With Mirrors," featuring an excellent cover as usual and platitudes all about getting along. But what about the music?

And the music takes a back seat. Not in the first two tracks, though: "Let the music do the talking" and "My fist your face" almost retain the energy of the good old days - or at least they try. But over time, one realizes that the "old" Aerosmith, those of "Rocks" and "Draw the Line," are just a faded memory. Make way for the new Aerosmith, who will manage to maintain dignity at the cost of strong doses of commercial rock (in this case, in the best sense of the term: perhaps the adjective "radio-friendly" would be better). Thus, songs honestly quite poor or annoying ("Shame on you", "Shela") alternate with tracks that are somewhat more appealing, or at least decent, like "The reason a dog" or "Gipsy boots". Even the old wolf Joe Perry — who certainly knows his stuff — tries to hold the fort, with the slide of "She's on fire", which at least has the merit of breaking the monotony a bit.

In short, to draw conclusions... it would be an album to easily skip over. Would be. If it weren't for the brilliant gem that Tyler pulls out of his hat at the end, "Darkness". A classic final ballad that ideally connects to its "sisters" "You see me crying", "Home Tonight", and "Push comes to shove", it does not disappoint expectations. There's a Tyler in great shape, capable of maneuvering between the almost jazzy initial stride to a more brutal hard rock, all with a lot of class... the only glimmer in an otherwise poorly executed album.

A tip? I've read a lot that "Rock in a Hard Place" is often casually considered by many as the band's lowest point. Well. Try picking it up, listen to it. Then compare it with this. You may discover — perhaps — a pleasant surprise in realizing that for Aerosmith, 1982 was definitely better than 1985.