Metal Storm logo
Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation review



Reviewer:
8.3

138 users:
7.93
Band: Aerosmith
Album: Permanent Vacation
Release date: August 1987


01. Heart's Done Time
02. Magic Touch
03. Rag Doll
04. Simoriah
05. Dude (Looks Like A Lady)
06. St. John
07. Hangman Jury
08. Girl Keeps Coming Apart
09. Angel
10. Permanent Vacation
11. I'm Down [The Beatles cover]
12. The Movie

The beginning of the end or the beginning of the end?

Done With Mirrors may have been the rebirth of Aerosmith as a band, but Permanent Vacation is the album that saw the band reborn from traditional rockers to radio-ready rock stars, which would be their sound from here on in. The jump in style and sound from one to another sees the band go from crawling on their hands and knees to sprinting at full speed; the band haven't felt this vital or full of life since Rocks. While the band's newfound commercial orientation is a bone of contention amongst fans, what is easily agreed upon is that Aerosmith were alive and kicking again.

Yes, this album is much shinier and built for commercial appeal than the band had been before but it's not a departure (at this stage in their careers anyway) from their roots of old, with them choosing to amplify tendencies they already had prior, and putting lesser elements under a spotlight in a way that they hadn't been before. The use of outside songwriters is a contentious issue among some, but when you consider the band's sub-par material over the last few years, the trade off is worth it; the quality takes a huge jump upwards even if the band's sound is switched up a bit.

While everyone remembers Permanent Vacation for the hits it spawned, the overlooked album tracks are of a high quality and don't get the due they deserve. Songs like "Magic Touch", "Simoriah", the title track and "Heart's Done Time" are worth the price of admission in and of themselves, even as they stand in the shadows of the hits the album spawned.

Of course, there are the songs that have come to be radio, compilation and concert staples to this day and each in their own way add a lot to this record, chief among them being "Hangman Jury", "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" and "Rag Doll", each of which are among some of the band's best work. The bluesy "Rag Doll" is infectious and will catch you in its groove easily enough, whilst "Hangman Jury" is probably the best classic blues-inspired songs (though given that it borrows heavily from Lead Belly, that is to be expected). "Dude..." is a fun and poppy upbeat track that will catch your ear and get you moving; the use of saxophones and trombones add to its appeal.

"Angel" remains one of the more contentious tracks among fans and I can see why; for a band that built itself on rock classics like "Back In The Saddle" and "Walk This Way" it is a step too far away from their roots. What is overlooked is that for every one of those rockers there was a "Dream On" or "Home Tonight"; while "Angel" may stray a bit too far, it isn't a huge leap off and is a good if cheesy song.

There are only four songs on here I would consider the runts of the litter; while not bad songs, they are the weaker choices in the selection. "St John" and "Girl Keeps Coming Apart" are good ideas, they just aren't up to the standard the rest of the album is at. If they were on later records by the band like Just Push Play, they would easily be some of the better songs on the album; here they are at the bottom of the pecking order. "I'm Down" and "The Movie" are ok ideas, but honestly would work better as B-sides; while I can see what the band wanted to do with them, they sound like filler at best and are ill-fitting overall.

Fairbairn provides a great sound for the album, giving everything a sheen and polish that appears more soft than it actually is, with Kramer's drums in particular having a weight and power behind them that helps give the album a strong current running throughout. His work on the guitars doesn't take much power from them and in return gives them a sound that is a bit more bluesy but still hard-edged, allowing Perry and Whitford to sound crunchier in songs like "Heart's Done Time" while having a more beachy feel on "Dude?.".

While this marked the gradual turning of Aerosmith from beer-swigging hell-raising rockers into a pop rock institution, Permanent Vacation doesn't suffer from this switch up in direction, and is a breath of fresh air and vitality through what had become a crumbling edifice of the mighty legends they had once been.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 8





Written on 14.09.2020 by Just because I don't care doesn't mean I'm not listening.



Hits total: 600 | This month: 11