Done with Mirrors

Done with Mirrors
Studio album by Aerosmith
Released November 9, 1985
Recorded 1985
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal
Length 35:50
Label Geffen
Producer Ted Templeman
Aerosmith chronology
Rock in a Hard Place
(1982)		 Done with Mirrors
(1985)		 Permanent Vacation
(1987)
Singles from Done with Mirrors
  1. "Let the Music Do the Talking"
    Released: 1985
  2. "My Fist Your Face"
    Released: 1985
  3. "Shela"
    Released: 1986
  4. "Darkness"
    Released: 1986
CD design showcasing mirrored image
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Robert Christgau (B+)[2]
Kerrang! [3]
Rolling Stone [4]
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.

Done with Mirrors is the eighth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released November 9, 1985. The release marked the return to the band of Joe Perry, who had left the group in 1979, and Brad Whitford, who had left the band in 1981. It was also the band's first album released by Geffen Records. It was intended as their "comeback" album, but it didn't live up to commercial expectations.

In keeping with the title, all the text (except for the catalog number and UPC) on the original releases of the album was written back-to-front, and could be read normally by holding it up to a mirror. All subsequent releases flip the artwork so that it can be read without a mirror, and also add the band's logo. As a result, the original CD (which came in a longbox) is collectable. (All text in the booklet of the first CD-pressing is also back-to-front.)

The title is a double entendre, referring both to illusions that are "done with mirrors", as well as members of the band quitting their drug use (such as cocaine, which is traditionally snorted off of a mirror).

"Let The Music Do the Talking" was a new recording of the title track of the first album by The Joe Perry Project, with altered lyrics and melody.

In an interview, Brad Whitford revealed that Ted Templeman wanted to capture the band's aggressive "out of control freight train" sound by removing the red light that indicated that the band was recording (a technique he used to capture Van Halen's sound). He informed the band to run through the songs in the studio and recorded them without the band's knowledge. Whitford referred to the nerves generated when knowingly recording songs as "the red light blues".

Joey Kramer, who was a guest on VH1 Classic's That Metal Show, expressed his dislike of Done with Mirrors, claiming that the band "never really finished it".[5]

Contents

Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Let the Music Do the Talking"   Joe Perry 3:48
2. "My Fist Your Face"   Steven Tyler, Perry 4:23
3. "Shame on You"   Tyler 3:22
4. "The Reason a Dog"   Tyler, Tom Hamilton 4:13
5. "Shela"   Tyler, Brad Whitford 4:25
6. "Gypsy Boots"   Tyler, Perry 4:16
7. "She's on Fire"   Tyler, Perry 3:47
8. "The Hop"   Tyler, Perry, Whitford, Hamilton, Joey Kramer 3:45
9. "Darkness" (not available on vinyl LP) Tyler 3:43

Personnel

Production

Charts

Album

Billboard (North America)[6]

Year Chart Position
1985 The Billboard 200 36

Singles

Billboard (North America)[7]

Year Single Chart Position
1985 "Let the Music Do the Talking" The Billboard Hot 100 48
"Shela" Mainstream Rock Tracks 20
"Let the Music Do the Talking" Mainstream Rock Tracks 18

Certifications

Organization Level Date
RIAA - USA Gold[8] July 21, 1993

See also

References

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Aerosmith Done with Mirrors review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/done-with-mirrors-r177/review. Retrieved 2011-09-01. 
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide Album Aerosmith: Done With Mirrors". Robert Christgau. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=4295. Retrieved 2011-09-01. 
  3. ^ Russell, Xavier (November 1985). "Smith's Krisp". Kerrang!. 107. London, UK: Morgan Grampian. pp. 18–19. 
  4. ^ "Aerosmith Album Guide". Rolling Stone. 2004. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/aerosmith/albumguide. Retrieved 2011-09-01. 
  5. ^ "That Metal Show Season 3 Episode 8: Ratt". That Metal Show. VH1. 2009. http://www.vh1classic.com/view/playlist/1627078/459708/That_Metal_Show_Season_3_Episode_8_Ratt/That_Metal_Show_Season_3_Episode_8_Ratt_Part_2/index.jhtml. Retrieved 2011-09-01. 
  6. ^ "Done with Mirrors Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/done-with-mirrors-r177/charts-awards. Retrieved 2011-09-01. 
  7. ^ "Done with Mirrors Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/done-with-mirrors-r177/charts-awards/billboard-single. Retrieved 2011-09-01. 
  8. ^ "Gold and Platinum Database Search". http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Done%20with%20Mirrors&artist=Aerosmith&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 

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