Today’s lesson is a case in overhype, and how it can hurt
something wonderful. Our subject matter is
Permanent Vacation, the 1987 release from Aerosmith hailed
by many as the disc which returned Steven Tyler and company to
form.
Believe it or not, I don’t believe I had ever seriously listened
to this disc from start to finish before I chose to review it. I
also went into this disc expecting to totally hate it.
Why, you ask? Because of the exploits of (on-)crack minds at
rock radio, who have inundated us over the years with “Dude (Looks
Like A Lady)” and “Rag Doll” ad nauseam over the years. I’ve heard
these songs so often that my finger almost unconsciously heads
toward the channel-preset buttons whenever I hear their opening
chords. No offense to the band, as I hope they’ll understand in a
moment or two.
When you’ve had the same diet of two songs crammed down your
throat day after day for over 15 years (yes, kids, it’s already
been that long), you can’t help but be a little jaded. That’s
really a shame, because the truth of the matter is
Permanent Vacation does indeed live up to the billing of a
comeback album for Aerosmith. Where
Done With Mirrors showed the band could still rock together
and come up with entertaining songs,
Permanent Vacation showed the band’s true tightness, and
even their willingness to be a little more experimental.
Let’s talk about the three radio hits quickly. We’ve already
touched on two, the third being “Angel”. While I’m sick to death of
hearing them on the radio, there is something to be said for
hearing these songs in the environment of the complete album. It’s
hard to explain briefly, so let’s just leave it at they fit better
as a sum of the parts. “Dude (Looks Like A Lady)” and “Rag Doll”
both have beats which get your leg pumping like Lance Armstrong in
the Tour de France, the latter having a wonderful shuffle pattern
to the rhythm. “Angel” is a pretty enough ballad without dipping
too deeply into the syrup — quite possibly the last time Aerosmith
would indeed show restraint in that regard.
But if you like the three hits off of
Permanent Vacation, you’ll want to dust off this disc again
and listen to some of the hidden gems that have been ignored over
the years. The title track has an almost Jimmy Buffett-like vibe to
it, and is quite possibly a hidden hit on this disc. The same
argument could easily be made for “Heart’s Done Time,” quite
possibly the best non-single hit Aerosmith has recorded. Tyler is
in fine voice and guitarist Joe Perry does something admirable —
he tones down his solos to allow the rest of the band’s brilliance
to shine through.
Experimentation is definitely the key to
Permanent Vacation, and is one of the reasons the disc works
as well as it does. From the tropical vibe of the title track to
the earthy blues of “St. John” and “Hangman Jury,” it seems like
Aerosmith constantly fires on all cylinders. Well,
almost…
The sole stumbling block on this disc comes on the final two
tracks. The instrumental “The Movie” just seems pointless and a bit
anticlimactic at the end of the disc. As for the cover of “I’m
Down,” let’s just say that Tyler and crew should have learned their
lesson about covering the Beatles with their contribution of “Come
Together” from the
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band soundtrack. It’s not
terrible, but it’s highly unnecessary.
Permanent Vacation has been placed on a pedestal by many
Aerosmith fans as the band’s Holy Grail. While rock radio has done
its best to tarnish that legacy, the disc as a whole does prove
that it was the turning point for Aerosmith’s rebirth, and is
rightfully acclaimed as such.
