Rock in a Hard Place

Last updated

Rock in a Hard Place
Aerosmith - Rock in a Hard Place.jpg
Studio album by
Aerosmith
ReleasedAugust 27, 1982 [1]
Recorded1981–1982
Studio
Genre Hard rock
Length40:16
Label Columbia
Producer
Aerosmith chronology
Night in the Ruts
(1979)		Rock in a Hard Place
(1982)		 Done with Mirrors
(1985)

Rock in a Hard Place is the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released on August 27, 1982, by Columbia Records. It was certified gold on November 10, 1989. [1] It is the only Aerosmith album not to feature lead guitarist Joe Perry, following his departure from the band in 1979. Rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford also left during the recording in 1981. The band spent $1.5 million on the recording of this album, [2] which saw them reunited with producer Jack Douglas.

Contents

Background

Aerosmith had released six studio albums during the 1970s. But as the decade concluded, multiple problems arose. Guitarist Joe Perry had left the band in 1979 after incidents at the World Series of Rock in Cleveland, Ohio and was replaced by Jimmy Crespo. Meanwhile, Steven Tyler's drug abuse increased. After recording the single "Lightning Strikes", guitarist Brad Whitford also left Aerosmith in 1981 and was replaced by Rick Dufay when the recording of the album was finally complete.

Guitarist Dufay recalls the difficulty in completing the album in a 2008 interview: "They tried to make that album for two years but Steven couldn't finish stuff and they had trouble with their original producer but once they got Jack and me on board, we were just pushing it. When we went down to Florida, Steven was way too fucked up to do anything, he was nodding off when he was trying to write lyrics and I said to Jack that we had to get him out and get him together. It took about two or three months and we pretty much nursed him back to health. We got him off the hard stuff, sat in the sun and had some laughs and I established a bond with him. It's pretty well documented on the Behind the Music show. He was pretty sick and I just took care of him and even had to wipe his ass for him!! [3]

An outtake from the album titled “Riff & Roll” was released on their 1991 box set, Pandora's Box.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 8/10 [6]
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]

From contemporary reviews, J. D. Considine lamented in Rolling Stone how the band had decided to maintain their old sound on the album, despite new heavy rock "fast power chords had made Aerosmith's bluesy boogie almost obsolete". He praised "Perry lookalike Jimmy Crespo"'s guitar playing, but wrote that "despite an occasional burst of primal energy, much of the LP rocks by rote." [9] Ken Tucker of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the album a one out of five star rating, opining that "It's sad when once-vital hard rock bands outlast their usefulness, if only because there are so few of them around." [7]

AllMusic Greg Prato wrote that Aerosmith "didn't possess the magical chemistry of their '70s classics" without Perry and Whitford, but the band could "still rock out" producing their "most studio-enhanced and experimental record up to this point" with "a few pleasant surprises", like "the psychedelicized 'Joanie's Butterfly'". [4] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff described the album as "a bit patchy" with highlights being "Jailbait", "Lightning Strikes" and "Joanie's Butterfly" and the rest "variously lumbering, untuneful and forced", and concluded that, although Aerosmith "could barely function", they "never made a bad record." [6] "In theory a disaster," observed Classic Rock magazine, "in practice, an unlikely triumph. Never mind the Spinal Tap -anticipating Stonehenge cover – Rock in a Hard Place is one kick-ass album… 'Lightning Strikes', 'Bolivian Ragamuffin' and 'Joanie's Butterfly' are classic Aerosmith songs – no matter who played on them." [10]

"The record doesn't suck," wrote drummer Joey Kramer in his 2009 autobiography, Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top. "There's some real good stuff on it. But it's not a real Aerosmith record because it's just me, Steven, and Tom [Hamilton] — with a fill-in guitar player ... It's Jimmy Crespo doing the guitar work." [2]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Jailbait" Steven Tyler, Jimmy Crespo 4:38
2."Lightning Strikes"Tyler, Crespo, Richard Supa 4:26
3."Bitch's Brew"Tyler, Crespo4:14
4."Bolivian Ragamuffin"Tyler, Crespo3:32
5."Cry Me a River" Arthur Hamilton 4:06
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Prelude to Joanie"Tyler1:21
7."Joanie's Butterfly"Tyler, Crespo, Jack Douglas 5:35
8."Rock in a Hard Place (Cheshire Cat)"Tyler, Crespo, Douglas4:46
9."Jig Is Up"Tyler, Crespo3:10
10."Push Comes to Shove"Tyler4:28
Total length:40:16

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1982)Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [11] 24
US Billboard 200 [12] 32

Certification

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [13] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerosmith</span> American rock band

Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums), and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has also incorporated elements of pop rock, heavy metal, glam metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many subsequent rock artists. Aerosmith is sometimes referred to as "the Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". The primary songwriting team of Tyler and Perry is sometimes referred to as the "Toxic Twins".

<i>Rocks</i> (Aerosmith album) 1976 studio album by Aerosmith

Rocks is the fourth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on 3 May 1976. AllMusic described Rocks as having "captured Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking." Rocks was ranked number 366 on the updated Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2020. It has influenced many hard rock and heavy metal artists, including Guns N' Roses, Metallica, and Nirvana. The album was a commercial success, charting three singles on the Billboard Hot 100, two of which reached the Top 40. The album was one of the first to ship platinum when it was released, and has since gone quadruple platinum.

<i>Draw the Line</i> (Aerosmith album) 1977 studio album by Aerosmith

Draw the Line is the fifth studio album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released on December 9, 1977. It was recorded between June–October in an abandoned convent near New York City. The portrait of the band on the album cover was drawn by the celebrity caricaturist Al Hirschfeld.

<i>Night in the Ruts</i> 1979 studio album by Aerosmith

Night in the Ruts is the sixth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on November 16, 1979, by Columbia Records. Guitarist Joe Perry left the band midway through the album's recording.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Tyler</span> American singer (born 1948)

Steven Victor Tallarico, known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer, best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, harmonica and percussion. He has been called the "Demon of Screamin'" due to his high screams and his powerful wide vocal range. He is also known for his on-stage acrobatics. During his performances, Tyler usually dresses in colorful, sometimes androgynous outfits and makeup with his trademark scarves hanging from his microphone stand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Perry (musician)</span> American guitarist (born 1950)

Joseph Anthony Pereira, professionally known as Joe Perry, is an American musician best known as the founding member, guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band Aerosmith. Perry also has his own solo band called the Joe Perry Project, and is a member of the all-star band Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Whitford</span> American guitarist

Bradley Ernest Whitford is an American musician who is best known for serving as guitarist for the hard rock band Aerosmith for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. He has also worked as a songwriter for the group, co-composing well-received tracks such as 1976's "Last Child".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walk This Way</span> 1975 single by Aerosmith

"Walk This Way" is a song by the American rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the song was originally released as the second single from the album Toys in the Attic (1975). It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977, part of a string of successful hit singles for the band in the 1970s. In addition to being one of the songs that helped break Aerosmith into the mainstream in the 1970s, it also helped revitalize their career in the 1980s when it was covered by hip hop group Run-D.M.C. on their 1986 album Raising Hell. This cover was a touchstone for the new musical subgenre of rap rock, or the melding of rock and hip hop. It became an international hit, reaching number 4 on the Billboard charts and becoming the first hip hop single to reach the top five on the charts, and won both groups a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap Single in 1987 Soul Train Music Awards. Both versions are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The Joe Perry Project is an American rock band formed by Aerosmith lead guitarist Joe Perry. Perry formed the band shortly before his departure from Aerosmith in 1979. The Joe Perry Project signed a record deal almost immediately after Perry's exit from the band with Aerosmith's label, Columbia Records, who were disappointed with the chaos in the Aerosmith camp and hoping to maneuver Perry back into Aerosmith. The Project, with its debut album Let the Music Do the Talking played mostly around the Boston area in smaller venues. Aerosmith replaced Perry with guitarist Jimmy Crespo and after, Rick Dufay was brought on to replace Brad Whitford, Aerosmith's other original guitarist, after his departure shortly after Joe Perry's. After several line-up changes over the next few years and two more albums with dismal sales the Joe Perry Project dissolved in 1984 when Perry agreed to reunite with Aerosmith and the band went on to have arguably one of the most successful "comeback" stories in music history. Joe Perry has reformed the JPP several times since as a side project to stay busy during downtime with Aerosmith.

<i>Aerosmith</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Aerosmith

Aerosmith is the debut studio album by the American rock band Aerosmith, released on January 5, 1973, by Columbia Records. "Dream On", originally released as a single in 1973, became an American top ten hit when re-released on 27 December 1975. The album peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard 200 album chart in 1976.

<i>Get Your Wings</i> 1974 studio album by Aerosmith

Get Your Wings is the second studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on March 15, 1974. The album was their first to be produced by Jack Douglas, who also was responsible for the band's next three albums. Three singles were released from the album, but none reached the singles charts.

<i>Done with Mirrors</i> 1985 studio album by Aerosmith

Done with Mirrors is the eighth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on November 4, 1985. It marked the return to the band of guitarists Joe Perry, who left in 1979 and Brad Whitford, who departed in 1981. The band's first album on Geffen Records, it was intended as their ‘comeback’. However, the record failed to live up to commercial expectations despite positive reviews.

Classics Live and Classics Live II are a set of albums by American rock band Aerosmith, released in 1986 and 1987, respectively. Together, they constitute the band's second live offering, after Live! Bootleg. Classics Live I has gone platinum while Classics Live II has gone gold.

Jimmy Crespo is an American guitarist. He was the lead guitarist for Aerosmith from 1979 until 1984. He co-wrote "Rock in a Hard Place" with Steven Tyler, and has performed or recorded with Rod Stewart, Billy Squier, Meat Loaf, Stevie Nicks, Robert Fleischman, Rough Cutt, Renegade, Flame and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What It Takes (Aerosmith song)</span> 1990 single by Aerosmith

"What It Takes" is a power ballad by American rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Desmond Child, it was released in 1989 as the third single from the critically and commercially successful 1989 album Pump. "I'll put some ballads on an album," Tyler remarked, "if that's what it takes so that some young kid can get to hear a 'Young Lust' or 'F.I.N.E.*'."

"Lightning Strikes" is a song by the American hard rock band Aerosmith from their 1982 album Rock in a Hard Place. It is notable as Aerosmith's only charting song from the lineup without guitarist Joe Perry, who was replaced by Jimmy Crespo after he left the band in 1979.

<i>Video Scrapbook</i> 1987 video by Aerosmith

Video Scrapbook is a video by American rock band Aerosmith, featuring live footage, promotional videos, and conversations between the band and their families. It was released on VHS in 1987 and laserdisc in 1990. There has yet to be a DVD release. In February 1988 the RIAA certified the release as Gold.

"Hangman Jury" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith. It was released as a promotional single in 1987 on the album Permanent Vacation. It was written by lead singer Steven Tyler, guitarist Joe Perry, and outside collaborator Jim Vallance. In contrast with the rest of the album which contains highly polished glam metal, the song is a mostly blues song. The chorus has a close similarity to "Linin' Track" by Lead Belly.

<i>Music from Another Dimension!</i> 2012 studio album by Aerosmith

Music from Another Dimension! is the fifteenth and latest studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on November 6, 2012, by Columbia Records. Their first studio album since 2004's Honkin' on Bobo, as well as the first to feature all-new material since 2001's Just Push Play, its release marks the longest gap between Aerosmith's studio albums. The album was released in a single CD edition, along with a deluxe version. It is the last album in Aerosmith's recording contract with Sony/Columbia Records and was produced by Jack Douglas, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Marti Frederiksen. It is also their longest studio album with total track time of nearly 68 minutes.

References

  1. ↑ Rick Dufay is credited as guitarist on all pressings of the album, but various statements in the following years has disputed his involvement.
  1. 1 2 "RIAA certifications". Recording Industry Association of America .
  2. 1 2 Kramer, Joey (2010). Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top. New York: HarperOne. p. 134. ISBN   978-0-06-156662-2.
  3. ↑ Burgess, Mick. 2008. Interview with Rick Dufay (Ex-Aerosmith). Metal Express Radio. March 8, 2008. https://www.metalexpressradio.com/2008/03/08/interview-with-rick-dufay-ex-aerosmith/.
  4. 1 2 Prato, Greg. "Aerosmith - Rock in a Hard Place review". AllMusic . Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Album Of The Week Club: Aerosmith - Rock In A Hard Place". Classic Rock . January 29, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 13. ISBN   978-1-894959-31-5.
  7. 1 2 Tucker, Ken (September 19, 1982). "New Albums". The Philadelphia Inquirer . p. 10-I. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Aerosmith: Album Guide | Rolling Stone Music". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  9. ↑ J. D. Considine (December 4, 1982). "Rock in a Hard Place". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Aerosmith - Rock in a Hard Place". Classic Rock . No. 209. May 2015. p. 27.
  11. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6949a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Aerosmith Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  13. ↑ "American album certifications – Aerosmith – Rock in a Hard Place". Recording Industry Association of America.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.