Aerosmith’s last album was four years earlier in 1997 with Nine Lives. Between then and 2001, they kept in the public eye. In 1998, they released a live album called ‘A Little South of Sanity’ and the massive single “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing” from the Armageddon Soundtrack. Then in 1999, they got their own roller coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studio’s called Rock n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith. Then in January 2001, they were co-headliners for the XXXV Super Bowl with ‘Nsync. The timing was impeccable as their new album would be released several weeks later on March 5, 2001 titled ‘Just Push Play’.
The band was still in tact with Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer. However, when recording, the band was not together. They recorded their parts separately with producers Mark Hudson and Marti Frederiksen along with Steven and Joe. As a result, this album is Joe Perry’s least favorite…he has been quoted as saying this album taught him “how not to record an Aerosmith album”. Pretty harsh!! And not far from the truth. This is not an album that sounds like classic Aerosmith. It is not rough around the edges. It is polished, over-produced and sounds like a pop album. It is all rainbow and unicorns and not what you want from Aerosmith. Yes, it went Platinum, but this was the beginning of the end of commercial success for the band. Diehard fans were not happy and the younger new fans were too stupid to and brainwashed by bad radio to know this isn’t Aerosmith.
We are now in the 2000’s so the cover art is trying to be all futuristic with the girl robot which was designed by Hajime Sorayama who designed the robot to resemble Marilyn Monroe. My copy was even more interesting. I bought this used and when I got home and opened it up, it also had an extra CD included. No, it isn’t listed on the cover that there is one. It was there by mistake. It was a copy of ‘Nine Lives’ which I already have on CD. Now I have a spare.
Released on October 28, 1998, ‘A Little South of Sanity’ was the final album to be released with Geffen Records. Funny thing with Aerosmith, three albums in to a 6 album deal with Geffen, Aerosmith signed a new contract with Columbia Records…who does that. At the time they signed the deal, they only had done 3 albums. ‘Get a Grip’ became #4, the greatest hits compilation was #5 and this live album was the 6th and final one. I guess Columbia Records and Geffen had a good relationship because before this 6th album came out, Columbia got to release ‘Nine Lives’. Only Aerosmith could pull something like that off.
But we are here to talk about the live album ‘A Little South of Sanity’. The album was pieced together from two entirely different tours. Some songs from the 1993-1994 ‘Get A Grip’ Tour and the rest from the 1997-1998 ‘Nine Lives’ Tour which was still going on after this album was released. And here is the strange thing, we don’t know the shows every song comes from which I think is nuts. Isn’t anyone tracking that information? Apparently not. We do know some songs, but a lot are still a mystery. What we do know are there are 23 tracks and almost 2 hours of live Aerosmith. That is perfect.
The cover art is said to be inspired by an incident where Joey Kramer’s Ferrari caught on fire at a gas station. Joey blamed the gas attendant for the incident. Therefore the picture of the gas attendant on the cover is said to be filmmaker Patrick Connolly. At least he is claiming it is him. I don’t know if it is confirmed. And it says filmmaker, but I don’t know what films he has done and I guess it isn’t important. Also on the cover, you notice the album got a Parental Advisory Sticker and it is the only album of Aerosmith to ever get one. It is for some of the colorful language Steven uses in between songs.
Back in 1991, Aerosmith actually signed a new recording contract with their old label Columbia Records. The problem was they hadn’t completed their obligation to Geffen. They had a 6 album deal with Geffen and only 5 albums had been released. There appears to have been a deal that they would release a live album under Geffen, but first they were going to record their first album for Columbia Records un der their deal.
The recordings started in Miami at Criteria Studios with Glen Ballard as producer. He also co-wrote several songs on the album. Desmond Child and Taylor Rhodes both came back to the fold to also co-write songs for the album. Right before rehearsals started, the first signs of trouble reared its ugly head. Joey Kramer was suffering from depression and wasn’t able to play at that time so Steve Ferrone was brought in to hit the skins. As a result, rumors were flying around that the band was in trouble. If that wasn’t enough, when they delivered their album, Columbia was not real happy with what they received. They decided to replace Glen Ballard and brought in Kevin Shirley in to produce and re-work the album.
In September 1996, the band went back to the studio, this time in New York City at the Boneyard. John Kalodner was also brought in to help supervise and the band and due to the delay, Joey Kramer was able to play on the album. They recorded all the songs they had previously done with Ballard so Joey could play on them. Kalodner helped the band reduce their over 20 tracks recorded for the album down to the 13 that were actually released on the album. This also gave them a ton of tracks to use as bonus tracks for the Japanese edition and any other international release. The album saw the light of day finally on March 18, 1997. They released 5 singles, the album went to #1, they won a Grammy and the album sold over 2 million copies. Not as good as their last album, but still pretty damn good.
The artwork for the album caused a lot of controversy in the Hindu community. The original cover had been inspired by a painting in a book by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, featured Lord Krishna (with a cat’s head and female breasts) dancing on the head of the snake demon, Kāliyā. The band had no idea it was offensive and quickly removed it and used a new picture of a cat tied to a circus knife-thrower’s wheel. The booklet for the album was some really cool artwork in and of itself. There are 12 pieces of art and each picture has a picture of the previous page’s artwork building on itself meaning that 12th picture includes all 12 pictures and the first picture includes the 12th so it just keeps going round and round and round. It is pretty cool…maybe the coolest thing about the album (oops did that give the review away a little).
Musically, the album isn’t much different than the prior three albums as you can hear those elements for sure on numerous songs. However, at times it is heavier and way more experimental with some of it working and some of it not. It all starts with a a guitar note and then the wailing of a cat and then they jump in to the title track “Nine Lives” co-written with the great Marti Frederiksen. I believe that cat scream was used on “Rock And a Hard Place (Chesire Cat)” off ‘Rock and a Hard Place’. The song is a ball of energy with Joey pounding on the drums and Tom slamming a bass groove. The guitar work of Brad and Joe is exceptional as every and it is classic Steven on vocals. However, not my favorite opening track of theirs albeit still a good song.
Then we get the cheesy and tongue-in-cheek “Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)” co-written with Glen Ballard who produced the first recording session for the album. It has a little bluesy tinge to it and some well-used horns, but it is nothing new or original and sounds like it could’ve been on any of the previous three albums which is why it made a perfect single and became a hit because the radio world likes the same old song and dance.
“Hole in My Soul” is a ballad co-written with their old pal Desmond Child and he can still help create a great ballad even though in 1997 no one was really doing ballads and having hits except Aerosmith. Steven Tyler’s speaking verses and sung choruses were brilliant and what I loved most about the song. It just worked. The funny thing this could’ve been on any of their albums and this time it doesn’t bother me at all because I feel it is such a strong song.
Then the band goes all experimental with “Taste of India” which is another Ballard co-write. This is one example of experimenting and it working better than expected. With “India” in the title you would expect the song to have that Indian feel and it does with some excellent playing of the sarangi by Ramesh Mishra. It also feels very 60’s with a hole psychedelic vibe to it which I love. Joe and Brad whip out their Stratocasters for this one and really shine adding some great textures. Kramer’s drum sound is immense and Hamilton’s bass groove lays the foundation. Tyler’s vocals blend well with the sarangi and it is all just a little magical. It sounds like nothing else they’ve done and amen to that fact.
Then we get “Full Circle” which has a country-vibe to it and leaves you thinking WTF! It is slowed down a little tempo wise and sounds like something you sing in a bar or on New Year’s Eve as it has this “Auld Lang Syne” feel to it which isn’t necessarily a good thing. It is co-written by Taylor Rhodes which is his only co-write on the album.
“Somethings Gotta Give” picks the energy back up. Another Marti Frederiksen co-write and you begin to see why people want him on their albums. This one is a balls-to-wall rocker. It’s blues influences are immense as it has some massive harmonica solo pieces from Tyler that are some of the best he has ever done. It is smokin’ hot!!
Desmond’s back with another ballad called “Ain’t That a Bitch”. It has a very dramatic opening with some movie-style horns and then explodes in to a blues-filled groove that sees Tyler screaming in that classic style. I don’t think it is as good as the previous ballad because it really is borderline a ballad, but either way still not a bad track.
The next track, “The Farm”, has co-writes by Steve Dudas and Mark Hudson along with Perry & Tyler as usual. This is another experimental track that opens with Steven doing his best Dorothy and Wizard of Oz impression (which sucks) then he screams in classic style and the song kicks in. It is rocker and has so many cool elements and then some that leave me cold. Cut out the movie-type dialogue and it improves the song a ton but drowns a little under the weight of those stupid pieces. It’s use of horns helps make it a little more dramatic and impactful but not sure it is enough.
“Crash” comes out of you like a bat out of hell. It has punk’s breakneck speed and careless attitude. Tyler is up for the challenge and goes toe-to-toe with Kramer pounding drums and Perry’s speedy ass guitar playing. It will appease the rockers in the audience. Co-written by Mark Hudson and Dominic Miller.
Now we are getting to where the album gets a little tiresome. “Kiss Your Past Good-bye” which is another Hudson co-write. The chorus comes out of no-where and is very hooky or memorable. The verses are dull and seems like filler…enough said.
The big exception to the tiresome part is the classic song “Pink” co-written by their pal Richard Supa. It is a blues-filled masterpiece with Tyler strutting through the lyrics. It has a little something for everyone and will appeal to a lot of people. I like the groove and the pacing as it shows a confidence of a band that has been doing this for awhile.
“Attitude Adjustment” is our last Marti co-write. By this time we are pretty tired as there are way too many songs. I am a little bored with it as it is missing a little something extra to put it over the top. More filler for me. Next…
Talk about bloated, “Fallen Angels” is over 8 minutes long. Whew. Co-written with Supa, the song has a dramatic opening with a whole lot of sounds going on and Tyler making some strange noises. It is a slower tempo and I guess you could say a ballad, but for me it is too long and a little boring in that there is nothing I haven’t heard before. It is uninspiring and I am too tired to care anymore at this point.
Track Listing:
Nine Lives – Keeper
Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees) – Keeper(1/2 Point)
Hole in My Soul – Keeper
Taste of India – Keeper
Full Circle – Delete
Something’s Gotta Give – Keeper
Ain’t That A Bitch – Keeper
The Farm – Keeper(1/2 Point)
Crash – Keeper
Kiss Your Past Good-bye – Delete
Pink – Keeper
Attitude Adjustment – Delete
Fallen Angels – Delete
The Track Score is 8 out of 13 or 61%. Way too many songs. This album is so over-bloated and just because your CD can hold 62 minutes doesn’t mean it should and this is a prime example. The whole production process was a mess with 2 different producers and 2 totally separate recording processes was not what they needed. It is unfocused at times and all over the place at others. While it does have some great moments, I won’t deny that, I am still lukewarm on the whole thing. The first half is way stronger than the second and a couple songs on here I would call some of their best, but in the end it isn’t their best work. My Overall Score is a 3.5 out of 5.0 Stars as it still is a good album even if it has too many songs and some of those way too long. Cut this down to 9-10 songs and this is a totally different conversation.
After the massive success of their previous album, ‘Pump’, the band took a little break in 1992. They started recording the next album in January & February, but stopped for some rest and didn’t return until September of that year to finish up the album. The music environment had significantly changed since 1989’s ‘Pump’ so I believe everyone was curious as to what they would do. And it turns out, they would keep doing what they do best and didn’t change a thing. When most bands faded away around this time, Aerosmith ended up flourishing even more. How did they do it?
First thing was they brought back Bruce Fairbairn as their producer as he has been creating gold with everything they had done…or should I say Platinum since the last album went 7 x’s Platinum. Second, they brought in some friends to help out such as Don Henley and Lenny Kravitz. Third, the record company wanted them to continue using outside writers to help so back was Desmond Child, Jim Vallance, Jack Blades, Tommy Shaw, Richard Supa, Mark Hudson and Taylor Rhodes. Damn, that is a lot of help!!
The line-up was still unchanged with Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer. The Boston Boys we ready to take on the world again. The album was released on April 23, 1993 and became the band’s first album to debut at #1 on the Charts. They released 7 singles on the album and selling over 7 million copies again in the U.S. It was the band’s third straight album of over 5 million in sales. If that wasn’t enough, the album won two Grammy’s for Best Rock Vocal Performance for a Duo or Group in both 1993 and 1994. The band was on fire still and the fans were eating it up.
Columbia Records was taking full advantage of the band’s new found popularity on Geffen Records. Even though they lost the band to another label, they still could release Aerosmith material for everything they had rights to and that was quite a bit. They kicked off with two live releases ‘Classics Live!’ and ‘Classics Live! II’ as well as compilation called ‘Gems’. The cool things about those releases is there were no repeats from old live albums or greatest hits collection. It made it enticing for collectors. And this was no different. Released on November 19, 1991, this was a 3 CD compilation full of the bands greatest hits (while under Columbia) with a ton of previously unreleased material. That alone makes this worth getting. There are 31 previously released cuts and 21 unreleased consisting of live, alternative mixes and pure rarities.
I am lucky enough to have the long box version and it really is a box. It contains a book plus 3 CDs all in jewel cases with artwork. If you picked up a later version, the long box was replaced with a cardboard sleeve and the book was shrunk down to CD case size. The set I have is the one you want…in my opinion at least. The box set did real well going to #45 on the Billboard Charts and it was eventually certified Platinum on August 16, 1996. If I’m not mistaken, since the set includes 3 CDs, they only had to sell 333,334 copies to reach the 1 million sold platinum status. Someday, I might go song by song, but for now I am sticking to an overview of each disc and what I like about it each one. So let us get to it.
‘Permanent Vacation’ was the band’s comeback album selling over 5 millions copies so the next album was critical…well critical in the fact that was the last album a real comeback or did the band get lucky. Bruce Fairbairn was back on the boys and they flew up to Vancouver, Canada to Bruce’s Little Mountain Sound Studio from January to June of 1988. The band had 19 songs written and whittled them down to 10 for the album. And was the album successful? Yes, you know it was. The album sold over 7 million copies, had 4 singles with a Grammy for their song, “Janie’s Got a Gun” and if that wasn’t enough, their song “Love in an Elevator” went to #1 on the Mainstream Rock Chart which was their first #1 ever.
When making the album, Bruce was focused on adding as many hooks as possible and they wanted to become more free with their sound. As a result, they ended up having numerous musical interludes between songs or should I say to start songs. It added a whole a new dimension to their sound and made things a little more interesting. One thing that didn’t change was their lyrics. The boys from Boston still rule the world with their double entendre lyrics and as a result, the lyrics were left out of the release as they were afraid what the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center). It turns out this caused an issue with some people so to remedy that, the bands tour book included the lyrics.
The album finally came out on September 12, 1989 and went all the way to #5 on the charts. The comeback was real and Joe Perry, Steven Tyler, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer were back on top. Aerosmith had solidified their comeback and they had done something few bands get a second chance to do. They were now sober and they were bigger than ever…coincidence? I think not!!
The opening track is “Young Lust” written by Steven, Joe and Bryan Adam’s writing partner Jim Vallance. The sexually charged song comes roaring out of the gate and gives you and idea of what the rest of the album is probably like as it is going to be full of melodic, hook-laden songs about sex, sex and I think more sex. The song is so produced and commercialized as that was the goal for this album to make the band as commercial as possible and it worked. The song doesn’t set the world on fire with originality, but it is a ball-buster of an opening track that gets the juices flowing with Steven giving his all, Joey laying down the beat and Joe ripping through the guitar riffs. What more could you want.
Next up is “F.I.N.E.” or I like to say, “Fucked-Up, Insecure, Neurotic, Emotional”. Ok, I don’t really like to say that as F.I.N.E. is so much easier. This time around Tyler and Perry get help from the famous Desmond Child and as a result you get a more melodic song than the opener, a little more toned down and it sounds a little more like early era Aerosmith. The band sounds fresh, focused and so not-fucked up. Another song that reeks of sexual innuendos so much you might catch VD just listening to it.
“Going Down / Love in an Elevator” is up next and the little spoken word opener with the sexy elevator operator, Catherine Epp, oozing sexuality with her voice and her innuendos is enough to drive you crazy. The song kicks in with a blues-infused rocker that is catchy as hell with a Def Leppard style anthem that gets stuck in your head and that is what they were going for I suppose. Perry’sguitar work is sensational, Tyler’s vocal delivery is perfect and then the Bruce Fairbairn horns at the end give it that little extra flair and it all works so well. The song did really well as a single going to #5 on the Billboard Top 40.
Finally a song that isn’t about sex, sex and more sex. Nope, it is about drug use and the impact it can have on you. “Monkey On My Back” is another bluesy track and more Perry slide guitar. Kramer lays down an almost tribal drum beat before the song really kicks in and goes full throttle. Hamilton’s bass is thumping a nasty groove and overall musically it is a good song. Vocally and lyrically it was a little boring to me as the music was a little overpowering. Not to say it is a bad song, but compared the first three it isn’t up to snuff.
“Water Song / Janie’s Got a Gun” is another track with an opening little piece before you get to the song. “Water Song” has a glass harmonica played by Randy Raine-Reusch before the bass-riffs come in by Hamilton (who co-wrote the song with Tyler) and those percussive drum hits by Kramer the song lets lose and is an overly dramatic, masterpiece that takes you on what feels like an incredible journey and when it gets to that incredibly distorted guitar solo you are so engrossed in the song. The song is about child abuse and they tackled with such respect and crafted a song around it that is both beautiful and sad at the same time. The song went to #4 on the Top 40 Charts.
The second half of the album kicks off with “Dulcimer Stomp” which is a down home, swampy instrumental thanks to the Appalachian dulcimer played by Randy Raine-Resuch before kicking in to the main song “The Other Side” which was written by Tyler and Vallance before they had to add Holland-Dozier-Holland as song writers as they were sued for stealing the song from their hit “Standing in the Shadows of Love” and this was the settlement. The song is full of horns arranged perfectly, full of harmonies and full of hooks that will snag the biggest fish even if just swimming by with a quick listen. The song is a romping stomping good time track that rocks it out from beginning to end. A little over-produced and commercial, it still went to #22 on the Top 40 which was their goal to make any way.
“My Girl” is a very generic, old school good time rocker. It is a quick tempo-ed track and will get your foot stomping and head bobbing, but there is little heart behind it. It is a soulless song that is probably more filler than hit. It is catchy and you will get sucked it as that is its sole purpose.
Next up is “Don’t Get Mad, Get Even” which is another bluesy, swamp-filled song with an Australian flair thanks to the didgeridoo played by Randy Raine-Reusch. When the song kicks in it gets a little boring despite the cool opening. Tyler speaks more than sings and then screams and I do like the whole “Don’t Get Mad, Get Even” line, but the song falls flat and leaves me a little empty inside.
We do get saved with “Hoodoo / Voodoo Medicine Man” and this one is written by Tyler and Brad Whitford who doesn’t get many songwriting credits. “Hoodoo” opens with a khean performed by Randy Raine-Reusch who has handled all the weird instruments used on this album. After this little interlude, “Voodoo Medicine Man” kicks in and seems to be going for dramatic and epic like “Janie’s Got a Gun” and I think they succeed. Kramers drum barrage is awesome, Hamilton’s bass groove is killer and Tyler’s vocal deliver of the chorus all just gels and totally kicks some ass. After a couple duds, it is nice to the back half being saved by this one.
The final track is another single “What it Takes” and is the only ballad on the whole album. It is written by Tyler, Perry and of course, Desmond Child. The song is pure cheese with its emotionally filled lyrics sung perfectly by Tyler. The accordion gives it a little something different than most ballads. And ballads were so played out, but this one is too good not to love. It is easy to see why the song went all the way to #9 which helped propel this album to the 7 million sold figure.
Then there is a hidden track that is so completely unnecessary. It is an instrumental by Randy Raine-Reusch who plays the naw (gourd mouth organ of the Lahu people of Northern Thailand) starting at 5:19 in the hidden track contained in “What It Takes”. It sounds like a hillbilly stomp so doesn’t really fit with this song. It must’ve been something they were toying around with in the studio and decided to throw it on here at the last minute. Are we sure they were done with the drugs? Kidding.
Track Listing:
Young Lust – Keeper
F.I.N.E. – Keeper
Going Down / Love In An Elevator – Keeper
Monkey on My Back – Keeper (1/2 Point)
Water Song / Janie’s Got A Gun – Keeper
Dulcimer Stomp / The Other Side – Keeper
My Girl – Delete
Don’t Get Mad, Get Even – Delete
Hoodoo / Voodoo Medicine Man – Keeper
What It Takes – Keeper
The Track Score is 7.5 out of 10 Tracks or 75%. It is another solid album by the band and that is two in row on the comeback trail. With four singles, four Top 40 hits and 7 million sold, I think they found their way back to the top. Yes, the album is over-produced, too commercialized and yet, it works on so many levels. There is still some old Aerosmith in their, but this is the late 80’s and they have evolved with the times without completely losing their identity. Do I like it as much as the 70’s stuff, no, but that doesn’t make it any less good. My Overall Score is a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars as they are killing it with this one, but still not my favorite work by the band. However, I can’t deny the impact the had on the music scene and how excited everyone was that Aerosmith still had some life left in those old bones.
Back in 1984, Aerosmith left Columbia Records and signed with Geffen. The great thing for Columbia was that despite them leaving the label, the new deal with Geffen still allowed the release material as they still had control of the bands earlier work. They took full advantage of that by releasing ‘Classics Live!’ in 1986 and ‘Classics Live! II’ in 1987. Then the bands new found fame was with the song “Walk This Way” and their smash album ‘Permanent Vacation’, Columbia records didn’t miss another opportunity to capitalize on that success. This time around they went for another greatest hits compilation package called ‘Gems’ which was released on November 15, 1988.
The great thing about this greatest hits compilation is that there are no repeats from the band’s first Greatest Hits album from 1980. Columbia purposefully delivered a much heavier set of songs that were extremely popular with fans even though they might not have all been huge hits. They were “gems”. All but one song on the release are basically the album cuts so no real reason to buy except for one. The album contained the studio version of the song “Chip Away The Stone” which had never been released prior except as a live version on ‘Live! Bootleg’. That gave reason enough for the serious fan to grab hold of this release. It didn’t do that great, only going to #133 on the Billboard Album Chart, but it has since been certified Gold.
The first track, “Rats in the Cellar” (off ‘Rocks’), was Steven’s answer to the hit song “Toys in the Attic”. The song was frantic in pace and was pretty much about the disaster of the band that was going on behind the scenes with the drugs and arguing as well as it being inspired by the death of their drug dealer. The song is a total blast with its maddening quick tempo and then Kramer’s drumming was incredible on this one as well. You get a harmonica solo and a full on jam section. It is the closest thing to heavy metal you are going to get from the band.
We are to the final single that I have for the ‘Permanent Vacation’ album and I am sure you will be happy to get back to the normal reviews as it has been 4 weeks of this album. The final single if for the song “Rag Doll”. The song was written by Joe Perry, Steven Tyler and Jim Vallance (Bryan Adams) as well as Holly Knight (Kiss). Tyler was furious that Holly got a writing credit because he says all she contributed to the song was changing the name from “Rag Time” to “Rag Doll”. One word got her a writing credit and it didn’t sit well.
“Rag Doll” went to #17 on the Top 40 Chart which continued to push the album to multi-platinum status…5 X’s platinum. The single was released on May 3, 1988 and my version is the standard U.S. version. The B-Side is “St. John” and both songs are the basic, standard LP version. No new mixes here.
The next single from the Permanent Vacation album we will discuss is the third single from the album, “Angel”. Again, we have another Promotional copy of the single which means “Angel” is the only song on each side. The song was written by Steven Tyler and Desmond Child and is one of the band’s biggest hits up to that time going all the way to #3 on the Billboard Charts.
Tyler feels this song was a big sell-out for the band he hated for Record Executive, John Kalodner, for forcing outside writers in to the band. Tyler felt the ballad made him look like he lost all his street cred. However, I am sure his bank account would disagree. And if you look at the next couple Aerosmith albums, there a few more ballads in the mix. It helped revitalize their career so it wasn’t all bad.
The band was in trouble after ‘Done With Mirrors’. What was supposed to be their comeback album, flopped big time. The drugs were still a big problem. So the band had to make a huge change…and they did. They got sober! ‘Permanent Vacation’ is the first album the band has ever made that they were sober…no drugs, no drinking…clean and sober. And people reacted to that in a big way. Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Brad Whitford and Joey Kramer had a lot to prove and they couldn’t do it alone.
The studio that the first batch of help should come from a great producer. At the helm this time around was Bruce Fairbairn and his amazing engineering staff of Mike Fraser and Bob Rock which is one of the most impressive crew behind the boards every in music history. Heck, Bruce even played trumpet, cello and sang background vocals while Mike Fraser played something called a plunger mute. Huh??? Well, that is a trumpet with an attachment on the front that mutes the sound a little. I don’t see where Bob is credited with anything other than masterful engineering. The recorded at the very famous Little Mountain Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia. If you saw my interview with Paul Laine we talked about that studio a lot.
The second row of help came from some song doctors, however, this was one big area of contention with the band. They were forced to work with outside writers much in the way Cheap Trick had to with ‘Lap of Luxury’ that we discussed earlier this week. The biggest contribution came from Desmond Child who co-wrote 3 of the tracks, 2 of which were massive singles for the band. They also had help from Jim Vallance (Bryan Adams writing partner) and Holly Knight (Kiss and Cheap Trick).
2 Loud 2 Old Music 