Done with Mirrors
Encyclopedia
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.
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".
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, released November 9, 1985. The release marked the return to the band of Joe Perry
Joe Perry (musician)
Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles...
, who had left the group in 1979, and Brad Whitford
Brad Whitford
Bradford Ernest Whitford is the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock band Aerosmith. He graduated Reading Memorial High School in 1970.-Career:...
, who had left the band in 1981. It was also the band's first album released by Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. 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
Longbox
A longbox is a form of exterior paperboard packaging for musical compact discs in widespread use in the 1980s and early 1990s in North America.- Background :...
) is collectable. (All text in the booklet of the first CD-pressing is also back-to-front.)
The title is a double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
, referring both to illusions that are "done with mirrors", as well as members of the band quitting their drug use (such as cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, 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
Let the Music Do the Talking
Let the Music Do the Talking is the first of four albums by The Joe Perry Project. It was also the most successful, selling approximately 250,000 copies in the United States. The title song, Let the Music Do the Talking was then covered and rerecorded by Aerosmith on their album Done With...
by The Joe Perry Project
The Joe Perry Project
The Joe Perry Project is an American rock band formed by Aerosmith lead guitarist Joe Perry. Perry started working on forming the band shortly before his departure from Aerosmith in 1979...
, with altered lyrics and melody.
Joey Kramer
Joey Kramer
Joseph Michael "Joey" Kramer is the drummer for the American hard rock band Aerosmith....
, who was a guest on VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic is a television network, launched on May 8, 2000. It is operated as part of MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom and primarily features music videos and concert footage from the 1970s through the mid-1990s, though it formerly included a wider range of genres and time periods...
's That Metal Show
That Metal Show
That Metal Show is a talk show hosted by Eddie Trunk with co-hosts Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson. It premiered on VH1 Classic on November 15, 2008. New episodes air on VH1 Classic on Saturday nights and are rebroadcast throughout the week....
, expressed his dislike of Done with Mirrors, claiming that the band "never really finished it".
Track listing
Personnel
- Steven TylerSteven TylerSteven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
- lead vocals, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... - Joe PerryJoe Perry (musician)Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocals - Brad WhitfordBrad WhitfordBradford Ernest Whitford is the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock band Aerosmith. He graduated Reading Memorial High School in 1970.-Career:...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Tom HamiltonTom Hamilton (musician)Thomas William "Tom" Hamilton is an American musician, best known as the bassist of hard rock band Aerosmith. He has co-written two of Aerosmith's hits, "Sweet Emotion" and "Janie's Got a Gun". Hamilton occasionally plays guitar and sings backing vocals Thomas William "Tom" Hamilton (born...
- bass - Joey KramerJoey KramerJoseph Michael "Joey" Kramer is the drummer for the American hard rock band Aerosmith....
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion
Production
- Producer: Ted TemplemanTed TemplemanTed Templeman is an American record producer.-Career:He began his career in the mid 1960s in the Santa Cruz area as a drummer in a band called The Tikis. At the suggestion of Lenny Waronker, the group decided to change their name. Harpers Bizarre was born in 1966, with Templeman switching to...
- Engineer: Jeff Hendrickson
- 1st Assistant Engineer: Tom Size
- 2nd Assistant Engineer: Gary Rindfuss
- 3rd Assistant Engineer: Stan Katayama
- Analog Mastering Engineer: Howie WeinbergHowie WeinbergHowie Weinberg is a music mastering engineer who has worked with numerous bands.- Career :He has worked at Masterdisk, New York City, since 1977...
- Digital Mastering Engineer: Ken CaillatKen CaillatKenneth Douglas "Ken" Caillat is an American record producer. He is best known for producing the Fleetwood Mac albums Rumours, Tusk, Mirage, Live, and The Chain Box Set....
- Production Coordinator: Joan Parker
- Band Equipment installation assembler #1: Jay Fortune
- Band Equipment installation assembler #2: Toby Francis
- Band Equipment installation assembler #3: Patrick O'Neil
- Album Cover Concept: Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff
- Art Direction and Design: Norman Moore
- Photography: Jim Shea
Album
Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
36 |
Singles
Billboard (North America)| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "Let the Music Do the Talking Let the Music Do the Talking (song) "Let the Music Do the Talking" is a song recorded by The Joe Perry Project in 1980 and later re-recorded by the re-united Aerosmith in 1985. It was written by Joe Perry.-Overview:... " |
The Billboard Hot 100 | 48 |
| "Shela Shela (song) "Shela" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith, the fifth song on the band's 1985 album Done with Mirrors. The songwriting credits are credited to all members of Aerosmith... " |
Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
20 | |
| "Let the Music Do the Talking Let the Music Do the Talking (song) "Let the Music Do the Talking" is a song recorded by The Joe Perry Project in 1980 and later re-recorded by the re-united Aerosmith in 1985. It was written by Joe Perry.-Overview:... " |
Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
18 |
Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA - USA | Gold | July 21, 1993 |