Done with Mirrors
Proof positive that the Toxic Twins should never be apart,Done with Mirrorswas Aerosmith's first album sinceJoe Perryreturned to the band in 1985. Though it didn't garner as much commercial success as did the follow-upPermanent Vacation, this album is in many ways truer to the heart of what Aerosmith was in their 1970s heyday. From the opening drive of "Let the Music Do the Talking" (which reuses that great riff from 1977's "Draw the Line"), to the strong grooves of "The Reason a Dog" and "Gypsy Boots," to the rockin' shuffle of "The Hop,"Done with Mirrorsis full of strong moments. The two best tracks on the album, though, show Aerosmith heading back to their roots: the swampy rock of "She's On Fire" and the jive-to-drive of "Darkness," both of which have the raw, bluesy base of the band's best material. If nothing else,Done with Mirrorsindicated that Aerosmith may have been down, but they definitely weren't out of the running yet--something thatPermanent Vacationwould prove two years later.--Genevieve Williams