AEROSMITH: Rock in a Hard Place CD. 20-bit Digital Mastering SBM AUDIOPHILE CD deluxe packaging, liner notes, photos. Check videos.

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AEROSMITH Rock in a Hard Place an audio review of this album:  https://voca.ro/jSFUGUoeyVp

20-Bit digital mastering from the original source tapes using SBM technology.  The 20-bit Digital Mastering SBM showcases the album with a faithful sound that will be appreciated for generations to come. The mastering is treated respectfully and as it was done prior to the ‘loudness wars’ the dynamic range is in the vicinity of 12 out of 20. Don’t touch any other remastering! It has an average dynamic range of 09. Seriously, I’m all for audiophile releases, but low dynamic range isn’t fit for anyone, let alone an audiophile consumer. There is no doubt whatsoever, that the 1993 remastered CD is the pinnacle for when obtaining a copy of Rock in a Hard Place, the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, that was released on August 1, 1982 on Columbia. It is the only Aerosmith album to not feature guitarist Joe Perry. The band spent 1.5 million dollars on the recording of this album. Rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford left the band during its recording in 1981. Whitford is billed as an “additional musician”, and can be heard playing rhythm guitar on “Lightning Strikes.” This was also Aerosmiths last studio album released on Columbia Records until 1997.

Track listing:
No. Title Writer(s) Length

1. “Jailbait” Steven Tyler, Jimmy Crespo, Rick Dufay 4:38

2. “Lightning Strikes”  4:26
3. “Bitchs Brew” Tyler, Crespo 4:14
4. “Bolivian Ragamuffin” Tyler, Crespo 3:32
5. “Cry Me a River” Arthur Hamilton 4:06 [cover]
6. “Prelude to Joanie” Tyler 1:21
7. “Joanies Butterfly” Tyler, Crespo, Jack Douglas 5:35
8. “Rock in a Hard Place (Cheshire Cat)” Tyler, Crespo, Douglas 4:46

9. “Jig Is Up” Tyler, Crespo 3:10
10. “Push Comes to Shove” Tyler 4:28

Notes
The track “Cry Me a River” is a cover written by Arthur Hamilton.
The last track of the album, “Push Comes to Shove” is about his then girlfriend and future wife Teresa Barrick and her twin sister.

Band
Steven Tyler – Lead Vocals, Harmonica, Percussion
Jimmy Crespo – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rick Dufay – Guitar
Tom Hamilton – Bass
Joey Kramer – Drums, Percussion

Additional musicians
Paul Harris – piano (“Push Comes to Shove”)
John Turi – saxophone (“Rock in a Hard Place (Cheshire Cat)”)
Reinhard Straub – violin (“Joanies Butterfly”)
John Lievano – guitar (“Joanies Butterfly”)
Jack Douglas – percussion
Brad Whitford – guitar (“Lightning Strikes”)


How does the album Aerosmith released without Joe Perry stand up after all these years?

A band caught in a difficult moment. With Steven Tyler not seeing eye-to-eye with sobriety and both longtime guitarists missing, Aerosmith turned to session musician Jimmy Crespo and spent more than a million dollars in crafting Rock In A Hard Place. It should have been a disaster… but was it? Well, Classic Rock writer Paul Elliott, says that “No Aerosmith album is as underrated as Rock In A Hard Place,” referring to it as an album full of “killer songs.”

BACKGROUND

The band were in crisis. After 1977’s Draw The Line, tensions between frontman Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry had grown to the point where their relationship was unsustainable. “We were pretty burned out,” said Perry. “And instead of taking a vacation, we let loose on each other.” Perry quit during the recording of the follow-up, Night In The Ruts, and amongst the musicians drafted in to fill the gaps was Jimmy Crespo, a session musician from New York. He played lead on Three Mile Smile and ended up joining the band. Two years later, Brad Whitford quit the band shortly after the recording of the follow-up, Rock In A Hard Place, began. And Steven Tyler? Let’s just say he wasn’t entirely focused.

The video created for the first single from the album, Lightning Strikes, was the first the band had created specifically with MTV in mind. The station had launched the previous year, and it was an approach that would bring gargantuan rewards a decade later, as the era of the big Aerosmith ballad began. (It was directed by Arnold Levine, who had previously worked on clips that accompanied Chiquita and No Surprize — from Night In The Ruts — plus the live video of Chip Away At The Stone from 1978’s Live Bootleg. Levine also worked on videos for Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Loverboy and Meat Loaf).  The song was written by Steven TylerJimmy Crespo and Richie Supa, a friend and collaborator of the band. The band created one of their earliest actual music videos for MTV and other networks with this song. Directed by Arnold Levine, the music video flashes back and forth between the band performing in what appears to be a studio or small venue and then out on the streets, where the band members flash angry looks, and wield baseball bats, chains, knives, and other weapons, suggesting a fight is about to take place. The song also features fake lightning strikes during the transitions between the band’s performance and the streets, and baseball bats striking melons in the air.


Jailbait a frantic opener. After the initial moments of the song, you get down to enjoying this killer rock and roll tune.

Lightning Strikes is the song that should have opened the album. It has the slow build and the rock overture that alerts you to the fact that you’re about to hear something very, very, special. Lightning Strikes is, without doubt, an all-time favourite Aerosmith song.

Bitch’s Brew flows nicely from Lightning Strikes and is a great rhythmic rock tune and an excellent rock and roll song.

Bolivian Ragamuffin It’s a solid song, and the name of the song to be hilarious; it works well within the album format.

Cry Me A River is a sonic joy and a guilty pleasure with an incredible history. One wouldn’t necessarily think that a jazz-ballad would work with Aerosmith, but it absolutely does and it works extraordinarily well with an underlying blues sound that will encourage you to get your air guitar out and play along. It’s a sensational cover and one of the best interpretations I’ve heard of this classic.

Prelude To Joanie is an interesting way to open what in terms of a vinyl record would be Side 2 and while not necessarily a song, as a Prelude to Joanie’s Butterfly it works really well.

Joanie’s Butterfly is an interesting song and part of the appeal of playing Rock In A Hard Place is knowing that Joanie’s Butterfly is present.

Rock In A Hard Place (Cheshire Cat) is a killer jazz-meets blues-meets rock tune.

Jig Is Up is toe-tapping and head-bopping gold.

Push Comes To Shove closes out the album nicely as I’ve always enjoyed Steven Tyler’s harmonica and his lyrical delivery; both are brilliant.

Overall, Rock In A Hard Place is a compelling listen with a series of songs that may never be remembered, or appear in primary essential playlists, but will nevertheless entice you deeper into the Aerosmith back catalogue.



Rock In a Hard Place is considered by some to not be a “real” Aerosmith album because it is the only one to not include all five members. I have a hard time concurring as this has been one of my favorite Aerosmith albums for close to thirty years. It is a strong, edgy, and (most importantly) unique effort that captures a lot of dynamics surrounding the band’s situation perfectly. Though, many fans and critics lamented the departure of guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford and claimed that the band’s traditional chemistry was not present on this album. Perry left the band abruptly while in the middle of recording the previous album, Night In the Ruts and went on to form the Joe Perry Project. Whitford was still with the band at the beginning of this album’s sessions in 1981 but departed after recording just one track.

Of course, the music still sounds like Aerosmith because of the presence of Steven Tyler. But Tyler’s voice is strained throughout the album, something that may otherwise be a liability, but surprisingly this adds to the overall air of desperation throughout the mixes. It also adds to the feel that this is a straight-forward, no B.S. rock jam album, although certain facts seem to dispute this notion. Primarily, there was a very steep price tag ($1.5 million) in producing this album, and from that perspective it is understandable why so many may consider it a failure.

Perry and Whitford were replaced by guitarists Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay, who each brought a unique yet hard-rockin’ edge. This was especially true for Crespo, who co-wrote many of the songs on the album. Also, drummer Joey Kramer plays especially well on this album, holding together some of the looser compositions with a strong and steady rhythm.
The album starts in a frenzy with “Jailbait”, a collaboration by Tyler, Crespo, and Dufay. The song seems to be linked in many ways with “Bitch’s Brew” as it explicitly refers to it, is composed in a very loose lyrical fashion, and the subject matter seems to very similar – seduction and sex. Of these two, “Bitch’s Brew” is a lot more interesting due to its odd arrangement and Tyler’s vocals, which are particularly strained throughout, and he does a pretty impressive Bob Dylan impersonation during the final verse.

A slow, synthesized string introduces “Lightning Strikes”, a song written by longtime band collaborator Richard Supa about gangs and gang fights. This is the only track to feature Brad Whitford, who left the band during its recording in 1981. Whitford, who was a founding member of Aerosmith, is billed as simply an “additional musician” in the credits. The band created one of their earliest actual music videos for MTV and other networks with this song. Directed by Arnold Levine.

“Bolivian Ragamuffin” is a heavy blue composition similar to the band’s material on Draw The Line. Crespo wails on a crying, slide electric throughout and this song seems to be the band at its most intense jamming on the album. A cover of Arthur Hamilton’s “Cry Me a River” lightens the mood a bit with a soft, jazzy, night club intro and opening verses. However, the song does explode later into a full-fledged strong rock interpretation while maintaining the basic, moody vibe.

The second side starts with, perhaps, the oddest Aerosmith song on record called “Joanie’s Butterfly”. Kicking off with a “Prelude” that includes a highly synthesized, barely audible, spoken voice above a chorus of quasi-Eastern chants by Tyler, the song proper breaks in with a more straight-forward, Eastern-flavored rhythm, with a strummed acoustic, layered percussion, a dulcimer, and more layered vocals. At about 1:45, the song breaks into a more rock-oriented arrangement with some really nice sonic changes straight through until the long ending crescendo with violin and various other string instruments. The song was co-written by producer Jack Douglas who is yet to reveal the true meaning (if any) of the odd lyrics which are extremely cryptic;

“He was a kick ass rocking horse, he was a one horned, unicornucopia
Two, two in Utopia, three star, verge into infinity…”

The album finishes strong with three well-produced rockers. The title song, “Rock In a Hard Place (Cheshire Cat)” is a fine rock song featuring the strongest performance on the album by bassist Tom Hamilton and more great guitar work by the two newcomers. “Jig Is Up” is one of the great forgotten classics of Aerosmith, with a solid rock sound not heard from the band since 1976’s Rocks, and a lyrical theme similar to the Stones’ “Brown Sugar”. The album closes with Tyler’s “Push Comes to Shove”, a completely undecipherable screed by the singer that is reportedly about his then girlfriend and future wife, but who knows to what end. Nonetheless, it is a pleasant listen in the Aerosmith-blues style and features some good piano by session man Paul Harris.

Panned by most critics, fans, and band members themselves, Rock In a Hard Place may well be an underrated gem in the long career of one of America’s most storied bands. Still, purists lament that it is the only release which deviates from the five man line-up that was the band before and would be the band again. In 1984, Aerosmith embarked on a reunion tour which brought Perry and Whitford back into the fold and the original line-up remains in tact to this day.


5.0 out of 5 stars REALLY A HARD PLACE,
A wonderfully hard rocking Aerosmith album that fails to suffer from the temporary departure of Perry and Whitford, in fact the new blood raises the ante for the band and this remains a great Aerosmith album to this day. Perry is often quoted as wishing he’d been there to co-write the fabulous Lightning Strikes. As a great Perry fan (Aerosmith and solo) I still find this album chock full of the usual swagger and searing guitar that the bands fans adore.


5.0 out of 5 stars What a criminally underrated album,
This was the last good album Aerosmith would release for many years. This album, Being a rather obscure title in Aerosmith’s long line of releases, Was made during the most troubled times of the band: Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left the band [Though Whitford plays guitar on ”Lightning Strikes”], The drug abuse within the band was at an all-time high, Record sales were falling, Things were just going bad for Aerosmith. In 1982, With new band members Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay, Aerosmith fleshed out this album. While it was not a best-seller like much of their albums from the 70s, This was a highly entertaining album. If you get past the fact that Joe Perry and Brad Whitford are not on this album, you will find that there is some great material on this album. The best songs on the album are ”Jailbait” [Love the beginning of this song very much], ”Lightning Strikes”, ”B*tchs Brew” [A highly entertaining song that is actually one of Aerosmith’s best songs], and my personal favorite ”Bolivian Ragamuffin”. The title track and ”push comes to shove” are both great songs too. This is a great album from Aerosmith. I highly recommend this to any Aerosmith fan that likes any of their pre-Mtv material.

(Rock In A Hard Place tour (1982-84) Long Beach Arena California gig)


5.0 out of 5 stars Steven Tyler solo album?,
Great song writing, memorable riffs, and hard rockin’ all the way around. A few of my all time favorite Aerosmith songs, “Bitches Brew”, “Lightning Strikes” and “Jailbait”. Who else could write a song called “Jailbait” and get away with it? Other great tunes as well. I highly recommend this album.


5.0 out of 5 stars If you’re hard up for some Aerosmith sound of the 70s, this album is worth trying out. It will sound better than much of the newer material.


5.0 out of 5 stars good one from the band,
This one clearly inspired spinal tap’ with its cover but the music is good rock and that’s a fact. It was a good effort and had a good lead guitarist replacement. It has some great songs on it too like ‘when the lightening strikes’


5.0 out of 5 stars Really good songs on it (I don’t care that its not all the original members) buy it if you like Areosmith’s sound in the ’80s, this is a rock album not a pop album.


  The only Aerosmith album I’ve bought on release, thanks to a 4-star review in Sounds and, in the grand scheme of things, their last great album. Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay deserve medals!

Songs like Cheshire Cat and Bolivian Ragamuffin have a great, hard hitting groove.   I think this was a pretty good record. You still had the grit that made Aerosmith but the presence of two members that were probably in better shape than Perry helped give it a fresher sound. Bolivian Ragamuffin which has got that loose, Perry-style riffing on it and is super underrated.


To me, the last truly great Aerosmith album. Nothing they released after this one had the same funk and swagger of Rock in a Hard Place and all the others that came before. Despite the absence of Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, Rock In a Hard Place is really a better album than I remembered and one with a lot of the elements that make a great Aerosmith album.


No Aerosmith album is as underrated as Rock In A Hard Place, recorded after Joe Perry and Brad Whitford had left the band. Amazingly, the two guitarists that came into the group, Jimmy Crespo and Rick ‘The Doof’ Dufay, sounded just like the real thing. And while Tyler was by own admission strung out at this point, he roused himself to perform at optimum level.

here is a lesser-known classic – one of the 10 best deep cuts by this legendary band: Never mind the Stonehenge cover art: Spinal Tap before Spinal Tap. Rock In A Hard Place is full of killer songs, none better than Bolivian Ragamuffin, with a cranking, badass riff that’s quintessential Aerosmith – a dagger to Joe Perry’s heart.


CHECK and buy:

CLASSIC ROCK magazine 5 (July 1999) with CD. Aerosmith on cover. NWOBHM special, Def Leppard, MICHAEL SCHENKER, E.L.O.

KERRANG NO. 33 Check exclusive video showing all pages! January 1983. Great condition. Aerosmith 6 Page Special, Ozzy Iommi Reunion, Girlschool, Picture, Pat Benatar, Chevy

KERRANG No.278, 1990 AEROSMITH cover, Iron Maiden, Quireboys flexi (ask for it), Overkill, Love Hate, Gang Green, Kai Hansen

Metal Hammer 119, 12/94 Dec.1994 Slayer on cover, Rotting Christ, Sepultura, Pantera, Black Sabbath Tribute, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi

KERRANG NO. 33 January 1983, mint condition. Aerosmith 6 Page Special, Ozzy Iommi Reunion, Girlschool, Picture, Pat Benatar, Chevy

KERRANG No.470 Check exclusive video showing all pages! November 1993 AEROSMITH, Soundgarden, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, + bonus mag

KERRANG No.497 June 1994 AEROSMITH, DYNAMO, OBITUARY, STP, BON JOVI, Danzig Prong, Skin, Little Angels, Donington 12 pages

KERRANG No.524 December 1994, Mint condition. THERAPY?, AEROSMITH, Dub War, MINISTRY, Slayer, COC, CARCASS, Wildhearts, TWISTED SISTER

AEROSMITH: Permanent Vacation LP. Check videos. Rag Doll, Dude (looks like a lady), Angel

RUN DMC: Walk This Way 7″ + Walk This Way (instrumental) [Classic cover of the Aerosmith song]. 1986 UK used second hand 7″ Vinyl single London Records ‎LON 104. Check video

The Chart Show – Rock Nation Vol 2 LP. Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Pat Benatar, INXS, Billy Idol, Gary Moore etc. Check videos

Metal Edge March 1994. Skid Row, Megadeth, Motley Crue, Anthrax, Pearl Jam, Beavis & Butthead, Aerosmith, Kiss, Mr. Big, Jackyl

AEROSMITH: The fall and rise of Aerosmith (BOOK) mint condition

Metal Edge June 1994. Pantera, Poison, Slaughter, Motley Crue, Mr. Big, Anthrax, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi

Metal Edge June 1995 Aerosmith, Megadeth, Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Faith No More, Skid Row, Warrant, White Zombie, Fight, Vince Neil

AEROSMITH: Shut Up and Dance CD PROMO. + 3 previously unreleased songs. Check videos

AEROSMITH: Hole In My Soul UK 1997 1 TRACK PROMO CD Check video

AEROSMITH: Pandora’s Box. 52-track ltd. edition 3-CD box set w. unreleased tracks +64 page book. 1991 original 1st press

AEROSMITH: Get A Grip. Special Limited CD digipak U.S Rare 1993 in a mock cow-skin. Check videos + samples

https://yperano.com/product/classic-rock-magazine-5-july-1999-with-cd-aerosmith-nwobhm-special-def-leppard-michael-schenker-elo/

Metal CD vol 1 No 6 magazine. Metal CD 6 Aerosmith, Coverdale Page, The Almighty, Saxon, Tool, Death. Best ever UK mag.

Right in the Nuts (A Tribute to Aerosmith) 2CD. 2 hours of 27 unbelievable ’70s covers! Check audio

Radio Kerrang! Vol 1 CD 1997. Aerosmith, Coal Chamber, Machine Head, Kerbdog, Cable, My Own Victim, etc. Check videos

The Joe Perry Project: Let the Music Do the Talking PROMO CD. Aerosmith lead guitarist.

AEROSMITH: Aerosmith 1973, 1st, debut CD 20-bit Digital Mastering SBM. AUDIOPHILE CD deluxe packaging original release liner notes, photos

AEROSMITH: Get Your Wings CD. 20-bit Digital Mastering SBM. AUDIOPHILE CD deluxe packaging, liner notes, photos

AEROSMITH: Draw the line CD. 20-bit Digital Mastering SBM. AUDIOPHILE CD deluxe packaging, liner notes, photos. Check samples

AEROSMITH: Toys in The attic CD. All songs are amazing! “Walk This Way”, “Sweet Emotion”. Check videos + audio & video reviews of the album

AEROSMITH: Night in the Ruts CD. 20-bit Digital Mastering SBM AUDIOPHILE CD deluxe packaging, liner notes, photos. Check videos + audio and video reviews of the album

AEROSMITH: Classics Live CD 20-bit Digital Mastering SBM AUDIOPHILE CD deluxe packaging, liner notes, photos. Check samples

AEROSMITH: Classics Live II. CD 20-bit Digital Mastering SBM AUDIOPHILE CD deluxe packaging, liner notes, photos. Check samples

AEROSMITH: Pump CD. + bonus track. 1989 Opened, the booklet reveals a poster picture of the band! Check videos of Love in an Elevator, Janie’s Got a Gun, What It Takes, The Other Side + REVIEW videos

Sounds Like A Good Album To Us – The Sounds Album Vol. II. Vinyl LP, Promo, Compilation. Santana, Kansas, Frank Marino, Ram Jam, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Sparks, Crawler

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