I'm with the last reveiwer that Chip Away The Stone should have been included on this album, rather than on the cutting room floor. I compare this album to my favorite Aerosmith album, Get Your Wings. Every song here is true Aerosmith, rotten to the core. Check out Three Mile Smile, No Suprise, Cheese Cake and of course, REEFER HEADED WOMAN. This album rocks and was almost completely overlooked. There was a slight hit with Remember (Walking In The Sand) an old Shangra-La's song.

Do yourself a favor, don't think about it, just buy this album. You'll love it.

I've been an Aerosmith fan since 1979 and through it all I've stuck with'm. I haven't reviewed the more popular Aerodiscs yet as I've found it more interesting to comment on the records the real dedicated fans have. I'll let the bandwagoneers handle their 5 star shout fests on the more wellknown albums "Toys" "Rocks" and the like. This record "Night in the Ruts" effectionatly known as "Right in the Nuts" is one of the most overlooked. Joe Perry had left during it's making and was doomed by the industry from that point even before it's release in '79. The old school critics couldn't wait to knock it from the day it came out. As bad as Steven T was in those days(D-R-U-G-S) he could write those hard rockers like noone else before or since. Songs such as "No Surprise""Chiquita" and "Three Mile Smile" are umung boys best, yes they are as good as any on "Rocks". There I've said it. I love "Coney Island Whitefish Boy" almost as much and the cover of "Think About It" is flawless. I've heard the original YARDBIRDS version of it and they owe a debt of gratitude to Aerosmith for recreating it into pure perfection, even better than the cover of "Train Kepta Rollin'" another YARDBIRDS remake off "Get Your Wings" from '74. Steven may have changed his mind since but he's gone so far as to call "No Surprise" is his favorite Aerosmith song. It's up there for me and I love alot of them. I may be alone on this one but this record is only a couple songs away from being a "10" (or 5 stars in this case). "Nights" is awesome but it's too short. If you think your a real fan buy it, live it, love it.

Aerosmith self-destructed during the making of this album. One would like to think that because of that very fact the album wouldn't be very good. But "Night In The Ruts" is a solid album through and through.

There are only two true weak spots on here: the Shangrla's "Remember (Walking In The Sand)" and "Mia". The latter is Steve Tyler's ode to his baby daughter, and is unspeakably wretched because Tyler's voice is thin and weak from Tyler's out-of-control drug abuse. Joe Perry isn't even on the song because he'd already quit the band by then. "Remember" gets the most airplay from all the songs on this album. But, again, Tyler's voice is shot and helps ruin the track. Notice I say "helps"; the song is already bad, and it was a poor choice for a cover.

But, thankfully, the rest of the album rocks pretty hard. Perry actually remembers how to come up with a solid guitar riff: "Cheesecake" and "Bone To Bone (Coney Island Whitefish Boy)" are classic rockers with some stellar lead guitar from Perry. The Tom Hamilton-Joey Kramer rhythm section is particularly good on "Bone To Bone". "Chiquita" and "Three Mile Smile" are two other solid rockers with some inspired lead work.

"No Surprize" is a Tyler narrative of how Aerosmith started. The irony is Perry didn't complete his work on this song (although his lead is still on the song). This song is particularly Stones-esque in its guitar work (shades of Mick Taylor).

That leaves two cover songs: "Reefer Head Woman" and "Think About It". The former is a classic blues song from the 1940's and features some great harp from Tyler. The latter is a Jimmy Page-Yardbirds era B-side. It is perhaps better known for being converted into the turnaround in Zeppelin's "Dazed And Confused". No matter, this song cooks, although Tyler (again) sounds wasted.

Considering the state of the band during this era, it is indeed remarkable that the album is this good. In general, the songs are far, far better than anything on "Draw The Line" (save "Kings and Queens", which is a classic). It is a good album that has never received the recognition it deserves.

I'm glad to see that the majority of the reviewers of this CD have given it the accolades it deserves. I actually think it's a step above the previous album, "Draw the Line". The songs are consistently stronger with only "Remember" (an interesting curiosity, but not worthy of the rest of the session) and "Think About It" not being quite up to snuff. "No Surprize" and "Three Mile Smile" are well-developed rockers with the band seemingly clicking on all cylinders. "Chiquita" and "Cheese Cake" are only one step behind.

My biggest disappointment with this CD is that the band left "Chip Away the Stone" off the final version. The song was recorded at the same time as the rest of "Right in the Nuts". "CAATS" is one of my all time favorite Aerosmith tunes. For my regularly listening, I've burned a copy of "Right in the Nuts" with "Chip Away the Stone" sequenced between "Reefer Headed Woman" and "Bone to Bone". It really rounds out the disc, and improves the overall experience.

My first concert ever was "Monsters of Rock" in Oakland, CA, on July 21st, 1979. Aerosmith was on the bill with Mahogany Rush, AC/DC (on the "Highway to Hell" tour with Bon Scott) and Ted Nugent. Not a bad way to start one's concert-going career, eh? Aerosmith had not yet released "Right in the Nuts", but played "Think About It", "Bone to Bone" and "Chip Away the Stone". The band was ragged and strung-out and barely standing upright. In the context of this burn-out, it's a wonder that "Right in the Nuts" came out as well as it did. In retrospect, it is the final product of Aerosmith's "classic" period, and well worth your hard-earned cash.

From top to bottom, I consider this one of Aerosmith's best albums, and certainly up there with 'Rocks' (which is probably the best), 'Get Your Wings', and their first, underrated self-titled album 'Aerosmith' (Dream On).

If you are new to Aerosmith, then before you get any of these, you should get the *excellent* single-disc first greatest hits collection, entitled "Aerosmith's Greatest Hits". It's the one that has the Aerosmith logo on a red background. That album has all great songs and absolutely no filler.

Because of when in Aerosmith's history this record was made, it doesn't get enough credit. Due to drugs and burnout, Aerosmith's albums were getting progressively more uneven, hitting an alltime low with 'Draw the Line'. This album is surprisingly, WAY better.

Though bluesy with a few slow, tasty numbers like "Reefer Headed Woman", the expressive "Mia", and the surprise hit "(Remember) Walking in the Sand", this is a rockin' album with some straight ahead rock tunes like "Think About It", "Chiquita", "Cheese Cake", "Three Mile Smile", and "Bone to Bone". The latter two sound like they could have easily come off the excellent "Rocks" album.

Even the turgid "No Surprize" is catchy in its own way. And while it doesn't appeal to all Aerosmith fans, "Think About It" is actually my favorite song on the record. For fans of Aerosmith at their hardest, most aggressive, it doesn't get any better than this.

For those of you who only know this album because of the hit "(Remember) Walking in the Sand", there is so much more to this album than that song. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that it is the weakest song on the record. It's also a cover of an old Shangri-Las song and not even an Aerosmith original!

In summary, fans of early vintage Aerosmith should check this record out if they haven't already. It's up there with 'Rocks', the first self-titled record, and 'Get Your Wings', and it's better than the rest of them.