Original lead guitarist Joe Perry re-joined Aerosmith in 1985, and this album marked the beginning of their hugely succesful late-eighties comeback. It didn't get nearly as much attention as "Pump" or even "Permanent Vacation", partly because it lacks the obvious pop hit, I suppose, but it is actually a very solid hard rock record, perhaps Aerosmith's best since "Rocks".

The production is excellent, the riffs are big and dirty, the arrangements lean and mean, and "Mirrors" opens with one of Aerosmith's best songs of the 80s, the high-energy "Let The Music Do The Talking".

And yes, Steven Tyler's lyrics are immature and chauvenistic...although it's not nearly as bad as some of these reviewers will have you believe. But if you're going to take that kind of stuff seriously, you have no business listening to Aerosmith in the first place. Better stick with the Osmonds.

Even though I've heard critics and fans alike slam this 1985 comeback lp of the original line-up of Aerosmith, it will always have special meaning to me. Remember that video for "Let The Music Do The Talking"? Good thing I was forewarned about it. In the video, three fans sneak a super 8 movie camera into the concert, managing to film some decent footage of the band's performance. Then a fat guard catches them and chases them out the back door of the venue. The three drop the film off to a hippie working the late night shift at the Fotomat. Later, they're shown hanging out with the band watching the home movie. Two years before 'Done With Mirrors' came out, I myself attended an Aerosmith gig and managed to take a roll of super 8 film of the show. I had another person in the crowd warn me that a security guard had spotted me. I then moved to a different spot and removed my coat I had on. He never found me after that. That incident just might've influenced the video. Think about it. About the CD, I've always considered "Let The Music...", "My Fist Your Face", "Shela" (actually hung out with two, not one but two girls named Shela around this time), "Shame On You" and "She's On Fire" to be prime Aerosmith material. Just because this lp didn't sell very good doesn't mean it isn't any good. It's great! Old school hard rock.

This is the last real rock album from Aerosmith. No power-ballads, no slick over-production, no formula "hit" songs written by Desmond Child.... Just good hard rock. This album deserves to be more popular than all that followed. Buy two copies.

Forget that Permanent Vacation crappola! THIS is the good right here! Done With Mirrors IS the Comeback album from Aerosmith. This album seperates the REAL fans from all the other poser pain in the ass, wanna-be fans that fell in love with Dude Looks Like A Lady and Angel! This rates right up there with the Rocks period. THis is the period when they were very sick from alcoholism and drug addiction, but had a chance to regroup after a hiatus that started with the departure of guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford; (during which the spots were filler by Jimmy Crespo and Rick Duffey (spelling?)). The result? Done With Mirrors...well, according to their autobiography, they weren't quite done with 'em yet, but anyway, a nice strong old school Aerosmith album is what you will get.

Highlights include, Let The Music Do The Talking, My Fist Your Face, Shame On You, The reason A Dog....well...the entire album is fantastic! Once again, if you like old school Aerosmith, you will love this album...if you only like the stuff from Permanent Vacation and foward......skip it...this is NOT for the weak hearted!

Aerosmith-Done With Mirrors ****1/2

The original line up had reformed. Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left during Night In The Ruts and Rock And A Hard Place and returned for Done With Mirrors. In a nutshell, this is the bands most underrated album. The tracks are great, not excellent but great. Tylers lyrics and vocals are decent but not great, but still good. Hamilton and Kramer are still very high and at times find it hard to keep time. Brad and Joes playing is at times uninspired. Yet they pull the album off.

'Let The Music Do The Talking' was a Perry song from when he left the band to form The Joe Perry Project, this is the superior version by far. Tylers lyrics are much better and flow better. The recycled 'Draw The Line' riff is cool but shows how far gone they were. 'Shela' is almost classic. 'Darkness' which did not appear on some of the original pressings, only about half is actually one of the bands better songs from the 1980's. 'She's On Fire' is among the top five songs the band has ever recorded, and yet it is placed in the delete bin of life along with the band Love, and Gordy Howe. It is just a travesty. The rest of the album is to quote Steven Tyler "up to snuff" as well.

This is far from being Aerosmiths best album I will be the first to admit that, but it is even farther from being the bands worst effort. For good ol' rock n' roll Done With Mirrors does the just fine, even if the title is slightly ironic as the band had not quite given up the mirrors so to speak.