Rock in a Hard Place
| Rock in a Hard Place | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Aerosmith | ||||
| Released | August 1, 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1981–1982 | |||
| Studio |
The Power Station Criteria Studios | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, blues rock | |||
| Length | 40:16 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer |
Jack Douglas Steven Tyler Tony Bongiovi | |||
| Aerosmith chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Rock in a Hard Place | ||||
|
||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Rolling Stone | (unfavorable)[2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
Rock in a Hard Place is the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released on August 1, 1982 by Columbia Records. It was certified gold on November 10, 1989. [4] It is the only Aerosmith album not to feature lead guitarist Joe Perry, following his departure from the band in 1979. Rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford also left during the recording in 1981. The band spent $1.5 million on the recording of this album.[5]
Critical reception
AllMusic explains that the band modernized their sound by including v-coders and synthesizers to fit the musical climate popular then. [6]
Despite the album's negative reviews, drummer Joey Kramer asserts in his 2009 autobiography, Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top: "The record doesn't suck. There's some real good stuff on it. But it's not a real Aerosmith record because it's just me, Steven, and Tom—with a fill-in guitar player.... It's Jimmy Crespo doing the guitar work."[5] Classic Rock Review stated, "It is a strong, edgy, and (most importantly) unique effort that captures a lot of dynamics surrounding the band’s situation perfectly." [7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jailbait" | Steven Tyler, Jimmy Crespo | 4:38 |
| 2. | "Lightning Strikes" | Tyler, Crespo, Richard Supa | 4:26 |
| 3. | "Bitch's Brew" | Tyler, Crespo | 4:14 |
| 4. | "Bolivian Ragamuffin" | Tyler, Crespo | 3:32 |
| 5. | "Cry Me a River" | Arthur Hamilton | 4:06 |
| 6. | "Prelude to Joanie" | Tyler | 1:21 |
| 7. | "Joanie's 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 |
Personnel
|
Aerosmith
|
Production
Artwork
|
Charts
Album – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | The Billboard 200 | 32 |
Singles – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "Lightning Strikes" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 21 |
Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – USA | Gold[8] | November 10, 1989 |
References
- ↑ Rock in a Hard Place at AllMusic
- ↑ J.D. Considine (1982-12-04). "Rock in a Hard Place". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
- ↑ "Aerosmith: Album Guide | Rolling Stone Music". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
- ↑ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
- 1 2 Kramer, Joey (2010). Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top. New York: HarperOne. p. 134. ISBN 978-0-06-156662-2.
- ↑ "Rock in a Hard Place - Aerosmith | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
- ↑ "Aerosmith Rock in a Hard Place album review | Classic Rock Review". Retrieved 2016-10-10.
- ↑ "Gold and Platinum Database Search". Retrieved 2009-11-24.
