Yeah, yeah, I got to get away
Her picture graced the grime on the door
She's a long lost love at first bite
Baby, maybe you're wrong, but you know it's all right, that's right
Permanent Vacation is the ninth studio album recorded by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was released through Geffen Records on August 25, 1987.
The band's station had been revived following their team-up with rap group Run–D.M.C. on a cover of "Walk This Way". They wanted to capitalize on their new notoriety. To do this, they decided to do something they hadn't before: get the help of writers outside their band.
They got the likes of Desmond Child, Jim Vallance, and Holly Knight to assist with writing songs, though Steven Tyler and Joe Perry still had credits on all of them as well. Well, except for that one Beatles cover they threw in.
Rolling Stone wasn't impressed by the result, giving it two out of 5 stars on their Album Guide. But the general public was wowed by the new sound, similar to the growing Hair Metal trend. The album went quintuple-Platinum in the United States, peaking at #11 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It would eventually go Gold in the United Kingdom as well, being their first album to be certified by the BPI.
The album was supported by four singles: "Hangman's Jury", "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", "Angel", and "Rag Doll". The latter three were all Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Angel" reaching #3, their highest pop chart appearance yet.
Tracklist
Side One- "Heart's Done Time" (4:42)
- "Magic Touch" (4:37)
- "Rag Doll" (4:25)
- "Simoriah" (3:22)
- "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (4:25)
- "St. John" (4:10)
Side Two
- "Hangman Jury" (5:33)
- "Girl Keeps Coming Apart" (4:13)
- "Angel" (5:08)
- "Permanent Vacation" (4:49)
- "I'm Down" (2:20)
- "The Movie" (4:00)
Personnel
- Steven Tyler – lead vocals, piano, harmonica, organ, plunger mute
- Joe Perry – guitar: lead guitar (all except 10 & 12), lead and rhythm guitar on track 1, backing vocals, pedal steel guitar on "Rag Doll"
- Brad Whitford – guitar: lead and rhythm guitar on track 1, lead guitar on tracks 8, 10 & 12
- Tom Hamilton – bass guitar
- Joey Kramer – drums
"Baby won't you trope me like you done before":
- Cover Version: "I'm Down" was originally the B-side to the single for the classic song "Help!", by The Beatles.
- Power Ballad: "Angel"
- Real Life Writes the Plot: "Dude" has an inspiration: Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe. Steven Tyler got the impression when he saw Neil at a bar. Nikki Sixx verified the encounter in his memoir.
- Title Track: "Permanent Vacation"
- Unsettling Gender-Reveal: "Dude" is about a guy who is fooled by an effeminate man.
