Release Date:February 1, 2008 Availability:Usually ships in 1-2 business days Shipping:International shipping available Condition:Brand New and Factory Sealed Item Fast Shipping
Underrated effortAugust 16, 2008 C. A. Baker(Massachusetts) I've been an Aerosmith fan for many years, but "Night in the Ruts" was a disc I had skipped over due to the perception that it was one of their weaker efforts. That's an unfair characterization.
"Draw The Line" was a disappointment largely because it followed the fantastic "Toys in the Attic" and "Rocks". The material on "Draw The Line" is a little weaker and the sound is frustratingly muddy. So I wasn't sure what to expect from "Ruts".
I was pleasantly surprised to find several strong tracks. The record leads off with the the ballsy rocker "No Surprize", one of two tracks I was already familiar with. This is Aerosmith at their finest with great riff interplay between Perry and Whitford. "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" is their much maligned single from the record but I've always enjoyed this cover, particularly the fingersnaps and handclaps wrapped around the riff of the chorus. Other standout tracks are "Three Mile Smile" and "Bone to Bone" which have prototypically funky and hard Aerosmith guitar licks. "Cheesecake" is a bluesy stomper with some tasty slide guitar. "Think About It" is one of the heaviest tracks on the record with some furious riffing. "Mia" closes out the disc with a ballad, a trend that had been established on "Toys" and "Rocks".
The production on this record is much improved over "Draw The Line" with a much clearer and heavier sound. This was the first Aerosmith record that was not produced by Jack Douglas.
I bought the disc for $4.97 and wasn't sure what edition I was getting. What was sent to me was the 20-bit remaster released in 1993, so I was happy. For that price, "Night in the Ruts" is an absolute steal but that not withstanding, it is a solid underrated record that should not be overlooked.
aerosmith still going strongJuly 5, 2008 B. E Jackson(Pennsylvania) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Many believe Aerosmith was starting to really fall apart by this stage, and maybe they were personally, but it didn't effect the quality of the music they were making at the time. One thing I find fascinating about Night in the Ruts is the constant dreary vibe the album has. Every song seems to have that same feeling, and it lingers. It's a haunting sound.
The rock songs seem to be very melodic this time around, such as "Chiquita" and "No Surprize". Other selections such as "Mia" and "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" are just dark in sound and style, and you'll remember the dreary feeling after the album is over.
It's a strange album mostly because of the atmosphere, but the songwriting is still good enough to recommend a purchase. Maybe the album is lacking in creativity, because even though the vocals are very catchy, the band is probably capable of less predictable songwriting. Maybe I'm cutting the album some slack, I don't know. All I know is that I enjoy listening to it.
