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Done with Mirrors

by Aerosmith

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Proof positive that the Toxic Twins should never be apart, Done with Mirrors was Aerosmith's first album since Joe Perry returned to the band in 1985. Though it didn't garner as much commercial success as did the follow-up Permanent Vacation, this album is in many ways truer to the heart of what Aerosmith was in their 1970s heyday. From the opening drive of "Let the Music Do the Talking" (which reuses that great riff from 1977's "Draw the Line"), to the strong grooves of "The Reason a Dog" and "Gypsy Boots," to the rockin' shuffle of "The Hop," Done with Mirrors is full of strong moments. The two best tracks on the album, though, show Aerosmith heading back to their roots: the swampy rock of "She's On Fire" and the jive-to-drive of "Darkness," both of which have the raw, bluesy base of the band's best material. If nothing else, Done with Mirrors indicated that Aerosmith may have been down, but they definitely weren't out of the running yet--something that Permanent Vacation would prove two years later. --Genevieve Williams