Permanent Vacation (Aerosmith album)

The album received mixed-to-positive reviews. In a retrospective assessment AllMusic gave the album four stars, and said "despite the mostly stellar songwriting, which makes it a strong effort overall, some of the album's nooks and crannies haven't aged all that well because of Fairbairn's overwrought production, featuring an exaggerated sleekness typical of most mid-'80s pop-metal albums". Dave Reynolds from Metal Forces magazine called the album "a shit hot album and one I'm gonna play the hell out of". Robert Christgau graded the album a C+, saying Aerosmith were "running out of gas again already".

Loudwire ranked the album as Aerosmith's 6th best album explaining the ranking with, "its lavish '80s production has definitely dated, but 'Permanent Vacation' still ranks among the greatest musical comebacks of all time". Loudwire also placed the album at No. 4 on their 2017 list of the "10 Best Hard Rock Albums of 1987".{{Cite web|last=Childers|first=Chad|date=January 4, 2017|title=10 Best Hard Rock Albums of 1987|url=https://loudwire.com/best-hard-rock-albums-1987/|access-date=July 10, 2024|website=Loudwire}} Loudersound placed the album on their list of the 20 best albums from 1987 and called it a "collection of sublime pop-metal".{{Cite web|date=October 9, 2018|title=The 20 best albums from 1987|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-20-best-albums-from-1987|access-date=April 13, 2021|website=loudersound|language=en}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Permanent Vacation track listing

| title1 = Heart's Done Time

| writer1 = {{hlist|Joe Perry|Desmond Child}}

| length1 = 4:42

| title2 = Magic Touch

| writer2 = {{hlist|Steven Tyler|Perry|Jim Vallance}}

| length2 = 4:40

| title3 = Rag Doll

| writer3 = {{hlist|Tyler|Perry|Vallance|Holly Knight}}

| length3 = 4:21

| title4 = Simoriah

| writer4 = {{hlist|Tyler|Perry|Vallance}}

| length4 = 3:22

| title5 = Dude (Looks Like a Lady)

| writer5 = {{hlist|Tyler|Perry|Child}}

| length5 = 4:23

| title6 = St. John

| writer6 = Tyler

| length6 = 4:12

| title7 = Hangman Jury

| writer7 = {{hlist|Tyler|Perry|Vallance}}

| length7 = 5:33

| title8 = Girl Keeps Coming Apart

| writer8 = {{hlist|Tyler|Perry}}

| length8 = 4:12

| title9 = Angel

| writer9 = {{hlist|Tyler|Child}}

| length9 = 5:10

| title10 = Permanent Vacation

| writer10 = {{hlist|Tyler|Brad Whitford}}

| length10 = 4:52

| title11 = I'm Down

| note11 = The Beatles cover

| writer11 = {{hlist|John Lennon|Paul McCartney}}

| length11 = 2:20

| title12 = The Movie

| writer12 = {{hlist|Tyler|Perry|Whitford|Tom Hamilton|Joey Kramer}}

| length12 = 4:00

| total_length = 51:47

}}

Adapted from the album liner notes{{cite AV media notes |title=Big Ones |title-link=Big Ones |others=Aerosmith |year=1994 |type=CD insert |publisher=Geffen Records |id=GEFD-24716 |location=United States }} and AllMusic.{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=permanent-vacation-r180/credits|pure_url=yes}} |title=Permanent Vacation - Aerosmith > Credits |work=AllMusic |publisher=Rovi Corporation |access-date=November 15, 2010}} Track numbers refer to CD and digital releases of the album.

Aerosmith

• Steven Tyler{{snd}}lead vocals, piano, harmonica, plunger mute
• Joe Perry{{snd}}guitar: lead guitar (all except 10 & 12), lead and rhythm guitar on track 1, backing vocals, pedal steel guitar on "Rag Doll"
• Brad Whitford{{snd}}guitar: lead and rhythm guitar on track 1, lead guitar on tracks 8, 10 & 12
• Tom Hamilton{{snd}}bass guitar
• Joey Kramer{{snd}}drums

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

Additional musicians

• Drew Arnott{{snd}}mellotron on "Angel" and "The Movie"
• Tom Keenlyside{{snd}}clarinet, tenor saxophone, horn arrangement on "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" and "Rag Doll"
• Ian Putz{{snd}}baritone saxophone on "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" and "Rag Doll"
• Bob Rogers{{snd}}trombone on "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" and "Rag Doll"
• Henry Christian{{snd}}trumpet
• Bruce Fairbairn{{snd}}trumpet, cello, background vocals, production
• Scott Fairbairn{{snd}}cello
• Mike Fraser{{snd}}plunger mute, engineering, mixing
• Morgan Rael{{snd}}steel drums
• Jim Vallance{{snd}}organ on "Rag Doll" and "Simoriah"
• Christine Arnott{{snd}}backing vocals on "The Movie"

{{col-2}}

Production

• Bob Rock – engineering
• Ken Lomas – assistant engineering
• George Marino – mastering
• Kim Champagne – art direction
• Andy Engel – illustrations
• Neal Preston – photography

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Permanent Vacation}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|title=Permanent Vacation|artist=Aerosmith|award=Platinum|number=5|relyear=1987|access-date=February 1, 2013}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|type=album|title=パーマネント・ヴァケイション |artist=エアロスミス|award=Gold|relyear=1987|certyear=1995|certmonth=4}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|title=Permanent Vacation|artist=Aerosmith|award=Gold|relyear=1987|access-date=February 1, 2013|id=5066-348-2}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=Permanent Vacation|artist=Aerosmith|award=Platinum|number=5|access-date=February 1, 2013}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

• Permanent Vacation Tour

{{Reflist}}

{{Aerosmith}}

{{Authority control}}

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Category:1987 albums

Category:Aerosmith albums

Category:Geffen Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Bruce Fairbairn

Category:Albums recorded at Little Mountain Sound Studios

Category:Glam metal albums