Night In The Ruts

By 1979, Aerosmith were in a freefall. Night in the Ruts was forged amid chaos — drug addiction, financial ruin, fraying relationships, and the eventual exit of Joe Perry. It’s a record that, on paper, should have been a complete disaster. Instead, it lurches and leans but somehow still lands on its feet — wounded, weary, and defiant.

From the opening bars of “No Surprize”, there’s a sense of the band trying to claw its way back to the sweaty grit of Rocks and Toys in the Attic. The track, co-written by Perry before his departure, finds Steven Tyler recounting Aerosmith’s origin story with urgency and affection. It’s tight, raw, and unfiltered — one of the best songs they’d done in years.

Elsewhere, the seams begin to show. Perry had laid down parts for roughly half the album before walking out mid-tour in July ’79, leaving Brad Whitford and a revolving cast of guests (Richie Supa, Jimmy Crespo) to pick up the slack. The result is a fractured listen — “Chiquita” thrashes with bluesy swagger, while the Yardbirds cover “Think About It” leans into swaggering proto-metal. Then there’s “Mia”, a sombre lullaby for Tyler’s newborn daughter that closes the album with tolling piano notes and the quiet ache of something ending.

There are misses, too. Their cover of the Shangri-Las’ “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” feels oddly out of step, and even at their sloppiest, Aerosmith usually sounded like they were having more fun than this. But despite the dysfunction, there’s a surprising coherence to the record. Tyler was allegedly smoking crack during vocal sessions, Perry was plotting a solo escape, and the label had yanked producer Jack Douglas in favour of Gary Lyons — yet the album still rocks, hard and often.

Critics were mixed. Robert Christgau dismissed it outright, and The Globe and Mail called it “humorless, spiritless drivel.” But in retrospect, it’s gained a certain cult appreciation. AllMusic called it “surprisingly inspired,” and The Collector’s Guide to Heavy Metal gave it a glowing 9/10. Even Tyler and Perry, in later interviews, would speak about it fondly — not despite the madness, but because of it.

Night in the Ruts is the sound of a band splintering in real-time — messy, battered, occasionally brilliant. It may not be Aerosmith’s best album, but it’s one of their most human.