Maps of Music

Night in the Ruts (1979)

Where the lyrics of Night in the Ruts take you, and where it was really made.

The title is a spoonerism: swap two letters and 'right in the nuts' becomes 'night in the ruts.'

Key places

Summer sessions in New York (1979)

Recording site Mediasound Studios — The band spent the summer at Mediasound Studios in New York trying to finish the album with producer Gary Lyons. The point marks the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Where the album was finished (1979)

Recording site The Record Plant — The album was finished at The Record Plant in New York. The point marks the building, not a specific room. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Rehearsal space where work began (1979)

Recording site The Wherehouse, Waltham — The album was first produced at the band's Wherehouse rehearsal space in Waltham, before Columbia brought in a new producer. The point marks the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Night in the Ruts: sixth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith
• Released November 16, 1979 by Columbia Records
• Guitarist Joe Perry left the band midway through the album's recording
• Recording began with producer Jack Douglas, who had produced the band's previous four albums
• Columbia later brought in Gary Lyons to replace Douglas as producer
• Album title is a spoonerism of the phrase 'right in the nuts'

Background

• Development began in spring 1979, with setbacks from rampant drug use
• Vocalist Steven Tyler had difficulty completing lyrics and vocals
• Working title was Off Your Rocker; the planned June release slipped because there were no lyrics
• Band members were in dire financial straits; Perry owed the band $80,000 for room service
• The relationship with Douglas turned turbulent, and weak sales of Draw the Line led Columbia to step in
• The band went on tour to generate revenue before the album was finished
• Substance abuse worsened, leading to missed and erratic live performances
• Perry left on July 28, 1979 at the World Series of Rock in Cleveland, Ohio, after a heated argument with Tyler
• Development resumed shortly after Perry's departure

Recording

• Perry's last session with the band was on May 30, 1979
• Perry had completed guitar parts for six songs before leaving
• Brad Whitford, Richie Supa, Neil Thompson and Jimmy Crespo recorded the remaining guitar parts
• The band spent the summer at Mediasound Studios in New York with producer Gary Lyons
• The album was finished at The Record Plant

Cover

• Cover art concept credited to Styler
• Photography credited to Jimmy Ienner, Jr. and Jim Shea

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed in Boston in 1970 by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, and Brad Whitford after the Jam Band and Chain Reaction merged.
• The name was suggested by Joey Kramer, who had seen the word "aerosmith" in his school notebooks.
• Their first gig was at Nipmuc Regional High School in Mendon, Massachusetts, on November 6, 1970.

Members

• Current lineup: Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry and Brad Whitford (guitars), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums).
• Perry and Whitford left in 1979 and 1981 and returned in 1984; the original five were reunited from 1984 onward.
• Tyler and Perry are the main songwriting team, nicknamed the "Toxic Twins".

Career

• Debut album in 1973 and Toys in the Attic (1975) and Rocks (1976) established their blues-based hard rock sound.
• The 1986 Run-D.M.C. collaboration on "Walk This Way" revived their career, followed by Permanent Vacation (1987), Pump (1989), and Get a Grip (1993).
• "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (1998) was their only Billboard Hot 100 number one.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001; sold more than 150 million records worldwide.
• Retired from touring in 2024 after Tyler's vocal injury; released the EP One More Time with Yungblud in 2025.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Rolling Stone writer David Fricke described the album's best tracks as inspired outtakes from Rocks and Toys in the Attic
• Fricke found the deviations from the basic sound disastrous in execution, citing the cover of Remember (Walking in the Sand)
• Village Voice critic Robert Christgau considered 'No Surprize' the only promising track on the album
• The Globe and Mail judged the album humorless, spiritless drivel

Reappraisal

• AllMusic critic Greg Prato offered a more charitable view in a historical context, calling it leaner and more focused than Draw the Line
• Martin Popoff in his Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal found the album a solid record and a triumph amidst adversity

Records

• Peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200 in the United States
• Certified gold in the United States on March 13, 1980 and platinum on October 28, 1994
• Certified gold in Canada in 1997, peaking at number 8 on Canadian charts
• Fell quickly down the charts despite early success
• Has achieved only platinum status since release

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The working title Off Your Rocker was planned for a June release before the lyrics were finished
• The song Mia was written as a lullaby for Tyler's daughter
• The album title is alluded to on the rear cover artwork
• The album includes a cover of Think About It, a 1968 Yardbirds B-side the band had played live in the 70s
• Promo videos for No Surprize and Chiquita were filmed, featuring Jimmy Crespo
• Tyler called the album his favorite, and Perry said the record sounds more cohesive than Draw the Line

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

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