I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are few rock and roll records as solid as Aerosmith's "Rocks." It's legendary for a reason, and comments left on an earlier post (which I cannot find at the moment) proved that a lot of you felt the same.
The string of records released from the debut in 1973 through 1977's slightly off the mark 5th album "Draw The Line," confirmed Aerosmith's place in rock and roll history. And I tell you what, ubiquitous bad power-ballad videos aside, the comeback records from 1987's "Permanent Vacation" through 1997's slightly off the mark 12th album "Nine Lives" had some fantastic music, as well.
Then suddenly, for me at least, Steven Tyler seemed to overstay his welcome. I had been sitting very close to the stage at Madison Square Garden for the "Nine Lives" tour, watching Tyler swing his boa and sashay one too many times from stage left to right and what once worked as fine showmanship began to feel a bit cringeworthy. I wasn't looking for Tyler and Perry to cut their hair, don t-shirts & suede vests, and hit the road as an alt-country duo. I just knew that the circus according to Aerosmith had lost its charm. A few more terrible records with terrible titles like "Honkin' On Bobo," truncated, greatest hits setlists and classic Tyler/Perry in-house bickering didn't help matters.
A new record, "Music From Another Dimension" drops on November 6th. You would think after that last paragraph that I wouldn't care about this, especially after the last few years of Steven Tyler's screeching and preening on "American Idol," not to mention his absolutely horrible autobiography, which angered and embarrassed me enough to fling the book across the room every ten pages until I finally gave up. (He hadn't even formed Aerosmith yet, that's how long I lasted.) But I miss this band and their antics and their classic rock and roll riffing.
What we need right now is the fun and bombast that Tyler, Perry, Whitford, Hamilton and Kramer put into it all. Yes, I know, there are some bands that tried. (If anyone mentions The Darkness, I'll throw the Tyler book at YOU.) But, there was quality rock and roll underneath all of the drugs and drugs and drugs, and until a band comes along that serves it up hot and as consistently as Aerosmith did, I think I'll stay loyal. Aerosmith deserves at least that.
Watching the new video for "Legendary Child," brought a wave of nostalgia over me. It's not a very good song, but it felt good to see the bad boys again. My hopes for "Music From Another Dimension" are not high. But they aren't low either. That's the best I can do these days.
17 comments:
meeeehhhhh...I couldn't get through the whole video. Not feeling it.
Neither could I. I said it wasn't very good. It was more about seeing them back and hoping the record had some moments of old glory.
I think I'll just listen to The Wanton Song.
Ahhh Rocks. My absolute favorite Aerosmith album, still play songs from it till this day. Wonderful rockin' material and production. Once again, that was then. I've been sort of jonesing for a new offering by them for a long time. Judging from Legendary Child, I'm not holding my breath.
And that riff that Perry blatantly rips off from Zep's The Wanton Song. Puhleeeeze Louise.
I know from speaking with Jack Douglas that's he's quite happy with it and the way it all came together. Don't know if that means much in the grand scheme, but they certainly are capable of doing some serious sonic damage! Let's hope it's the kind of damage we can listen to repeatedly and not just another train wreck!
21
I'm afraid that Steven has finally jumped the scarf.
Song starts out okay, but what passes for the chorus blows. By the second time around I was out.
I get your point, though, and "Rocks" is one of the best hard rock albums ever. The chords on "Sick As A Dog" had a lot to do with me buying my first electric guitar. I just wanted to be able to do that.
"but what passes for the chorus blows."
YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!
"but what passes for the chorus blows."
It's what happens when you've got half a song and you're out of ideas.
The Darkness! There, I said it! I, for one, am eagerly awaiting the new album
(ducks the thrown book)
Glad someone spoke up for The Darkness- I wasn't going to be the first! Was Permission to Land on the silly side? Absolutely. But it was also fun and catchy- much better than anything that Aerosmith has done in a long while. Still not as good as Aerosmith at their zenith.
(blindsided by book)
-Blake S.
The video and the song are nothing special, Joe Perry's still good though. They just recycle the same riffs and rock star poses. They're old and unattractive (no closeups), and I doubt that the babe in the video would do them even if it would advance her career.
Jeff Matthews - that was very funny.
Jeff R aka The PopCulturist
At least this reminds me of why I never got into MTV. Videos like this are a detraction from what is already a marginal song. Except for the Wanton Song ripoff, this song sounds the same is nearly everything they have done since Perry came back on Done With Mirrors.
The cover of Rocks brought back some great childhood memories. We (you know who 'we' are) would sit in my sister's room (that's where the record player was) and played that album over and over while playing cheesy board games. For some reason, none of us liked Combination, but now I think it is one of the better songs on the album.
I agree that this new song is less than stellar. But I've said it before and I maintain that "Toys In The Attic", "Rocks" and "Pump" are as good as rock and roll can be. Great, fun albums
They're still overplayed horribly here in the City of Cod, and it's usually the same 10 songs, which generally sours me on their collective ouevre. But I still have a bit of a soft spot - heard "No More, No More" in traffic a couple of days ago, and it was just PERFECT. And an all-female band that I'm friends with occasionally do "Seasons of Wither" live, and it just kills me... - bill buckner
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