Rocks - Aerosmith (CD 1993)

Aerosmith s drug-addled past started with their 1973 self-titled debut album. When it didn t make a splash, they followed it up with the darker, scarier, rockier Get Your Wings, which strayed a bit from the bluesy shuffle of the first album. Their third album, Toys In The Attic, was their big success, their big hit, the album that made them. They followed it up with the even darker, but harder-rocking Rocks. Now, you see, it s become kind of clich to regard Toys In The Attic as Aerosmith s best word. Therefore, people started to call Rocks their best album. So, whether you think Toys In The Attic or Rocks is Aerosmith s best album, you re going to be clich . So maybe you should just say Pump is their best album, like I do.

Regardless of whether it s clich or not, Rocks is still a really strong, really good hard-rock record, and it s easy to see why people think it s their best. I mean, something like Back In The Saddle is a classic, classic rock track. Steven Tyler had really begun to patent his often-imitated, never-duplicated screams, and utilizes them to their fullest potential on Saddle. Last Child is one of my personal favorite Aerosmith songs. It s got the whole nitty-gritty funky vibe going for it. TAKE me back to south Tallahassee, demands Tyler, DOWN cross the river to my sweet Sassafrass-ee.

Rats In The Cellar seems a direct response, or perhaps a darker sequel to, Toys In The Attic. But what a mysterious, hard rockin tune it is! I love Rats so much. Combination is one of the first Aerosmith songs where Joe Perry steps up to the mike for lead vocals. The thing is, though, you d SWEAR it was Steven Tyler! Joe would later patent his own vocal style, but Combination really does sound like a Steven Tyler vocal.

Another forgotten Aerosmith track I really dig is Nobody s Fault. A really scary tune, one where Steven directly address his fears. Lordy, I must be dreamin / what else could this be / everybody s screamin / runnin for the sea eyes are full of desire / mind is so ill at ease / everything is on fire / s**t piled up to the knees. Rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford helped create that ultra-heavy hard-rock you hear in this song. Songs like Home Tonight and Lick And A Promise reinforce the Aerosmith legacy--the token ballad and the raunchy double entendre tune, respectively.

Although Aerosmith would later fall prey to drugs and subsequent creative missteps, Rocks is a testament to the glory that the band once held, and the glory that they later reclaimed with their miraculous second coming in the mid-80 s. They grabbed a glorious hard-rock vibe with this album, and it s great because of it. Although at a mere nine songs it s just too short to be perfect, Rocks comes close. And I m going to give it five stars anyway, just because that s the kind of person I am.

THE BAND

Steven Tyler : Vocals, keyboards, electric bass on Sick As A Dog
Joe Perry : Guitars, vocals, six-string bass on Back In The Saddle, lap steel guitar on Home Tonight, electric bass on Sick As A Dog
Joey Kramer : Drums, percussion, background vocals on Home Tonight
Brad Whitford : Guitars
Tom Hamilton : Electric bass, guitar on Sick As A Dog

ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS

Paul Prestopino : Banjo on Last Child

THE TRACKS

1. Back In The Saddle
2. Last Child *
3. Rats In The Cellar *
4. Combination
5. Sick As A Dog
6. Nobody s Fault *
7. Get The Lead Out
8. Lick And A Promise
9. Home Tonight