Toys in the Attic - Aerosmith (CD 1993)

I already explained the Toys In The Attic/Rocks clich in my review of Rocks, right? So, you can go back and read that as kind of an introductory paragraph to my Toys review.

Despite the clich s that surround it--namely, that it s their best album--Toys In The Attic remains a very strong record, probably their second-best during their drug-addled 70 s period. This is where they started to lean towards real rock music, rather than the blues-rock shuffle that was so evident in their self-titled debut album.

It s a strong record, but not perfect. There s only nine songs on the whole album, making it a little too short for perfection. While half of them are great Aerosmith classics, some of the songs here are not the best material Aerosmith has recorded. The plodding rocker Round And Round, the lewd twist on a biblical tale Adam s Apple, and the lesson in Aerosmith history No More No More may be really good songs, yes, but you won t feel like listening to them that much. At least I don t. These songs have better counterparts on Rocks--for example, Nobody s Fault is a hard-rock Steven Tyler/Brad Whitford composition that is lots better than Round And Round. And a much better Aerohistory lesson can be found in the form of No Surprize from the ill-fated Night In The Ruts album.

But Aerosmith, great band that they are, always manage to get plenty of pros in there with the cons. I mean, first off, can you really argue with any album that has Sweet Emotion on it? What a great rock song. Killer bass-line as well. The lewd Walk This Way, while growing a bit tiring after the 400+ times you ve heard it on the radio, is nonetheless a great song, and that riff is classic. Joe Perry gives some of his most inspired soloing here--at least, some of the most inspired from the first half of Aerosmith s career. I still think the band has gotten only better with time, but that s another review entirely.

Big Ten Inch Record is certainly a classic. It s about as rude as a song can be without being even remotely sexual. Just look at how the lyrics are phrased: I really get her goin / when I whip out my big ten inch Crucial pause, then: record of a band that plays the blues, a band that plays the blues. Sounds dirty, doesn t it? The mysterious-speedy rock of the title track is classic, although I do prefer its darker Rocks counterpart Rats In The Cellar.

Actually, a couple songs here can be compared to later, post-comeback Aerosmith compositions. Uncle Salty, for example, was here before Janie s Got A Gun was even a nugget in Steven Tyler s brain. I mean, certainly, Janie is the superior song, but Uncle Salty is not to be disregarded. It s a really good tune. You See Me Crying is a grandiose Aerosmith power ballad, one of which has been included on every Aerosmith album since. It sounds a little like I Don t Want To Miss A Thing, except lots, lots better. Great song.

Well, the age-old question asks, IS Toys In The Attic Aerosmith s best album? I d be inclined to say no and then point you to a copy of Pump. But saying it s not their best is certainly not damning with faint praise. It s merely saying that this album doesn t measure up to some of the greater work the band has put out over the years. And that s certainly not an insult for such a band.

THE BAND

Tom Hamilton : Bass, rhythm guitar on Uncle Salty
Joey Kramer : Drums, percussion
Joe Perry : Lead, rhythm, acoustic, and slide guitars, background vocals, percussion
Steven Tyler : Vocals, keys, harmonica, percussion
Brad Whitford : Rhythm and lead guitars

ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS

Scott Cushnie : Piano on Big Ten Inch Record and No More No More
Jay Messina : Bass marimba on Sweet Emotion

THE TRACKS

1. Toys In The Attic (3:05)
2. Uncle Salty (4:10)
3. Adam s Apple (4:34)
4. Walk This Way (3:40) *
5. Big Ten Inch Record (2:16)
6. Sweet Emotion (4:34) *
7. No More No More (4:34)
8. Round And Round (5:03)
9. You See Me Crying (5:12) *