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All rights reserved.Gems - Aerosmith (CD 1993)
Thar's Gems In Them Thar CDs - (Aerosmith Write-Off)Review created: 03/26/03
by: jay1051971 -- a member of Epinions
Pros:
Great compilation of "B side" tracks.
Great compilation of "B side" tracks.
Cons:
Some might not like the lack of "real" hits. (But they would be an idiot.)
Some might not like the lack of "real" hits. (But they would be an idiot.)
Without a doubt, Aerosmith was one of the biggest bands to come out of the 1970s (and given their legendary excesses involving drugs and alcohol, one might say they barely made it). After a period of drying out , the band reappeared in the late 1980s, for a second trip around the rock music world as conquerors. With the revival of the band s popularity, the compilation album, Aerosmith Gems was released to acquaint newer listeners with some of the more unlikely tunes from the bands early days.
Track listing:
1. Rats in The Cellar
2. Lick and A Promise
3. Chip Away at the Stone
4. No Surprise
5. Mama Kin
6. Adam s Apple
7. Nobody s Fault
8. Round and Round
9. Critical Mass
10. Lord of the Thighs
11. Jailbait
12. Train Kept A Rollin
Breakdown:
As a teen in the mid- and late 1980s, my first introduction to Aerosmith was when MTV started playing the rap-rock crossover hit, Walk This Way, from Run-D.M.C. Soon after, it was on to videos like Dude Looks Like A Lady and Angel from the album Permanent Vacation. While I was mildly turned on to these songs, it was the reputation of the band that I didn t quite get. Some of my more seasoned friends used to rant and rave, Aerosmith is back! Aerosmith is back! My reaction was, of course, Back from where? That s when one of them turned me onto Gems.
The best thing about Gems is that it s really not a greatest hits album. With the exception of Train Kept A Rollin , and possibly Mama Kin, chances are, most of the tracks on this album are not in the rotation on your local classic-rock radio station. Of course, in order to promote the album, Chip Away at the Stone became a single. However, when I think of classic Aerosmith tunes, songs like Dream On, Back In The Saddle, Sweet Emotion, and a few others come to mind. None of them are on this album.
Which is exactly why this is such a great compilation. It is loaded with great tunes that have been ignored by the radio-for-mass-consumption format. The songs all have the essential features of the band s music tight, bluesy riffs, on top of rock solid rhythms, and enough energy to power a space shuttle trip around the moon. They have been mined from the band s early albums, and give the listener a feel for what else the band did beside their various hit songs.
Some of my favorites are:
Chip Away at the Stone - I love the great harmonies in this track. It s amazing to hear the voice of a (much) younger Steven Tyler, which is much thicker than the wild, banshee style he has today.
Rats in the Cellar - The opening track from the Rocks album is the perfect intro. This rocketing track present Aerosmith as the rock and roll juggernaut that there are. I especially like the back-and-forth vocals.
Train Kept A Rollin - This remake of theYardbirds classic is truly one of the hardest hitting tunes the band has yet done. The best part is at the end, when it cuts to a live performance of the song, that total rocks hard.
Adam s Apple - Leave it to Steven Tyler, King of the Sexual Innuendo, to use the biblical creation story as a metaphor for getting some. This track has a pretty cool rhythm.
Overall, I love Gems. It has a bunch of songs you re not going to hear elsewhere, that are still worth a listen. I think the title is an appropriate name, as most of these gems are diamonds in the rough . While I like many of their older albums, this one allows you to get by all the filler material, and songs you hear every time you turn on the radio. Often, with classic bands such as Aerosmith, some of the best material is the stuff that has been overlooked, and long since forgotten in the wake of newer albums, and the need to balance newer songs with classic hits . I would recommend this album to budding Aerosmith fans, as well as established fans who pine for the old days. For me, It was the album that really made me appreciate was the band was, before what they became. It provided for me the proper context to understand the significance of this influential band from Boston. For you, I think it might just do the same.
----
This review was part of The Aerosmith Write-Off, hosted by our Fan-Damn-Tabulous Aerosmith Goddess, the incomparable Aerocat. For a list of other participants and their reviews, use the URL below.
http://aerowriteoff.bravepages
Track listing:
1. Rats in The Cellar
2. Lick and A Promise
3. Chip Away at the Stone
4. No Surprise
5. Mama Kin
6. Adam s Apple
7. Nobody s Fault
8. Round and Round
9. Critical Mass
10. Lord of the Thighs
11. Jailbait
12. Train Kept A Rollin
Breakdown:
As a teen in the mid- and late 1980s, my first introduction to Aerosmith was when MTV started playing the rap-rock crossover hit, Walk This Way, from Run-D.M.C. Soon after, it was on to videos like Dude Looks Like A Lady and Angel from the album Permanent Vacation. While I was mildly turned on to these songs, it was the reputation of the band that I didn t quite get. Some of my more seasoned friends used to rant and rave, Aerosmith is back! Aerosmith is back! My reaction was, of course, Back from where? That s when one of them turned me onto Gems.
The best thing about Gems is that it s really not a greatest hits album. With the exception of Train Kept A Rollin , and possibly Mama Kin, chances are, most of the tracks on this album are not in the rotation on your local classic-rock radio station. Of course, in order to promote the album, Chip Away at the Stone became a single. However, when I think of classic Aerosmith tunes, songs like Dream On, Back In The Saddle, Sweet Emotion, and a few others come to mind. None of them are on this album.
Which is exactly why this is such a great compilation. It is loaded with great tunes that have been ignored by the radio-for-mass-consumption format. The songs all have the essential features of the band s music tight, bluesy riffs, on top of rock solid rhythms, and enough energy to power a space shuttle trip around the moon. They have been mined from the band s early albums, and give the listener a feel for what else the band did beside their various hit songs.
Some of my favorites are:
Chip Away at the Stone - I love the great harmonies in this track. It s amazing to hear the voice of a (much) younger Steven Tyler, which is much thicker than the wild, banshee style he has today.
Rats in the Cellar - The opening track from the Rocks album is the perfect intro. This rocketing track present Aerosmith as the rock and roll juggernaut that there are. I especially like the back-and-forth vocals.
Train Kept A Rollin - This remake of theYardbirds classic is truly one of the hardest hitting tunes the band has yet done. The best part is at the end, when it cuts to a live performance of the song, that total rocks hard.
Adam s Apple - Leave it to Steven Tyler, King of the Sexual Innuendo, to use the biblical creation story as a metaphor for getting some. This track has a pretty cool rhythm.
Overall, I love Gems. It has a bunch of songs you re not going to hear elsewhere, that are still worth a listen. I think the title is an appropriate name, as most of these gems are diamonds in the rough . While I like many of their older albums, this one allows you to get by all the filler material, and songs you hear every time you turn on the radio. Often, with classic bands such as Aerosmith, some of the best material is the stuff that has been overlooked, and long since forgotten in the wake of newer albums, and the need to balance newer songs with classic hits . I would recommend this album to budding Aerosmith fans, as well as established fans who pine for the old days. For me, It was the album that really made me appreciate was the band was, before what they became. It provided for me the proper context to understand the significance of this influential band from Boston. For you, I think it might just do the same.
----
This review was part of The Aerosmith Write-Off, hosted by our Fan-Damn-Tabulous Aerosmith Goddess, the incomparable Aerocat. For a list of other participants and their reviews, use the URL below.
http://aerowriteoff.bravepages
Review ID: 10000000000210838
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