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All rights reserved.Gems - Aerosmith (CD 1993)
Fie on thee, Greatest Hits! Gems is worth unearthing.Review created: 02/11/02
by: Stairway2Drew-- a member of Epinions and Advisor in Music
Pros:
Rockin' good album tracks that you won't hear on your classic rock station.
Rockin' good album tracks that you won't hear on your classic rock station.
Cons:
I make a really bad pun at the end of this review... apologies in advance.
I make a really bad pun at the end of this review... apologies in advance.
Aerosmith's Gems is a rare beast. It's chock-full of previously released material, even some songs you may have heard on the radio, but this ain't no freakin' greatest hits. Nuh-uh, Jack. No, with Gems, Aerosmith does something more bands should do--they cull some of the best songs from their albums and release them in album form for all to enjoy.
The idea is so simple, yet so brilliant. We've all heard the hit songs, in some cases more than we ever wanted to. So why not take songs that are just as good and release them? And some of these songs ARE just as good as Aerosmith's more recognizable hits. Not only that, but you won't find any choppy and pointless editing here, as on Aerosmith's Greatest Hits 1973-1980. Gems is a collection of 12 damn good rockin' tracks that should satisfy longtime Aerosmith fans and casual listeners looking for a decent taste of the band.
Some of Aerosmith's greatest songs crop up on Gems. For instance, "Mama Kin"--a classic song and easily a prime candidate for their greatest riff to date--is on here. The album also closes with the great half-live/half-studio Yardbirds cover "Train Kept A Rollin'," which in and of itself is a good reason to invest in Gems.
Their best 70's album, Rocks is also well-represented. Two tracks from that album--"Rats In The Cellar" and "Nobody's Fault"--make appearances on Gems. "Rats In The Cellar" was the band's dark answer to their hit "Toys In The Attic". "Nobody's Fault," meanwhile, found the band drifting into heavier territory--the subject matter is actually quite haunting, and it's a very, very dark piece of music, especially for a good-time group such as Aerosmith.
Richie Supa's "Chip Away At The Stone," though, is probably the best reason for Aerosmith fans to buy this disc. The rare studio version is found here. It was previously only available in live form on one of the Classics Live! discs. The song is also available on the anthology Pandora's Box--if you're willing to shell out the 50-odd dollars required to purchase that three-CD set. The song itself is great, and God only knows why it wasn't an album track. Incredibly catchy, simple riff-rocker--the kind of thing Aerosmith does best.
Gems is probably overall a more representative approach to chronicling Aerosmith's 70's era than Greatest Hits was. I'd advise new fans to take a look at this one, too--it will show you the stuff that Aerosmith was capable of, while allowing you to delve beneath the surface of their radio hits. With a relatively low asking price, these Gems won't lose their lustre any time soon.
God, that last line was cheesy. I never want to end a review with a pun that bad again. Just buy the freakin' CD.
The idea is so simple, yet so brilliant. We've all heard the hit songs, in some cases more than we ever wanted to. So why not take songs that are just as good and release them? And some of these songs ARE just as good as Aerosmith's more recognizable hits. Not only that, but you won't find any choppy and pointless editing here, as on Aerosmith's Greatest Hits 1973-1980. Gems is a collection of 12 damn good rockin' tracks that should satisfy longtime Aerosmith fans and casual listeners looking for a decent taste of the band.
Some of Aerosmith's greatest songs crop up on Gems. For instance, "Mama Kin"--a classic song and easily a prime candidate for their greatest riff to date--is on here. The album also closes with the great half-live/half-studio Yardbirds cover "Train Kept A Rollin'," which in and of itself is a good reason to invest in Gems.
Their best 70's album, Rocks is also well-represented. Two tracks from that album--"Rats In The Cellar" and "Nobody's Fault"--make appearances on Gems. "Rats In The Cellar" was the band's dark answer to their hit "Toys In The Attic". "Nobody's Fault," meanwhile, found the band drifting into heavier territory--the subject matter is actually quite haunting, and it's a very, very dark piece of music, especially for a good-time group such as Aerosmith.
Richie Supa's "Chip Away At The Stone," though, is probably the best reason for Aerosmith fans to buy this disc. The rare studio version is found here. It was previously only available in live form on one of the Classics Live! discs. The song is also available on the anthology Pandora's Box--if you're willing to shell out the 50-odd dollars required to purchase that three-CD set. The song itself is great, and God only knows why it wasn't an album track. Incredibly catchy, simple riff-rocker--the kind of thing Aerosmith does best.
Gems is probably overall a more representative approach to chronicling Aerosmith's 70's era than Greatest Hits was. I'd advise new fans to take a look at this one, too--it will show you the stuff that Aerosmith was capable of, while allowing you to delve beneath the surface of their radio hits. With a relatively low asking price, these Gems won't lose their lustre any time soon.
God, that last line was cheesy. I never want to end a review with a pun that bad again. Just buy the freakin' CD.
Review ID: 10000000000210844
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