Get A Grip [Remaster] - Aerosmith (Cassette 2001)

Back in 1993 another album was released by the phenomenal band Aerosmith titled Get A Grip. This album features some wonderful rock ballads, some chord driven grooves and a little bit of everything in between. Aerosmith can be accused of a lot of things but boring is definitely one I will never agree with. Gathering a number of hits with this set of material, Aerosmith continued their tradition of serving up great music and songs to make memories to.

The album opens with the sarcastic, driving opener called Eat The Rich . Starting off with a little rap he then makes fun of the rich with humor and great musicianship. This is one of my all time favorite songs but it is a nice beginning to this album. The sound effects are interesting and I love the little sample of Walk This Way thrown in on the introduction. The guitar work is great and you can tell this group knows what they are doing. The lyrics to this song though are clever and probably the best part of this song.

Get a Grip , the title track, I love the hook on the chorus and its one that will easily get stuck in your head. Blue oriented with a little glam rock flair this song is enjoyable and has a fantastic groove to it. Aerosmith are fantastic writers because they know how to put together a song where it stays interesting and fresh. If you need further proof just examine the timelessness of the song Living On The Edge . Wise words framed with beautifully done music, this song is one I never get tired of. The background vocals are well done and really add to the mood of the song.

Fever is a funky little number and it was actually so admired by Garth Brooks he decided to do a country version of this heavy hitting song. Musically, it s loud and fun and the lyrics are exceptional. Flesh. begins with a slow drum beat and some funky sound effects. The guitar kicks in and leads us into some racy lyrics. This is more 80 s than anything else on the album, but don t let that stop you from indulging. Also make sure to check out Joe Perry on the lead vocals of Walk On Down .

Shut Up And Dance is probably one of my favorite upbeat songs on the album. Driving rhythm guitars, a mean bass line and some fantastic expressive vocals from Tyler work together to make this song irresistible. Gotta Love It also has this kind of vibe to it in case you are wondering if there is more where that came from.

Next we move on to the popular ballads that were released off this album. All these ballads featured memorable videos and introduced the hormone driven teens to the beauty Alicia Silverstone and Tyler s surprisingly gorgeous daughter Liv Tyler. Cryin is my favorite of these ballads with its horn section, wailing guitars and emotionally charged lyrics. Harmonies pepper the song and nobody captures heartbreak like Aerosmith. Crazy has some impressive harmonica accents and the vocals on this song are sublime. I love the wordy verses and Tyler has a way of making it sound natural. The chorus is one that I am sure many lovers have related to. Amazing is probably my least favorite of these ballads but also is a great song. Strings, piano and a little bit of a bass guitar accompany the lyrics and it was a big hit in 1993.

This isn t my all time favorite Aerosmith album, but I highly enjoy the energy and emotion that have been put into this collection of material. Any Aerosmith album is going to have some wonderful songs and this one is no exception. If you have never heard Aerosmith I recommend (after you lift that rock you ve been under) going out and buying Pump or Permanent Vacation. But any fan of this timeless group will be happy to own Get A Grip.