Honkin' on Bobo [ECD] - Aerosmith (CD 2004)

They rock.


They re sleazy.


They re one of America s favorite bands.


They re back...


...and they gonna show you how to play the blues.




Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome: AEROSMITH. Honkin on Bobo . April 2004.




Recommended: yes






















There s another way of reviewing this















Pros (min. 15 words): You must have heard about Aerosmith. They rocked in the 70s, almost died from drugs in the 80s, returned with two of the decade s best rock records ( Permanent Vacation , Pump ), decided to stick with the formula for the third time in a row and failed miserably ( Get a Grip 1993), returned with one of the 90s best rock records ( Nine Lives ) which was so good that most people simply didn t get it as a result it failed to sell retreated back to what everybody wanted to hear ( Just Push Play ), but this time so awkwardly that... it also failed. Now they re back, and they obviously don t give a damn what people want to hear of if they re gonna fail again. Finally here s Aerosmith we know and love.


Cons (min. 15 words): I love Pump cuz it s catchy. I adore Nine Lives cause it s brave. Honkin on Bobo is neither. It is just a good covers record, proving Aerosmith headed in the right direction.



The bottom line (don't you just HATE bottom lines?): Forget about power ballads. Throw away your Summer girls single. Dispose your copy of Just Push Play . Or better, take both your copy of JPP and that of Get a Grip and watch em burn in the yard. Then go back to the house, take a six-pack out of the fridge, and, indeed, push play on your system, with a copy of this CD in it.





















There s one more way of reviewing this...





















Honkin on Bobo is a disaster. It s the record people weren t expecting Aerosmith to do. What we were expecting was another Pump copycat, with silly rockers rippin off everything from WALK THIS WAY to LOVE IN AN ELEVATOR, and a couple of obligatory power ballads destined during the next five-six months to nest on your local radio station till it makes you feel sick.


Instead they give us this. It s like Steven Tyler and the boys gave everyone a finger. It s like they said: Elvis is alive! It s like they felt sorry for Jaded .


He may damn well be alive, I tell you. When Aerosmith cover Williams and McDowell, I m a believer.




Bo Diddley's ROAD RUNNER is hands down the band's best opener since Young Lust , the brilliant kick-starter of Pump (1989). Yes, it s been a while since they rock and rolled. They do here, whether it s Joe Williams s BABY PLEASE DON T GO or McDowell s YOU GOTTA MOVE the latter simply the best rocker Aerosmith never had in the 90s. The boys sleazy personality in fat fingerprints stamped all over this CD, Honkin on Bobo is a fun rock record, plain and pure.


Joe Perry s guitar shines on each and every track. The man also lends his vocals, taking over the lead on another McDowell classic BACK BACK TRAIN. Elsewhere it's Steven... and trust me, he ain't lost a teeny bit of it. On "Honkin' on Bobo" Mr. Tyler isn't trying to be the man who once teared through "Walk this way", or the bleeding broken heart of "What it takes". He simply performs the songs that have been there for him and his friends during the band's 30 years long carreer and he does it the way he's always heard these songs. As a result, each and every track on the record shines with Steven's wonderful self ("Come're baby and gimme some") and sounds honest. Now, what more should we wish for from these guys?


We should probably thank their old producer Jack Douglas for helping them with the task. But above all, it seems, we should thank Aerosmith. Simply for being with us once again. With a decent and not too radio friendly record. Also for deciding to go on a tour in support of it later this year.


That's where we'll see 'em then. And so far go out and buy this record. It isn't "Pump"... it isn't "Nine Lives". Don't hope for another "Walk this way" either. But this is Aerosmith we once knew and loved.




So, whatcha waiting for?





Thanks for reading.