AEROSMITH - discography (& related)

I love this album, I bought this when I was 12 on cassette and was one of the last (at the time) Aero albums I bought, the cover made me think it might not be good but I was horribly wrong. Steven Tyler's vox are at times focused and at times erratic and that gives a great element to this record. Faves are Kings & Queens, The Hand That Feeds (love the intro), Critical Mass, Sight For Sore Eyes (the drums are kinda disco-ey) & Draw The Line.

Milk Cow Blues mybest. 4th best album.

Used to get free doobies for sketching the lp cover on homemade book covers made from paper grocery bags way back when. Aerosmith was on a roll and when you realize later on what a train wreck that ride actually was, it's phenominal that this lp was even made, much less the caliber of it's contents.

This one get a "Me Like Alot"

Woah, I'm way behind here on one of my favorite artists here.

S/T debut - This one and Toys is tied for my all-time favorite Aero discs. At one time I owned this on vinyl, cassette, compact disc and even 8-track that my brother bought at a flea market and gave to me as a joke.

Get Your Wings - wore out 2 cassettes of this one before I finally upgraded to cd a few years ago.

Toys In The Attic - my real introduction to the band. At the time I was discovering "heavy" music, Permanent Vacation was a new release ('87 or '88). A guy in high school told me "Dude, you like PV? Check out their older stuff. It blows this away." Toys in the Attic was the album I discovered. After hearing it, I wanted anything and everything the band released. Toys was also one of the very 1st cds I ever purchased. I bought my 1st cd player, which I still own, at Silo electronics (remember them?), then went straight to Tower Records and picked up Toys, Appetite for Destruction and Blizzard of Oz.

Rocks - not much I can add about this one that hasn't already been said. It rocks.

Draw The Line - Good tunes here, even if the band was over-indulging at the time. Love the song Milk Cow Blues. On the Live Texxas Jam '78 home video, there is a scorching version of this song with Ted Nugent sharing the stage with Joe Perry. I wish I had an mp3 of that performance. I painted this album cover on the back of my denim jacket, not becasue it was my favorite album, but it was the easiest to imitate. As far as I know, the jacket is still hanging in the basement of my parents house, waiting to be passed down to my son some day.

I'm one of those that didnt love this album way back when, but over time as the decades pass on, you tend to revisit some of the classic eras af bands that are a shell of what they used to be. Seeing how I'm not much of a fan of modern Aerosmith (1987-present), I have a renewed love for this album from the classic era of Aerosmith. "Draw The Line" is a great song, although I dont love the mono recording (the version on "Pandoras Box" set I like a whole lot better). "Kings And Queens" really doesnt fit this album at all but on it's own is one of their most interesting songs theyve ever made and is A+ in my opinion. Some of my other faves are "Get It Up" (love the groove), "I Wanna Know Why", and "Sight For Sore Eyes".
Maybe because "Toys" and "Rocks" were so phenominal, this album was initially panned as a setback but this album stands up very well on it's own. If there's one good thing you can say about the crappy modern music thats being made these days is that it forces us to take a second and third look at the golden age of rock and roll and Draw The Line falls right in that catagory.

Aerosmith - Live! Bootleg (Columbia) 1978

1. "Back In The Saddle" (4:25)
2. "Sweet Emotion" (4:42)
3. "Lord of the Thighs" (7:18)
4. "Toys in the Attic" (3:45)
5. "Last Child" (3:15)
6. "Come Together" (4:51)
7. "Walk This Way" (3:46)
8. "Sick As a Dog" (4:42)
9. "Dream On" (4:31)
10. "Chip Away at the Stone" (4:12)
11. "Sight for Sore Eyes" (3:18)
12. "Mama Kin" (3:43)
13. "S.O.S." (2:46)
14. "I Ain't Got You" (3:57)
15. "Mother Popcorn/Draw the Line" (7:00)
16. "Train Kept A Rollin/Strangers in the Night" (4:51)

The nice thing about Live! Bootleg is that it is REALLY live. In a time when most band's "live" albums were either "studio" records with crowd noises added or so completely reworked in the studio, the live feel was lost, Aerosmith released "Live! Bootleg" which featured material from the band's entire career up to this point. It even included some early club material from an era before the record contracts. The covers of the Yardbirds "I Ain't Got You" and James Brown's "Mother Popcorn" are both from this era of the band. Of course, because it is really live, some of the material suffers sonically, but hey, that's rock n roll. "Live! Bootleg" is live, raw, and in your face! Oh and one other thing, although it's not listed in the track listing, "Draw the Line" is also on this album at the end of track #15.

The original gatefold record came with a poster. There are two slightly different covers for Live! Bootleg. The more common cover features the common Aerosmith wings logo (pictured above /top). The second cover features the 'Get Your Wings' logo and is printed sideways (pictured above/second image).

The remastered CD restores all the oringal sleeve art and photos, has superior sound quality and manages to fit the two record set on one CD.

Recorded: 3/20/73 - Boston (Tracks 14,15-MP), Recorded: 7/03/77 - Louisville (9), Recorded: 7/04/77 - Indianapolis (1,8,12,13), Recorded: 2/24/78 - Columbus (11), Recorded: 3/23/78 - Chicago (2,3,4,) Recorded: 3/26/78 - Philadelphia (15-DTL), Recorded: 4/02/78 - Detroit (7,16), Recorded: 4/08/78 - Santa Monica (10), Recorded: 8/09/78 - Boston (5), Recorded: 8/21/78 - Waltham, Ma (6)

This was the second live album I had ever owned (the first being AC/DC's If You Want Blood You've Got It). I remember being disappointed at first because it was so raw, I guess at 13, 14 I expected to sound like as clean and crisp as a studio album with crowd noises.

Over the years I have grown to love the rawness and the energy of this live recording. The opening track 'Back In the Saddle' is still a favorite and the live version of 'Chip Away the Stone' and 'Come Together' blow away the studio versions.

I know alot of folks on this board donot care for live albums ( I don't get that at all since I personally love them) but to each their own. This has one of the most honest live album released by a major band in the 70's. Still a favorite album of mine.

This album has gotten 2 revivals in my playlist rotation from me.

I originally owned it on a tape that I bought at a flea market. When I got it home and played it, the tape was warped or worn-out. I played it a few times, but it was pretty f'-ed up, so it went into the tape rack where I pretty much forgot about it. Fast forward a few years and I bought the Aerosmith Box of Fire with all the remastered cd's. It was the first time in years that I actually got to hear the album the way it should be. Sounded great, but it wasn't a regular player for me. I love the old 'Smith stuff, but live albums aren't the first ones I grab for. So again, into the rack it went and I sorta forgot about it.

A few months ago, I ripped all of my Aerosmith albums to my home computer and it was like rediscovering an old friend. All the old stuff sounded fresh to my ears. It had been awhile since I played some classic Aerosmith. When Live Bootleg comes on, I really appreciate the music, much more now that I used to.

While I don't think I'll ever be a "live recordings rock" kinda guy, there are some gems that stand out in the field. This is one of them.

I like this live set, very raw.

After seeing them at Cal Jame 2 earlier in the year right down the freeway a few miles. I was really stoked when I bought this lp and wasn't disapointed. Back in the day, an Aerosmith show was hit and miss. You could get a show of shows or a train wreck.

"chip away at the stone" for some reason has been a favorite


Laterz

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Back in the day, an Aerosmith show was hit and miss. You could get a show of shows or a train wreck.

There are plenty of bootlegs out there where Steven just sounds like a mess. Slurring and messing up lyrics. I used to have a tape of a 70's show where he got the lyrics completely wrong on 'Sweet Emotion'.

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"chip away at the stone" for some reason has been a favorite

Always loved that song too. Glad they released a studio version on Gems.

Aerosmith - Night in the Ruts (Columbia) 1979

1. "No Surprise" (4:25)
2. "Chiquita" (4:27)
3. "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" (4:06)
4. "Cheese Cake" (4:15)
5. "Three Mile Smile" (3:43)
6. "Refer Head Woman" (4:03)
7. "Bone to Bone (Coney Island White Fish Boy)" (3:00)
8. "Think About It" (3:36)
9. "Mia" (4:15)

Someone said that Draw the Line was the most underrated Aerosmith album. It is my opinion that Night in the Ruts is the most underrated Aerosmith record.

Aerosmith was falling apart personally at this point but they still managed to put out one more smoking album. The band were still rocking heavy with the exception of the two ballads; "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" a cover of the 60's girl-group the Shangi-Las, and "Mia", a song dedicated to Tyler's daughter. "No Surprise" is a heavy, superb,autobiographical rocker. "Three Mile Smile/Refer Headed Woman" is one of my favorite Aerosmith songs ever and is also one of the few "political" songs that Aerosmith ever recorded. "No Surprise" and "Chiquita" are two of the heaviest songs Aerosmith had written since "Rocks." "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" was a minor hit. "Bone to Bone (Coney Island White Fish Boy)" rocks hard as well. (A bit of trivia: I found out through Aerosmith's biography that a Coney Island White Fish is a used rubber.) "Think About It" is an overlooked Jimmy Page song from the Yardbirds.

Joe Perry was still in the band at the beginning of the recording of this disc, but left in the middle and formed the Joe Perry Project. This left Aerosmith with the task of finding a new guitarist in the middle of recording. The band settled on Jimmy Crespo who added some smokin' leads and guitar work to "Night in the Ruts." A video for the song "Chaquita" was recorded with Crespo on guitar. Despite Perry's exit, however, some of his axe work was left on the disc as well.

Just a great album that I think is equally as good as "Rocks". The forgotten 1970's Aerosmith record.

Oh, Right In The Nuts. An unsung classic in the 'Smith catalog. This album starts out as strong as "Rocks" but loses steam around the "Remember" cover. However, I really like this album alot and it took me forever to get it on CD. It wasn't until I invested in the Box of Fire that I even owned it.

'A Night in the Ruts' is an excellent album, and I think of their 70's era, this would be Aerosmith's most overlooked album, which is too bad since the album is a scorcher.

'No Surprize' is an excellent song and serves as bit of Aerosmith history 101, 'Coney Island White Fishboy' is another unsung classic as is 'Chiquita'. I even like the ballad 'Mia' and the somewhat cheesy but cool tune 'Cheese Cake'


'Think It About' sounds like it was written by Aerosmith and not recorded by the Yardbirds which ironically was recorded by the Yardbirds while their career was in their death bed. 'Refer Headed Woman' maybe the most straight forward blues tinged song Aerosmith ever recorded and is a nice tip of the hat to their influences.

As for 'Remember Walking in the Sand' well, you can't always hit one out of the park. I am not sure on what songs Joe Perry plays as opposed to which one's Jimmy Crespo plays on, but whoever plays on what song, this is another winner.

Night in the Ruts didn't get much play from me back when I was first discovering Aerosmith. I had it on tape, but when I was putting on my Sony Walkman and looking for some Aerosmith to rock-out to, this one was usually overlooked. This one was upgraded to cd with the Box of Fire and I found that I enjoyed very much, more than I remembered.

I remember playing 'Remember (Walking In The Sand)' and my dad heard it. He said "Good Lord, who is butchering that song?"

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'Refer Headed Woman' maybe the most straight forward blues tinged song Aerosmith ever recorded and is a nice tip of the hat to their influences.

That's not an original Aerosmith song, is it? I thought it was a cover of an old blues tune from the 30's or something.

Reffer Head Woman was not written by Aerosmith.

Night In The Ruts is a great album, one of my faves from Aerosmith, faves are No Surprise, Three Mile Smile/Reefer Head Woman & Chiquita. I can't tell Perry from Crespo but who ever it is smokes. I even like (Remember) Walking In The Sand, I'd never listen to the original though.

ultmetal wrote:

Reffer Head Woman was not written by Aerosmith.

Yea, I looked it up. Credited to Lester Melrose, J. Bennett & Jazz Gillum. Couldn't find any info if anyone else from back in the day recorded it though, (except for apparently Godsmack of all people).

MetalGuy71 wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

Reffer Head Woman was not written by Aerosmith.

Yea, I looked it up. Credited to Lester Melrose, J. Bennett & Jazz Gillum. Couldn't find any info if anyone else from back in the day recorded it though, (except for apparently Godsmack of all people).

I also thought it was an Aerosmith original til a few years ago, and I have no idea who originally recorded it but I am sure detuned will know.

I love the video for "No Surprise" too. Anyone seen it? Crespo was a cool looking cat. I saw that incarnation of the band at the Spectrum in Philly on the Rock in a Hard Place tour.

Yeah I've seen the video but I can't really remember it, gonna youtube it now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbOWbCxmWQ8

ultmetal wrote:

I love the video for "No Surprise" too. Anyone seen it? Crespo was a cool looking cat. I saw that incarnation of the band at the Spectrum in Philly on the Rock in a Hard Place tour.

I have it on some Aerosmith video collection, but it's a VHS tape. I haven't had a working vcr in a few years now.

I got this album for Christmas in 1979 (wow, hard to believe it's been almost 30 years!). I was 12 and I had no idea who Lester Melrose or The Shangri-La's were so I took it all in as Aerosmith songs. This album has alot of nostalgia for me. I think "Night In The Ruts" and "Highway To Hell" were the first cassettes I ever owned, that were mine and not a siblings. By this time cassettes were starting to get more popular. Pryor to cassettes most of my memories of listening to rock and roll classics were from someones living room turntable or someones bedroom turntable but with cassettes I was able to listen to them all over the place; outside, in a walkman, on a bus or in a car or even at school. So my memories of this album are from that winter and summer of '79-'80. This was a time in my life where music was becoming less of my siblings' music and more and more becoming MY MUSIC. You guys know what I mean. Those were the years I was influenced by rock and roll and "Night In The Ruts" was right smack in the middle of it.