later years Aerosmith

Now, first off, although the album was released only 12 years after their debut album, I consider Done With Mirrors (1985) to be the beginning of Aerosmith's later years (mainly due to the change in sound).

Anyway, for fellow Aerosmith fans I ask how do you feel about all of the changes within the band following their reunion in 1984?

Don't take this to mean that I'm turned off of Aerosmith, because that's certainly not the case; I love late-era Aerosmith (in fact, in the old days my fav Aero album was Get A Grip). However, I can't say that I'm crazy about the band's desire to be in the mainstream. This isn't just about the music: guest appearances on albums (theRun DMC thing was rock'n'roll blasphemy) and public performances (Joe Perry on American Idol?), video games (the new guitar hero), tv and movies appearances (Be Cool, Two and a Half Men, the Simpsons), and CONSTANT touring in place of recording. I understand the need for marketing. Also, I realize that they're older and perhaps want to enjoy themselves at a different rate. But, I can't feel that these are a little too concerned with keeping themselves in the public eye. They have so much left in them. I think the fans could stand to see them in concert only once per year if it means some more albums.

I loved DONE WITH MIRRORS, loved PERMANENT VACATION, loved PUMP. Was less than impressed with GET A GRIP, and walked away after NINE LIVES. Haven't been back to the Aero-camp since.

I think Done With Mirrors is a great album, but it was Aerosmith stripped down, not with the production values that were always a part of their sound. Ted Templeman would tape over the red recording light and record the band rehersing a song. When they felt they were ready to record it, he had already gotten it on tape and moved on.

Permanant Vacation is the best of the "reunion" albums (not really a reuinion, just the return of Joe Perry). Not so much focus on the balledy MTV hits, but a return to the big sounds and production tricks without losing the sleezy, bluesy Aerosound. Bruce Fairburn did a great job on that album, IMO. After that, they had some great songs, but chasing the MTV hits (Amazing, Crazy, etc...) watered them down.

What did you think of Honkin' on Bobo? A great return to form, IMO.

I recently collected all the Aerosmith albums on CD through Pump. I was surprised to find that Permanent Vacation and Pump did not stand the test of time. In fact, they sound VERY dated to me, almost unlistenable. Done With Mirrors still sounds fresh to me. But I could be totally off base because I think I hit a major blood vessel when I was shaving my scrotum this morning.

Quote :

But I could be totally off base because I think I hit a major blood vessel when I was shaving my scrotum this morning.

Try waxing. Yea, the initial tear is excruciatingly painful, but the smooth-for-weeks payoff is well worth it.

Anyway, I wasn't crazy about Done With Mirrors for the longest time, but I recently upgraded from cassette to cd after not listening to it for many years and I've grown to like it. Loved Permanent Vacation and Pump, then they started to go downhill from there. Some good songs, but not great albums. Honkin' on Bobo is good. It sounds like Aerosmith of old. Just having fun kickin' out some bluesy rock tunes without all the studio spit & polish.

I think Honkin' is an awesome album. I don't know if I'd call it a return to form, though. While it's definately cool to hear them playing tunes that influenced them, they never really played a lot of straight-up blues material. They had their own sound, which was simply bluesy. So, to me, the album doesn't sound like old-school Aerosmith. Also, I would of liked it so much if it had (believe it or not) weaker production. It sounds so crisp and modern, but they're playing old-school tunes. I think a Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers-like production would have been wicked sweet.

I like it all! I'm an Aero-fanatic.

Never could understand why people get down on the band for gaining mainstream attention. If you don't like them, don't listen to them.

I also never understood what people didn't like about Nine Lives. I honestly think most fans just never gave it a chance. It's a good hard rockin' album.

I recently made a "later days" compilation for TrogDawn and it includes some of my favorites from "Pump" through "Just Push Play".

DISC ONE (The rarities)
1 Angels Eyes*
2 What Kind of Love Are You On*
3 Won't Let You Down*
4 Dueces Are Wild*
5 Fall Together*
6 Can't Stop Messin'*
7 Love Me Two Times*
8 Rockin' Pneumonia*
9 Helter Skelter*
10 Don't Stop*
11 Ain't Enough*
12 Head First*
13 Girls of Summer*
14 Don't Want to Miss A Thing*
15Devil's Got a New Disguise*
16 Sweet Emotion ('91 remix)*
17 Walk this Way*
18 Dream On (MTV Anniversary)*

DISC TWO
19 Young Lust
20 F.I.N.E.
21 Going Down/Love In An Elevator
22 Monkey On My Back
23 Don't Get Mad, Get Even
24 Hoodoo/Voodoo Medicine Man
25 What It Takes
26 Eat the Rich
27 Get A Grip
28 Fever
29 Flesh
30 Walk on Down
31 Shut Up and Dance
32 Gotta Love IT
33 Line Up
34 Nine Lives
35 Hole In My Soul

DISC THREE
36 Full Circle
37 Something's Gotta Give
38 Ain't that A smurfette
39 The Farm
40 Crash
41 Pink
42 Falling Off
43 Fall Together
44 Attitude Adjustment
45 Fallen Angels
46 Beyond Beautiful
47 Jaded
48 Just Push Play (Radio Remix)
49 Sunshine
50 Under My Skin


Tracks 19-25 from Pump
Tracks 26-33 from Get A Grip
Tracks 34-45 from Nine Lives
Tracks 46-50 from Just Push Play
*non-album tracks/b-sides
1 Angels Eyes* (Charlie's Angels Soundtrack)
2 What Kind of Love Are You On* (Armageddon Soundtrack)
3 Won't Let You Down*(b-side from Just Push Play)
4 Dueces Are Wild* (Beavis & Butthead Experience)
5 Fall Together* (Nine Live b-side)
6 Can't Stop Messin'* (Living on the Edge EP)
7 Love Me Two Times* (The Doors Stoned Immaculate Tribute)
8 Rockin' Pneumonia*(Less Than Zero Soundtrack)
9 Helter Skelter* (Pandora's Box)
10 Don't Stop* (Living on the Edge EP)
11 Ain't Enough*(b-side from Pump)
12 Head First* (b-side from Get A Grip)
13 Girls of Summer* (Oh Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits Collection)
14 Don't Want to Miss A Thing* (Armageddon Soundtrack)
15 Devil's Got a New Disguise* (Devil's Got a New Disguise compilation)
16 Sweet Emotion ('91 remix)*
17 Walk this Way* (w/ Run DMC)
18 Dream On (Live Orchestral Version) (Last Action Hero Soundrack)


As for Honkin' on Bobo, I think it is an outstanding album and indeed does return the band to their hard-rockin' blues based beginnings. Listen to it and then listen to "Get Your Wings" or "Aerosmith". I love it!

Quote :

I don't know if I'd call it a return to form, though. While it's definately cool to hear them playing tunes that influenced them, they never really played a lot of straight-up blues material.

Not the material itself, I meant Aerosmith getting back to basics and having fun with the music, not looking for a commercial hit. Even the tone of Joe's guitar sounds like old Aerosmith to me. While I have no idea how it was recorded, I envision the whole band in the room at the same time, just jamming away on that album while the tape rolled, as opposed to each member recording their own parts and then some engineer slapping it all togerther in ProTools.

Quote :

Never could understand why people get down on the band for gaining mainstream attention. If you don't like them, don't listen to them.

I'd never bash the guys for gaining mainstream success and remaining relevant all these years later. Anyone that knows the band's history knows that the band did it their way through the 70's & early 80's and it nearly killed them. Permanent Vaction gave them another shot at glory and let them taste the success and accolades that they pissed away the first time 'round. For that I say "Good for them".

ultmetal wrote:

Never could understand why people get down on the band for gaining mainstream attention. If you don't like them, don't listen to them.

I also never understood what people didn't like about Nine Lives. I honestly think most fans just never gave it a chance. It's a good hard rockin' album.

As for Honkin' on Bobo, I think it is an outstanding album and indeed does return the band to their hard-rockin' blues based beginnings. Listen to it and then listen to "Get Your Wings" or "Aerosmith". I love it!

I probably should have worded my post differently. I love later-years Aerosmith. Permanent Vacation was my first album, and I still love it. As for Nine Lives, I think it's a great album. I guess what I was tryingo to get at was less in the music and more in how they seem to be intent on staying in the public eye. Think of bands like Motorhead, who regularly produce albums over thirty years since they started. They don't really care about public perception; they just do their thing. I know it's unfair to expect Aerosmith to record another Rocks or Toys in the Attic; and I don't. I just wish they would stick a bit more to getting some honest tunes down. And yes, Honkin' was that. I hope that stuck with them.

I'd like to see Tyler and Perry do more of the songwriting again. It seems like the last few albums have had their share of outside songwriters, aka hit-makers. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening either. Regardless, I'm sure I'll pick up whatever and whenever they choose to release a new album. And by new album, I mean a whole cd of new tunes, not another greatest hits comp with a few left-over tracks tacked on.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I'd like to see Tyler and Perry do more of the songwriting again. It seems like the last few albums have had their share of outside songwriters, aka hit-makers. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening either. Regardless, I'm sure I'll pick up whatever and whenever they choose to release a new album. And by new album, I mean a whole cd of new tunes, not another greatest hits comp with a few left-over tracks tacked on.

I agree with you; I'd like to see them ditch the outside song writers. There's major potential there. Just look at Joe Perry's solo album from 2005. The majority of that album was written by him, and that album absolutely rocked. Oh man, I need to listen to that soon.

spectrefate wrote:

I think I hit a major blood vessel when I was shaving my scrotum this morning.

Nah, that's just the scrotal pox that's making the rounds.

And I think Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die! are awesome albums!

Aerosmith is under a multi-million dollar contract with Sony. I doubt that they will be losing the "outside songwriters" anytime soon.

BTW, I wasn't necessarily saying anyone in this thread were "bashing them for mainstream success". However, it's pretty common, especially on metal forums. I think people like to think of a band as "theirs" and once that band begins to gain major success and step outside of the box of what that fan thinks this band should be, they get upset.

In reality, Aerosmith haven't really moved that far away from what they were doing in 1974. They've had ballads on just about every album they have ever recorded. While they had huge success with ballads like "Amazing", "Don't Want to Miss A Thing", "Angel" and "Cryin'" are they really that different than "Home Tonight", "You See Me Crying" and "Dream On"?

As far as outside songwriters, Aerosmith has been using them since the 70's as well, although they use them a lot more in more recent years. Songs like "Chip Away At the Stone" and "Lightning Strikes" were both written by Richie Supa, who would later go on to write and record with the band on "Get A Grip".

I've also heard criticism about the experiments with funk and rap. C'mon! They were playing James Brown cover songs in the early 1970's. This is nothing new.

The Run DMC collaboration was brilliant and helped resurrect their career. Frankly I love that song. This song just goes to show how much Aerosmith's influence stretched. It's also interesting to see that Run DMC didn't change the song much. They rap out the lyrics much like Tyler did in 1975, albeit without that raspy voice and attitude.

Quote :

As far as outside songwriters, Aerosmith has been using them since the 70's as well, although they use them a lot more in more recent years. Songs like "Chip Away At the Stone" and "Lightning Strikes" were both written by Richie Supa, who would later go on to write and record with the band on "Get A Grip".

I agree (Chip Away at the Stone is one of my all-time favorite songs by the band), but it seems to me that back then, it was more like bringing in a buddy to help out or jam on a cool tune, whereas nowadays, it seems more like the record company or producers doings, bringing in hit-makers. Similair to what they did on that last Scorpions album.

Again, I'm not begrudging Aerosmith any of their post-70's/mainstream success. They've earned it as far as I'm concerned. There aren't too many hard rock bands from the 70's that have:
a.) all the original members
b.) can still sell-out arenas & stadiums
c.) can have a hit song on commercial radio
d.) remain relevant some 35 years or so after their career began.

Very good points.

Yes, Aerosmith can definately still sell out any venue they want; their performances are phenomenal (I saw them for the first time in December 2006 in Vancouver and they beat out any other band I'd seen); they haven't really strayed from their music formula, and their albums still rock hard.

I guess I'm just overly nostalgic (even though I was born in 1987) for that rawer, darker sound they had up through RIAHP. I was introduced to Aerosmith through their later albums, and, so, I love all of the tunes. Maybe it's just the crisp, queaky clean production that makes me feel this way; when it comes to rock/hard rock, I don't dislike good production but I can't stand over-production. For instance, compare any of Motley Crue's first four albums to Dr Feelgood: it just seems to rob the music of a certain quality.

I've got to stop this, though . I'm beginning to feel guilty here: I worship Aerosmith. I think I just need to get myself out of the 70s already. Those of you who were around in that time are lucky.