Aerosmith: The Road Starts Hear (1971)

Record Store Day came and went. I really had no interest other than this title by Aerosmith which is an album has had sitting in the vaults for 50 years.

I figured I had no chance at getting this seven song album as Tbay has one store that does RSD but they get nothing as I gave up on going to get my hopes up.

My hopes were further dashed when last Sunday I went to Discogs to see if there were any Canadian Sellers who had posted copies of  “The Road Starts Hear” for a decent price.

Umm about that for a second…

Two stores in Canada (one in Winnipeg and one in Toronto who shall remain nameless) each had copies.  The problem was one store had it for $58 Canadian and the other had it for $63 Canadian.

I put both of them in my Discogs checkout but I had a real problem pushing click to pay as the word “Gouging” came into my mind.

The Toronto store was selling it for $45 U.S without shipping. Selling it in Canada and having to pay for it in American is a fucking joke.

So I gave up and deleted both out of my Discogs checkout.

So come Monday night I went to Encore Records (based in Kitchener) as I have ordered from the owner Mark before and he’s delivered.

I have Encore book marked  on my computer as I check what they post online almost daily.

It’s about supporting local even if the shop isn’t in my town.

This past Monday I went under RSD Titles on the Encore website and there it was…

“Aerosmith The Road Starts Here” for $24 Canadian!

There is no way around shipping through Canada Post meaning you’re going to get dinged a minimum of $16.

Regardless I had to get it before it was gone and once I clicked and paid for it it came up as Sold Out.

One and done. Right place right time!

I will add that Mark for running a local record shop is awesome to deal with. Sent him a message thanking him for not running the price up and even better it took only three days to get here to Tbay.

Now as many of you know, John T. Snow is reviewing the whole Aero catalog over at his site so I know in due time he will be doing this album in a track by track break down.

Snowman is a master at that kind of thing so instead I’m just going to post a couple of thoughts…

Wherever in Boston this was recorded I can honestly say the sound is amazing. Boggles my mind that they sat on these tracks til now but boy am I glad this is out now.

It almost sounds like a party is going on at the start of the album as the band launches into “Somebody.”

These tracks have a Stones like influence about them which is not surprising but you can hear for yourselves how these guys were starting to figure out the craft at writing tunes.

“Dream On” is pretty much in its finished form but its cool to hear Tyler at the piano at the end of the song figuring out what would become “You See Me Crying” which wouldn’t come out until the “Toys In The Attic” record dropped four years later in 1975.

This is Aero Rock N Roll in its primitive state. Writing tracks that would make up the debut self titled a few years later.  A cover of “Reefer Headed Woman” would not show up on a Aero record until ’79’s “Night In The Ruts” release as by then the creative well had dried up due to the lifestyle of the band catching up to them.

The packaging is really cool as well. A total throwback vibe in not only the look but the layout as well.

Man, I need to call Joe as he left me his phone number in the pic above! Maybe he will come on “Scotch On The Rocks”.

A very cool score and I’m sure knowing how cool this is Aero will get around to releasing it digitally and on CD at some point.

“The Road Starts Hear” is a must own of any fan of Aerosmith.

Aerosmith/ALOHASMITH(Live 1983) Bootleg

 

Ya gotta love Bootleg Soundboard recordings! What you hear on your stereo/iPod or whatever device you listen to your music on  is what you would have heard that night in Hawaii back on January 4th 1983 when Steven Tyler and the Boys in Aerosmith bashed out there song’s that night blasted!

Blasted in the most possible way as Aerostoned could! I love this stuff when I come across Boots as you can hear a band nitty and gritty with no studio fix up!

Aero, needs no fixing….

Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay here are the guitarists and nowhere to be found are original axe men Joe Perry and Brad Whitford having had already bolted(Perry in 1980 and Whitford in 1982) yet this is a real cool recording as the album and tour this is from (Rock And A Hard Place) is the only tour Dufay and Crespo did together.

You get the classic Aero Tracks like opener Back In The Saddle/Big 10 Inch Record/Lick And A Promise/Lord of The Thighs/Dream On/Sweet Emotion/Toys In The Attic played with a piss n vinegar approach. Aero was still headlining arenas but issues with Tyler passing out during shows was starting to ween on promoters but here in Hawaii Tyler shows up sings the tunes at times a little off-key rambling a bit between tracks BUT this is LIVE ROCK N ROLL!

I have always had a fondness for Aero 1982-86 when they were not so big on selling albums as Aero were basically fuckin stoned and in another time zone yet they in my opinion bashed out a couple of real good rock records in the polished kinda sounding Rock In A Hard Place and the Aerostoned rough sounding Done With Mirrors(when Perry and Whitford returned). Much debate has been made around these parts about DWM’s high scoring here(haha ).  I’ll leave it at that!

Too be honest perhaps those years (82-86) resonate with myself and TBone more than the common AeroFan as 1982 was the year I discovered Tyler and Crew as an 15-year-old!

The real selling feature of this recording are some of the tracks like Three Mile Smile and Reefer Head Woman from 1979’s Night In The Ruts album. Love the groove of Three Mile Smile with Drummer Joey Kramer driving the beat of both these tracks.

Lightening Strikes and Rock In A Hard Place are the only two  tracks that were played from the current release at this show which was a shame as there are a bunch of great tracks on Rock In Hard Place that could have been played live….

The band is focused on the two new tunes oddly enough especially the title track (Pushing new AeroProduct) which is hilarious where at other times Aero gets loosey goosey with some of the older tracks!

AlohaSmith is a great listen and considering it’s probably been bootlegged a million times over is a cool one to listen to as just a year later Perry and Whitford returned and Crespo and Dufay were let go!

Aerosmith/Done Live With Mirrors (3-12-86)

 

AeroStoned! Yes Please! Came across this real cool SoundBoard recording from Worcester Massachusetts (March 3 1986) recorded for a radio broadcast  on the Done With MirrorsTour!

Aerosmith was plugging the Mirrors record and that is an album that some people well perhaps a lot of people either like it or don’t like it!

Tbone I can vouch for along with myself that we dig the 40 minutes of Stoned Up Garage Sounding Rock that Done With Mirrors unleashed on us 18 year olds at  the time of its release! Hell, so much I reviewed it!

SONIC WAVES….Aerosmith/Done With Mirrors

This is a 15 song killer set with Aero Not A Crumbling But Maybe A Little Stumbling Around but it’s great live Rock! No Fixings just all the Slop Rock Trimmings we like around these parts!

Joe Perry,Brad Whitford,Joey Kramer,Tom Hamilton and Steve Tyler lay down a Sonic Boom that in all intent and purposes Lets The Music Do The Talking!

Boston’s Bad Boys sock it out of the gate with Back In the Saddle and all the classics are played! Same Old Song And Dance,Big 10 Inch,Sweet Emotion,Walk this Way,Train Kept A Rollin,Last Child,Toys In The Attic,Last Child,Dream On(with a crazed out ending that is Ummm….bizarre,different like Tyler collapsed on his piano/synth…

Steve in between songs at one point says there recording this show for a live album. Considering how loop de looped Aero was in concert  Steve man was on good behaviour as he nails all the lyrics but maybe someone had a chat with him as the tape was a rollin!

It’s funny that Aero never “Officially” released this as they put out or their old Record Company did the two “Classics Live” releases which were a total $$$$ grab!

Now with the AeroBoys plugging the current album some new tunes are played. 5 from Done With Mirrors are represented and it’s a shame once Aero sobered up they for the most part dissed this album but I gotta say I think it has some of Tylers best lyrics ever!

My Fist Your Face has to be in my All Time Top 10 Aerosongs! It oozes sleaze the lyrics ooze coolness! Check these lyrics out to My Fist below…..(video is posted at the top of page)

Hey Betty Boop you got me droolin’
I’m buzzin’ ’round your hive tonight
You played the hooky ‘stead of schoolin’
Son of a bitch put out the light
Thirteen year old hookers
Drag yourself right through the thorns
You wonder why the man’s outside your door
Junior achievers, got the old bull by the horns
Back in the saddle get ya s’more (some more)

My Fist Your Face is classic late 70s Slop Rock carried into the mid 80s Stoned Up Blues Rock! Tyler at the show that night dedicates My Fist to (boxer) Marvin Hagler.

Course with it being 2016 The Texas Rangers (Major League Baseball Team) got into an infield brawl with The Toronto Blue Jays as Rangers 2nd Baseman Rougned Odor punched Jays Outfielder Jose Bautista right in the kisser!

My point being how about …My Fist Bautista’s Face? Does that work?  Seriously though what a super-duper track!

Sheila is another newbie that slips and slides into coolville. Sheila rocks with a swagger like stomp delivered by Steve and The Boys.

The Hop is  one of those throw together jam like tunes that only Aero could pull off and Tyler man blasts his  brains out playing that harmonica. Think Aeros Milk Cow Blues from Draw The Line sped up on a 78 rpms! Well Aero was literally Hoped up on something folks!

Ahhhh yes Let The Music Do The Talking…love Perrys slide playing and this song takes off like a rocket! Great verse,heavy-duty chorus followed by more Perry slide….Yessssssss!

Speaking of slide guitar She’s On Fire is another dialed up like sleazeball piece of rock! Great lyrics and this has to be one of those 4 am toss togethers that 30 years later (Holeeeeee Sheeeeit!) still sounds real good ….

The real surprise for me in this set list is the rarely played No Surprise from 1979s Night In The Ruts. This tune is pure brilliance lyrically,musically. It’s all wrapped  up as Tyler explains in his lyrics what Aero went through….

So for Aero being messed up they could still knock out Gems of tracks ….Crank the video and sing along with Steve-o!

“No Surprize”

1971, we all heard the starters gun
New York is such a pity
But at Max’s Kansas City we won

We all shot the shit at the bar
With Johnny O’ Toole and his scar
And then old Clive Davis said
He’s surely gonna make us a star
I’m gonna make you a star
Just the way you are

But with all his style
I could see in his eyes
That we is goin’ on trial
And it was no surprize

The boys kept kickin’ ass
As usual time would tell
But some bitch in the choir
Throw water on the fires of hell
She loved to show and tell
Lord, she loved to tell

But with all our style
You could see in our eyes
That we is still on trial
And it was no surprize
No surprize
No surprize
No surprize

Midnight lady
Situation fetal
Vaccinate your ass with your phonograph needle

I say looky here
Friend of mine
You scratch like you need calamine
Flamingo boots, soles a creakin’
Still in love and Puerto Rican too

Ridin’ on wheels of hell
Smokin’ our axle grease
Oh, the backstage is rockin’
And we’re coppin’ from the local police
That’s right, the local police
Or the juctice of peace

But with all our style
You could see in our eyes
That we is still on trial
Baby, it’s no surprize
No surprize
No surprize
No surprize

Rock n’ roll, junkie whore
Got my foot inside the door
Knock knock, knock knock, knock
Nobody’s keepin’ score

Bad times go away
Come again some other day
Topaz and sazzafraz
Will keep the blues away

Candy store, rock n’ roll
Corporation jellyroll
Play the singles, it ain’t me
It’s programmed insanity

You ASCAP, if BMI
Could ever make a mountain fly
If Japanese can boil teas
Then where the fuck’s my royalties…aar
Yak yak yak yak ‘oow

100% dEKe Approved!

Aerosmith Nine Lives Live …….

Aerosmith/Jonny Lang….Aug 14th/1997/Minneapolis Mn/Target Center

So the Aero juggernaut landed in the State of Minnesota and along with myself and Tbone we had a special guest with us and that would be my wife Sue who was along for the ride(as well as she was 6 months pregnant with our first daughter Kylee!)

When me and Sue first met(1994) I don’t think it took her to long to figure out that i was a music junkie and in hindsight she listened to me babble on and on about bands,music in general and she would sit there and just  listen  and man in the year of 2015 I can’t believe sometimes she didn’t toss me out back in 94 as I would have tossed myself out! Ha!

Sue liked music but didn’t have much of it. She told me she was at the Black Crowes show here in Tbay back in 1993 a show I loved her not so much as she said the songs went on forever! Hahaha…sooooo true but I did not hold this againest her!

She did say she always wanted to see Aerosmith live as she was a fan of Steve Tyler so it was a no brainer that when tickets went on sale for the Nine Lives Tour we were in and Tbone as well. So there we are two dudes hanging in the U.S. Of A  with a pregnant woman! Haha!

Nine Lives…..Puss N Booty!

Jonny Lang was the opener and he played a real cool opening 45 minute slick set! His album and the title track Lie To Me were all over video and radio that summer. Also opening for Aerosmith in front of 10,000 plus fans every night can’t hurt either! Myself,T and Sue loved Lang. He had a real cool voice,played a real cool strat and had a good tight band to deliver the music! Plus I think at the time he was like 16 or 17 years old ……Yep you read that right …..

So there’s the big Aero Curtain draped over the stage and they had all this Nine Lives Literature and images over it and before to long you could hear a cranked up sitar and percussion and as it got louder you could hear the opening few bars of Nine Lives and Tyler doing his chesire cat screeching and Brad Whitford and Joe Perry laying down some feedback that echoed throughout the Target Center and before long theres  Joey Kramer,one of the great rock drummers ever smashing the shit out of his snare and along with Tom  Hamilton on bass crank the voltage up ….

BOOM…..curtain drops and there’s Aero 97 ….

Nine Lives is the opener(see video above) and its a ACDC like straight ahead rocker with Whitford playing the lead guitar on it and man and we’re off and running. Aero doesn’t ease off the gas as they launch straight into Love In A Elevator and of course the crowd sings the ‘oh oh yeahs ‘ at the end of each verse and Perry and Whitford lock and stock the solos together and man I dig the solo by Perry on this tune. He melds cool and guitar playing together like no one else……

Falling In Love (is hard on the knees) the first single from Nine Lives is the third track played and I always have and still do like this tune! The chorus is good as it ramps up and I like the snippets of horns used as well plus I love Tylerisms like when he sings “don’t give me no lip I got enough of my own!” Ha ….

Up next is for the pre MTV generation (myself and Tbone) and that’s Same Old Song And Dance! Great story about a wife’s aggravation, cocaine and lawyers what else do you need to make a great song and oh yeah Tom Hamilton lays down a superb bass riff at the end of the song while the rest of the guys just jam out the riff….great song back to 1974! That’s the great thing about Aero they know there’s the MTV crowd but they also know there’s the old school farts(hello once again to myself and Tbone) that devour this kind of stuff……Gold!

The current single at the time Hole In My Soul is played. It’s a ok Aeroballad. There are superior ones than this one(Dream On) and there are aweful ones that are real bad(that Armageddon sell out sap track! Blah) the one cool thing they did do to this tune was add a verse of Cheee Cake(from Aeros 1979 Night In The Ruts album) at the end of Hole In My Soul….ha now that was a cool move Steve-o!

Monkey On My Back along with tons of Perry slide guitar is dealt and were kinda into the MTV Aero portion of the show. One of my favs from the MTV era is Livin On The Edge! What a great well written track! Love that even though Aero was playing the game somewhat they released a 6 minute track and and stuck to there guns on it! The middle part of the song before Perrys solo when Tyler sings “Tell me what you think about your situation…” The riff that Perry and Whitford play man….it’s Awesome!

Pink is a mid tempo AeroRocker complete with Tyler and his trusty harmonica(kewl) Pinks a decent Aerotune but man with a catalogue as deep as Aeros there’s  better! But as I have said before I wouldn’t tell that to Tyler’s face but I would tell him Tbone said it!

RagDoll complete with Perry Playing his steel guitar gets the crowd pumping and the MTV Generations peeps are bobbing up and down and just yucking it up! I have to agree, for MTV Aero I diggity this tune ….” never leaving by the back door Maaaaaaaan!”

Taste Of India follows and i just love this tune and so does Aero as two huge inflatable  Cobras flank each side of the stage and they weave and bobble around! This track is awesome start to finish! It’s just a plain great Aero track! Splendid friends…just splendid!

Janies Got A Gun one of the biggie singles from the Pump album of 1989 is played and it features Perry playing a great acoustic solo…….

Wooooo Whooooo now it’s time for some Rocks material and that would be Last Child and as added feature Aero brings out Jonny Lang to jam it with them! What a great track one of the best…dig the Aero shuffle driven by Kramer on his drums….

Joe Fuckin Perry as he’s introduced by Tyler launches into Falling Off the track that didn’t make most the domestic versions of Nine Lives just available to the Importers! Slick sneaky move Aerodudes!

More Tyler Harp is displayed on Big 10 Inch record and it becomes one of those long AeroJams that just  takes a life of its own! Lyrics and guitars make this a Aero classic which came from 75s Toys In The Attic!

Any of you diehards up for a 10 minute blast of Jammo supremacy of a song called Rats In The Cellar! Me and Tbone squealed with delight as we were transported in time like as if we were watching Aero on there 1976 Rocks Tour! That would have been something to have seen! I recall Tyler jiving the maracas, while the rest of the dudes just slammed there instruments hard! The MTV crowd in attendance were lost for this part of the show! Ha! Get educated in AeroRock Folks!

Dream On,one of the greatest  all time Aeroballads is played and Tyler even sings it how he sang it on the Aero debut from 1973 in a deeper voice! This is how it’s done folks! Kinda wished Tyler would have tossed me the “motherf*^ker comes back to you” like he did on the Live Bootleg release!

Cryin and the MTV’ers are happy in a snap crackle pop kinda way! Cryin I dig as Tyler blows that harp! Ha! He’s one talented cat man and one of the best frontmen ever!

Joe gets into the talk Box and Hamilton plays that opening bass riff and we all know what that is! It’s time for a little Sweet Emotion and we all know the tune! Man the end of it live is always washed in a ton of feedback from Mr Whitford and Mr Perry ..show is over kinda!

Ha I’m fooled Aero rips into Mama Kin! What a great all time classic! Kramer keeps the bus on the road with his groove! The dude is a monster on the drums! One of the Best! Aero blasts it straight to the finish line!

Ok…..now the show is over!……kinda!

Aero saunters back out and dives head first Into The Farm a track that myself and Tbone did not see coming to say the least! Ha! The Farm is a great track. It sounds kinda like  Aero Looney. I love the off beat musical stylings of the track and Tyler’s lyrics are zoned out as well(could be autobiographical!?) love the ending of this tune where it sounds like the band is coming unglued but you know they aren’t!

Dude Looks Like A Lady keeps the encore going and this as we all know resurrected Aeros career well helped i guess as the Run DMC/Aero collaboration of Walk This Way was that song that put Aerosmith back in the spotlight well……forever! The MTV fans rejoice ……

Speaking of Walk This Way its the wrap up of the show it’s the end folks! Joe Perry solos and solos with Brad Whitford while Joey Kramer smashes the shit out of his cowbell and bammo just like that the old diehards and the MTV crowd can agree on this song and we all fill out of The  Target  Center in the August air knowing we are all one! Hahahahaha……that was a sappy last sentence……

Aero delivered one high octane rock show! They have to keep the diehards happy with the old school stuff and the late 80s early 90s fans happy as well! That night Aero succeeded on both counts! Nine Lives is a great Aero record and the show they put on was a great one as well!

Aerosmith Live (Get A Grip Will Ya!)

Aerosmith/Jackyl/June 13 1993/Minneapolis Minnesota/Target Center

June 93 and Aerosmiths Get A Grip tour touches down in Minnie and its the 8th date of the tour that will last til Dec of 1994! (224 shows played)Now that is a tour! Having seen Aero twice on the Pump Tour it was a no brainer so myself,Oinks,Andre and a new recruit Budge made the trek!

Jackyl was the opening band and if you recall there deal there lead singer would cruise the stage with a chainsaw during there hit tune The Lumberjack! Jackyl was promoting there second record Push Comes To Shove and they were a decent live act kinda had some ACDC in em! At the time Jackyl had a few things going for them and they were on Aerosmiths label(Geffen Records),they were produced by Bruce Fairbairn(Aerosmiths producer),they recorded in Vancouver (like Aerosmith) had the same record company guy(John David Kalodner) so yeah getting added to the Get A Grip tour was a no brainer like Aero is not worried about Jackyl! Overall a good show they put on kinda redneckish! But amusing!

Must mention that both these vids are from the Woodstock 94 show! Aero is playing in the rain at night so Ya can’t see the crowd much but earlier in the day Jackyl played and man check out the crowd shots there’s some interesting crowd( AHEM! )interactions to,say the least! Hahaha…

So now back to Minneapolis and Aerosmith and the first thing I noticed is Aero has stripped the stage set back down to the basic stage amps/Drum riser and huge lighting rig! Gone is the big rooftop stage of the Pump tour and it’s simple Simon but for Aero it’s the music not the gimmick so….

Those tribal drums start off beating and around Joey Kramers drums is a curtain and you can see the silowhets of each Guy on the curtain and there’s the top hat of  Steve Tyler and bam curtain drops and it’s time to Eat The Rich! What a great opener love how the bass and guitars are synced and this tune reeks heavy AeroRock! Man I still to this day love this song…..we go from Eat The Rich right into the title  track of the newly released Album with Get A Grip! Steve and the boys go from telling us to Get A Grip right into Fever!

So if we’re keeping score the first three Aero tunes played live are right from the new album! Holy crap that’s crazy it’s like Aero is saying here it is! C’mon and help yourself to some new music! I was Impressed  by this move I mean how many bands do that!? Yeah,not many like Kiss would ever do that!! Hahahahaha…..

So Aero keeps it rocking and it’s a blast from 1989s past and that’s Young Lust and there’s Steve kicking the harmonicas ass In it and man if Aeros Young Lust doesn’t get Ya jiving Ummm your brain dead! And here comes the real deal and thats….

I”mmmmmm Baaaaaaaaaaaaack,Back In The Saddle Again oh yeah my first time ever hearing this tune live and  man it does not get any better than this! Brad Whitford and Joe Perry just slam dunk the guitars on this classic! Aero goes right back to Get A Grip with Cryin so that’s 6 songs in and 4 are from the new album! I always dug Cryin I mean anything with Harmonica wins me over and Tyler can play the fuck out of that thing….

Of course in the crowd there’s the MTV kids and heres Rag Doll for Ya and the place goes cuckoo Over It! Last Child one of those cool little gems from Rocks is played followed by What It Takes from Pump! Steve-o than grabs his harmonica and tells the crowd about his Big Ten Inch Record and they blast thru that one at lightning speed!

Tyler introduces Joe Fuckin Perry and they launch into a rocking version of Walk On Down from Get A Grip and him and Brad Whitford just wail on the guitars plus Perry handles the Lead vocals on this as well! Great track!

Now its back to the debut from 73 with Walkin The Dog for the diehards followed by Janie’s Got A Gun for the MTV Aerogeneration crowd! Amazing that they can shift gears from material from 73 to 89 and not skip a beat! And the place goes bonkers for Dude Looks Like A Lady!

The coolest Aeroballad ever Dream  On is played and once again we go from 1973 to 1989 as Aero crams everyone into the(Love in A)Elevator! I love the guitar action in this song Perry and Whitford man there a great team! Flinging solos back like Tbone/Darr/Rugg(lifelong friends ) fling beer cans back!

To end the regular set its time for a double bubble pack from Toys In The Attic album with Walk This Way and the song Toys In The Attic! I was just walloped on the side of my head of that one two punch! I’m TKO’d!

Steve and the boys cruise back out for the encore which starts off with Livin On The Edge(great song!) followed by Sweet Emotion and the now the huge enormous lighting rig shifts around and forms a ‘A’ Train Kept A Rollin ends the show…..

Give Aero props man,8 shows into the tour and there playing 6 off of the current release(Get A Grip) for some i’m sure there would be some griping though the tracks they did play from it,I like so if you were at that same show as myself,Oinks,Andre and Budge and thought it was too many new tunes being played…well…GET A GRIP!

Also must mention that the show was not completely sold out as there was empty seats but those were in then nosebleeds,must still have been about 13,000 or so there ….

 

 

Rock 101….Joe Perry/Rocks-My Life In And Out Of Aerosmith

Another first here at Arena Rock. My first book review under the new category of ROCK 101…..Enjoy..

Also me and Aaron are doing a double review of Joe Perrys book here and at his site(KeepsMeAlive)

Joe Perry has to be one of the first cool looking rockstars I had ever seen! Kiss hid behind makeup at the time(late 70s and early 80s)but Joe had the rock swagger down pat/he played cool guitars/co wrote real cool tunes with lead singer Steven Tyler and just had Rocker written all over him!

My daughter Lauren asked me what I wanted for Xmas this year so this was a no brainer and  Lauren delivered the book of Perry to me on Xmas day! So once we kinda got the festivities out of the way I sat down and started in…..

Of course in  this day and age all these Ol Rock Dogs are putting out bios! Fair enough as no one buys records anymore so buy books I guess……

The book itself is layed out real cool with of course Joe on the cover but inside a ton of pics from growing up thru to Aerosmith in the 70s and even drops in a couple of Joe Perry Project pics for good measure( his second solo album I’ve Got The Rock n Rolls Again is a bonafide classic here at Arena Rock) right thru to today with some family pics!

Its evident that early on in the book you see a young Perry driven by the guitar and the sounds of the day growing up from Chuck Berry to the  Beatles and the Stones thru to Hendrix and Jeff Beck(who he met when he played a club in Boston) as Steve Tyler met Mick Jagger in his Tyler’s book(Does The Noise Inside My Head Bother You) before even Tyler and Perry hooked up.

Perry tells it as he see’s it especially when he talks about that time working as a 19 year old at a resteraunt in Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire when Steve Tyler and his band came up from Boston took over the diner being loud and obnoxious and making a mess of the place and well who had to clean up the mess after Tyler and crew left? That’s right folks Mr Perry! When there paths did cross again Tyler and Perry did indeed move to 1325 Commonwealth Ave in Boston and formed Aerosmith with Tom Hamilton,Joey Kramer and there original rhythm guitarist Ray Tabano who was a pal of Tyler’s but when Tabano wasn’t showing up for rehearsal it was decided by Tyler and Perry that Tabono should be cut loose so Tyler let Perry do the dirty work!

The inner early working years of Aerosmith are really a focus of the early part of the book and Perry goes into great detail with there early management,the struggles they had to endure to make it,and of course the drugs which he goes into great lengths about and has no problem telling the world about it! But this book goes deeper Into it than that on how he’s always been a family guy and that for him family comes first and of course his relationship with Tyler which can be at times volatile and creative at the same time!

He talks about his leaving Aerosmith over spilt milk(literally) his lean years fronting the Joe Perry Project,him rejoining Aerosmith,the manipulating paranoia of there manager Tim Collins. Joe leaves no stone unturned and for my money I love the fact that he goes in depth with the recordings of all there albums along the way. So yeah sure everyone loves a good story about debauchery but I also love hearing about how some of these albums were made. I’m gonna skip a couple. So for your reading enjoyment heres a quick rundown on how I heard it from Joe,well read it that was!!! ( for more indepth detail buy the frigging book!)

Here’s some Aero studio album info for Ya….

Aerosmith- the debut album was for Perry a bummer he loved the tunes but the production was not how he had wanted it to sound! Plus Tyler sang in a different range but overall Perry says hey,they got a record deal!

Toys In The Attic-Perry says this is the album that got them joining the big leagues Also there first with Jack Douglas producing. Interesting fact is that Perry writes in his book that he wrote the riff to Walk This Way sober back in 1975!

Rocks-Perry uses a 6 string bass on Back In The Saddle and during the recording of it passes the bass off and grabs a guitar and flings off the solo and it’s the take that we all have heard a million times over!

Done With Mirrors-Perry rejoins Aerosmith after 5 years away and they put this out and it fails with the public! Perry says nowadays he doesn’t diss this album as much as he knows theres pockets of fans out there that love this album(me and Tbone! Hello!) but at the time he says he was disappointed as the record sounded half finished to them!

Permanent Vacation- the bounce back record with the hits! Perry talks about in great detail the journey to Vancouver to record the next three records with new producers,outside songwriters(which drove Tyler crazy) but 5 million records later Perry says he’s grateful for the resurgence in there popularity!

Get A Grip- trouble from the get go. Started in LA went back to Vancouver and had issues with the mixing of the album…

Nine Lives- issues with there manager which resulted him in being canned and the fact that they hired Glen Ballard(the writer of that huge Alanis Morrisette album Jagged Little Pill) and than fired him and had to rerecord Nine Lives and than there drummer Joey Kramer checked out for issues(breakdown) they brought in a replacement drummer to do the album( it didn’t feel right recording with another drummer) but waited for Joey Kramers return…

Just Push Play- Perry pulls no punches here saying Tyler wanted to be hip with the times and some of these songs like Trip Hoppin are not Perrys deal and Perry pulls no punches that there producer Marti Friedrickson sided with Tyler all the time in the direction (Perry doesn’t like the sound) songs  and the cover as Perry says he was outvoted so the robotic cover he says was not his idea!

Music From Another Dimension- Joe says he loves the rockers on this album and he says all the ballads that Steve Tyler brought to the record Perry does not like except for one! He says the album got a bad rap from the public by the fact that people (like myself actually) said it was too ballad driven.

Like the fact that Perry is totally cool calling out issues when there are issues and it goes to show you that thru all the makings of every single Aero record they had problems even when they got sober!

Of course family life is a big part of the book as well and the drug use is already well documented within Aerosmith but he’s open and frank about his and Tyler’s relapse a few years back that almost cost Perry  his marriage and Joe pulls no punches in regards to Tyler’s girlfriend at the time.

Ok I wasn’t gonna go there with a drug story but one of which is kinda funny is on the Pump tour Skid Row was opening for Aerosmith and Perry says that the very first encounter he had with  Sebastian Bach (lead singer)the first thing Bach said to him was “Dude I wanna get high and smoke hash with you and Steven!” Perrys response was he laughed and said “that ain’t happening!”

Perry balances the book out very well with personal life and of course Aerostories! The whole Brand Tyler chapter is a crazy read! WTF was Tyler thinking? This book I would say is a  highly recommended!

This is a great read from a guy who had it all,lost it all,got it all back and almost lost it all and once again got it all back!

Once A Rocker ….Always A Rocker….

Mother Popcorn & The Wolfchild….

Aerosmith/The Cult/Oct 15 2001/Target Center/Minneapolis Minnesota/Just Push Play World Tour

Being that it was my birthday a week before Tbone splurged and got us great seats and we took the trek down to Minnie to catch Aerosmith with openers the Cult in which we were really psyched to see…..

The Cult were pluggging there first album in about 6 years the very good Beyond Good And Evil kind of reunion album so to speak and the main culprits Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy were back along with Matt Sorum, Billy Morrison on bass and some dude that looked the Edge from U2 playing rhythm guitar wearing a cowboy hat!

Tbone and myself have loved the Cult for many moons but they were always one of the elusive acts that we had not gotten around to seeing live until now and here they are right before our eyes!

Billy Duffy leads the charge with that all too familiar opening riff of Lil Devil and we’re off! Here comes a lean mean Ian Astbury with a bandana wrapped around his noggin and he’s slammimg the tambourine around like no ones business and fuckin hell this is what live rock n roll is about! The basics man and the Cult just keep it simple friends!

So how does the Cult follow up with Lil Devil…simple they go head first into Peace Dog and Yep me and Tbone have officially lost our shit! 2 songs in and it’s basically our greatest hits set being played live before our eyes! The Cult than slams the third song out and it’s Sweet Soul Sister…like holy hell what a pace the Cult are putting down! Classic after classic is played! From there it’s time to plug the current release with Rise and True Believers(dedicated to the people of 9/11) and from there the Cult punch the gas with Wild Flower,Fire Woman,She Sells Sanctuary and closer….Love Removal Machine!

The Cult showed up,rocked and kicked our asses big time! Tbone and myself agree that the Cult had one of the best opening sets ever we had witnessed! Like i said earlier! The Cult played a greatest hits catered to me and Tbone! Awesome…….

After short turnover here comes Aerosmith pushing Just Push Play…

Aero has a super duper big stage with the soon to be typical cat walk that stretches almost half way out on the floor,huge video screen and a real cool lighting rig that is massive and slick! I noticed on this tour as well as the Get A Grip and Nine Lives shows  that Joe Perry has about 10 different kind of amp configurations behind him and man it must be loud on his side of the stage! No wonder Steve Tyler is constantly yelling at him to turn it down!

Aero hits  the stage with Beyond Beautiful(best track off current release) and the Aero boys segue right into Love In A Elevator,you know you’re catalogue is deep in hits when you can play one of your biggest hits second song in! Aero knows the game as current single Jaded and the title track from the current album Just Push Play are performed!

So if you have been a fan of Live Aerosmith as long as me and Tbone have been you know that Tyler blasting the harmonica is a prerequisite of any live Aero show and Big Ten Inch( watch the video posted) and Pink are played back 2 back! Also these guys never forget there roots so it’s time for some Mama Kin and a real throwback with Walkin The Dog and the bigge Aeroballad Dream On,a three pack  from there debut! One of my favs from the MTV Aero is played and that’s Eat The Rich ( love that tune,never get tired of hearing it!)  Another newbie track is played (Drop Dead Gorgeous) that kinda is there to be honest. Aero senses this and man there’s Perry laying down the slide guitar and everyone’s fav Draw The Line is cranked and were now all back on board!

The big Pump hit or one of em Janie’s Got A Gun is played and goes over like gangbusters with the MTV generation! And in keeping with the program Sunshine the 4th and last track to be played off of said current release is performed for me personally I like the first two tracks from Just Push Play(Beyond Beautiful and the title track) than the other two (Drop Dead Gorgeous and Sunshine) but still I know the game Ya gotta plug the current album and now were offically into hit county with Cryin but I kinda dig it live,more harp playing from Tyler( love that shit!)

Ok folks heres the part of the program where it gets dicey for me and yeah man that Aerosap Armageddon ballad is played. This is not Aerosmith this is Aerowood(Hollywood) not my cup of tea but millions love it soooooo be it! But here’s the interesting part towards the end of it they jam Mother Popcorn! Yeah that one,from Live Bootleg….holy shit there’s some street cred giving on  there with that move ! Well done Aero!

Aerosmith kicks the MTV kids to the curb and launches into Walk This Way and than  into a few bars of Uncle Salty and here comes the feedback and Joes talk box and Sweet Emotion is rocked to the masses!

Aerosmiths encore consists of Livin On The Edge(another fav) and Steve Tyler doing a acapella version by himself no less of What It Takes from Pump and the night ends off with Train Kept A Rollin!

Aero showed up and they are a fine well oiled live machine and this performance did not disappoint! Actually they never do! Looking back yeah Just Push Play was not one of there best albums to say the least but they still rocked the songs that me and Tbone Love!

The Cult man! Its the Cult they knew the deal and they delivered! One great packaged live show!

3/4’s Filler….Aerosmith/Just Push Play

You know when Tbone suggested I do reviews on albums that I thought were misses well theres a pile of EM but I would have never thought about Aerosmith!  Well,  I mean for the majority of comments from my review earlier on with Smiths Done With Mirrors it was debatable where I loved that record but some of my fellow bloggers thought it was poop and fair enuff man we gotta debate once in a while and it’s good to not agree with everything that being said,ok I will stop yapping…..

So in 2001 after the hype of the Jaded single which I thought was good not great here comes Aerosmith with the tuity fruity album cover that so reminds me of another 3/4’s filler album that was firmly lodged in Tbones tape case( drum roll ) Autographs That’s The Stuff( Tbone should review Autograph) and man ugh! But you can’t judge a disc by its cover so let’s dig a little deep into this record and I will try and explain to you what I thought went wrong with Just Push Play!

Now Don’t get me wrong here there’s a few tracks here I like and well let’s see as I dig into Steve and Joe’s stash….

BEYOND BEAUTIFUL- this is into the early 2000’s a new sounding AeroForce 1 headed into unchartered air space and for a opening number it’s pretty good. The guitars are sounding good kinda Zeppish and Tyler of course sounds good and this song i really dig!

JUST PUSH PLAY- Fuckin A…..hahaha….actually Steve nails out a pretty cool loudspeaker vibe about SUMTHIN to do,with smoking all the Gangja! I guess old habits are hard to,let go eh Steve? Seriously this is like hippy hop pity Aerosmith and I’m good with it I mean Ya gotta change with the times right? So give the boys there due, they were trying and well that’s what I say so Just Push Play!( sorry that was pathetic)! Bottom line this is a cratchy post 2000 Aerotune!

SUNSHINE- now when me and Tbone caught the Just Push Play tour that year(review a comin tomorrow) Aero was plugging this song and they played it live. It’s ok but when I think of later day Aero singles there are way better songs as singles  out there! (Livin On The Edge,Love In A Elevator,Eat The Rich for instance) ummm ok Angel was sap,Sunshine is better than Angel but uggggh.

JADED- yeah this was ok..somewhat catchy chrous but it’s Radio Aero 98.5 on your dial! Naaa not really for me….

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS- played this live on tour that me and Tbone seen…can’t even recall how it goes…

LIGHT INSIDE-Tom Hamiltons bass grumbles along on this song and the verses are excellent as is the guitar solos but the chorus is weak just kinda goofy and isn’t it usually the chorus that has the hook? I dunno but close call but man geez….

Well this is gonna be short and sweet …that’s it folks I can’t even go there with the other tracks as I haven’t listened to them in years and nor do I really want to……

IN CONCLUSION-   you quickly realize that Aerosmith still has to play the game and I really think that  the  Aerosap Armaggeddon soundtrack song(I refuse to type it) messed with there psychey and they needed to chase after another one of these deals(hit) to stay current and it’s like Steve and Joe were doing drugs in the musical sense of outside influences were messing with there stash!(songwriting style) Say what Ya want about Nine Lives(fuckin love that record) but it was more true to there sound but man where into the early 2,000s and Aerosmith go all Disney on our asses with that Armageddon soundtrack tune ( yeah I’m ragging!)and leave us the true hard core fan base going……WTF!

SONIC WAVES….Aerosmith/Night In Ruts

1979 and Aerosmith have hit the skids! The skids as in Joe Perry left during the recording of Night In The Ruts(Right In The Nuts) but he’s featured on the cover I guess so the record company could still sell Aero product. So finishing out the guitars Steve and the boys brought in Richie Supa(he the writer of T-bones all-time fav Aero tune Chip Away At The Stone) and by the time Aero has to make vids Jimmy Crespo is hired to play the guitar role of Joe Perry!

Got all that!?

For all intent purposes this album considering by what I read about it, Mess would be an understatement and a credit in them getting this out period. But considering they were all jacked on whatever vices they were using, they still nailed out some Gems!

Let My Writing Do The Babbling…..

NO SURPRISE- holy shit!! Are Ya kidding me?! Aero comes out guns a blazing, and this track is in my all-time top 10 Aero tunes! Tyler’s lyrics tell us the tale of Aero playing Max’s Kansas City Bar in NYC and that Clive Davis will make em stars! The guitars as in Joe Perry slips and slides all over his neck of his guitar on this! This song is a keeper folk, and Yep Perry did split, but he cowrote 5 Tracks on here and recorded EM and then was gone for good til 1984! But man considering how Messed up the Aero Xpress was this is a classic! Watch the video as it has Joe’s replacement Jimmy mimicking Joes Guitar rock god posing! Damn, I just love this tune!

NO CHIQUITA-wow this song drips with cool Aeroslop! The drums and guitars kick into gear and here comes some lazy ass sax that drives the song along and man I just love loosey-goosey Aero as opposed to Aero music being played by soccer moms spinning that Armageddon Song Sap in their minivans! Not Cool! But yeah Steve is off the rails here, and man it only tracks two! This song never gets talked about in the Aero catalog or for that matter this record! Well, friends at Arena Rock were here to bring Ya the classics!

REMEMBER (WALKING IN THE SAND) – is a cover from the 1960s as done by the Shangri Las! The Smith boys sleaze it out Aero style even with backing female singers doing the dooooo waaaahs in the background! Give Aerosmith credit they played this tune live in 1980, and it’s the second video I posted! Watch it, and you can see Tyler/Crespo/Whitford/Kramer and Hamilton rock it thru with Steve using his mic stand as a crutch more than anything! Great stuff that YouTube provides me with!

CHEESECAKE- another one of the Tyler/Perry combos coming at Ya and this one is total Aerosmith style boogie-woogie flu included(ha) this song shuffles with slimy Grimey Aerosleaze! It’s the way I like my Aero served thank you very much!

THREE MILE SMILE-this song reeks of Aero as well, and it’s the fourth Aero composition on here between Tyler/Perry and the song starts out with a really cool Aero groove. Just all-around great song! This one rocks and if you come across it …Crank it!

REEFER HEADED WOMAN-gentlemen readers of Arena Rock we all know women that have this title attached to Em right?! Hahaha…liars! Of course, you do and wouldn’t ya just know that Aerosmith does a song on an album titled Reefer, and it’s not even there own composition! This song is a little different from a groove! But Aerosmith make it there own!

BONE TO BONE(CONEY ISLAND WHITEFISH BOY)- is the last Tyler/Perry song until one of my other favs ( a lot of people disagree with me here)Done With Mirrors is released 6 years later! This one sounds like it’s a quick dash to the finish line like someone has to get out of the studio to go meet someone for something to help propel the evening’s studio time! Don’t know for sure..just saying!

THINK ABOUT IT- is a Yardbirds cover tune and Aero rocks this one out and once again make it sound there own, and that’s impressive to be that loaded and pull it off! Steve chirps ‘Take a while think about it!” Alrighty, Steve will do…..

MIA-Tyler writes a song named after his daughter and continues the tradition of putting a ballad on the end of the album! This is a good Aero ballad, not a great one but I wouldn’t tell Steve that! Haha…

IN CONCLUSION-Aerosmith is in shambles. Perry chips in with 5 tunes and bids adieu and Jimmy Crespo fills in and does an admirable job for Aerosmith. As I’m currently  reading Perrys autobiography Rocks  I got back into listening to these Perry fuelled albums and considering in his book he says there was ton of personal/band/ management issues going down at the time Aero digs deep and survives a total collapse and I tell Ya here’s a band in turmoil with I guess you could say that with 3 cover tunes out of 9 tracks toss on to say one more cover song by someone and your into Van Halen Diver Down territory but nope close call….for me though No Surprise and the other 4 Tyler/Perry compositions and a couple of pretty good cover versions saves this album..

 

Aeroforce 1 Ready For Takeoff!

What a great shot of Steve-o!

This is by request from Rugg and Darr…..

Aerosmith/Skid Row/March 24 1990/Winnipeg Arena

I was fortunate enough to catch Aero at the Skydome in Toronto three months earlier so when me and Tbone went to check out the Tragically Hip at our local University in early Feb 1990 there was add posted to the wall announcing a party bus tour to the Peg for the Aerosmith Pump tour!  After babbling like a idiot to TBone over the last couple of months in regards to the T.O show, once we seen the add it was a no brainer. So myself,TBone and T’s younger brothers Darr & Rugg were also on board the AeroExpress to the Peg!

So come show time and well here’s Skid Row again! This is my third time Seeing Skid Row in the span of under two years all on there debut album. They definitely had a good booking agent back than! Basically the crowd of 14,000 lapped em up! I mean they came out jacked and didn’t ease off the gas for there 40 minute set! They played basically the debut and from what  I remember basically stuck to it.

Now for the headliners…..

Aerosmith came out on there stage which for the Pump tour was them playing on a rooftop with each city there playing marked with the letters at the back of the stage. So at the back Winnipeg was spelt.

The boys came out to jacked up audio of a helicopter landing and before you know it Aero launches into Hearts Done Time and I still remember on top of the stage they had this little clubhouse right above Joey Kramers drums and boom the door kicks open and here comes Steve Tyler and the place went crazy.  1990 And Aero is on fire! From there it was into Same Old Song And Dance (already dipping into the back catalogue ) and a triple punch of Pump tracks F.I.N.E,Don’t Get Mad,Get Even and What it Takes.

Aerosmith in the early part of the show is playing for the late kids who come to the party in other words the ones who got on board during the MTV years. You know what I don’t mind cause Pump is a solid rock record one of there best so who am I to argue.

Brad Whitford plays a little blues and Permanent Vacation is played.( great song should be played more) and now the current single Janie’s Got A Gun is knocked out with some cool guitaring courtesy of Joe Perry during the solo as he rocks the acoustic!

Mama Kin is rocked and Tyler even sings it like I how I heard it on the Debut from 1973. The dude can sing man..still can…but back to the show and here comes Angel the big ballad from Permanent Vacation. Never really dug it for a Aero ballad as there are better Aero ballads out there. But like I said Aero is playing for the MTV generation.

So after Angel,Steve and Joe are out siting In front of the stage and they begin which I think is one very underrated Aero tracks Hangman Jury. This song reeks delta blues and man it goes over well so cool. Love the beginning of Voodoo Medicine Man and man Tyler is laying down some kinda Voodoo in the Peg!

So the spotlight turns to Joe Perry as the demon of screamin(Tyler) takes a breather  and Joe plays Hendrix’s Red House and man what a great version. Perry is cool…I’m not and well I’m ok with that!

Before you take a breath here comes Rag Doll and the place goes bonkers and man here it is one of my all time favs Draw The Line with a wee bit of jam with Jailhouse Rock in the middle before Tyler goes off the rails vocally.

Now a Aeroballad is played  which is a golden gem and that’s Dream On! What a great track! Love In A Elevator is rocked and the place is rocked by all the Aero guys! It’s evident that Aero knows what the crowd wants and that’s Aero MTV style. Dude Looks Like A Lady keeps the Aerohits going and the crowd just loves it and so do me and the brothers Erickson!

Sweet Emotion is cranked especially with the Perry feedback and Aero splits. What a band man. What a show. What a production! But wait here comes the one two punch of..

Train Kept A Rollin and Walk This Way….and Aero ends the night and our night is ended by  one of the biggest bands that had a second crack at success and made the most of it.