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!
https://superdekes.wordpress.com/2014/09/08/sonic-waves-aerosmithdone-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 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 ….

 

 

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!