Aerosmith Albums (17)
What The Critics Say
Aerosmith prove that a band can be inspired by the blues and play the blues without ever feeling like a blues band. Then again, the nature of the blues is that every musician who plays it stamps his or her own identity on a set of familiar chord changes and songs. While it might not feel like the blues, Aerosmith do indeed stamp their identity on each track on their long-promised blues album, the atrociously named Honkin' on Bobo. Other rockers who have cut full-length blues albums have always played the music with a kind of scholarly reverence, taking care to pay tribute to their influences. Not Aerosmith. They turn up the amps and cut loose, playing slick and sleazy blooze-rock that feels indebted to second-generation blues-rock instead of blues forefathers. But that's the nature of the band. Surely, they loved Chess and country blues as much as they loved the Stones, but they are so thoroughly the children of Mick and Keith, they can't help but sound like a rock & roll band no matter what they do, no matter what they play. That might mean that Honkin' on Bobo is something that could be close to anathema to blues purists, since it's a rock album pure and simple, but chances are the bandmembers don't care, since they're just here to have a good time playing songs they love. Besides, the song selection proves they're no purists. There are some warhorses with "Road Runner," "Baby, Please Don't Go," "I'm Ready," and "Eyesight to the Blind," but there's also a heavy dose of Fred McDowell, a Fleetwood Mac tune, a little-known Little Walter song, an obscure song from the obscure band Freedom, a Smiley Lewis number, and one casual original. While the warhorses are predictable, the rest is not, and the album itself is a bit of a surprise, too. Every indication, from the awful title and silly album art to the notion that the band was going back to its roots, suggests that this is going to be an embarrassment from a band that has been no stranger to embarrassment during the '90s. Instead, it's the best flat-out rock album Aerosmith have made in ages, ever since Joe Perry rejoined the band for Done With Mirrors. Re-teaming with producer Jack Douglas, who helmed all their greatest albums in the '70s, Aerosmith sound reinvigorated, even liberated from the need to have a hit power ballad, and they tear through these 12 songs with an energy they seemed to lose sometime after Pump. Sure, they can still be tasteless and ridiculous, whether in Steven Tyler's vocal affectations or in the band's oversized riffs, but again, that's the nature of the band -- no other band does sleaze better. When they do it well, it can be irresistible rock & roll, and it's been a long, long time since they've sounded as good as they do here. Despite that awful title, Honkin' on Bobo is a real surprise and a real return to form for Aerosmith. (Special thanks to legendary pianist Johnnie Johnson, who plays on a couple of cuts here and lends the band just a little genuine blues grit.) ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Give Aerosmith credit for not only realizing something was wrong after Nine Lives relatively flat-lined, but deciding to do something about it. Ditching the outside producers who initially liberated but eventually straitjacketed them, Steve Tyler and Joe Perry seized control of the boards, working with the assistance of Mark Hudson and Marti Frederiksen. (Forever the Stones fanatics, Tyler and Perry dubbed this crew the Boneyard Boys, just like how Mick-n-Keef are the Glimmer Twins.) So, this isn't really a full-fledged band affair and Hudson and Frederiksen's fingerprints are all over the place, but that doesn't matter since the end result is tighter, savvier, and better than anything since Pump. It's still far from perfect, however, since it suffers from a surfeit of memorable material, and the group members' steadfast refusal to act their age results in a couple of embarrassing slips into stodginess (the "f*ckin' A" chorus on the title track, a song improbably titled "Trip Hoppin'," or the ludicrous "Avant Garden"). These mean that the record doesn't come close to matching the twin comebacks of Permanent Vacation and Pump, but it's a sleek, classicist hard rock record that sounds good -- better than Aerosmith has sounded in nearly a decade, as a matter of fact, particularly when the group gets a hook as tuneful as that of "Jaded." Aerosmith sounds good enough on Just Push Play that it almost makes you forgive the Heavy Metal refugee on the front cover, a sexy robot illustration that looks far more out of date than the music sounds. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'A Little South of Sanity'
Release Date 10/20/1998
Tracks 23
Label Geffen
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Aerosmith signed with Columbia early in the '90s, before their contract with Geffen expired and while they were riding high on the success of Permanent Vacation and Pump. Part of the negotiations ensured that the band would deliver one more studio album (Get a Grip) and a hits album (Big Ones) for Geffen; they could then release a studio album for Columbia (Nine Lives), and then, to complete their Geffen obligations, they'd assemble a live album. Culled from tapes recorded during the Get a Grip and Nine Lives tours, the double-disc A Little South of Sanity is that live album. Considering its origins, the record couldn't help but feel a little like the contractual obligation it is, but it's to Aerosmith's credit that it doesn't sound tired...Aerosmith have developed into world-class showmen, which is why A Little South of Sanity will be an entertaining romp for longtime fans -- they're likely not to be disappointed by the slickness, in both performance and sound, that runs throughout the record, nor will they be dismayed by the predictable song selection, because that's all part of the show. More discriminating listeners will likely cite these two criticisms as proof that Aerosmith is past their prime, and they may well be right. But A Little South of Sanity isn't for them, it's for the fans, and they'll likely enjoy the spectacle... ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Most would say Nine Lives, the clever title of the first Aerosmith album in four years, is an understatement -- this band has been through so much trouble it's quite surprising that this album was even released at all. Originally titled Vindaloo and set for a July 1996 release date, the album was pushed back time and time again after the band failed to meet Columbia Records' standards. Kevin Shirley replaced Glen Ballard in the producer's seat, and the band re-recorded every song until the album was as perfect as it could get. Well, frankly, it is. When the title track begins with the sounds of meowing mixed in with Steven Tyler's well-known screams, it is so shocking that the listener might suddenly turn it off. Be warned -- what follows is an album that fills the ears with such good rock they almost bleed. While the album may have more ballads than the average Aero recording, all the tunes are extremely catchy and will be in the listener's head for days to come. When the album was first released in March 1997, many fans heard the first single, "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)," off the radio or MTV. For those who have heard it, they should know that the rest of the album is quite similar. Instead of the usual hard-rocking music that the band has produced on their last two albums, the album returns to the classic '70s sound Aerosmith remarkably retains, combined with the blues style of their 1987 release, Permanent Vacation. Of course, don't forget the clever lyrics, now an Aerosmith trademark, combined with the great guitar riffs. Quite simply, Nine Lives is the best album Aerosmith released since 1976's Rocks. ~ Barry Weber, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Coming on the heels of the commercially and artistically successful Pump, the fitfully entertaining Get a Grip doesn't match its predecessor's musical diversity, but it's not for lack of trying. In fact, Aerosmith try too hard, making a stab at social commentary ("Livin' on the Edge") while keeping adolescent fans in their corner with their trademark raunch-rock ("Get a Grip" and "Eat the Rich"), as well as having radio-ready hit ballads ("Cryin'," "Amazing," and "Crazy"). It might be a studied performance, but since the album sounds good, many listeners will be willing to overlook those flaws and simply enjoy the ride. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Where Permanent Vacation seemed a little overwhelmed by its pop concessions, Pump revels in them without ever losing sight of Aerosmith's dirty hard rock core. Which doesn't mean the record is a sellout -- "What It Takes" has more emotion and grit than any of their other power ballads; "Janie's Got a Gun" tackles more complex territory than most previous songs; and "The Other Side" and "Love in an Elevator" rock relentlessly, no matter how many horns and synths fight with the guitars. Such ambition and successful musical eclecticism make Pump rank with Rocks and Toys in the Attic. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The much-ballyhooed reunion of the original Aerosmith lineup had pretty much fallen flat on its face after 1985's hit-and-miss Done With Mirrors. Realizing that the band simply couldn't do it alone, A&R guru John Kalodner capitalized on the runaway success of Run-D.M.C.'s cover of "Walk This Way" and decided to draft in the day's top hired hands, including knob-twiddler extraordinaire Bruce Fairbairn and career-revitalizing song doctors Desmond Child and Jim Vallance. Together, they would help craft Permanent Vacation, the album which would reinvent Aerosmith as '80s and '90s superstars. Yet, despite the mostly stellar songwriting, which makes it a strong effort overall, some of the album's nooks and crannies haven't aged all that well because of Fairbairn's overwrought production, featuring an exaggerated sleekness typical of most mid-'80s pop-metal albums. Furthermore, Desmond Child's pedantic writing often compromises the timeliness of even the best material. On the other hand, pre-fab radio gems like "Rag Doll" and "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" remain largely unassailable from a "delivering the goods" perspective. But remember kids, this is Aerosmith, so that can only mean one thing: a guaranteed number of incredible tracks for any time and place. These include the earthy voodoo blues of "St. John" and the excellent hobo-harmonica fable of "Hangman Jury." And, although some of the remaining cuts lean to the filler side, both the awkwardly Caribbean title track and the cover of the Beatles' "I'm Down" are well executed. Finally, the crowd-pleasing schmaltz of "Angel" showcases the band at the peak of its power ballad cheese. A valiant effort, this album proved to be the crucial catalyst in reintroducing Aerosmith to the masses, but if you're looking for an even better example of the band's renewed strength, check out Pump first. ~ John Franck & Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Joe Perry returned to the fold in 1985, and Aerosmith turned out their finest record since Rocks. Unlike the records that preceded it, Done with Mirrors is powered by the same smart-assed lyrics and filthy guitars that formed the core of Aerosmith's best songs. It didn't receive the commercial or critical attention that Permanent Vacation did two years later, but Done With Mirrors is the better album; it marks the beginning of their remarkable comeback. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Rock in a Hard Place'
Release Date 1/1/1982
Tracks 10
Label Columbia
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Rock in a Hard Place is the sound of Aerosmith at their most "out of it." Not to say it's a horrible album by any means -- in fact, there are more than a few pleasant surprises -- but without the guitar team of Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, it didn't possess the magical chemistry of their '70s classics. Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay filled in for the departed duo, and it turned out to be the group's most studio-enhanced and experimental record up to this point. To keep up with the then-current musical climate, vocoders and synthesizers can be subtly detected, as heard on the space-age "Prelude to Joanie" and in the beginning to the otherwise tough rocker "Lightning Strikes," which served as the album's lone single/video. "Jailbait," "Bitch's Brew," "Bolivian Ragamuffin," and the title track showed the band could still rock out despite their three-year layoff between albums, a cover of "Cry Me a River" showed their gentle side, while the psychedelicized "Joanie's Butterfly" was the album's surprise highlight. But it didn't take an expert to know that Aerosmith was not the same after the loss of the aforementioned members. And so did the band, who welcomed Perry and Whitford back into its ranks two years after Rock in a Hard Place. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
