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ROCK 'N ROLL BIOGRAPHY
AEROSMITH
Formed: 1970 in New Hampshire, USA
Years Active: 1970 to present.
Group's Main Members: Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford,
Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer
When Aerosmith blew out of Boston in the early 70s, lead lips Steven Tyler
and guitar-slinger Joe Perry drew unfavorable comparisons to the "Glimmer Twins"
of the Rolling Stones. But constant, impartial touring and their third record, the
incomparable Toys in the Attic, catapulted the quintet into the pantheon of
classic rock ensembles. Throwing off immortal sparks like "Sweet Emotion" and
"Back in the Saddle," Aerosmith soon ruled the stages, airwaves and stereos of
the States. But, life began to merge with art, and the Beantown boys’ priority was
scoring and soaring, as they sleepwalked through the dizzying heights they strove so hard
to reach. Yet each Aero release has its merits: "Dream On" and "Mama Kin
(Steven’s tattoo)" off the ’73 self-titled debut are each on par with any
rock standard. "SOS," from their second Get Your Wings (74), is a tight
dirt-ball that many have tried to emulate, but only Aerosmith can deliver. "Seasons
of Wither (quoted by Motley Crue in ‘Shout at the Devil’)" shows the
surprising depth of introspection behind the band’s superior playing. The
aforementioned Toys (75) and its follow-up Rocks (76) are finely-cut
documents of hard-rock: Toys features the funky standard "Walk This Way," as
well as the career summarizing "No More No More" and the immaculate "You
See Me Cry." Rocks contains the jerky "Last Child (quoted by Motley Crue in
"Too Young to Fall in Love")," along with the decadent
"Combination," and the shimmering "Sick as a Dog." Aerosmith was
flying high as the greatest American band. But substance began taking over with the
obviously titled Draw the Line (77), a vicious blooze-fest with chunks of
greatness ( "Hand That Feeds") and a dangerously wasted vibe. The kegger Live
Bootleg (78) followed before Night in the Ruts (79), which also seemed aptly
titled; but though the band was losing to their lifestyles they still delivered the
long-playing goods, with "Bone to Bone" standing as one of their best. Joe and
rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford went their own way as Steven, bassman Brad Hamilton and
drummer Joey Kramer soldiered on three years and two new members later with the
fascinating oddity Rock in a Hard Place (82). All original members gathered for Done
with Mirrors (85), a satisfying return to form. But although they never released a
bad record, Aerosmith now teetered on the brink of irrelevance, nearly top-sided by the
plethora of dirty party bands they inspired. Change came in the mid 80s with a different
producer, new management and outside songwriters as the band beat their demons. But when
the smoke cleared, Aerosmith was a sleek commercial commodity, still capable of sublime
moments, but rarely reaching the standard of their first nine records, each a vital
addition to any collection of boss rock.
- STONEMAN (aka Doug Stone), 2001
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