Everyone has a first favorite band, right? Well, mine was Aerosmith, no doubt about it. As a youngster of 10 or so, I was able to catch Aerosmith right in their heyday. Well, catch them as well as any 10 year old can be expected to.The first item that I ever purchased with money that I'd 'earned' on my own (albeit for bringing our family's garbage cans around back or something) was Toys in the Attic. I still have that vinyl copy, and it has an amazing amount of battlescars. The kind that only a 10/11 year old boy can inflict via hours of listening on a K-Mart record player. Not a stereo, a record player - the kind that you could close the lid on and pick it up and carry. 'cause it had a handle. Nice.
However as a seasoned and well tenured Aerosmith fan, I've always felt it was my duty to absolutely and unequivocally detest anything from their 'comeback' era - which (without much actual calculation) I would estimate to be much longer than their 'vintage' or 'glory days', and certainly much more profitable. Cryin'? Jamie's Got a Gun? Love in an Elevator? Not for me. I'll take Mama Kin, Back in the Saddle and Walk This Way, please.
But you know what? You can't begrudge them any of their later success. It would have seemed completely unjust if they'd gone away after the late 70's / early 80's flameout. A band with that much talent and charisma deserved much better. So while I was happy to see them achieve the success and adulation in the 1990's, I just couldn't listen to it. But everyone in deserves second chances in life, right? Just look at Michael Vick . . . . .
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I too have a pop'n'scratch vinyl copy of Toys in The Attic, although I never would have considered an acoustic version of this song. Great choice and well executed.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gary, I appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteHad never really considered an Aerosmith song for this, but Last Child had always been one of my favorites. Had it on Live Bootleg when I was a kid and was hooked.
If you actually listen to what they were doing in the 1990's in the context of the 90's you would realize how awesome their comeback was. How many bands that tore up the 70's could come back twenty years later, Rock it out, have popular fun GOOD videos and still sound like a Rock and Roll band? Remember, this was when hair bands and then the Seattle sound dominated, and yet there they were. I was impressed and cant think of two many second acts as impressive.
ReplyDeleteWow. That takes me back. I actually "took out" Toy's in the Attic from the library. I didn't get paid for taking out the garbage...but that might have been cuz I didn't do it. I could have bought the record with the money I paid in late fees. Nice choice.
ReplyDeleteSo Jeff...It's time. If we are going to go way back...Get up and get your grandma out of here. Do it.
~rob
Great idea to do this acoustic - I never would have thought of that either. The blues really feel comes across.
ReplyDeleteThese guys were so great in the '70s and I agree with Jeff on the comeback years - impresive that they found bigger success later in their career but everything from "Permanent Vacation" on is shitty. But - live these guys still kicked ass. I saw them twice - 1987 at Giants Stadium (GnR and Deep Purple opened) then years later at one of the Woodstocks - they rocked.
"No More No More" - great tune from I think "Toys". "Draw the Line" is still my favorite song...
Matt REyan
Louis,
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that there are very few second acts as impressive as Aerosmith (in fact, I can't think of any), that doesn't mean I have to like the music. Certainly not as much as the earlier stuff.
In fact, I'm not sure the band's sound even changed all that much; but the audience certainly did. Maybe that's more of what I reacted to back then. New music in the 90's seemed to have gotten a bit more raw and harder, and in context Aerosmith didn't seem as edgy anymore.
As you said, their comeback was the time of Nirvana, Soundgarden, Jane's Addiction etc, and that's where my head was at the time.
jeff.
Incendiary guitar playing on this track Jeff.
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