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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