The MJ Show #21 (Aerosmith)
"The Bad Boys from Boston" are up today! I've always loved Aerosmith. Like a lot of bands from UK did in the late 60s-early 70s, the blues was the foundation on which Aerosmith built their empire. They had some incredible songs in their early albums and today I'll give you some of the oldies and some relatively new songs too as we go through the discography of one of the greatest rock n roll bands in music history.
Aerosmith is the best-selling American hard
They got together in 1969 when Steven Tyler, who was in a whole lotta not so successful bands met up with Joe Perry, who at that time was washing dishes at a restaurant and playing in a band with bassist Tom Hamilton. Soon after this the other members of the band, Joey Kramer and Ray Tabano joined the band. In 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford and since then other than a period from July 1979 to April 1984, the line-up of Tyler, Perry, Hamilton, Kramer, and Whitford has stayed the same.
The name "Aerosmith" was suggested by drummer Joey Kramer. The name had popped into his head after listening to Harry Nilsson’s album Aerial Ballet, an homage to Nilsson’s grandparents’ aerial circus act.
Oh yeah, another thing. Today, I think I'm going to give you only live versions of all their songs. A LOT more fun they are to see :)
Okay...here we go now!
Album #1 - Aerosmith (1973)
Their first album was a very blues influenced album.
There are two songs in this album that I LOVE!
"Dream On" was first released as a single in 1973 but when it became an American top ten single when re-released in 1976.
Here's an incredible live version of the song with Michael Kamen conducting the orchestra!
1st Song - Aerosmith - Dream On #TheMJshow
The second song from this album is a song that I love singing along with my band, The Works. It's a brilliant blues-rock song called "Mama Kin"!
The song was covered by Guns N' Roses in 1986 and released in the same year in their EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide. It was later re-released on their 1988 EP G N' R Lies. There's also a live bootleg version of Guns N' Roses performing the song along with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.
Guess what? :) I've got that live version for you!
2nd Song - Aerosmith & Guns n Roses - Mama Kin #TheMJshow
Also check out a cover of the song by my band, The Works :)
Album #2 - Get Your Wings (1974)
Get Your Wings is the second studio album by American
The album has been certified Triple Platinum by the RIAA.
The title of the album comes from it being the first appearance of the band's winged logo, which would go on to be modified and used on many of their later albums.
The first song from the album that I have for you is a song was built around a riff that Joe Perry came up with while sitting on his amp. Steven Tyler quickly came up with the lyrics. The song's lyrics are sung in sync with the main riff in the song. Additionally, the song is known for its upbeat rhythm and the dueling guitars by Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, along with interspersed horns.
3rd Song - Aerosmith - Same Old Song and Dance #TheMJshow
My next song is one of Steven Tyler's favorite Aerosmith songs.
4th Song - Aerosmith - Seasons Of Wither #TheMJshow
Album #3 - Toys in the Attic (1975)
The album is their second most commercially successful studio album, with eight million copies sold in the US alone.
This is one of their best albums for me.
I've got 3 songs from this album for you. Full fun songs! :)
The first song that I have for you is a song that in addition to being one of the songs that helped break Aerosmith into the mainstream in the 1970s, it also helped resurrect their career and revolutionized the new hybrid sub-musical genre of "rock and rap", or the molding of rock and hip hop music when it was covered by rappers Run-D.M.C. in 1986 on their album Raising Hell. It became an international hit and won both groups a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap - Single in 1987.
5th Song - Aerosmith & Run D.M.C - Walk This Way #TheMJshow
Another artist I LOVE who knows just how to mix rock and hip hop and a whole lot of other stuff really well is KID ROCK!!
Check this out! Hell yeah!! Youtube...I LOVE you! :D
The second song I have for you one of those songs that I know only Aerosmith could think of :) Totally naughty fun song:
6th Song - Aerosmith - Big Ten Inch Record #TheMJshow
And the third song from this album is another one of my favourites. Another song that my band, The Works, also covers.
The song began a string of pop hits and large-scale mainstream success for the band that would continue for the remainder of the 1970s. The song was written by lead singer Steven Tyler and bassist Tom Hamilton.
Ever since its inception, the song has been a live staple at Aerosmith concerts, and even to this day, the band almost never omits it from the setlist. Live, this song is Joe Perry's feature solo spot, of late complete with elaborate lights, smoke, theremin, and a variety of guitar tricks, as well as an extended guitar solo. The song is also a feature live spot for Tom Hamilton, as it is one of the more prominent Aerosmith songs featuring an opening bass solo. He often does an extended bass solo before the band goes into the song.
7th Song - Aerosmith & Kid Rock - Sweet Emotion #TheMJshow
Ok, you need to see the original video of the song as well :)
Album #4 - Rocks (1976)
This album has a song that I used to use very often to kick start my rock music radio shows. I love the raw energy of this song. Absolutely ass kicking!
8th Song - Aerosmith - Back In The Saddle #TheMJshow
Another awesome song from the album...this one starts off slow...but the moment you get into the song...it's rock n roll city!!
9th Song - Aerosmith - Last Child #TheMJshow
Album #5 - Draw the Line (1977)
At about the time of release Aerosmith were big band. They decided that the album cover will just have a caricature of the band with their name appearing nowhere on the cover! The portrait of the band was drawn by renowned celebrity caricaturist Al Hirschfeld.
First song from the album...is the title track!
10th Song - Aerosmith - Draw The Line #TheMJshow
And the second song is...
11th Song - Aerosmith - Kings And Queens #TheMJshow
Bonus Song: Aerosmith - Come Together (1978) #TheMJshow
Aerosmith performed one of the first and most successful cover versions of "Come Together". It was recorded in 1978 and appeared in the movie and on the soundtrack to the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, in which the band also appeared.
Here's the video from the film:
Album #6 - Night in the Ruts (1979)
Joe Perry left the band midway through the recording of the album.
About halfway through the recording of the album, due to mounting debt and the need for the band to generate an income, the record label and management set Aerosmith out on another tour without extra time to finish the album, which pushed the album to being released later in the year. Joe Perry left the band mid-way through the tour, after a violent feud involving the band members and their wives. Prior to his departure, Perry had completed guitar parts for "No Surprize", "Chiquita", "Cheesecake", "Bone to Bone (Coney Island Whitefish Boy)", and "Three Mile Smile". The guitar parts for the remaining songs were recorded by Brad Whitford, Richie Supa, Neil Thompson, and Jimmy Crespo (who later became Perry's official replacement from 1979 to 1984)
The song that I have for you from this album is a song featuring Perry's replacement Jimmy Crespo. Check it out...
12th Song - Aerosmith - Chiquita #TheMJshow
Album #7 - Rock in a Hard Place (1982)
Rock in a Hard Place is the seventh studio album by the band and it is the only Aerosmith album to not feature guitarist Joe Perry in any way.
Rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford also left the band during its recording in 1981.
Brad Whitford and Joe Perry were replaced by Rick Dufay and Jimmy Crespo in this album.
The song that I have for you from this album is:
13th Song - Aerosmith - Lightning Strikes #TheMJshow
Album #8 - Done with Mirrors(1985)
The release marked the return of Joe Perry, who'd left the group in 1979, and Brad Whitford, who'd left the band in 1981, to the fold. It was also the band's first album released by Geffen Records. It was intended as their "comeback" album, but it didn't live up to commercial expectations.
Frankly, everything from 1979-1985 wasn't all that good but it had a few ok songs.
The title is a double entendre, referring both to illusions that are "done with mirrors," as well as members of the band quitting their drug use (such as cocaine, which is traditionally snorted off of a mirror).
The song that I have for you from this was a new recording of the title track of the first album by The Joe Perry Project, with altered lyric and melody.
(The Joe Perry Project is an American
14th Song - Aerosmith - Let The Music Do The Talking #TheMJshow
Album #9 - Permanent Vacation (1987)
Though Done With Mirrors was intended to mark Aerosmith's comeback, Permanent Vacation is often considered their true comeback album, as it was the band's first truly popular album since their reunion.
This album marked a turning point in the band's career. It is their first album to employ professional songwriters, instead of featuring material solely composed by members of the band.
This album has one of my all time favourite Aerosmith songs.
The song was released as the final single from the album in 1988. It was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Jim Vallance, and Holly Knight.
15th Song - Aerosmith - Rag Doll #TheMJshow
Another song from the album I LOVED as a teen had a very intersting origin story :)
The story goes that the song was inspired by the glam look of the members of Mötley Crüe and their constant usage of the word "dude".
Steven Tyler says in the book Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith, "One day we met Mötley Crüe, and they're all going, 'Dude!' Dude this and Dude that, everything was Dude. 'Dude (Looks Like a Lady)' came out of that session."
16th Song - Aerosmith - Dude (Looks Like a Lady) #TheMJshow
My next song was written by Steven Tyler and professional songwriting collaborator Desmond Child. It was released in 1988 as the second single from the album. It quickly climbed to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, the second highest chart performance for any Aerosmith single.
I remember seeing a documentary where Steven Tyler said that he was worried when they came up with the song. He thought that their "heavier" fans wouldn't really dig the song. But after it was released he says he was really surprised to see these big burly biker guys coming up to him after shows telling him how they loved this song :)
Go figure eh! Even big tough guys have a heart eh :)
17th Song - Aerosmith - Angel #TheMJshow
Album #10 - Pump (1989)
This album had it all again! Great rockers and a ballad as well.
The album has certified sales of seven million copies in the U.S. to date. It produced a variety of successes and "firsts" for the band including their first Grammy award for "Janie's Got a Gun".
That incidentally is my first song from the album for you.
18th Song - Aerosmith - Janie's Got a Gun #TheMJshow
2nd song from the album is the song they put out as the 4th single from the album.
19th Song - Aerosmith - The Other Side #TheMJshow
3rd song is a song I really love as well.
It peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Internationally, it peaked at #13 on the UK Singles Chart and #33 in Australia.
Steven Tyler claims the songs lyrics were inspired by an experience he had at a hotel, in which he was making out with a girl in the elevator and they started having sex as the doors opened; "It felt like a lifetime waiting for those doors to close," quipped Tyler. Indeed one of the song's lines appears to directly relate to this experience: "Lovin' it up when I hit the ground." :)
Rock n Roll!! \m/
20th Song - Aerosmith - Love In An Elevator #TheMJshow
Album #11 - Get a Grip (1993)
This was the band's last studio album released by Geffen Records. Get a Grip contains five hit singles, four of which charted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, between 1993 and 1994: "Livin' on the Edge", "Eat the Rich", "Cryin'", "Amazing" and "Crazy".
The promotional videos for the three latter songs helped launch the careers of actress Alicia Silverstone and vocalist Steven Tyler's daughter Liv.
Get a Grip won the band two Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
And Don Henley (The Eagles) and Lenny Kravitz both sang as guest back up singers on this album! Don Henley sang on "Amazing" and Lenny Kravitz on "Line Up".
Get a Grip became Aerosmith's best-selling studio album worldwide, achieving sales of over 20 million copies, and is tied with Pump for their second best-selling album in the United States, selling over 7 million copies as of 1995. This also made it their third consecutive album with US sales of at least five million.
The band won two Grammy Awards for songs from this album in the category of Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: for "Livin' on the Edge" in 1994 and "Crazy" in 1995.
With this album I'm going to make an exception and give you some of the original videos instead of the live versions. They're too good to NOT be seen :D
The first single from the album reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, where it remained for nine weeks, making it Aerosmith's most successful single on that chart.
In the UK, the song peaked at #19 on the British pop chart in April 1993.
So yeah, my first song from this album is:
21st Song - Aerosmith - Livin' On The Edge #TheMJshow
The second single from the album also did really well.
I LOVE the riff in this song!
Here it is:
22nd Song - Aerosmith - Eat The Rich #TheMJshow
And now...official video time. :)
My 3rd song for you from the album is the first song featuring hottie Alicia Silverstone!
The song can be credited also as the song that really broke Get a Grip into the mainstream. The song had a long chart-life, spending 20 weeks in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 (the most for any Aerosmith single). It peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart (where it remained for six weeks), and #17 in the UK.
23rd Song - Aerosmith - Cryin' #TheMJshow
My 4th song from the album is the second song featuring Alicia Silverstone!
It peaked at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 on New Year's Day, 1994. It peaked at #3 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and #57 in the UK.
24th Song - Aerosmith - Amazing #TheMJshow
My fifth song from the album is probably one of my top 50 rock songs of all time!
It was released as a single in 1994 and peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and #3 in Canada. In the United Kingdom, "Crazy" was released as a Double-A side with "Blind Man", which reached #23.
It featured the third appearance of Alicia Silverstone in the band's videos, as well as the career debut of Steven's then-teenaged daughter Liv Tyler.
25th Song - Aerosmith - Crazy #TheMJshow
Album #12 - Nine Lives (1997)
The album was produced by Aerosmith and Kevin Shirley, and was the band's first studio album released by Columbia Records since 1982's Rock in a Hard Place. It peaked at #1 at the Billboard Charts.
The first song I have for you was released as the first major single from Nine Lives in 1997.
26th Song - Aerosmith - Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees) #TheMJshow
The second song I have for you the second major single from the album.
The song reached #51 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, #29 in the United Kingdom, and #4 in Latvia.
It's a brilliant ballad by the band. Here's the original video for the song.
Have a look:
27th Song - Aerosmith - Hole In My Soul #TheMJshow
Another original video coming your way. Why? This needs to be seen! :) That's why!
It was written by Steven Tyler and professional songwriters Richie Supa and Glen Ballard. It was released as the third major single from the album.
The song won the band their fourth and most recent Grammy award in 1999, for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
Additionally, the video won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video in 1998.
28th Song - Aerosmith - Pink #TheMJshow
Album #13 - Just Push Play (2001)
The album's first single, "Jaded", became a major Top 10 hit in the U.S. and around the world. As a result, Just Push Play was certified platinum within a month of its release.
It featured the uber cute actress Mila Kunis (remeber Jackie Burkhart from The 70s show)!
Here it is!
29th Song - Aerosmith - Jaded #TheMJshow
Another song from the album I liked was "Fly Away From Here". Really nice song.
30th Song - Aerosmith - Fly Away From Here #TheMJshow
Album #14 - Honkin' on Bobo (2004)
The album includes eleven covers and one original track titled "The Grind".
It showcases their bluesy influences and the sound was very reminiscent of their old school 70s sound rather than the modern slick sound they had in their last few albums.
By the way did you know...in keeping with much of the sexual slang and innuendo Steven Tyler incorporates into his lyrics, the term 'Honking On Bobo' is a euphemism for oral sex.
Here's the only original track from the album.
31st Song - Aerosmith - The Grind #TheMJshow
Bonus Track: Aerosmith - Helter Skelter #TheMJshow
They do a mean cover of this Beatles sond don't they? :)
Right then! How about that! :)
Okay, if you've got nothing else by them...there's one album you HAVE TO go out and buy.
That's the show ladies and gents... :)
"This is your Musicman Mihir...take care and...good night."
