Almost all the heavy-hitters are hauled out for The Essential Aerosmith, from "Mama Kin" to "Jaded," and including both versions of "Walk This Way." Some of the songs are presented in a remixed form – "Draw the Line," "Pink," "Just Push Play" – but all of the new mixes are good, possibly even improvements, and the newer song, "Girls of Summer," is strong (its companion, "Lay It Down," isn't as noteworthy). So, all the parts are in place – why doesn't it feel definitive, then? After all, there are no big songs or hits missing (apart from the cover of "Come Together," which isn't much of a loss), just fan favorites and album tracks like "Lick and a Promise," and "Chip Away the Stone".
In retrospect, it's a bit shocking how fully formed the signature Aerosmith sound was on their self-titled 1973 debut – which may not be the same thing as best-executed, because this album still sounds like a first album, complete with the typical stumbles and haziness that comes with a debut. Despite all this, Aerosmith clearly showcases all the attributes of the band that would become the defining American hard rock band of the '70s. Here, the Stones influences are readily apparent, from the Jagger-esque phrasing of Steven Tyler to the group's high-octane boogie, but the group displays little of the Stones' deep love of blues here.
Aerosmith Rocks Donington 2014 is much more than just a great gig. It is a lasting document of the powerful and explosive bond that these five men - Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer - have made with each other and with fans of rock 'n' roll everywhere…
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "the Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop rock, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many subsequent rock artists…
Aerosmith greatest-hits compilations can be sorted into three categories: ones that compile the band's 1970s prime with Columbia Records (of which Greatest Hits [1980] and Gems [1988] are the benchmarks, especially the former); ones that compile the band's subsequent run with Geffen Records (Big Ones [1994]); and ones that ostensibly span both eras via cross-licensing (O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits [2002]). Devil's Got a New Disguise falls into the final category, as it spans Aerosmith's entire career to date, from "Dream On" and "Mama Kin" (from the band's 1973 eponymous debut) to a pair of new studio recordings ("Sedona Sunrise" and "Devil's Got a New Disguise")…
A year after the 2004 live DVD You Gotta Move, Aerosmith unleashes another live release with Rockin' the Joint. This 11-track album was recorded live on January 11, 2002 at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino as the quintet was pushing their 2001 album Just Push Play…
Aerosmith's 1991 three-CD box set Pandora's Box has just about everything you could possibly want: hits, demos, rarities, live material, key album tracks, and a booklet packed with classic photos, a bio, and the bandmembers' remembrances of all the tracks…
The 1995 Pandora's Toys is a bit of a curious comp. Appearing four years after the box set Pandora's Box, this single disc cherry-picks 12 highlights from that three-disc box – but instead of pulling oddities and rarities from those three discs, this has the big big hits that everybody knows ("Sweet Emotion," "Dream On," "Walk This Way," "Mama Kin") balanced with radio hits that remained staples into the mid-'90s ("Draw the Line," "Seasons of Wither") with just a couple minor alternate takes, like a live "Big Ten Inch Record" and an alternate "Chip Away the Stone," for good measure…