aerosmith

#1196: When the Lightning Strikes

RECORD STORE TALES #1196: When the Lightning Strikes

Friday night, and we were off to the races.  I live for the weekend, and so Friday June 27 was set to be another one for the history books.  Fridays are a shorter day at work.  We get to go home at 4:00 PM instead of 4:30 which can make a significant difference when it comes to traffic.  Jen had bought a couple decent steaks at a cheap price, so that was the planned dinner.  Steak is always something to look forward to, even when cooked at home in a cast iron frying pan.  (The grill at the cottage is always preferred.)  On top of this, I had the night “off” from doing shows.  The evening’s episode of Grab A Stack of Rock was a fun re-run featuring my good pal Aaron along with Harrison Kopp and Jex Russell.  All I had to do was watch and comment along.  A low pressure evening.

In more ways than one…

A minor seizure derailed Jen, but only for an hour and a half.  She recovered after a quick nap.  We’d have to do dinner after the show, instead of before.  No big deal.  The electricity in her synapses doesn’t always play nice, but she’s definitely doing much better than she was doing only two or three years ago.  New medications have made a difference.

The skies were darker than usual for a summer night in June.  According to the radar, a storm was rolling in.  It had already hit the shores of Lake Huron a couple hours earlier, as my dad told me.

“The power went out a couple times,” he told me.  “The neighbours came over for a visit and they had to stay and wait out the storm, they couldn’t go home.”

Me personally, I never let a little rain get in the way of me leaving a social engagement early, but that’s just me.

“It’ll be coming your way soon,” warned my dad.  I love a good rainstorm.  The harder the better.  A low pressure zone was churning up some thunder and lightning.  It should be a good one.  The rumble of distant thunder could be heard.

Jen made a couple pretty good steaks with enough left over for breakfast the next day.  We settled in for an evening.  I was watching classic Doctor Who on Tubi.  I chose the high-strung Second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, because I like his Scottish sidekick Jamie.  I usually watch Doctor Who on my laptop with my headphones, while Jen watches sports on TV.  The lights flickered as a power surge hit, followed by a roar of thunder outside.

“Here it comes,” I enthused.  The power went out twice total, knocking out the cable, but not Doctor Who.  The episode was ending and I removed my headphones.

“Wow is that the rain?” I asked, as I heard the pounding on the windows.  “Good storm!”

But there was another sound.  I thought I heard loud dripping, inside.  I went to check around the front windows, which were soaking wet and dripping all over.

“Holy shit, there’s water coming in through the windows!” I yelled.  I could see it dripping in through the top of the window sill.  This is actually not as big a deal as it sounds, as the windows are all being replaced in a few weeks.  The building itself it currently stripped of its outer siding, as it is being re-finished with a new exterior this summer.  It’s no surprise that a storm of that power could drive water right through the walls with no siding.  Any leaks will be gone along with the old windows soon.  So I was not concerned.  I just wanted to stop the water from coming in and dripping all over my stuff.

“Do you want a couple towels?” asked Jen.

“Yeah!  Great idea!” I said as I moved stuff away from the wall, out of the drip.  There was a lot of water on the window sill, but a couple towels would stop the drip.

I carefully placed the towels along the entire length of the window sill.  They thirstily soaked up water, very quickly, indicating the amount of liquid that we were dealing with.  My fingers were wet as I pushed the towels into the corners of the window sill.

BANG!

Just like that – like a loud fireworks exploding in my face – lightning struck just outside.

Shocked, I jumped and yelled “WOAH!  WHAT WAS THAT?”  It was a completely different kind of sound from lightning that I’m used it.  More a loud pop; like an explosion.  Less a bright flash of light, but more a dark flash of black!  And my fingers were deep in the water when it hit.  They tingled afterwards for hours; almost a day.  My head burst with a headache right at the pointy top of my skull.  I have no doubt that I received a mild electrical shock.

I’m going to tell people that I was hit by lightning.  Why not?  That’s where the electricity came from.  It conducted through the water in the ground into my fingers.  We live in a basement apartment and the window is at ground level.  That’s how I got shocked.  It was mild, yes – but I’m going to use it as a boast anyway.

I felt really crappy all night.  I didn’t sleep well.  I did, however, test something myself.

Lying in bed, I stretched my arms up towards the ceiling fan.  Stretching out my fingers, and using only the power of my mind, I made an effort to move the fan with my new electricity-based superpowers.  Failing that, I tried to make the lightbulbs explode.  That didn’t work either, so in a last ditch effort, I attempted to levitate myself out of bed.

Nothing.

I sighed and slumped back into a restless night, dreaming of flying over the landscape using my new superpowers, and zapping people I don’t like with lightning.  But no superpowers manifested.  I was ripped off!

The rain pattered on and off through the night, but no more water leaked in.  Soon there will be new windows through which no water shall leak.  Lightning seldom strikes the same place twice, and very few people are hit more than once, so I hope my dance with Lady Electric is over.  One of my fingers still tingles a bit.  My chance at being a superhero has passed me by, but I’m still here to write the tale.

 

REVIEW: Aerosmith – “F.I.N.E.” (AOR Mix) (1989 Promo)

Thanks to Ash Geisler for this CD!  It is a welcome addition to my collection!

AEROSMITH – “F.I.N.E.” (AOR Mix) (1989 Geffen Promo PRO-CD-3806)

“AOR” equals “Album Oriented Rock”, a radio format established in the 1960s that essentially means “classic rock” by today’s standards.  Therefore, this Aerosmith single would be a remix aimed specifically at those kinds of radio stations.  Frequently and historically, many of these remixes are barely different at all from the album version.  Additionally, “F.I.N.E.” from 1989’s Pump album was not really considered a single.  It wasn’t available to buy commercially, and it wasn’t made into a music video.  It was a radio single only.  At 4:08, this track is not edited.

“F.I.N.E.”, which was track 2 on the album, is considered one of Aerosmith finer rock moments from the Geffen years.  It was always focused on a biting heavy Aero groove, a melodic Tyler vocal, and that irresistible chorus of “It’s aaaaaaaalright!”  This remix is hardly different at all.  If anything, the bass might be coming through more clearly.

If you have a look at the waveform file below, you can see there isn’t much difference, though some are visible.  The AOR mix is at top, the original 1989 CD file at bottom.

I don’t feel there’s any point in rating a promo CD single like on a scale of 5, because what’s the point?  This CD is valuable as a collectible to fans and hoarders alike.  It has an exclusive remix, and whether you can hear a difference isn’t the point to a collector.   Sometimes obscure AOR mixes get reissued on greatest hits or box sets, but to date, this one has not.

“Joe Perry says I’m aaaaallright!”

Thanks again to Ash from Australia for sending me this CD which I shall file with my Pump collection!

Tim’s Vinyl Confessions Ep. 553: Salute to AEROSMITH! TOP 5 Albums from the Bad Boys of Boston [VIDEO]

Today August 26 at 3:00 PM EST!

 

Aerosmith have called it a day, at least insofar as playing live is concerned.  While we know a series of reissues is coming, it is likely that Aerosmith are done as an active band.  I never got to see them live, but at least I did get to participate in this great Top Five album ranking with Tim, Jex and Will!  (The same team that did a “least favourite Kiss list last year.)

The task was simple:  Pick our top five Aerosmith albums, and two runners-up.  This time, Jex didn’t go wild and pick, like, Just Push Play as his #1.  In fact we think these lists were pretty rock solid!  Some lesser-appreciated albums were given love, and the “big ones” were well represented.  Studio only, no live or compilations.

Please enjoy this show as much as we enjoyed making it.

#1147: Dream On (At The Cottage) Goodbye to Aerosmith

RECORD STORE TALES #1147: Dream On (At The Cottage)

“Aww, crap!” I explained upon arrival at the lake on Friday night.  “I forgot my drone!”

I should have known.  When we packed the car, I said “I’m surprised everything fit so easily.  I thought we had more stuff.”  Because we did have more stuff!  Sitting in a box in the living room…

Drone photography has been the highlight of the summer this year.  Now we’d have to rough it!  Back to regular earthbound cameras for us.

As it stands, without the drone we didn’t do much photography this time.  Last week’s video was so epic, there really wasn’t a need for it this time.  There were plenty of other activities on hand.  For the most part, we focused on music.

Twisted Sister, Kiss and Alice Cooper…all were interrupted by the news that Aerosmith had called it a day for touring.  Cutting short their 50th anniversary farewell tour, the Bad Boys from Boston have been forced to end it due to Steven Tyler’s insurmountable vocal issues.  It’s over – the man can no long sing live.  It felt right to put on the debut Aerosmith album and listen to the beginning again.  It was a bittersweet, but important album to listen to that night.  I’m sure everyone did their own tributes to Tyler that day, but mine was the only one with lake breezes and sunsets.

Come dinner time, and with a fresh tank of propane, I put on the best burgers of my life.  If you bought these burgers in an upscale restaurant, you’d be paying $20 each.  My secret ingredients included thick cut bacon, chopped and added to the mix, as well as minced mushroom, minced onion, and roasted (not raw) garlic. I don’t think these burgers can be topped.

We also bought a beautiful T-Bone and Porterhouse steak for Sunday night, but Saturday night’s dinner had gone bad.  Some wretched pork chops from Farm Boy (in Kitchener) had spoiled, so what do we eat?  Unprepared for this moment, we ordered in Domino’s Pizza, and they delivered right to the front door.  Also delivered right to the porch was a cool set of Lego Speed Champions, which kept me busy in the absence of a drone show.  Ah, the modern conveniences of life.

It’s funny how few people seem to understand how cool it is getting deliveries to the front door.  “I prefer to buy it myself at the store, it is close by.”  Well, for 50 years, there was no such nearby convenience here as “record stores” or “toys stores” or “pizza delivery”.  This is all new to us.

We hope that Steven Tyler is able to enjoy a relaxing retirement, just as pleasant as our weekend at the lake.

 

 

 

#1089: The Introvert Goes Out! (To Encore!)

“One does not simply walk into Encore. The back door is guarded by more than just books.  There is music there that does not sleep, and the big speakers are ever playing. It is a rich treasure trove, riddled with finds, and vinyl and accessories; the very air you breathe is bathed in music!”

RECORD STORE TALES #1089: The Introvert Goes Out! (To Encore!)

I have so much music in the house, still sealed, unplayed, that you could argue I never need to go to a record store again.

Some of that sealed music came from Encore, during the pandemic, by mail order.  I have two unopened John Norum Rock Candy remasters.

The reality of it is, I’m in an introvert who prefers staying home and ordering online, so I have to be in the right mood to go out, even record shopping.  However, one of my mental health goals this winter is to get out more, and Encore Records is an obvious easy choice.  Thanksgiving Sunday was cold, wet and winter-like, so we bundled up and drove to a deserted downtown Kitchener.  Encore’s rear parking lot was empty.

Jen found the stairs challenging, but front or back, Encore has stairs.  The challenge was met and we were greeted by old friend Al King, still slinging vinyl in downtown Kitchener, over three decades after I bought my early scores from him at Sam the Record Man.

There were plenty of new releases to decide upon, but I immediately chose the new Darkness Permission To Land…Again 20th anniversary box set.  20 years?  Can it be?  It has been 20 years since those bastards at the Record Store killed my soul.  The Darkness was one of the few bands that got me through that era of my life.  We talked about this with Al a bit.  There was a bit of a one-sided rivalry with Encore and the Record Store at which I used to work, back in the early 2000s.  One of our employees (that I trained on buying) left us and went to them.  My understanding is that a phone call was made, a tale that they still tell today….

Anyway, the Darkness 4 CD / 1 DVD box set has all the bonus tracks, demos, B-sides, single edits, and three live gigs (on two live CDs).  Very thorough.  It also has all the music videos, and even the 2004 remake “Get Your Hands Off My Woman…Again” which really falls into the One Way Ticket era better.

Even when I worked at the Store, there was always more at Encore that I wanted to buy.  They just got better stuff.  Prove me wrong.  I began to browse…

Even though this was a quick impromptu visit to pick up a new release or two, I ended up spending $200.

On the new release rack:  King Kobra – We Are Warriors!  Check out this lineup:  Carmine Appice and Johnny Rod, original members of the band, on drums and bass.  Paul Shortino of Quiet Riot and Rough Cutt on lead vocals, and still sounding strong!  Carlos Cavazo of Quiet Riot and Ratt on guitar!  Rowan Robertson of Dio on guitar!  That’s a lineup with some pedigree folks.  The album sounds good.  It rocks hard and it’s heavy.  The best song is the “bonus track” called “Side By Side”.  Just classic all around.

Also on the Encore front rack was the new Coney Hatch, Postcards From Germany.  Amazon fails again:  I cancelled my “pre-order” (now weeks late) right in front of Al and bought a copy from him instead.  It will be cool to hear their first new studio tracks since the Four album all those years back.  Not to mention there are songs on this live album that were not played at the El Mocambo for that prior live release.

One does not simply walk into Encore. The back door is guarded by more than just books.  There is music there that does not sleep, and the big speakers are ever playing. It is a rich treasure trove, riddled with finds, and vinyl and accessories; the very air you breathe is bathed in music!  Al was playing some Gentle Giant that really ticked my fancy.  That is a band I will need to investigate further down the road.  I found the musicianship challenging and strangely appealing.

I didn’t buy anything on vinyl, though Encore had a good chunk of the Kiss studio albums that I still need to add to my vinyl collection.  Vinyl is so expensive these days.  $36 for albums I used to buy for $10.  Especially considering I’m not going to play the record very often, and I already have the music many times over.  However, when I want them, Animalize, Asylum, Rock and Roll Over and the self-titled debut are all awaiting me.  There were also quite a few in the Arkells vinyl section that called my name.

The used CDs offered many temptations.  I could have filled up on Saga.  Frank Zappa beckoned me over, but I started in the A section and made my first questionable buy.  Why, after 25 years, am I finally buying Aerosmith’s Geffen-centric live album A Little South of Sanity?  Because I can’t justify spending $150 on the Japanese Greatest Hits with three exclusive live discs, and not patch up these glaring holes in my live Aerosmith collection.  I’ve played A Little South of Sanity a number of times at the Store when it was new, and I know I don’t like it.  Too many backing tapes.  You can hear two or three Tylers singing together at once.  Jen hears it too.  I’ll probably play this once for review, and never again.  Collecting!!

In the “G” section, I decided to finally start my Glass Tiger collection.  I wanted Diamond Sun on vinyl initially, but when CDs are right there for eight bucks, you can’t say no.  Diamond Sun is a wonderful album, I discovered, with a couple serious deep cuts such as the epic “It’s Love U Feel”.  Impressive musicianship, and a tad on the progressive side at times, even though this is ultimately a pop rock band.  I also picked up the compilation CD Then Now Next.  This includes a variety of single versions, unreleased songs and new stuff including a Beatles cover!

Over in Journey, I found the remastered version of Steve Perry’s 1994 solo album For the Love of Strange Medicine.  All these years, I’ve never played this album.  I’m sure it’ll be mellow, even though he has members of Winger and Hardline in his band.  In the liner notes, Perry is very bitter about his treatment by record label executives.  The remaster has five bonus tracks (some of which were on Greatest Hits + 5 Unreleased), two of which are exclusives.

I also snagged a CD that I thought I needed, that I didn’t, that I will gift to a friend.

The winter season is often commenced by Thanksgiving.  I would consider this a good start.  We plan to see more of Encore this season.  I look forward to it, in fact, which is not something I usually say about going out in the winter time.

Moderation, though.  Moderation.  Need to absorb all this new music, which will take time!  Until next time…

 

 

 

GALLERY: 7 New Japanese Imports!

For those who often find themselves victims of mail theft, having parcels sent from Japan is a risky and anxiety-inducing activity.  You cannot have parcels shipped by regular mail, only courier, and dealing with DHL is a nightmare.  Fortunately, Jen happened to be home when DHL delivered the parcel on the wrong day when I was not.

I unboxed these Japanese import CDs on Friday February 3’s episode.  I didn’t spend a heck of a lot of time going through them, so here is a closer look at each!

D-A-D – Osaka After Dark (1990 live EP)

 

EXTREME – Extragraffitti (1990 EP)

 

EXTREME – Waiting For the Punchline (1995 Japanese version with “Fair Weather Faith”)

 

AEROSMITH – Vacation Club (1988 EP)

 

LOUDNESS – Slap In the Face (1991 EP)

 

BON JOVI – I Believe – Live At Milton Keynes – September 93 (1993 EP)

 

BON JOVI – Hey God (2 CD Japanese singles)

 

 

 

 

 

 

REVIEW: Aerosmith – The Road Starts Hear (2021)

AEROSMITH – The Road Starts Hear (2021 Universal RSD vinyl)

Are Aerosmith kicking off a series of official bootlegs too?  That would be just swell!  The label on this record indicates it comes from the “Vindaloo Vaults”.  It seems likely there would be more in the vaults besides this October 1971 recording.  But even if this is all there is, we sure got lucky.  This tape from Boston is Aerosmith’s earliest known recording, and sounds bloody great.  Currently it’s only available on RSD vinyl, but don’t be surprised if it gets a CD reissue when Aerosmith re-release their entire catalogue.

Aerosmith’s first LP was different.  Tyler hadn’t found his voice yet.  The distortion wasn’t cranked up.  But there is certainly a fondness for that period, which birthed “Dream On” and a number of other classics.  That’s the setting for The Road Starts Hear.

This record commences with some slow, laid back guitars jamming on “Somebody” while the people in the venue chit and chat amongst themselves.  Then it really starts – Tyler kicking it up, but drummer Joey Kramer being the real driving force.  This recording is clear!  There is some minor distortion on Tyler’s microphone, but you can hear both guitars distinctly, along with bass, drums and cymbals.

The blues cover “Reefer Head Woman” wasn’t recorded by Aerosmith properly until 1979’s Night in the Ruts, but this version predates the familiar by eight years!  They’re very different but both boast a Steven Tyler harmonica solo.  This transitions into “Walkin’ the Dog”, slower and bluesier than the other versions out there.  This is a long jam, and for the brilliant guitar work, it’s likely the best take of “Walkin’ the Dog” that you’ll hear.

“Moving Out” leads side two, definitely edgy and sharp.  Tyler is at the top of his game and the rest of the dudes provide the momentum.  Then they lay back on “Major Barbara”, another song they didn’t release until much later.  Though they did record it in a proper studio in 1974 for Get Your Wings, it didn’t get a release until it was added as a bonus to Classics Live in 1987!  On this version, listen for a detour into “Hail to the Bus Driver”!

“Dream On” is fully realized, Tyler tinkling on the piano, but the guitar solos still in prototypical form.  This brilliant version is probably the heaviest.  Finally “Mama Kin” closes the record, a bit different than the way it sounds on the Aerosmith album: more garage-y.

What a band Aerosmith always were!  The chemistry is evident on their earliest recordings, as is their hard edged approach to rocking the blues.  You cannot go wrong with this record.

4/5 stars

AERO-REVIEWS:

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REVIEW: Aerosmith – Rocks Donington 2014 (CD/DVD)

AEROSMITH – Rocks Donington 2014 (2015 Universal 2 CD/1 DVD set)

Aerosmith enter the stage as the sun at Donington makes its final descent.  Opening with the stalwart “Train Kept-A-Rollin'”, Steven Tyler leaps, covered by a traditional native headdress.  (Strangely nobody screamed “cultural appropriation!” in 2014.)  It’s off before he can start twirlin’ across the stage anyway.  Though desiccated, the band are cookin’ like a group 1/3 of their age.   Brad Whitford takes a welcome solo on “Train” and the band look happy to be up there.

Without missing a beat, Aerosmith travel forward in time two decades to “Eat the Rich”.  At first it sounds as if Tyler’s voice can’t hack it but then he’s right back in the game.  Nice to see Joe employing a whammy bar, but has the young crowd any idea what Grey Poupon is?  Tyler throws down a solid burp before the skippable “Love in an Elevator”.  His older, rougher voice gives it a tougher vibe but it’s overplayed radio filler now.

It’s a string of Geffen hits during this portion of the show.  “Cryin'”…interesting only because the band thought they had to play it for the millionth time.  “Jaded” has the stage bathed in purple but it’s Aero by the numbers.  Tyler spends the end of the song hanging out with some girls in the front row.  But when Joe Perry starts the growling drone of “Livin’ on the Edge”, things come back to life.  The song still has teeth.

The Geffen hits are interrupted by the legendary funk of “Last Child”, and then we see why this band is really special.  It’s not just Tyler and Perry, but it’s the sweet jam that the five of them make together when they really get down.  Brad Whitford is the captain of this particular ship, taking us to the green waters of Mt. Funk with Mr. Joey Kramer in the engine room.  Highlight of the show.

Aerosmith couldn’t have shown less enthusiasm for their newest album Music from Another Dimension.  “Freedom Fighter” with Joe Perry on lead vocals is the only new song presented.  Tyler’s not even on stage for it, but he’s back for “Same Old Song and Dance”.  Kramer’s absolutely the backbone, with his pal Tom Hamilton on bass.  That necessary piano part is provided by Buck Johnson near the back of the stage.  But they just can’t keep playing oldies without giving the kids a hit, it seems.  “Janie’s Got a Gun” is overdue to be retired.  It’s not the band, who are at 110%, it’s just the song and the years.

“Toys in the Attic” is like a sudden wake-up!  Second best tune of the night and no small thanks to Tommy and Joey on rhythm.  Unfortunately all this momentum is spent by playing “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”, which should be buried and never resuscitated.  But what do we know, Doningon goes absolutely nuclear for the movie hit ballad.  Fortunately, Steven’s favourite Aerosmith song, “No More No More” is just what we needed to keep the train a-rollin’.  You just have to listen to the guys play and interact with each other to appreciate what makes ’em special, but it’s trippy seeing a big passenger jet landing in the middle of the song.

“Come Together” belongs to Aerosmith as much as it belongs to the Beatles now.  Their version is their own jam.  Unfortunately this perfect moment is ruined by the robotic “Dude Likes Like a Lady”.  Moving on to “Walk This Way”, an oldie but surely just as familiar.  It’s certainly just as cool, especially when Tyler starts playing loose with the words.

The first encore is also the only serious deep cut of the night, an abbreviated “Home Tonight”, followed by “Dream On”.  It’s kind of cheesy when Steven changes the words to “Cream on, cream until your jeans are blue.”  “Sweet Emotion” (with Tom bass solo) and “Mama Kin” complete the night, with the ravishing applause from a crowd of 80,000, breaking curfew to do it.

After a chant of “fuck curfew!” the band launch into “Mama Kin” with the energy of a first song instead of an after-hours closer.  And that’s the proof that there’s nothing wrong with Aerosmith aside from some question of how many hits you need to play vs. deep cuts.  The engine still motors ahead like they haven’t been through multiple splits and illnesses.  Long live Aerosmith!

The concert is well edited with excellent camera angles, relying on minimal slow-motion gimmicks.

3.5/5 stars

 

REVIEW: Aerosmith – Pandora’s Box (1991)

AEROSMITH – Pandora’s Box (1991 Columbia box set)

Aerosmith were out of the gates fairly early into their career when their first anthology style box set was released in 1991.  They were still going strong, at the peak of their popularity.  Their career had two distinct eras marked by the record labels they were signed to:  first Columbia, and then a resurgence with Geffen.

There was also a long gap between Aerosmith studio albums.  Pump was released in ’89 but it took them four years to come up with Get A Grip.  While Geffen waited for Aerosmith to complete Get A Grip, their old label Columbia was allowed to release compilations.  In late 1991 they put out a brand new video for a remixed “Sweet Emotion”, although ironically the remixed version wasn’t included in the forthcoming Pandora’s Box set.  Regardless, there was a stop-gap.  November saw the release of Pandora’s Box just in time for Christmas, with three CDs of music, including a whopping 25 rare, unreleased, or remixed tracks.

Disc 1

They hit you right from the start with a rarity:  Steven Tyler’s “When I Needed You” from 1966 and his band Chain Reaction.  You can barely tell it’s the same singer, but this quaint number is a great opener for a box set with this kind of scope.  Basic 60s rock with a hint of psychedelia.  Onto the first album, it’s “Make It” with an unlisted false start — another cool touch.  “Movin’ Out” is a completely different take than the one from the debut.  It’s superior because it’s harder and more raw.  (Did Pearl Jam rip off part of the guitar lick for “Alive”?)  “One Way Street” is the album version, but an unreleased “On the Road Again” is a fun laid back jam.  Clearly B-side material, but it’s Aerosmith and light and loose.

A sax-laden “Mama Kin” from the first album is the first bonafide hit presented, and like most of the hits in the set, it’s the original version.  It is immediately obvious from the upbeat groove just why it was a hit.  Up next, it’s the slick “Same Old Song and Dance”, the heavy “Train Kept A Rollin'” and haunting “Seasons of Wither”, all from Get Your Wings.  Major props for including the underappreciated “Seasons of Wither” in this box as the song has never had the exposure it deserves.  According to the liner notes, it was written by Steven Tyler on a guitar found by Joey Kramer in a dumpster.  The fretting on the guitar was “fucked” but it had a special tone.  The tuning of that guitar “forced” the song right out of Tyler.

An unreleased live version of “Write Me a Letter” from 1976 is overshadowed by the song that follows it.  It’s the “big one”, the ballad “Dream On”, and usually the centerpiece of any side that it’s on.  The random placement on the second half of CD 1 is a little puzzling.  The title track “Pandora’s Box” follows, a dirty slow funk.

The first disc closes on a trio of rarities.  A 1971 radio jam on Fleetwood Mac’s “Rattlesnake Shake”  goes on for 10 awesome minutes and dominates the disc.  They swiftly follow that with “Walkin’ the Dog” from the same radio broadcast.  Finally, a slinky “Lord of the Thighs” from the Texxas Jam closes CD 1.  Two more Texxas Jam tracks can be found midway through CD 2, which is mildly annoying.

Disc 2

The second disc represents the musical growth of Aerosmith.  A massive “Toys in the Attic” builds on the past:  more energy, better production, more speed.  “Round and Round” is Sabbath-heavy, a sound the band rarely explored.  Only “Nobody’s Fault” (which comes later on this disc) stands as a heavier Aerosmith monolith.

Behind the scenes Aerosmith were suffering from drug-induced absences in the studio.  One day when Joe Perry and Steven Tyler were late, the core trio of Joey Kramer, Brad Whitford, and Tom Hamilton just  jammed.  The result is “Krawhitham”, a menacing unheard jam.  It’s a testament to the “other three” guys in the band and features some stunning playing even if the riff is a bit lacking.  This rough and ready track is followed by four slick Toys in the Attic hits in a row:  “You See Me Crying”, “Sweet Emotion” (the original mix), “No More No More” and “Walk This Way”.  Each song different, each song perfect.  “You See Me Crying” may be the most underrated Aerosmith ballad ever released.

Two more Texxas Jam tracks occupy the middle of disc two:  “I Wanna Know Why” and “Big Ten Inch Record”.  These jams are a blast, but why not bunch all the Texxas tracks together?  Next, “Rats in the Cellar” from Rocks has the same energy as “Toys in the Attic” but with a nastier bite.  “Last Child” is a remix, a slight one at that.  The bass sounds deeper.  An unreleased Otis Rush cover follows called “All Your Love”.  This electric blues is fully formed with a satisfying mix and could easily have made an album.  Why didn’t it make Draw the Line?  That album already had a cover, “Milk Cow Blues” (included here on disc 3) so it is unlikely they wanted two.  Did they choose the right song?

The aforementioned “Nobody’s Fault” is preceded with a snippet of the demo, called “Soul Saver”.  It truly is a monster of a track and one of the band’s few true heavy metal songs.  Nuclear holocaust is a perfect theme for metal, but Tyler’s lyrics are more thoughtful than many of his competitors.  His tormented vocal is one of his career best.  “Sorry, you’re so sorry, don’t be sorry.  Man has known, and now he’s blown it upside down, and hell’s the only sound.  We did an awful job, and now they say it’s nobody’s fault.”

“Lick and a Promise” is a necessary speedy shot in the arm.  Though “Adam’s Apple” is replaced by a live version from 1977, it is the sonic blueprint for a million bands that tried to copy Tyler’s sleazy antics.  Two Draw the Line tracks close the CD:  the title track itself (remixed), and “Critical Mass” .  Again the remix is slight.

Disc 3

The final CD is the decline, but not without plenty of high points.  (“High” points, get it?)  The first high point is a 1978 live version of “Kings and Queens”.  “Good evenin’ boss.  Been a long time coming,” greets Tyler to the hometown Boston crowd.  Live versions don’t usually surpass their studio counterparts, but this one might for its seasoned, raw vibe.”  Joe Perry’s backing vocals make it.

The previously mentioned “Milk Cow Blues” from Draw the Line is an upbeat shuffle, getting the blood pumping once more.  A snippet of a demo called “I Live in Connecticut” leads directly into “Three Mile Smile” from Night in the Ruts.  It allows you to hear how a tune evolves from an idea into a complete song.   You get to hear that again on “Let it Slide” and “Cheese Cake”.  If you love when Joe Perry pulls out his slide guitar, then you will love this pairing.  We’re well into the Aerosmith stuff that doesn’t get enough credit when it’s good.  “Bone To Bone (Coney Island White Fish Boy)” is another unsung gem…and the liner notes will tell you exactly what a “Coney Island white fish” is.  The autobiographical “No Surprize” is pretty fine too.

The Beatles cover “Come Together” was one of the very few worthwhile tracks on the awful movie soundtrack Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.  Fortunately for Aerosmith fans, it has long been available on their 1980 Greatest Hits.  And it’s not the last Beatles cover on this box set.  But it’s the last real hit before the disc takes a serious detour.

“Downtown Charlie” is really ragged; punk rock energy with nobody at home in quality control.  It sounds like one of their “drunken jams” according to Joe Perry in the liner notes.  Wicked playing but no cohesion.  And then they split — Brad Whitford with Whitford/St. Holmes, and Joe Perry with the Joe Perry Project.  Even this is documented.  “Sharpshooter” by Whitford/St. Holmes is a box set highlight, even though it sticks out like a sore thumb by sounding nothing like Aerosmith at all.  This is straight hard rock, with Derek St. Holmes on lead vocals.  Though an astounding vocalist, he is the Antityler and the song does not fit in any way on the tracklist.  Too bad since it’s such a great track.  More at home is Joe Perry’s “South Station Blues” from I’ve Got the Rock N’ Rolls Again.  It’s preceded by an Aerosmith demo called “Shit House Shuffle”.  Aerosmith didn’t use the riff, so Joe did on his solo album.  It totally works with his lead vocal, though it’s a shame Aerosmith never used the idea themselves.  Another wasted jam, “Riff and Roll”, had potential as the kernal of a song, but Tyler’s voice is completely shot.  You can hear what they were going for.  It could have worked on Done With Mirrors had they finished it.

Aerosmith carried on in 1982 with Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay replacing Perry and Whitford.  The resulting album Rock In a Hard Place was inconsistent but not without some gems.  “Jailbait” doesn’t indicate anything was out of place, a worthy followup to frantic manic blasts like “Rats in the Cellar”.  But they only lasted one album before cooler heads prevailed and the classic lineup reunited.

With Perry and Whitford back again, Aerosmith began recording new albums for Geffen.  Columbia still released Aerosmith albums regularly, like Classics Live and Classics Live II.  A previously unreleased oldie from the Get Your Wings days called “Major Barbra” was included as a bonus on Classics Live.  Pandora’s Box includes a second version of “Major Barbra”, a rougher alternate take.  It’s a full minute longer than the version of Classics Live, including harmonica solo.  Another track Columbia released was the classic “Chip Away the Stone” (written by Richie Supa), on 1988’s Gems.  This obscure single never had a proper album release until then, despite its awesome nature.  The Pandora’s Box version is an alternate version, with noticeably less piano in the mix.

The penultimate track is the unreleased Beatles cover “Helter Skelter”, dating back to 1975.  This one got a bit of airplay in 1991 when the box set was released.  It is undoubtedly rough but with suitably aggressive and heavy hitting groove.  The box set is then closed by “Back in the Saddle”, an apt way to describe Aerosmith’s career since.

But wait, what’s this?  “There now, ain’t you glad you stayed?” asks Steven Tyler after a few seconds of silence.  Why, it’s the hidden bonus track!  The unlisted instrumental was written by Brad Whitford and actually titled “Circle Jerk”.  It is very similar to the previous “Krawhitham” instrumental on disc two, but heavier.

Now, what about that remixed “Sweet Emotion” that was released to promote the box set, but wasn’t actually on the box set?  The remix was done by David Thoener and featured some structural changes.  The music video was a smash hit.  You could buy it as a standalone single, with “Circle Jerk” and another unreleased instrumental bonus track called “Subway”.  All three were re-released again as bonus tracks in 1994 on the massive Box of Fire.  The Thoener remix has been issued many times over the years on compilations and movie soundtracks.

There’s little doubt that Pandora’s Box was good value for the money.  For the fans who didn’t have the albums, most of the hits are included in studio versions.  The remixes are minor enough for them not to notice.  For the rest, the wealth of unreleased bonus material justified buying three CDs.  Unlike other box sets like Led Zeppelin’s four disc airship, Pandora’s Box is not designed to be an ecstatic listening experience from start to finish.  It is a study in early Aerosmith from the roots to just before the reunion.  It is the rise and fall, and still fighting to get back up.  It is uneven with mountainous peaks of spontaneous rock and roll chemistry, and also the tired struggle to keep producing music.  Much like its subject, Aerosmith, Pandora’s Box is a flawed portrait.

3.5/5 stars

Easter Memories: Quiet Riot, GI Joe, Alice Cooper, Def Leppard & More!

Just a short show tonight, for those stuck at home this Easter weekend with nothing much else to do! Music, toys, happy memories. Lots of audio/visual aids. Great comments and audience participation.

Quiet Riot, Black Sabbath, David Lee Roth, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, and rare Japanese imports.

Bonus: Couldn’t resist playing some music so we closed with the show with Uncle Meat singing “Fairies Wear Boots” back in 1991 with Heavy Cutting. Thank you for watching!

 

NEXT WEEK:  ANDY CURRAN!