24.02.2008.
Aerosmith - Aerosmith (1973) (@256)
(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)
Bassist Tom Hamilton, guitarist Joe Perry were playing together in a local band called "Jam Band". When they moved to Boston in 1970, they tried to form a new band. They met up with drummer and backup singer Steven Tyler. Tyler adamantly refused to play drums in this band, insisting he would only be in the band if he could be the frontman and lead vocalist. The band agreed and thus Aerosmith was born.
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. Instead, Aerosmith is bloozy -- their riffs don't swing, they slide. They borrow liberally from Led Zeppelin's hybridization of Chess and Sun riffs without ever sounding much like Zep. They are never as British as Zeppelin -- they lack the delicate folky preciousness, they lack the obsession with blues authenticity, they lack the larger-than-life persona of so many Brit bands. They are truly an American band, sounding as though they were the best bar band in your local town, cranking out nasty hard-edged rock, best heard on "Mama Kin", the best rocker here, one that's so greasy it nearly slips through their fingers. But the early masterpiece is, of course, "Dream On", the first full-fledged power ballad. There was nothing quite like it in 1973, and it remains the blueprint for all power ballads since. The rest of the record contains the seeds of Aerosmith's sleazoid blues-rock.
Line-up :
* Tom Hamilton - bass
* Joey Kramer - drums
* Joe Perry - guitar, percussion, backing vocals
* Steven Tyler - lead vocals, harmonica, percussion, keyboard, wood flute
* Brad Whitford - guitar
with
* David Woodford - saxophone (5, 6)
Track List :
01. Make It - 3:45
02. Somebody - 3:45
03. Dream On - 4:28
04. One Way Street - 7:12
05. Mama Kin - 4:25
06. Write Me - 4:11
07. Movin' Out - 5:03
08. Walkin' the Dog - 3:12
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