Anyone else tired of all this Aerosmith he-said-she-said shit as I am?
First, singer Steven Tyler twirled his old ass off a stage and injured himself, which led to the band canceling the rest of its summer tour.
This came on top of several other band members’ injuries over the past few months (most classic: Guitarist Brad Whitford bumped his head on his Ferrari and missed some shows). Then there were numerous delays on their new album, until it was eventually pulled off the schedule. Aerosmith were planning to play 1975’s Toys in the Attic album in its entirey … before Tyler fell offstage while dancing to the music in his head.
Over the past few weeks, the band — vocally headed by guitarist Joe Perry — has been pitted against their scarf-loving singer. Perry said no one has talked to Tyler in months. Tyler said he was going to work on a solo record. Perry said Aerosmith will continue, with or without Tyler.
The latest news: Since the band hasn’t heard from their mouthy singer in months, they think he may have relapsed. Aerosmith have a long and troubled history with drug abuse, which they eventually kicked in a celebrated comeback story that culminated in the rediscovery of some musical mojo.
But that was a long time ago. Aerosmith haven’t made a good album in 20 years. Their last album (not counting the lazy 2004 blues record, Honkin’ on Bobo) was 2001’s Just Push Play, in which the veteran rockers messed around with some electronic noises and bored the hell out of everybody.
Do they really have anything left in them? It’s doubtful. I’ve been watching the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live DVDs, and Tyler and Perry’s induction of Led Zeppelin was awful. Unlike the magnetic Tom Hanks (who inducted the Dave Clark Five) or the sharp Pete Townshend (who inducted the Rolling Stones) or even Bruce Springsteen’s funny induction of Jackson Browne, Tyler and Perry stumbled over their words as they read (and I do mean “read” — their eyes never left the piece of paper in front of them) a flat tribute to the greatest hard rock band of all time. They came off as dumbasses. Tyler is also one of the most annoying frontmen in the history of rock, which he proved that night by breaking into an a cappella and kinda embarrassing version of “Good Times, Bad Times.”
Of course rock and roll isn’t a smart man’s game. But it doesn’t have to be this stupid. I love Aerosmith’s 1980 Greatest Hits album. It collects a period of endless riffs and ’70s American rock hedonism at its grandest. But the band has continued to cash in on its legacy for years, lazily working its old songs in concert (here comes that fucking talkbox for “Sweet Emotion”!) and plodding through new tunes that not even fans can get too worked up about.
That their best song of the ’90s and ’00s is the goopy ballad “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” — which they didn’t write and originally appeared on a soundtrack to a shitty end-of-the-world movie — is further evidence they should just call it quits. What good is a new singer at this point? What more do they have to say? Can that tattooed asshole from Buckcherry really inject Aerosmith with a shot of relevance at this point? No.
Aersomith is Tyler. And Perry. And those other guys. And that band checked out a long time ago. It’s time they lock the doors for good. —Michael Gallucci
This article appears in Nov 18-24, 2009.
I have everything Aerosmoith made from the beginning up until 1989, plus the next album after that, ‘Get a grip.’ I watched them in 1989 on the ‘Pump’ tour and they were excellent.
But, as you say, that was twenty years ago and even if Steven Tyler stays, they should call it a day, in fact they should have done this beofre the middle of the 1990’s.
Aerosmith have had a prolonged wank of a career since then and Steven Tylers act has become so toe-curling, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Pack it in lads, you’re shite.
I guess real rock and roll musicians should call it a day and let all this techno bullshit that sounds liked the music from the Nintendo 64 game take over. Hell naw give me Steven’s soul voice, Joey tearing it up on drums, Brad, Joe, Tom throwing down some bad ass guitar riffs any day compared to this bullshit that out now.
areosmith as a whole was great in the day, in the 90,s they turned commercial and didnt stick too there roots .
the music industry tried too strain what was left out of them into some commercial garbage and though it would fly but most of it sucked, they did have a good career better then most one hit artist of today.
i injoyed there old stuff very much they had some throw down shit no one could touch, but guys you are getting older and need to e group or call it quits.
im not slamming you guys , i think you were great and better then most bands of today.
there is no good hard rock bands left, audio slave and sound garden, pearl jam is as close as it comes too great vocalist and musicians those guys put some great shit out as did stone temple pilots and guns and roses.
but there rest dont compare. good luck and thanks for the music well im on this earth injoyed what ya did. respectfully brad kingston.
I have been a fan for the past 25 years and I love them!! Aerosmith without Steven is NOT Aerosmith. Before they decide to continue without him, they should just disband. They have had 40 years in the business and it’s been an amazing run. Perhaps it’s now time to take their final bow before somone collaspses or falls off the stage again only this time never to get up.
Fighting about the modern relevance of Aerosmith is futile. They are a crap machine. Diane Warren power ballads and re-gurgitated blues covers is all they’ve had to offer since ‘Pump’.
Voluptuous Lynn, there is a ton of good music out there. It’s just not on the radio. Get an eMusic account and do some research.
Had they re-recorded Joe Perry’s Once a Rocker Lp, I’d have given them some hope. They, instead, fang-banged Desmond Childe & Warren, & now look what we have. Drive a stake thru’em, please.