Aerosmith Just Keeps On
Rockin’ - Band Concert Tours Still
February 28th 2006
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Aerosmith |
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For over three
decades, Aerosmith have been one of rock's most revered and popular
bands, crafting classic songs full of raw guitar runs and intensely
energetic vocals. The band first reached fame in the 1970’s with a
string of hits including "Dream On," "Sweet Emotion" and "Walk This
Way."
During this
period, Aerosmith's music defied easy categorization, falling
somewhere between hard rock/blues and early punk, with occasional
power ballads here and there. The band enjoyed major popularity
throughout the 1970's, but a split from 1979-84, and the serious
substance abuse and drug addictions that contributed to their
decline, would nearly relegate them to the annals of history.
However, in 1984, Aerosmith was born again. They went on to enjoy
resurgence in popularity that has made them one of the top-selling
and most popular rock bands in the world today.
Throughout their
rough and rocky history, Aerosmith defied failure and even defied
mediocrity in a fast-paced rock-and-roll world abundant in tragedy
and also-rans. Aerosmith signed with Columbia in 1972 and debuted
their first album simply titled Aerosmith, which included a hit
single, "Dream On".
After constant
touring, the band released Get Your Wings in 1974, which did quite
well on the charts, but it was Toys in the Attic in 1975 that
established Aerosmith as international superstars. Originally pegged
as Rolling Stones clones, Toys in the Attic showed that Aerosmith
was a unique and original talent in their own right. Part heavy
metal, part glam rock, and part punk, Toys in the Attic was an
immense success, starting with the single "Sweet Emotion", then a
successful re-release of "Dream On", and a new song from the album,
"Walk This Way".
Both of the
band's previous albums re-charted as a result. Aerosmith's next
album, Rocks, went platinum swiftly and featured two hits, "Back in
the Saddle" and "Last Child".
Their next album, Draw the Line, was not nearly as successful,
though the title track proved to be a minor hit. While continuing to
tour and record into the late 1970’s, Aerosmith acted in the movie
version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, covering the
Beatles hit "Come Together." As their popularity waned and drug
abuse began affecting their output, Joe Perry left the band in 1979
during the recording of their sixth studio album Night in the Ruts
and formed The Joe Perry Project. Perry’s role in Aerosmith was
initially taken by longtime friend and songwriter Richie Supa and
then later by guitarist Jimmy Crespo who recorded the remainder of
the album.
Aerosmith
released its mammoth-selling Greatest Hits album in 1980, and in
1981 the band suffered another loss with the departure of Brad
Whitford. Rick Dufay replaced Whitford and the band recorded their
seventh album, Rock in a Hard Place. The album was considered a
relative failure. The tour that followed this release is notable for
Steven Tyler’s collapse onstage during a 1983 performance.
On Valentine's
Day 1984, Perry and Whitford went to see Aerosmith play. They
officially rejoined the ranks of Aerosmith once more in April of
that year. Steven Tyler recalls, "You should have felt the buzz the
moment all five of us got together in the same room for the first
time again. We all started laughing - it was like the five years had
never passed. We knew we'd made the right move."
Aerosmith
embarked on a lucrative reunion tour entitled "Back in the Saddle",
which produced the live album Classics Live II. Their problems were
still not behind them when the group signed with Geffen Records and
began working on a comeback.
1985 saw the
release of Done with Mirrors, their first studio album since the
highly publicized reunion. It fared relatively well commercially,
but it did not produce a hit single or generate much hope for their
comeback.
By the time the
record was released, Tyler and Perry had exited drug rehabilitation.
The group appeared on Run D.M.C.'s incredibly successful cover of
"Walk This Way", blending rock and roll and hip-hop and successfully
beginning Aerosmith's comeback. The group's next release was
Permanent Vacation (1987), which included the hits "Dude (Looks Like
a Lady)", "Rag Doll", and "Angel". Their next album, Pump, was
received even better; Pump featured four Top Ten singles: "Janie's
Got a Gun", "What It Takes", "Love in an Elevator", and "The Other
Side". Aerosmith was definitely in the midst of a major resurgence.
Despite
significant shifts in mainstream music at the beginning of the
1990’s, the band's 1993 follow-up to Pump, Get a Grip, was just as
successful commercially. Though many critics were unimpressed by the
focus on power-ballads in promoting the album, three songs ("Cryin'
", "Crazy" and "Amazing") proved to be huge successes on radio and
MTV.
The music videos
featured then fresh up-and-coming actress Alicia Silverstone; her
provocative performances earned her the title of "the Aerosmith
chick" for half a decade. Steven Tyler's daughter, Liv Tyler, was
also featured in the "Crazy" video. Aerosmith signed with Columbia
Records again in the early 1990’s, but they had to complete two
contractual albums for Geffen before recording for the new label.
The next album,
Nine Lives, was plagued with personnel problems, including the
firing of manager Tim Collins. Reviews were generally mixed, and
Nine Lives initially fell on charts, although it had a long chart
life and sold double platinum in the US alone. It was followed by a
series of late '90’s releases, mostly earlier material that was live
or retrospective. The albums sold relatively well, but also marked a
second decline in popularity and critical respect for the band.
Aerosmith's
biggest hit of the '90’s, and its only #1 single to date, was the
love theme from the film Armageddon, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing".
This song was conceived by Joe Perry and Diane Warren, although
Warren alone received songwriting credit. Steven Tyler's daughter
Liv was featured in the movie. In 1999, they were in the Disney-MGM
Studios ride (and later in the Walt Disney Studios Park ride), Rock
'n' Roller Coaster. Aerosmith provided the soundtrack and theme for
the ride, which is based on their recording session and following
concert.
The band started
its next decade with the release in 2001 of Just Push Play, which
charted well. They were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame. Later that year, the band appeared as part of the United We
Stand concert in Washington D.C. for 9/11 victims and their
families. Stubbornly, the band flew back to Indianapolis for a show
the same night, refusing to interrupt their Just Push Play tour
schedule.
In 2002,
Aerosmith released the 2-disc compilation O Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith
Hits and embarked on the Girls of Summer tour with opening acts Kid
Rock and Run-DMC. In 2003, Aerosmith co-headlined with Kiss on the
Rocksimus Maximus tour. Their long-promised blues album, Honkin' on
Bobo, was released in 2004. The Album continues to be a success,
helping to inspire the resurgence of blues and roots music across
the US and Europe.
A live DVD, You
Gotta Move, followed it in December 2004. The band also lent its
well-known "Dream On" to an advertising campaign for Buick in 2004,
targeting their audience, which is now composed largely of people
who were teenagers when the song first charted.
In 2005,
guitarist Joe Perry released his eponymous solo album. Many claim
that it is in many ways truer to the Aerosmith of the '70’s than any
of their recent output. This is mostly due to its raw energy and
lack of song doctoring. In October 2005, Aerosmith released a CD/DVD
named Rockin' the Joint. The band hit the road for the Rockin' The
Joint tour on October 30th with Lenny Kravitz and is still touring.
They expect to be
on the road until some time around Spring 2006. Rumor has it that
they will begin work on a new album at that time. It was announced
in January that the band will embark on a 5-week tour with Cheap
Trick in the spring. Rumors of a tour started a week before the
announcement when Cheap Trick front man Robin Zander joined the band
onstage for "Come Together" during a concert in Tampa, Florida.
Early reports also indicate that the band plans to resume touring in
the fall of 2006, most likely in support of the new album. According
to insiders, an upcoming tour may see them alongside Motley Crue.
Readers Comment:
I think that your site is well
done and gives writers a much needed forum for their work and
talent. I do think that the writers should try to give correct
information in their articles. I represent the songwriter, Diane
Warren. In an article written by F. Penn entitled, “Aerosmith Just
Keep on Rockin”, Penn states that the concept of the song “I Don’t
Want to Miss A Thing” from the movie Armageddon, was a collaboration
with Joe Perry, but that Diane Warren received all of the writer
credit. The truth is that this song was completely written for the
movie before either Joe Perry or Stephen Tyler heard it. Joe was
never a part of the idea process and he will be the first to tell
you that. I hope that F. Penn does his homework a little better
before making up information for his next article.
--
Julie Horton
Executive Vice President
Realsongs
6363 Sunset Blvd., 8th Floor
Hollywood, CA 90028
323 462-1709
F.
Penn
This article was
written by F. R. Penn sponsored by
http://www.stubhub.com/. Searching for those hard to find
theater tickets? Look no further than StubHub where fans buy and
sell the hottest theater, sports and event tickets. Reproductions of
this article are encouraged but must include a link back to
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