Aerosmith

Jonathan Baranski

MHL 153 3843

1st Reaction Paper

Aerosmith

In the days when drugs and alcohol were required substances on the road to rock & roll nirvana, Aerosmith blazed the path of excess, American- style. Their affinity for the groove provided a logical bridge for the first rock- rap crossover, Run- D.M.C.'s inner- city reincarnation of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way."

Aerosmith establishes the formula that would carry the so-called Toxic Twin singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry through three decades in which they'd swing wildly between hits. The Toxic Twins is a nickname given to lead singer Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry of American hard rock band Aerosmith. They were given that name in the 1970s, due to their rampant use of drugs & alcohol both on and off stage, which was a "toxic" combination that almost ended their lives and their careers. To this day, they are still commonly referred to by this nickname, despite coming clean and maintaining sobriety for the past 20 years.

The band consists of Steven Tallarico (Tyler), Joe Perry, and Tom Hamilton had originally met in Sunapee, New Hampshire in the late '60s, but had not yet formed a band together. Guitarist Brad Whitford and drummer Joey Kramer rounded out the lineup, and the band released their eponymous debut album in 1973. The band produced a string of ground-breaking hard rock albums and enjoyed major popularity throughout the 1970s. Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left the group and the period from 1979-1984 due to a lot of heavy drug usage amongst the band. In 1984, the band reunited. Since then, Aerosmith has remained sober for nearly 20 years. Aerosmith has stayed together for the last 22 years and have sold 140 million albums worldwide, and 66.5 million albums in the United States alone, making them the 2nd bestselling American rock band, second only to The Eagles. The band has scored twenty-one Top 40 hits and have won four Grammy awards.

In 1975 Aerosmith recorded one of my favorite songs, called "Sweet Emotion." Steven Tyler wrote this song about the tension and hatred between the band members and Joe Perry's wife. The song lyrics go like this:

SWEET EMOTION

Talk about things and nobody cares

Wearing other things that nobody wears

Ya callin' my name, but I gotta make it clear

Can't say where I'm gonna be in a year.

Some sweat hog mama with a face like a gent

Said my get up and go musta got up & went.

You got good news but you're a real good liar

Cause backstage lover set your pants on fire.

Riff 8x, then sweet emotion [2x]

Pulled into town in a police car

Your daddy said I took you just a little too far.

Tellin' other things, but your girlfriend lied

Can't catch me cause the rabbit done died.

Standin' in front just shakin' your ass.

Take you back stage you can drink from my glass.

Talk about something you can sure understand

Cause a month on the road and I'll be eatin' from your hand.

I think this is one of their greatest songs. The song's intro is one of the more popular uses of the guitar talk box in popular music (Joe Perry can be heard saying the title). The day it hit #36 on the U.S. chart, July 19, 1975, Aerosmith was booked at a gig in New York City's Central Park, called the Schaefer Music Festival.

In the 80s they recorded 4 albums. My favorite album of that time would have to be Permanent Vacation. On this album they had great hits like "Rag Doll", "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", and "Angel". My favorite song on this album would have to be "Angel." The lyrics for this song go like this:

ANGEL

I'm alone

Yeah, I don't know if I can face the night

I'm in tears and the cryin' that I do is for you

I want your love - Let's break the walls between us

Don't make it tough - I'll put away my pride

Enough's enough I've suffered and I've seen the light

[Chorus:]

Baby

You're my angel

Come and save me tonight

You're my angel

Come and make it all right

Don't know what I'm gonna do

About this feeling inside

Yes it's true - Loneliness took me for a ride

Without your love - I'm nothing but a begger

Without your love - a dog without a bone

What can I do I'm sleeping in this bed alone

[Chorus]