All the same, Aerosmith - how great were they in their heyday? Hell, they're not bad right now, and they're like, what, a hundred years old? They may have started off as a working class Led Zeppelin/Rolling Stones clone (albeit a pretty good one) but by their third album, Toys In The Attic, they were firing on all cylinders and burning up the track. Toys is simply a drop-dead rock classic, a winner from start to finish. Best known for the singles "Sweet Emotion" and "Walk This Way," the non-single tracks are consistently killer (especially "Adam's Apple," "Round And Round," and "No More No More"). And, given the discussion above, it's gratifying to see the boys give props to their forebears: witness their spirited cover of Bull Moose Jackson's double entendre classic "Big Ten Inch Record."

Aerosmith came together in 1970 in New Hampshire, and they quickly migrated to Boston. Their focal point and creative core were strutting vocalist Stephen Tyler (a Mick Jagger look-alike with attitude to spare) and scowling ax man Joe Perry. The rest of the band consisted of guitarist Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton, and drummer Joey Kramer. It is these five men who made Aerosmith's best records (both early and late in their career), and in short order they became one of the best hard rock outfits ever to grace a stage.

Their 1973 self-titled debut (featuring "Dream On," a big hit two years later) and 1974 follow-up, Get Your Wings (featuring "Same Old Song And Dance") are both worthy additions to any headbangers collection. The third time (Toys In The Attic) was the charm for Aerosmith, however, and it stands head-and-shoulders above the rest of their catalog. Their fourth disc, Rocks, is nevertheless a bruising affair that is strongly recommended. Its dark melodies and streetwise attitude very nearly lifted Aerosmith to the level of American Zeppelin - something they no doubt desired. Song titles like "Last Child," "Nobody's Fault," and "Sick As A Dog" told a story, but, sadly, it was the tale of the band's undoing.

Aerosmith had a penchant for fast living that emulated their heroes a bit too closely, and their increasing consumption of intoxicants almost wrecked the band (though, unlike Zeppelin and the Stones, thankfully, no one died). The impact on their music was sad, indeed. The albums that followed Rocks suffered mightily from the bands much storied drug abuse. After the joyless, turgid Draw The Line (1977) the band began to disintegrate, with Perry quitting after Night In The Ruts (1979), and Whitford drifting away a year later. Compared to the punk rock raging out of London, New York, and Los Angeles, Aerosmith looked and sounded like an old school dinosaur.

After their meteoric rise, Aerosmith's increasingly disappointing records now haunted the lower reaches of the charts - if they charted at all. During a long, dry spell spanning nearly ten years, the band's biggest hits were covers ("Come Together"), remakes ("Walk This Way," with Run-DMC), or recycled catalog ("Chip Away The Stone"). Things went from bad to worse and, eventually, they were dropped by their long-time record company, Columbia.

To nearly universal amazement, Aerosmith came roaring back in the late 1980's. Clean and sober, and with all five original players reunited, Aerosmith became pop idols redux with slick hits like "Dude Looks Like A Lady," "Janie's Got A Gun," and "Angel" on a new label, Geffen. As good as some of these new songs were, they have begun to blur together into one long montage. The band has become increasingly reliant upon outside songwriters, state-of-the-art production, and flashy videos. After their third Geffen album - the septuple-platinum Pump (1989) - the formula grew tired. The overall effect was to rob Aerosmith's music of its gritty heart and soul. In the face of the early-90's alternative rock revolution, Aerosmith began to look old-and-in-the way - again.

I would argue that Aerosmith has partially avoided that fate. That is, they rock pretty good for old guys (cf. Honkin' On Bobo, 2004). But, at this late date, their amazing early records (all smartly remastered by Sony in 1994) make sense as the thinking man's Aerosmith collection. Nevertheless, Aerosmith's old Columbia Greatest Hits is an undeniable classic; look for the expanded 2004 imported version, Greatest Hits 1973-1988 - it's even better. Gems, a collection of overlooked rockers from the same period, makes a nice companion. Sony's 3-CD Pandora's Box takes a long and satisfying look at the same period and adds a variety of album cuts, minor hits, and rare tracks. Box Of Fire (1994), a 12-disc gift package that collects all the Sony remasters, qualifies as overkill.

As for the Geffen material, none of the individual albums (including strong CDs like Permanent Vacation and Pump) strike me a mandatory purchases. Aerosmith became a singles band, you see, so the singles are what you need. Big Ones sums things up impressively, containing virtually all Top 40 hits, most of them pretty great. The double-disc package, Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology, covers a slightly longer span of time, adds some collector's items, and would be more appropriately called "Pandora's Box: The Geffen Years."

Aerosmith moved back to Columbia before the 90's were out and continued to crank out big-ass rock 'n' roll. Since Aerosmith owns their later catalog, one of the first fruits of their renewed relationship with their former label was O Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits. Combining all the band's best material under one cover for the first time, O Yeah! was very nearly the perfect Aerosmith album. Highly recommended for all but the most devoted fans. [top of page]