Aerosmith's self-titled album has a reputation of being formative: the sound of a band finding itself, with a commendable but not exceptional album. I'd agree, to a point. It's clear now that Aerosmith's best days were ahead of them, for songwriting and performance, but even the weakest tracks on this album have merit as Steven Tyler and Joe Perry hammer out the terms of their songwriting partnership. There's also a thinness to the production that downplays Tyler's spacier instincts, leaving the album feeling a bit cozy, about the size of the small clubs they were playing rather than the stadiums they'd letter sell out. Tyler also admits, in his autobiography, to throwing on a half-assed "black" voice in the studio, when it wasn't his natural way of performing, leading to a sort of self-sabotage.In the end, the album's main strengths are in its potential: Tyler and Perry aren't necessarily writing their best songs, but they are demonstrating a good sense of songwriting. Tyler's vocals are uncharacteristic on most of the songs, but the musicianship is there, if perhaps a bit too tight and clean. The album has a streetwise boogie to it that was always there on later albums, but doesn't feel explosive.
Buy this album now: iTunes Canada // iTunes USA // Amazon.ca
// Amazon.com
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