As I mentioned, when speaking of "Mama Kin," Aerosmith is always bridging the gap between the gutter and the stars, and they started early on their first album. Backed by that wonderfully sinewy Perry riff, Tyler sings about getting away from the pressures of the city, but it's clear it means more than smog reduction in the middle eight when he sings:
Talk with yourself and you'll hear what you wanna know
Gotta rise above 'cause below is only gettin' worse
Life, in time, will take you where you wanna go.
It's very philosophical, and yet it doesn't feel at all; out of place in the confines of an up-and-coming rock star song. Maybe it's only in retrospect that Tyler's earned the right, with me, to make such grandiose statements, but they suit him, that desire to escape the day-to-day, to seek a kind of honesty. There are weird, navel-gazing moments of introspection and earnestness on all the early Aerosmith albums that are worth watching out for, not the least because they're often surrounded by excellent musical moments. "Movin' Out," the first song co-written by Tyler and Perry, is Perry's showcase on the album. His guitars signify the mood and meaning better than the lyrics ever can.
"One Way Street" is a rather more conventional song, with a blues swing to it and lyrics that are less philosophical than "Movin' Out," mainly on the topic of ongoing frustrations with the ladies in his life. Still, it's a good shot at adding something new into the "blues rock" canon, with a solid effort from all members of the band, Tyler's first big swing at scatting, with some long ass solos surrounding him to boot. It's actually a surprise highlight of the album, for those mainly familiar with the greatest hits. There's probably nothing else like it in the Aero catalog.
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