on Aerosmith
When I was in 8th grade and Travis was in 5th, Aerosmith's Get a Grip was topping the charts and found its way to our ears via the usual channel of middle school gossip. Keep in mind, we didn't really listen to much rock music up to this point in time, mostly Weird Al.
I distincly remember seeing Joe Perry with his Les Paul and saying, Yes! That's what I want to look like. Fortunately, I didn't end up looking like Joe Perry, however the traditional 5 piece band (lead singer, guitar, guitar, bass, drums) still sticks in my mind as the type of band I want to be in, and I believe this is because of Aerosmith.
Over the next few years, Get a Grip would be milked (come on!) for as many music video singles as was humanly possible. We loved every one of them mostly because they typically showed scantily clad hot girls.
As we grew up, we grew out of Aerosmith. Every now and then, we'd enjoy the occasional song when it came on the radio, but the whole Armageddon soundtrack thing really severed the bond (don't even mention the album 9 Lives). While on tour, though, all four of us had an epiphany after about 2 weeks on the road. We needed some Aerosmith. Era 2 Aerosmith. Keepin mind that they have almost two complete bodies of work: Era 1: the pre 80's classic rock hits, and Era 2: the mid 80's-mid 90's comeback albums (Permanent Vacation, Pump, GAG). Since that day, I think we've all listened to the Era 2 Greatest Hits album "Big Ones" about 5 billion times. The songs are really well written, immaculately produced (for pop rock), and all out rock. We used to think that they were a real rock and roll band, not realizing they were a hugely commercial corporate entity.
Anyway, the point of this blog is as follows: Go watch these videos again! Almost every single one features the band performing the song "live," interspersed with god only knows what. There's footage of Steven Tyler with a peacock on his head in Livin' on the Edge, there's a guy in a wife beater shaking a piece of raw meat around in Love in an Elevator, and there are more girls in mini skirts than you can shake a handkerchiefed microphone stand at. Every video is extremely sexual, but almost always bizarrely sexual. I really don't know what they were going for.
Also, watch most of the Get a Grip videos and realize that the record company was just filling them with as many "cool" things as possible from the early 90's: roller hockey, virtual reality, bungee jumping, belly button piercing, etc etc.
So, do yourself a favor and watch
Livin on the Edge
Love in an Elevator
Sweet Emotion
The Other Side
Cryin
Amazing
and basically anything from Big Ones
I distincly remember seeing Joe Perry with his Les Paul and saying, Yes! That's what I want to look like. Fortunately, I didn't end up looking like Joe Perry, however the traditional 5 piece band (lead singer, guitar, guitar, bass, drums) still sticks in my mind as the type of band I want to be in, and I believe this is because of Aerosmith.
Over the next few years, Get a Grip would be milked (come on!) for as many music video singles as was humanly possible. We loved every one of them mostly because they typically showed scantily clad hot girls.
As we grew up, we grew out of Aerosmith. Every now and then, we'd enjoy the occasional song when it came on the radio, but the whole Armageddon soundtrack thing really severed the bond (don't even mention the album 9 Lives). While on tour, though, all four of us had an epiphany after about 2 weeks on the road. We needed some Aerosmith. Era 2 Aerosmith. Keepin mind that they have almost two complete bodies of work: Era 1: the pre 80's classic rock hits, and Era 2: the mid 80's-mid 90's comeback albums (Permanent Vacation, Pump, GAG). Since that day, I think we've all listened to the Era 2 Greatest Hits album "Big Ones" about 5 billion times. The songs are really well written, immaculately produced (for pop rock), and all out rock. We used to think that they were a real rock and roll band, not realizing they were a hugely commercial corporate entity.
Anyway, the point of this blog is as follows: Go watch these videos again! Almost every single one features the band performing the song "live," interspersed with god only knows what. There's footage of Steven Tyler with a peacock on his head in Livin' on the Edge, there's a guy in a wife beater shaking a piece of raw meat around in Love in an Elevator, and there are more girls in mini skirts than you can shake a handkerchiefed microphone stand at. Every video is extremely sexual, but almost always bizarrely sexual. I really don't know what they were going for.
Also, watch most of the Get a Grip videos and realize that the record company was just filling them with as many "cool" things as possible from the early 90's: roller hockey, virtual reality, bungee jumping, belly button piercing, etc etc.
So, do yourself a favor and watch
Livin on the Edge
Love in an Elevator
Sweet Emotion
The Other Side
Cryin
Amazing
and basically anything from Big Ones