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Rewind
Alright, already. I finally have to write this review, and you may be wondering "Good Lord, why an Aerosmith review?!? Their new stuff is kinda crappy, so who wants to listen to the old stuff?" Well, It wasn't always that way. I am a firm believer that after they got off drugs, their albums started to suck (although not their live shows, which remained powerful). I am not condoning drug use here, especially as fuel for creative endeavors, but it seemed to work well for this band. Take the album Rocks, for instance. It's a classic album, one everyone should own, but that's another review, and I digress. The record in question here was recorded live throughout Aerosmith's tour of 1978-1979, with a few other interesting tidbits thrown in. Those tidbits are some of the best material on the album; a couple of old school blues numbers recorded at a club, and the hit "Last Child", recorded at a club as well. Their cover of the Beatles' "Come Together" is well-known and quite good, but what I really love about Live! Bootleg is this -- its energy is amazing and sound quality acceptable, but more to the point, it conveys the raw power of a great live band at their peak. There were a lot of great two-guitar bands out there back then -- the Rolling Stones come immediately to mind -- but Joe Perry and Brad Whitford's seamless execution is readily apparent and simply amazing to listen to. Steven Tyler's voice is young and fresh and leering and nasty -- as it should be. There are only a few really great live albums out there, and this one is near the top of my list. It so well captures a great moment in time of a band that has gone the distance. I remember seeing Aerosmith at the tender age of 13 in Utica, NY, and this record brings back a flood of memories for me. It'll have the same effect on anyone old enough (groan!) to remember what a good concert was like in those days. Even those not old enough will probably love this record. It is that good. |
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