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| Permanent Vacation 1987 |
Now, I won't say I hate that song - but I've never been a fan of the backlash the band took because of it. Most of the criticism suggested Aerosmith didn't know how to rock anymore. So today I'm picking 11 of their most rockin' songs from 1987-2001 that you probably don't know because they were never big ballad hits like Crazy, Cryin', and Angel were. Enjoy.
11. What Kind Of Love Are You On? (1998)
This tune was also featured on the Armageddon soundtrack, along with I Don't Want To Miss A Thing. Originally written for the Nine Lives album, you may have actually heard this one on the radio a few times during the summer of '98 while the band was riding the wave of their first and only #1 hit single.
Click here to listen to the song on YouTube
10. Fever (1993)
Some of the best 2nd Generation Aerosmith songs were about their reflecting on their years of drug use. It's a pumping rock song with a twangy feel to it, and some great lyrics. The funny part is, this song was later covered by Garth Brooks, who changed the lyrics a bit (or a lot, depending on who you ask).
Click here to listen to the song on YouTube
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| Pump 1989 |
This song was the B-Side to Jaded, from the album Just Push Play... and I've often wondered why it never made the album while songs like Trip Hoppin' did. I guess you'll have to listen for yourself. It also features Steven Tyler's first use of the lyric, "If You See Kay...".
Click here to listen to the song on YouTube
8. The Farm (1997)
Probably the most bizarre Aerosmith song of their second generation, The Farm includes samples from the Wizard of OZ. Again, more reflection on drug use here. Nine Lives was a pretty solid album.
Click here to listen to the song on YouTube
7. Beyond Beautiful (2001)
You may recognize this one if you avidly played the Guitar Hero: Aerosmith game. It was one of four or five 2nd generation Aerosmith songs to make it into the game, which relied heavily on stuff from the 70s. This was the opening track to the Just Push Play LP, and it made me believe on first listening that album would rock. It didn't, but at least the first song did.
Click here to listen to the song on YouTube
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| Get A Grip 1993 |
6. Flesh (1993)
I think when people listened to Get A Grip back in '93 and '94 this song was often skipped because of the long intro. But once it kicks in, it rocks - and it has one of my favorite Aero-lyrics ever: "The prince of lust hast met his match/ the witch has brewed her baddest batch/ his sword is sharp and hard as stone/ her cauldron begs for one more bone." Really, it's not surprizing this little ditty got lost on an album that featured the Alicia Silverstone Trilogy of videos. Give this one a serious listen soon.
Click here to listen to the song on YouTube
5. Hangman Jury (1987)
Whoa boy, dontcha line the track-a-lacka! It's the song that got me interested in playing harmonica. It's the song that the cool kids from the 70's liked too. It's the song that gets everyone excited when played live. And back in the day of records and tapes, it's the coolest Side B opening track ever.
Click here to listen to the song on YouTube
4. Monkey On My Back (1989)
Yes, another track reminiscing about drug use... but Joe Perry's slide guitar has never been better than it is here. The drums kick ass, and there's even an F-Bomb dropped in it. The Pump album was a monster LP of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. It spawned four hit singles, but the other six tracks were just as good... a couple of them were even better.
Click here to listen to the song on YouTube
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| Nine Lives 1997 |
I always thought this song should've been released as a single.
Nine Lives was a killer classic rock album. If there was any downside to it, it's that there was just one too many ballads on it. The beginning of this song is actually a sped-up rewind of the song. Pretty neat, eh? The riff is a hook, and the lyrics are easy to identify with. It doesn't seem to be about drug use either. Once again, Steven drops an F-Bomb, with the clever "excusé-fuckin-moi". Maybe that's why it never went to radio.
Click here to listen to the song on YouTube
2. F.I.N.E.* (1989)
This song IS Aerosmith. I can't think of any song from any album that better defines what this band is all about: loud guitars, dirty sex lyrics dsiguised as double-entendres, thumping drums, lyrics about lady parts, big fat-ass bass, and lyrics about doin' the dirty. I've already mentioned how great the Pump album was... it's a contender with Rocks for Best Aero-Album Ever. F.I.N.E.* is the song your mom didn't want you to listen to. It makes you wanna get a leather jacket, and a cool car, then buy a box of condoms only to throw them away before gettin' it on with your date... who's name you don't even know. It's just rock n' roll.
Oh, and F.I.N.E. stands for Fucked Up, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional.
Awesome.
Click here to listen to the song on YouTube
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| Just Push Play 2001 |
If F.I.N.E.* is the quintessential Aerosmith song, then what the hell could possibly top it on this list? Head First, the B-Side to "Eat The Rich", is the perfect example of the Aerosmith groove. It's a hard rock song that you can get up and move to - which, if you read the liner notes of the very first Aerosmith record from 1973, is what the band is all about. And since this list is about songs you probably don't know, I bet you probably also didn't know that Head First was the first song to be offered for download via the internet all the way back in 1994. Yup, you could download it for free off the Aerosmith website. True, it was a .wav file that took about thirteen hours to download on those dial-up modems, but the greatness of the song was probably worth the wait. The track showed up on the Young Lust and Gold compilations, which are pretty easy to find these days. It certainly won't take you thirteen hours of looking online for it.
Click here to listen to the song on YouTube
And that's the list! I hope you all enjoyed listening to some of my favorite Aerosmith songs with me today. If I've left off a song that you think just rocks your socks off (and you're probably right - most of them do) then put a link to it in the comments below. I never get tired of talking about my favorite band with my fans.
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