Unknown Soldier

Overview
By the time of the release of their fourth album Aerosmith aka ‘The Bad Boys from Boston’ were not only one of the biggest acts in America, they were also one of the most steetwise acts around. They were cool, druggy, smart, walked around like they owned the place and most of all hit you right between the eyes (or in this case between the ears) The band had hit mega-status with Toys in the Attic, but then assured themselves of immortality with the release of Rocks, which actually did the impossible and turned out to be an even better album than Toys in the Attic….just! Well that depends of course on which best Aerosmith review list you’ve been looking at! Now going back some time and long before I’d ever fallen in love with Rocks myself, I’d already heard a lot about it and knew that it was considered the band’s very best album from varying sources. I’d also heard how artists like James Hetfield and Slash who upon hearing the album had decided to take up guitar playing, as the album had helped change their lives! Rocks as an album therefore had everything that was totally essential to any truly classic album and was certainly the product of a band at the supreme height of their creative powers. Steven Tyler on the album continued with the witty jokes and double entendres in the lyrics department, all along with the power and sleaze that his vocals provided. The dirty stripped-down heavy blues-based riffs were there yet again and drove on relentlessly throughout the album, all aided by the pounding rhythm section, quite simply Aersosmith were the raunchiest band around! Rocks was recorded by the now in-house producer Jack Douglas, who was to Aerosmith what Bob Ezrin was to Alice Cooper and the album was recorded at both the Wherehouse and the Record Plant early 1976, and would be released around the May period of that year. The album in many ways, would be the last album that would be recorded by a very young, raw and hungry band that still hadn’t gone full tilt yet on their own excesses! Like Toys in the Attic, Rocks would also assail the somewhat well-known Rolling Stone’s ‘Greatest 500 Albums’ list. The album cover is also very astute, with its studio knobs and its clever use of red and white on a black base for the cover.

Steven Tyler-Vocals
Joe Perry-Guitar
Brad Whitford-Rhythm
Tom Hamilton-Bass
Joey Kramer- Drums

Production- Jack Douglas

Album
Back in the Saddle- With its stomping intro, the song is regarded as one of the archetypal heavy songs by the band and was always one of the main concert openers of the band as well and the song has been covered by countless artists over the years. Last Child- Starts off with a haunting intro which soon gives over to a plodding funky groove and the song is full chocca of Steven Tyler’s double entendre lyrics. Co-writer Brad Whitford plays lead guitar here instead of the more usual Joe Perry. Rats in the Cellar- With a stellar start, this is Aerosmith at their pacey best and was written as a sequel to the previous album track “Toys in the Attic” and matches that track in quality all the way. I’m sure the future Ratt played around with the name of this song for their debut album several years later. Combination- A song about drugs and co-sung between Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, and often described as one of the band’s most Rolling Stones like efforts. Sick as a Dog- I once read that this song was about Steven Tyler’s attempts to talk to Mick Jagger and when the time came he fluffed his lines, whether that’s true or not, it’s still a great song that’s really highlighted by some great playing as well. Nobody’s Fault- With its apocalyptic start, the song then bludgeons us…before it spirals around the place and is in stark contrast to the previous song on the album. Without doubt one of the most influential songs ever put out by the band and one of their very best. Get the Lead Out- One of the humour focused songs on the album and the songs is accompanied by a seriously heavy riff. Lick and Promise- With its speeded up rock ‘n’ roll feel, this song seriously kicks and hell it always sounds so good and shows just how strong the b-side of this album is and the ‘no no no’ of the song sounds like a future Cheap Trick! Home Tonight- The perfect album closer is a powerfully performed ballad and certainly one of the best of its type.

Verdict
Rocks as an album quite simply follows on from Toys in the Attic and the two albums serve as the perfect pair in every way. Both are similar but yet different….. Toys in the Attic had tracks more focused to be used as singles, whereas Rocks goes in for being a more album based recording overall. The album’s tracks are yet again dominated by Steven Tyler, but as is often the case they are usually written with the rest of the band. The proceedings are opened straight-away with the pounding “Back in the Saddle” which says it all from the word go, as the band show no hiccups from Toys in the Attic and remind us that this effort is going to be a heavier effort overall. Rocks from the word go maintains its heaviness, with the bands very own type of hard rock and the diversity is also there from the second song onwards. There is the heavy funk of “Last Child” the pacey blues of “Rats in the Cellar” and then the speeded up rock ‘n’ roll feel of “Lick and Promise” and then we kind of wind down the album’s strengths with the swagger of “Combination” and then we have “Sick as a Dog” which is just one of those classic songs written about tales of the road. The album throughout serves as the most complete Aerosmith album around with its combination of heaviness, funk, blues and rock ‘n’ roll along with plenty of time for Steven Tyler’s humour honoured lyrics. The band also give us the stunning ballad “Home Tonight” which finishes off the album, but the killer track on the album is surely its heaviest and that’s “Nobody’s Fault” one of the legendary tracks from 1970s hard rock and one of the very best in the band’s discography, with its apocalyptic style intro….. before we are then bludgeoned by the sheer power of the band, all full of blazing drums and bass and then those soaring guitars…… this song packs one hell of a punch! Rocks has a total nine songs and every one of them is something unique and there isn’t a filler in sight anywhere, and without doubt this is one of the tightest albums of its type. Not only is this possibly the greatest hard rock album ever recorded, but it’s also Aerosmith at both their raunchiest and heaviest. One review I saw, stated that Rocks fucking rocks and that statement says it all really.

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