#366 Aerosmith, 'Rocks' (1976)

Previously #176

Thanks to their later schmaltzy hits, I always forget how hard rocking Aerosmith actually were. Steve Tyler & Joe Perry are reminiscent of partnerships like Mick & Keef, Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora, Axl & Slash etc. This album has been cited by Kurt Cobain, James Hetfield and Slash as major influences on their lives and it’s easy to see why. It became a bit of a blueprint for hard rock bands who sought commercial success. It’s got major riffs and huge vocals, not discounting the contribution of the rest of the band. ‘Back In The Saddle’ into ‘Last Child’ is a great 1-2 punch. ‘Rats In The Cellar’ is Thrash Metal before Thrash Metal was a thing. It’s a metal record from a band that wasn’t a metal artist, and they pulled it off. The last track, ‘Home Tonight’ has hints of the Aerosmith we’d come to know. A great vocal performance from Steve Tyler and awesome solo fading out the album. 

The album was one of the first in history to be certified platinum on shipping and has since gone on to achieve 4x platinum. It’s a cohesive, hard-rocking and raw record from a band still finding themselves.

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