[AeroTueday] Wrap-Up

While Rhea and I were on our way home for Memorial Day dinner last night, New York’s Classic Rock station did the unthinkable: they played something recorded within the last five years.  As I said last week, “Legendary Child” may not exactly be the second coming of, say, “Same Old Song and Dance”, but it sure did sound good blasting from the radio on a sticky summer day.  Sometimes, dear readers, that’s all rock ‘n’ roll needs to do.

Most conjecture about Aerosmith at this point deals with their future in some respect: do they even still speak to one another?  Will Music from Another Dimension ever have a firm release date?  Will it be any good?  Will they make it through this summer’s tour without any embarrassing falls from the stage or catty in-fighting?  Is there any gas left in the tank?  These are questions that can only be answered by the band members themselves – and, perhaps, by time.

Clearly, the issue of the band’s interpersonal relationships is at the core of the whole thing.  Unlike when I did my Cheap Trick album-by-album series, I’m not going to delve into the Aerosmith members’ solo and side projects here.  There’s not much to say about any of them, really: this is one band where the whole is ridiculously greater than the sum of its parts, no matter how individually talented those parts may be.  Aerosmith rises and falls on their unity, and I can prove it to you simply.  Listen to Joe Perry’s original, solo version of “Let the Music Do the Talking”.  Not bad, right?  Now listen to Aerosmith’s 1985 revision of it.  I rest my case.

As a fan, I hope they find a way to work together and move forward.  I hope that Music from Another Dimension proves that they’ve done exactly that.  If they haven’t and it doesn’t, no matter; their place in rock history is long since secure.  Look at it this way: it’s been one hell of a performance.  A great encore would be nice, but even if the stage lights just come up instead, the show has been seen and then some.

With that, this particular show is done.  Thank you all for coming on this particular journey through my record collection with me.  I’ll be taking a few weeks off here from the whole weekly-assignment bit, and then I’ll pick another artist (subject TBD) and start the whole ride over again.  See you then.