Album of the Week #249, Aerosmith - Rocks (1976)

[Scott]

I get the whole month of April to post full albums of what ever topic I want! So at first I think...

• Foo Fighter month! But then I realize Jon may never talk to me again, so then I think...
• ELOY! And then I realize RJ may never talk to me again, so then I think...
• Southern Rock, and then I realize Niels will never talk to me again, so then I think...
• A month of Tommy Bolin! But changed my mind at the last second in favor of...

A month of albums that represent the best an artist has ever released! Yup, thats the winner winner chicken dinner! So some rules though, its got to be an artist with a decent sized catalog, not these 3 and out artists. And the album I post is that group/artists defacto best offering in my opinion only. Thats where you come in! Listen and agree, or not! But tell me your thoughts about the album posted, maytbe a cool story about how it changed your life - or something slightly less dramatic, and then tell me why I'm right, or not!


Enjoy... I know you will. (click album cover to listen)


Artist: Aerosmith
Genre: Hard Rock
Nationality: 'Merican!
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: Yes
Album: Rocks
Producer: Aerosmith and Jack Douglas
Release Date: 1976
Running Time: 34:31
RIAA Certification: 4× Platinum
Peak Billboard Chart Position: 3 (US)
Singles: "Last Child", "Rats in the Cellar", "Back in the Saddle"


Side 1...
1. Back in the Saddle
2. Last Child
3. Rats in the Cellar
4. Combination

Side 2...
1. Sick as a Dog
2. Nobody's Fault
3. Get the Lead Out
4. Lick and a Promise
5. Home Tonight



Few albums have been so appropriately named as Aerosmith's 1976 classic Rocks. Despite hard drug use escalating among bandmembers, Aerosmith produced a superb follow-up to their masterwork Toys in the Attic, nearly topping it in the process. Many Aero fans will point to Toys as the band's quintessential album (it contained two radio/concert standards after all, "Walk This Way" and "Sweet Emotion"), but out of all their albums, Rocks did the best job of capturing Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking. Like its predecessor, a pair of songs have become their most renowned -- the menacing, hard rock, cowboy-stomper "Back in the Saddle," as well as the downright viscous funk groove of "Last Child." Again, even the lesser-known tracks prove essential to the makeup of the album, such as the stimulated "Rats in the Cellar" (a response of sorts to "Toys in the Attic"), the Stonesy "Combination," and the forgotten riff-rocker "Get the Lead Out." Also included is the apocalyptic "Nobody's Fault," the up-and-coming rock star tale of "Lick and a Promise," and the album-closing ballad "Home Tonight." With Rocks, Aerosmith appeared to be indestructible.


So thats my take on what I think is Aerosmiths best album ever, and at the rate they're going they'll never get close to it again!

[Scott]

[Jon]

I would give this post a higher mark, but.......

A) The album cover is too small and is not centered

2) This is not an anniversary album

With that said, I guess it's growing pains or something like that. Maybe you'll get it right next time, but I'm not holding my breath.

With THAT said, this is a fantastic album but I wonder if it's my favorite. "Nobody's Fault" is an awesome song, it ranks right up there with "Nobody's Fault But Mine" as the greatest songs with "nobody's fault" in the song title. Could be that this is my favorite, it sure isn't "Permanent Vacation", I could tell you that much. 

With that and THAT said, I now believe this is their best album. "Toys In The Attic" is a fine album and I do like "Draw The Line", with the former very close to "Rocks" and the latter a bit distanced from "Rocks" and "Toys In The Attic" and maybe even behind "Done With Mirrors".  

With all those thats said, I am now done. I'm still docking points, though.

[Scott]

I opted for a style of my own, kind of a signature if you will!!!  So I will work on my style but you may not like it if it doesn't evolve to center....

Glad you agree!  Rocks, uh... Rocks! and it is their best even if its by a hair...  Get The Lead Out is probably the tune that really stuck with me.  My friends older brother played the snot out of this album ... I remember really digging the inner sleeve as well.

[Niels (Mod)]

Yeah, you're right about that Southern thing

"Rocks" is my (and probably a lot others) favorite Aerosmith-album, closely followed by TITA.

Jack Douglas almost did as fine a job here, as he did on "Cheap Trick" (1977)

I was aware of Aerosmith in the late 70's, but it wasn't until "Done With Mirrors", that I bought an album. I think I got "Rocks" around 1989, where I went to see Aerosmith in concert on their "Pump"-tour, or whatever it was called. I remember at that concert, when they started playing "Sweet Emotion", and I was very surprised, that it was them, playing that song, because I could clearly remember it being played on the radio 15 years earlier, but off course not knowing it was an Aerosmith-song until that very moment. The Cult was support. Good "double-bill".

[RJhog (Admin)]

Listened to this on Friday, just haven't had a chance to type about it with Easter festivities and all.  

I wasn't much of an Aerosmith fan back in the 70's when they started.  My biggest memory of them, other than the song Walk This Way, was that my cousin Ricky had a vinyl copy of Toys In The Attic.  The only thing I remember about the album is that it had a song that Ricky loved called My Big Ten Inch Record.  Thing is, I don't remember hearing the "record" part of the lyric.  I was a kid, but you can imagine that my older cousin just kept singing about his big ten inch.  

As far as this album goes:

Great opener.

I don't remember hearing Last Child on the radio at all back then.

Rats In The Cellar has a cool solo.

Combination is a really cool song that I wasn't familiar with before hearing this.  Perry and Tyler's vocal combination sounds great.

Finally, Lick And A Promise sounds like it should be a Cheap Trick song.

Pump is more my style where Aerosmith is concerned.  I like them, but they don't have a single album other than Pump that I listen to all the way through.  

Great job on week one Scott.  Keep 'em coming.

[Scott]

So PUMP would be your choice for best Aerosmith album?

[RJhog (Admin)]

Oh yeah, it's always been my favorite.