Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Aerosmith are one of those bands I dislike without any real reason. Never listened to an album before and when I think of them I think of the deep impact song..... This was different to what I expected and probably I probably enjoyed it more than I thought I would. More blues sounding. Nothing here I would go back to though and still wouldn't call myself a fan. 2.5
Pretty sub-par rock. Somehow no hits on this album? Another review mentioned this bridges the gap between heavy metal and hair metal. But it falls flat for me.
I don't hear anything that makes this album distinct or innovative comparatively to Toys in the Attic, which is already on the list. Back in the Saddle is a bitchin' opener, sure. But Aerosmith isn't exactly known for being poetically, lyrically, or musically significant in any real way. They're just a bunch of hard partying dudes having a good time and making mediocre music in the process. It's fine, but it's not special. 90's revival/sellout Aerosmith at least gave us some iconic music videos.
Pretty good
Generic seventies rock from a bunch of Stones wannabes. Little new or innovative.
Some good riffage, and it services it's purpose of teenager cock rock reasonably successfully. But it's dull...
My dad really really hated this album.
It was pretty good. I’m a big fan of Aerosmith, but I was expecting a little more. Back in the saddle and last child were great, and I really like sick like a dog. 4/5
So people like this stuff, eh? Interesting.
Enjoyable rock (possibly bordering on hard rock), but I don't think it's very memorable
It's not a bad listen, but it is fairly generic mid-seventies rock that other bands did considerably better. Kind of like the Stella Artois of this kind of stuff, no-one will object to a pint of it without being especially thrilled to see it's the only thing on offer.
Too much butt, not enough rock.
Really enjoyed
A very solid hard rock album, maybe even one of the best front to back. Really strong songs, some virtuoso playing, nothing that sounds bloated, overdone or too long. Is it a stone cold classic? Maybe not. But definitely the best Aerosmith album.
Underwhelming, if I'm honest. A lot of the tracks sounded really similar. I enjoyed some of the solo guitar stuff, but I could not replay this album and be fine with it. They didn't seem to find their sound with this one.
Generic and boring
I couldn't get into this album. It seemed like each track sounded the same as the previous. Not to mention, Aerosmith is not one of my favorites, will not be actively seeking this out again.
i like it, it’s just not… that special? it’s genre defining and it’s good but i’m not moved by it
This album is called Rocks ‘cause that’s what they was smoking when they made it. #lowhangingfruit
I wanted more. 3.5 stars but can't express that so 3
I quite enjoyed this one Saved tracks: Last Child, Sick As A Dog, Nobody’s Fault, Home Tonight
Aerosmith is not an album band for me. They’re a singles band. Their songs either suck absolute shit or they’re inescapable classics.
70s rock by the numbers. Neither bad nor good, no standouts. 2.5/5
I just don't like Aerosmith.
I don't know, Aerosmith is fine. This album was pretty good, I just don't prefer Steven Tyler's way of singing.
Had a great rock sound but on first listen nothing brilliant outside of a nice rock playlist, on it's own i'm not sure I could pick song that had a lot of individuality.
Nice artwork. Gives you the idea that you're in for a nice hard rock ride--one that's gonna push all your buttons if you're up to that sort of thing. But does that cover hold all of its promises? "Back In The Saddle" and "Last Child" have slick main riffs and a mean groove, I'm not gonna lie. "Rats In The Cellar" then accelerates the pace, but to no great effect, unfortunately, this track being a meat-and-potatoes hard boogie rocker that doesn't sound very fresh or original. Besides, Steven Tyler's vocals sound weird on this one, buried in the mix as they are... "Combination" then heads back to the sleazy rhythms of the first two tracks, yet it doesn't really add anything relevant to the whole picture. "Sick Of The Dog", the track that follows, is far more memorable, though. It's the third highlight of the album, with an effective and lively outro section. "Nobody's Fault" then attempts to imitate Led Zeppelin--with various results depending on which moment of the song you're talking about, but still quite successfully overall. Next, the boogie routine returns with "Get The Lead Out"--the word "boogie" being even quoted in the lyrics. Said routine can wear your patience a little thin at this point, at least depending on the mileage you have on those types of hard rock shenanigans. However, the outro section, with its long droning sound, is interesting--it's as if Aerosmith chose the option radically opposite to your usual solo-driven conclusion, and it's a choice that aged well, I think. "Get the Lead Out" is not a highlight, sure, but it's still ten times better than the stinker that pops up right after it, "Lick And A Promise", a cheesy, hackneyed cut going "na na na na" at the end. Quite annoying. And how many times are you gonna repeat the word "boogie", Steven? Finally, "Home Tonight" ticks the necessary hard-rock-ballad box, but the song is unfortunately far less moving and far more mundane and "functional' than stellar "Dream On" on Aerosmith's debut. Speaking of other Aerosmith recordings, I noticed that *Rocks* is not even among the most popular albums the band released on Spotify. If casual fans don't go to that one that much, does that mean that contemporary rock critics were actually right to point out this record was still some sort of post-breakthrough slump? Let's see... Four highlights, pretty good but not the stuff legendary rockers are made of, five middling tracks, and one clear stinker... This, out of nine songs, doesn't scream "essential" to me. And side two is quite a slog to go through, even if this LP is short. I'd rather listen to a greatest hits album, to be honest. 3/5. (8/10 for purposes more general than the ones this aims at: 5 + 3) Number of albums left to review: 578 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 201 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 97 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 126 (including this one)
Not actively bad, but very unremarkable. Definitely a couple moments of "rocking out" here, but overall it runs together in a blur. When this album was over, Spotify put on other artists, and for a brief moment I thought the music had just improved substantially. But alas, no. 2/5
A good classic rock album, great opening song. The biggest issue I’ve had with Aerosmith records is they only have a couple great tracks on each album at most. (Though usually no bad ones) I won’t turn this album off, but I’d rather listen to their greatest hits. And there’s no denying their long lasting influence, not just in rock, but when Run-DMC covered “Walk This Way” & Aerosmith worked with them, it changed the way most people listen to music…
Instrumentality and performance are very high level, but the lyrics and melodies are seemingly directionless for more than half of the album. The guitar is very American and the vocals are a bit shrill.
Better than I thought
Didn't hit quite as hard as Toys in the Attic but still a dope rock album. Big Aerosmith guy. 4.5/5
Particolare
Always loved 70s rock but always felt that Aerosmith were just overshadowed by other bands. I was pleasantly surprised with this album. Really good bass lines throughout, strong guitar, and impressive vocals. Song lyrics and direction could be a more creative. Everything is good, but nothing is mind blowing. 3/5 Favorites: Back in the Saddle, Rats in the Cellar, Combination, Least Favorites: Get the Lead Out, Lick and a Promise
Super boring. Scratching my head why this album is on here. Aerosmith had a lot of hits but none of them are on this record. I would’ve much rather listened to toys in the attic, get a grip, or big ones. Back in the saddle is one of Steven Tyler’s worst sounding vocals. Terrible song. Last child is alright. Sick as a dog is not a good song. Get the lead out is alright. 1
I never really liked aerosmith. They are like walmart-brand Led Zeppelin. I don’t think the songwriting is interesting or creative, I think they just ride off the electric bluesy guitar, which I also don’t really love the tone of. On paper they are so similar to led zep but it just does not work for me. It really sounds so stale and uninspired to me. It sounds like they needed to make a record and struggled to come up with any material. The rhythm section is a huge part of that too. None of the individual elements of this record really stand out to me. Rats in the cellar rivals U2 for worst song about New York.
This was great. Steven Tyler’s voice is so cool. No stand out songs though.
Pretty good Aerosmith album. I know a couple of tunes off this one but never heard the full thing - I think before this project the only full Aerosmith albums I'd heard were their later stuff that's basically hair metal. As it is, this more or less sounds like appetite for destruction... 10 years earlier. Some really, really cool riffs coming at me here. Holy shit, I never realised that Testament song was a cover. Fuck, it was gonna be an easy 4, but I think it's now a 5/5...
It's fairly proficient mid-70's rock. Slightly Glam and played with a swagger. Also pretty safe- no rough edges and an enjoyable listen. Nothing special though.
MEh
Can’t hear anything some of the reviewers do. Meahh
Wait, Aerosmith did something other than "Dream On" in the '70s? That's... interesting. Especially knowing that it's hard rock and not power ballad as I expected. Still, not as impressive as it is fascinating. Decent, but quite generic.
I can't even THINK about Back in the Saddle without that song getting stuck in my head. Aw, shit, here we go again. I'M BACK.
Very cool album, I’m liking the pattern of classic rock albums that they are usually fairly short in length with no more than 10 songs but they really hit hard. I particularly like the vocalist’s inflection’s on this one and some of the guitar work, it gets a little repetitive in the middle which is the only thing holding me back from giving it 5 stars but I think I will return to this
A consistent rock album throughout but to me the songs were quite monotonous and sounded really similar to each other.
3/5 Quintessential 70's rock/borderline metal? It was an ok album but it sank into the background with the kind of generic electric guitar solos you'd expect. Meh.
It's 70s rock and so not my first choice of music. Well performed and made but it's not something I'll run back to. Steven Tyler is also someone I cannot stand and so this may have flavoured my view...
It was fine. A well-done 70s rock album. Not my bag, baby.
Rocks is a gritty and powerful record that showcases the band's musicianship and songwriting prowess. Released in 1976, the album features a raw and unpolished sound that captures the band's bluesy, hard-rocking style. One of the highlights of the album is the ballad "Home Tonight," which showcases Tyler's soulful singing and the band's ability to deliver a powerful, emotional performance. Another standout track is "Nobody's Fault," a heavy, riff-driven song that features some of Perry's most inventive guitar playing. Rocks is definitely aclassic album that has stood the test of time and, whilst it’s nothing super special, does it’s job of delivering a good rock experience.
Not an Aerosmith fan but this album was tolerable
TIL aerosmith does not totally suck
- Iconic classic rock sound - Cool guitar and vocals - Great soundtrack to rowdy beers - Favorite songs: Back In The Saddle, Sick As A Dog
- Authentic rock guitar sounds (fast, loose, driving) - Steven Tyler has such a unique voice made for rock - Songs have that classic rock driving, forward moving beat - The kind of music for a montage of drinking beer with the boys
Enjoyed this. Much prefer ‘rock Aerosmith’ to ‘ballad Aerosmith’. Rhythm section was tight. 3.5 stars.
"Rocks" is the fourth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith. This album is known as a highlight of their career and capturing the band at their most raw and rocking despite their heavy drug use. It is without doubt a most rocking album. At the time, it received mixed reviews but later very positive reviews. And, it was a big commercial success in the US going quadruple platinum (4,000,000 copies). The album begins with the slow, creepy guitar build-up in "Back in the Saddle" which ends in a Steven Tyler scream. A bad-ass groove. Chunky guitar. Whips, clicking spurs and galloping horses. You can't go wrong singing about cowboys and sex. The first single "Last Child" opens with a classic heavy metal acoustic guitar. It transitions to a more rockin' sound. Tyler struttin'. Great guitar solo. "Rats in the Cellar" was their answer to "Toys in the Attic." This is harder and driving. Great layered guitars by Joe Perry and Brad Whitford. It's real life as things are coming apart within the band. "Sick as a Dog" is the most straight-forward rock song on the album. Catchy vocals and guitar chorus. A deeper cut and my favorite song on the album. "Nobody's Fault" is the band's favorite song on the album. It's heavier. Gun 'N' Roses were in the room and actually were quite literally as Slash cites this album as one of his inspirations. The album ends with the ballad "Home Tonight." Piano. Lap steel guitar. Foreshadowing of what was to come a decade later? This is great album. Focused. Rocks hard. Melody hooks. Great layered guitars. A tight, tight band despite what state they might have been in. I had to listen to "Toys in the Attic" again to verify but, without question, "Rocks" is their best album and a hard rock classic.
Du rock il me semble
biais de lassitude ou jsp
Fine.
pretty wicked riffs and sweet shag carpet production but the decadent druggy vibe gets dull after a while
Starts big and fizzles out.
I think I’ve finally found my least favourite genre. It must be this 70s American macho arena rock. I’m a bit surprised because a teenage me would have probably loved that. Not anymore I guess. Why exactly is this so popular? It sounds so lazy and uninspired. All of the songs sound the same and not only in the context of this album but overall, throughout the entire genre which must consist of thousands of similar bands. What made Aerosmith stand out? It could not have been Tyler’s vocals now could it? Ugh no. I’ve barely made it to the end, which came to my surprise super early. That’s one of the major highlights of this album - it’s only 34mins long! I also somewhat liked the melodies on Nobody’s fault and Home tonight. Sorry Aerosmith fans but I don’t wanna miss a thing is much better than anything on this album!
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah, quite a decent record Favourite song: Track 6 - Nobody’s Fault
meh
yeah yeah 3.5
Good, straight forward
Meh...
Meh. It's Aerosmith. It's fun, but I have to agree with the album's contemporary critics--it's just Aerosmith reheated. Obviously inspiring to a number of guitarist who ended up picking up the instrument *because* it's fun, but the dearth of decadent music and a bunch of people's nostalgia is not enough for me to be impressed by this on its own.
I mean, it's just fun, right? The most shocking part of this album is that this was their 4th album and it came out in '76. These guys have been at it for so long. And, by '76, they pretty much knew what they were about because this is just... well, it's just fun. Nothing absolutely bangs here but there are also zero snoozers. Every track rocks and then some. It's probably the hardest album I've heard from Aerosmith and I'm here for it.
This wasn’t a bad album, but it wasn’t good either. It was catchy but not a good type of catchy. The vocals were ok. Nothing really stuck with me though and it kinda fades into the background after a while.
So limp. Try hards.
Great album. I’ve heard it before and there’s a lot of great hits on there.
Back in the Saddle then a bunch of other meh songs.
Quite like the younger Tyler's voice and his range is impressive without sounding like a banshee. Interesting to read that there was a LOT of drugs involved in this album. A very coherent album without the mess you'd expect of a drug-addled production. Quite short too, which is nice. The longest song is under 4:30 long. Surprising that this went platinum on release and eventually QUADRUPLE platinum, obviously buoyed by their prolific touring and live fanbase, it's good but not that good. Very genre-classic galloping riffs, call and response vocals, chunky pub rock chord sequences, bit of Zep influence, bit of Maiden influence, bit of scuzzy mid-70s NWOBHM. Probably best enjoyed drunk at a concert.
Didn't hate it but a bit bland, repetitive, and forgettable. 2.5 stars. Why can't I give half star ratings?!?
Very samey
Some classics but a little samey in places. Shame Stephen Tyler may be a c*nt, this review may age badly.
4.25
Album did basically nothing to sway my already mostly negative opinion on the band. Also opens with my second most disliked song of theirs.
This was an alright listen. I feel very similar with this to how I feel about Guns 'N' Roses. Some really cool and fun guitar work mixed with some kind of boring pentatonic riffery and vocals that I dislike most of the time. Vocal harmonies are rough in some tracks like Sick As A Dog. The mixing is weirdly clean, the distorted guitars have less bite than I'd like. I would have left Sick As A Dog and Home Tonight off of the record.
Liked it. Not the greatest album ever but a nice listening experience. 4/5
2/5. Just a generic rock album. Sure, more raw than normal, but nothing in the way of songwriting. Not bad but just okay.
A decent party record, with swagger to spare. The rhythm section is probably the strongest element.
Yes. Now we're talking. Aerosmith. And this is a good album. No massive scene stealing songs, but all of them just rock.
Aerosmith is very quite possibly the worst band on this list and the worst band who has every achieved any amount of fame. 0 stars all the way.
Rocks
Pretty good classic rock. I feel like they deserve some props for their pop sensibility and having the decency to keep the album under 35 minutes. I’m also pretty sure there was only one guitar solo on the whole album. Who’da thunk it?
Sucks!
Cooler guter Rock. Hörenswert.
I honestly don't see how this is any different than the other flavorless bands of the era. I know Slash and Hetfield (and even Kurt Cobain) have cited this record as a huge influence, but to me, it's just standard tool box rock fare who's only highlight is that it's only 35 minutes long.
Back in the Saddle: A middle-of-the-road blues rocker with horse sound effects at the end. Last Child: "sweet sassafrassy" The near-funk rhythm almost saves this one Rats in the Cellar: I would prefer the Judas Priest version (if there was one) Combination: More riffs. The bass part is pretty rocking. Sick As A Dog: Sorta poppy in a Spinal Tap way Nobody's Fault: The Led Zeppelin one Get the Lead Out: Possibly the worst riff on the album Lick and a Promise: The Motley Crue one Home Tonight: of course it ends with a ballad Not really that bad but not good at all. It's safely a two-star record but its only saved because it has fewer references to carnal knowledge of teenagers than a Kiss album.
Ok so classic period Aerosmith, here it is. Much heavier and doesn't have the aging issues Pump does. The missing link between heavy metal and hair metal from the review below is bang on. Still not my thing but it's definitely a good listen. Nothing jumps out at me like Sweet Emotion did, so my go to Aerosmith list of tracks remains short. Good though.
Very good beginning with "back in the saddle", the first few notes really intrigue one. And ending it with "Home Tonight" is very fitting😂
Solid Rock album. Unfortunately I found it a rather generic with nothing too standout. 3/5.
Should've stuck to making chocolate.
My opinion of aerosmith has never quite been the same since that rollercoaster, scarred for life.
Their fourth album, featuring 0 of their top hits. Not for me
Mediocre
Rocks. This is truly just "the rocks" of music. I'm talking like those regular grey rocks you find in your backyard. That's how unique and interesting this album is. If I gotta give Aerosmith one thing though, it's that they've mastered the album length formula. None of their albums overstay their welcome or feel too short. The 30-40 minute range is perfection.
Haven't heard the whole album before! Highlights for me: Back in the Saddle, Last Child, Home Tonight. Loved Home Tonight, had never heard it before!
I don’t really like Aerosmith.
Rawks. 4 stars.
Orket ikke å høre hele, men det jeg hørte var nedre enn fryktet
Prima muziek maar niet heel bijzonder als ke het mij vraagt. Zit een beetje tussen harde rock en softe rock in, maar is dus net niks. Het begin is nog wel prima, maar richting het eind wordt het steeds minder interessant.
Solid album. Would definitely listen again!
A decent enough album.
Pretty ok
What's to say about this one. It's another Aerosmith album, which means that it both has some really good songs on it as well as a bunch of generic blues rock. It's not bad, but if someone put this record on a party I would listen for the first two songs and then spill beer all over the record player 3/5
Great stuff. Starts strong, finishes strong. I've never been a big fan of Aerosmith (in the sense that I know the famous songs, but I've never listened to a full album) but this was great, I will totally come back to this in the future.
Ehhh it's fine. Not my jam. 2.5/5
I've heard a couple of Aerosmith songs before, certainly, but never listened to an Aerosmith album in its entirety. I can't say I recognise any of the songs here either, but this was a pretty good 70s rock album with a few excellent tracks. However it didn't really stand out that much next to some of the other 70s rock bands, in my opinion. Still a great one though, some good songs for my driving playlist. Favourite: Back In the Saddle
This was decent, I guess early Aerosmith is better than the later stuff where Tyler’s voice sounds like a wailing cat. Joe Perry was great on this and my favourite moments may have been Tyler’s harmonica bits. Sick as a Dog was a creepy weird tune, maybe I misread what it was about but I doubt it. The closing track Home Tonight is one of the few rock ballads I enjoyed. Decent album, 3 stars
Maso
Oof. A lot of filler on this one. Feels like an album intended for adults, but would appeal to children. Maybe just a product of it’s time, but the lyrics are quite corny. I suppose that’s just Aerosmith. Not a complete bomb, but not sure how this made the cut for 1,0001 albums when it’s so mediocre.
It was fun but didn't blow me away.
Liked this a lot more than I thought I would. A solid album.
LP
tedious rawwwwk
I'm not a big fan of Aerosmith, but there is no denying they have put out some great music. This album has Back in the Saddle, but is otherwise just a precursor to hair music.
Not as enjoyable as 'Toys in the Attic,' but boy is Aerosmith back in the saddle again. Some solid rocks here. Did I make all the obligatory jokes? A shame Steven Tyler was sleeping with a child at the time and felt the need to write creepily about it in his autobiography years later like a total pervert. His pervertness does give the album some flavor, but after everything, it's kind of a disturbing flavor and I want it out of my mouth. Luckily the album doesn't overstay its welcome, and it's certainly aged better than Tyler has! TLDR: Steven Tyler is a creep, the album is good.
Sounds like I expected it to lol. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it.
Steven Tyler looks like a giant grouper.
Meh
A good introduction to Aerosmith. None of their hits but a nice, well-rounded, guitar heavy set of tunes. Some would say it "Rocks". 😐🔫
Meh, too samey and dad rocky for my liking ;)
like...its fine?? idk just a bit meh. like the equivalent to a digestive biscuit
Da war ich noch unter 14, ....rockig
My most fave Aerosmith album - the right balance of rock and melody!
It was OK.
I didn't expect a band like Aerosmith, which is known for "Dream On" and Armageddon songs to have such a diverse and mature album, especially this early in their career. If I would listen to this album without knowing what it is, I would guess The Rolling Stones. The record has inspired many band and artists, like Kurt Cobain or Slash. What is the reception right now? In my opinion - rather unspectacular. The songs on the album are very much infused in 70s hard rock style. Plenty of blues/rock riffs, some really great guitar solos and surprisingly good vocal by Steven Tyler (whom I remember only as an old man). I'm not a big fan of this album, or of this band at all. It was fun to listen to this piece of history, but to be frank, its place is in the books on the shelf now. That's all.
Above avergae rock. Possibly need more listens to fully appreciate it
People listen to this?
Not my favorite sound but well put together
It's easy to be snobby about this era of hard rock, but for all it's worth, this is a proper good time. Nothing unexpected, but clearly very influential for other bands that would follow in their footsteps. Solid all the way through, and super brisk at 35 minutes. It's an album for a fat car on the way to the gym to lift some heavy weights.
Very happy about this one. First Aerosmith project i’ve heard but it kept me wanting more. Packed with very solid riffs and vocals, the album doesn’t really have any downs. Will definitely check out more of their discography.
Good old fashioned rock and roll
I hate Aerosmith so so much. This record sucks.
Good, enjoyable album with lots of replayability potential
Meh i think, nothing outrageous
Right up my alley with great production quality
16-year-old me is disappointed I'm not giving this a higher score. Best track: Back in the Saddle
6/10
6/10. I actually liked this album, but was disappointed it didn't have more to do with rocks. Also the first song was fucking miserable, why does he have to shriek like a Nazgûl every few seconds? Is the song about the black riders of Sauron getting back in the saddle? I doubt it, and I'm not going to relisten to find out.
Bland but listenable. 6/10
Good pure rock. Nothing stands out as amazing, but a collection of good songs.
Classic Aerosmith. I think we take Steven Tyler's voice for granted at this point, but can you imagine hearing it for the first time, back in the 70s? A controlled, disciplined, musical scream? Rating: 4/5 Favorite Track: Last Child. Rock and Funk had a baby
Surprisingly strong. A great record
I'm listening to this hung over as a motherfucker, and all I can think of is that this is, in music archaeology terms, the missing link between heavy metal and hair metal. Last child has quite a funky bassline. Other than that - I got bored of it very quickly.
3.5
a classic
Jeez, back-to-back butt rock albums? Yayyyy... Okay I've just read that this is actually Cock Rock, not Butt Rock. Huge difference apparently, but boils down to generic macho rock music. I'm sorry, I know Aerosmith is """classic""" but there just isn't anything I find engaging about the music. "Nobody's Fault" is decent but it sounds more like Zeppelin than Aerosmith. The guitar work is okay but it kind of just melts together at a certain point. Steven Tyler obviously has a great voice, I just don't care about what he's singing.
The first Aerosmith album I've listened to. I've heard a lot of their songs before but never a whole album experience. It got tight guitar riffs and you can feel that it almost touches on heavy metal at times. Sometimes it even gets a bit funky but it always falls back to it's 70s rock foundation. 4/5 as I don't think it quite reaches a 5. It lacks a certain something that makes it stand above the rest.
This is... and Aerosmith Album, not their finest I feel like, but solidly classic rock sounding.
Had expected either Toys in the Attic or Rocks or perhaps even both. The former album might be a bit stronger overall, but of course both are proper Aerosmith classics. Compare this to Pump (also in the 1001 list but just a solid rock album) and hear the difference!
Solid as a rock.
As good as it gets for a hard rock album: well done!
First two cuts (wait for it) rock, but the balance of the record is a grungy grimy, utterly uninspired muddle. Last cut is okay too but too quasi-Queen-esque to clear the bar of sheer mediocrity. 2.5 at best but rounding down for their many subsequent crimes against good taste and musical decency (very much including judging singing contest television shows) which far outweigh their (not-really-much-more-than modest-when-one-considers-their-rather-unfortunate-it-worked-out) longevity. In other words, all their awful later work more than canceled out the decent amount of solid-to-solid-plus material they released earlier.
This had one or two pretty catchy songs on it, but most of this is stereotypical boring classic rock guitar-noodling shite. At least it was over quickly.
I didn’t have it just in the background but my mind treated it as background filler. Typical Aerosmith 3/5.
Not a big fan of Aerosmith. Mid at best
nothing is special about this band. they have some singles that may be “important” to listen to, but none of their albums aside from toys in the attic matter enough to listen to front to back. rocks is no exception. the songs are same-y, the lyrics are boring, steven tyler gets grating after a couple of songs. back in the saddle is the only song i could really stand, and it’s probably because i listened to it growing up. this album and this band can kick rocks. no more thank you
Solid outing
Aerosmith has always been the crème de la crème of generic classic rock, and this is no exception.
What a snooze. I fully forgot this album an hour after listening to it. I honestly considered giving it a 2, but I couldn't think of something that actually redeemed it.
Fast paced rock n’ roll, my kinda style. It’s fun, peppy, and a bit generic. There’s not much to say here other than those few words. Only other thing I thought was that it could’ve been a bit longer. Favorite track: Nobody’s Fault
Honestly, this is a pretty weak Aerosmith release. They definitely had more creativity on things like their self-titled and even later releases like Just Push Play or Get A Grip. This one is pretty average for them. Even Aerosmith being probably my favorite "Hard Rock" band (this excludes Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and BOC because I always think of them as "Rock and Roll." I don't know the actual difference, I just know feel this way in my brain). Anyways, this definitely feels like a weak release. I just think a lot of others appeal to me more. If you like Aerosmith, then you should give this one a shot, but I'm not all too jazzed about it. Highlight: 1.
It's got energy. It's got spunk. What more could you ask for?
It really is an outstanding start with Back in the Saddle and Last Child. Sounds original and a is a great straight rock sound. The rest of the album isn't quite as strong, but is still an exceptional rock & blue sound. Enjoyed.
*sigh* Is this influential on crotch rock genre? Not revisiting this one...
baita sonzeira
It's fine, not their best though
Music your parent's banged to.
The album is 35 minutes which is perfect. I knew a couple of the songs. The album is classic Aerosmith: loud guitars, loud/screaming vocals, and some underwhelming songs. The album started off fairly strong and got weaker. It is better than a 3, but not quite a 4. I will round down.
Couldn’t be bothered to finish it.
Knew the first 2 songs. Everything else sounded like the same song over and over again.
Not as good as the previous album and not nearly the catastrophe theyd become. A solid piece of ‘70s funk rock and hits just as hard now as it did back then. Enjoyable even if none of the songs stick with you past the runtime.
Top to bottom a fantastic record. For me, it's just behind Toys in the Attic.
First, not an Aerosmith fan. Just never was. Much like Def Leopard before with Hysteria. And yet Aerosmith is just part of your upbringing in late 70s to 90s in some places. Back in the Saddle (How was this not used in Young Gun 2 in some way?), Rats in the Cellar, Nobody's Fault are all notable tracks for me. But not nearly as iconic for me as Hysteria was so going for a middle of the road 3 stars on this one.
C'est Rock et explosif, du 'rock and Roll', la voix, la guitare/drum/bass, tout est là. C'est peut-etre trop Classique Rock pour moi... Pourtant ... 3.15
A definite improvement in songwriting from their previous effort. Still not a lot to write home about though.
Yea it's alright. Didn't realise Airbourne owed them so much
It's the same Aerosmith album you've heard before, just lacking in any definite highlights such as 'Dream On' or the like. Would recommend for fans of bland guitar noodling and radio-friendly rock.
Rehtiä rockia! Omalla listalla ei kyseisen orkesterin tuotoksissa pääse kyllä lähellekään kärkeä, mutta varsin viihdyttävä levy.
Ihan menevä, mut ei jääny erityisemmin mieleen. 2,49*
Does what it says
Aerosmith just doesn't do anything for me aside from a few hits, none of which are on this album. Nothing jumped out at me about this one, even the singles. Standout Tracks:
5/5
Good, straight to the point rock album.
This has been one of the more surprising listens so far. I apparently judged Aerosmith too harshly based on their later pop rock popularity, so I’ve slept on these early rock albums. After one listen, this is one of my favorite rock albums.
All timer
Like it says on the cover, this album rocks! And very consistently, which wasn't my previous impression of Aerosmith. Every now and then I'm in the mood for this sort of thing, and I'd definitely come back to this album if I was.
Another album I bought back in the day (through the Australian Record Club), but have since offloaded. Just played it through and it’s better than I remember, but Robert Plant he ain’t. I think they peaked in the late 80’s.
So I read about how influential this album is; Nirvana, Guns 'n Roses, Metallica, et al. all cite this as a key text. And yet, it seems really flat to me. Often described as 'heavy', 'funky', 'rocking', I find it only kinda heavy, kinda funky and kinda rocking. I listened to this four times through. Back int he Saddle starts the album off with some promise, and then the rest of the record just fades into interminable boogie. Is it that the rhythms are too controlled? Is there too little dynamics? Is it slightly too polished? Not as funky as funky, not as heavy as metal, not as rock as anything? The guitar interplay is certainly not to Stones standard, the boogie not to a ZZ Top standard (Waiting on the Bus came onto to my spotify playlist immediately after this record, and it popped out immediately as a much better example of how to do this), not Zep standard anything. I was just a little bored. I wanted a bit more rock, a bit more growl, and bit more funk, and bit more edge.
Blegh I can’t
aight
More southern rock and metal influence to this Vs other Aerosmith albums. A quick fun listen.
The standard Aerosmith affair: bland and boring. P.S. Does this album really belong in this list? [Nope.]
I nearly gave this a 4. As advertised, it rocks. Has a very modern sound, and immediately recognizable as distinctively Aerosmith. Tyler's vocals are on-point throughout, and they do a great job getting mileage out of their 2-guitar attack without bashing you over the head with it (similar to Mick Taylor-era Stones). Just lacking a little on the songwriting, only a couple are really catchy.
3.5 stars Classic hard rock. Standout is "Back in the Saddle".
Do you remember when Walk This Way came out, with Aerosmith and Run DMC and you were 12 and it was like "oh SHIT!" and then sometime later you heard the original Aerosmith version and you were like "oh."? And then you heard Guns 'n' Roses' version of Mama Kin and you were like "OH SHIT!" and then you heard Aerosmith's version and you were like "what?"? That's pretty much my relationship with Aerosmith. They belong somewhere in the rock n roll landscape, but they always feel about two steps back from greatness. There was that point at the end of the 80s / beginning of the 90s where the brought in songwriters and became really popular and had some catchy tunes. And hey, I owned Permanent Vacation and Pump. There's nothing on this one for me, though. These feel like sketches of better songs. These songs were recorded too soon. Two steps back from greatness.
I own this album already, I think it's the bee's knees. You can hear this as the transition from the looser, Stonesier rock of formative Aerosmith to a harder, sleazier sound. There's an unmistakable swagger to some of these tracks - 'Sick As a Dog', 'Back in the Saddle' and 'Nobody's Fault' standout here. Meanwhile, 'Rats in the Cellar' is a hard-driving rocker and 'Home Tonight' points towards a mastery of power-balladry to come. Neat neat neat.
They were just another band out of Boston... Oh wait, that was yesterday. So, I'll split the difference. I like this album and, in particular, I like the songs that lean a little darker and rawer than the singles. "Combination" and "Nobody's Fault" are standouts to me. I've always had a soft spot for the 90s MTV pop rock version of this band and their Alicia Silverstone videos, but when I'm tired at 11pm on a Wednesday I am much more in the mood for the version of Aerosmith that sounds like they haven't sleep in 4 days. They sound like Boston if Boston hadn't showered in a week. The tunes aren't as catchy as they would be later on, but there's some stank on this album that I appreciate.
Back in the saddle, Last Child - on the verge of being prog, but continue their rhythm throughout, classics Combination - great layering, beautiful melody Rats in The Cellar, Sick As a Dog - Great lyrics, almost spoken poetry Home Tonight - beautiful, melodic outro Loved the melodies/harmonies, simple, but well constructed classic rock, cool vocals
Pretty good but not great.
Good. not my favorite album of theirs but quintessential Aerosmith.
JAMS, actually more fun than what I previously thought of Aerosmith!
This was just okay to me. I guess, I’m only down with the stuff they came out with after this.
Fine just kinda boring classic rock. Instrumentally it's enjoyable. The lyrics are pretty trite though.
Bra men ikke så mye spennene
underrated band maybe. funky cool. still kinda mid better than I thought
It bangs along quite nicely
How is this on the list??
Ok
Blah.
Didn’t even finish album.
Tight band.
Alright I love this album and have listened to it heaps of times. Will listen again tonight and rate. Great
At least one song on this album was perfect for my corporate friendly playlist.
Dude looks like a lady.
OK
Nothing special
meh osea bien! pero do i care? naaa. 7 / 10
A couple of catchy songs.
S'écoute bien sans plus
3.5
I've never given Aerosmith the time of day until this album, I wish I hadn't here either.
2 nd fave by aero
Decent rock
This is an all time fave
They definitely have a signature sound but no stand out songs to me.
Im fairly familiar with most albums/song by Aerosmith. But I don't know any of the songs on this album! The album starts rather rocky, with a somewhat omnius intro, the style makes you think this album is gonna be filled with serious song. That is, till the yodeling starts at the end of the first song.. you're reminded immediately that you're listening to Aerosmith lmao. The song Lick And A Promise underlines that thought as well. The next couple of songs vary in style like 'Last Child', which is more like a Lenny Kravitz style funk/rock song. And Rats In The Cellar's style is more like a Blues Brothers style rock song. While Nobody's fault is almost a hard rock, Led Zeppelin kinda song including the heavy riffs.. Overall the album is fairly heavy compared to the previous albums and it's understandable why this album was such a big influence.
Solid music and some great guitar but scream rock isn't my bag so the vocals (while iconic) kept me from giving this a four
Really wish we had half stars. I enjoyed this but not quiet 4 starts for me. I've not listened to much Aerosmith beyond the hits so this was fun to listen to. 3.5 Stars.
Amazing Joe Perry guitar and Steve Perry’s vocals are iconic. This isn’t my favorite from Aerosmith but I still enjoy this record.
Note sure when the album ended because aerosmith kept playing and I didn't stop it. Favorite track is "Last Child". Rest of the album was pretty good. All their music has funky edge to it.
Good album
After the first two songs, the rest were filler. And I give those first two a C+.
Not the best Aerosmith album, but it's Aerosmith. I like the songs that sound more metal. Just reminds me of playing Guitar Hero with my brother.
Aerosmith are a great band - the Rolling Stones plus a sense of humour. They have some brilliant songs in their repertoire - but their albums are not great. This is solid rock, very good but not special - why is it on this list?
third Areosmith album on this list and just felt weak and by the numbers
2.5
2.75
Очень драйвовый, крутой альбом. Нескучный, местами мелодичный и кайфовый.
classic aerosmith sound, perhaps not their best album but solid
I kinda liked this more than when they became romantic af
It's fun or whatever, not really my thing tho.
Arguably their best album cover but by no means their best album.
Never was a huge fan of Aerosmith but this album isn't horrible. It's just middling for me, has some interesting vocal performances but it's not for me.
I found this really middle of the road…
fine
Hmmm. Bit forgettable really, aged power rock from Aerosmith
Not my thing but it’s classic for a reason. A very solid album
Some good stuff on here, but I wouldn't say it's their best work.
Rock de Aerosmith. Ningún megahit. Un 4.
First song was good, the rest were just average Aerosmith to me
Back before Steven Tyler became a caricature of himself Aerosmith could deliver some solid music.
i'm sure if you're really in to 80s rock then this is a top ten album. i'm not so it's a no from me clive.
Stop fucking putting Aerosmith on the list. A blitzkrieg of shit, although better than the almost comical later stuff. 🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈
It's all big mouth, tight trousers, rock n' roll and SHARK fish fucking toddlers in placcy pools. Did Quaylo say the same? Bet he did.
Steven Tyler ain't it
My ears have been wronged.
Solid rock n roll album!
It's better than the other Aerosmith album I got, I guess
Does what it says on the tin.
by name, by nature
Good but I've heard them all a thousand times
Hard rock
There’s no denying this is Aerosmith. Each song, you can hear and know exactly who it is, but not in a Nickelback way. This album is, simply put, fantastic rock.
A white-hot slab of blistering rock music with little hint of the embarassingly poppy band your mom liked in the late '90s. Essential.
Great album!
Nokkur ágætis rokklög þarna en ég get ekki hætt að hugsa um 16 ára Julia Holcomb. Steven Tyler var ógeðslegur. Veit ekkert hvernig staðan á honum er í dag, en hann var allavega ógeðslegur.
70s rock. Needs to stay there, this is just loud and somehow also bland.
Doesn't get much more American than this. Today America is a shattered land of sissy babies but back in the day Americans were strong and unafraid, and this music captures that cool 70s American energy well, I'd say.
Meh
3.5 - Good as background music at your favorite dive bar. Inoffensive hard rock with some tasty guitar licks here and there.
Kinda easy to forget these guys kicked ass once upon a time
I don't super like Aerosmith and this one fell flat for me.
I had forgotten that everybody needs a bit of Aerosmith in their lives. Greg Prato of AllMusic called Rocks "raw and rocking" not sure I can improve on that.
Raucous energy. Had some great tracks but I found it all sounded the same by the end.
Clasaic rock, great riffs great guitar. Some forgettable tracks but overall solid
This was one of the albums on constant rotation at the house parties Shirley hosted at her folks' house in Sudbury every weekend during high school. When I went back home last weekend I was saddened to see that her house was gone. I don't mean it's not recognizable due to an addition or renovation. It's gone and there's nothing in its place. Her parties were so legendary perhaps the house was lifted and brought to the Smithsonian. Anyway, I expected to completely hate this album but I kinda liked Last Child. It has a neat melody. The rest of the album is putrid.
The first three songs not only rock, but draw from different styles. If you were to compare these guys to the mid seventies competition, ACDC, Van Halen, Kiss, Aerosmith is more creative and less commercial. Steven Tyler is annoying but he delivers the goods, especially on a song like Back in the Saddle and Joe Perry is the kind of guitar you want in a band like this. These songs sounded more familiar than I thought they would. Hmmmm.....
For the life of me I can't understand why Aerosmith is on this list, surely there are more worthy bands. I particularly hate this brand of screamo pop rock and Steven Tyler's vocals. Nothing redeeming here folks, keep moving.
Slightly noisy nonsense. Downhill after the first track.
Unapologetically screamin'
Nah too shouty
Aerosmith is a solid hard/blues rock band. Their music is tight and clear. However the lyrics are really not the best and they don’t really bring anything to the table in terms of innovation. They are just simply ok. They seem perfectly content with cruising in the shadow of better hard rock bands.
This is great stuff, never listened to this and it felt fresh
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Back in the saddle, Sick as a dog
At their best when they add a bit of funk, blues and swing to their hard rock template and ‘Rocks’ delivers this in spades with songs like opener ‘Back In The Saddle’, ‘Last Child’ and ‘Get The Lead Out’. There are a couple of missteps though: ‘Nobody’s Fault’ and ‘Combination’ come across as filler, but overall ‘Rocks’ is generally a good time full of cocksure swagger and hard rocking licks.
Not bad. I think some of there other albums are better
This is Aerosmith at their best? Fave: Maybe Last Child
Pretty decent guitar rock. Nothing super special about, but I enjoyed the play through.
Wasn't bad as I was expecting. Some songs were even maybe good? The faster-paced songs were pretty good, like Rats in the Cellar. Get the Lead Out was also decent. Lick and a Promise was also decent. Overall, I'd rather be listening to another band like Led Zeppelin though. 3/5
There's some RIFFS on this and Tyler's vocals are ridiculous (in a good way of course). Enjoyed this a surprising amount.
The best hard rock album of all time. AC who? Guns n what? A
Not the Aerosmith album I would have first thought about, honestly. Doesn't really have any standout singles but it has some good deeper cuts. Rats in the Cellar and Nobody's Fault are standout songs.
I haven’t ever found the appeal of Aerosmith from an album perspective. The singles always bang, but I haven’t come across too many deep cuts worth a damn. Unfortunately, Rocks doesn’t really make the case that I should revisit those other early records to change my perspective. “Nobody’s Fault” is pretty fuckin cool and heavy, but shit like “Get the Lead Out” had me reaching for the stop button. These more blues rock standard-type forays are just boring to me, despite Perry’s chops. 2
5/4/2022 - ALBUM #98 Today's Album: "Rocks" by Aerosmith - Yet another surprising album from the generator, I thought this album would just be what I've grown to expect from Aerosmith, which is masturbatory hair rock with obnoxious vocals and boring instrumentation, but this album is a ton of fun. Coming out in 1976, the hair rock aesthetic of this project feels much more progressive and innovative than many of the late 80s outfits that played this cliché out to death. This is the best the genre has sounded to my ears and it makes it feel intentional that this is pretty much the first album of it's genre that the generator has given me. The solo's are killer, the beats are fantastic, the production is great, and although I don't really care about the lyrics too much, the song writing here is really impressive. A lot of these tracks are full out jam sessions and I love how loose some of the song structures feel. I think Stephen Tyler's vocals here are taking way more of a backseat compared to a lot of their later work and it just makes it feel way more like a band and not just Stephen Tyler and the whatevers. I enjoy when these tracks transition into each other and although the hard rock vibe of this album never really calms down for a ballad, the songs feel pretty diverse still and most of them have a major redeeming quality about them if I begin not liking them. Overall, this album is fantastic and blew my expectations out of the water. Come for the guitar solos and stay for the killer vocals, guitar work, drum beats, basslines, and production. Listen to this one if you can handle some ROCK and if you feel like you never understood why Aerosmith is as beloved as they are. Highlights: Back In the Saddle, Last Child, Rats In The Cellar, Combination, Sick As A Dog, Nobody's Fault, Get The Lead Out, Lick And A Promise, Home Tonight Score: 8/10 The reason they're legends
Perfectly average
Seeeeeeeeeeeh, el old school Aerosmith que le gusta al pueblo rockeroooooo