Aerosmith - Honkin' On Bobo
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Free Music Notes for Honkin' On Bobo
Free Music Review: THREE CHORDS AND THE TRUTH
Hit: 4 Stars
In a world where Bono of U2 fame can be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, Aerosmith recording a "roots" album is as completely fitting like a high-speed pirate ship on the Caribbean. Mr. Tyler and company's early albums already are collected and bound in gold leaf in the Rock And Roll Library. Indeed, even their "comeback" albums starting with PERMANENT VACATION and PUMP make a good case for "second acts" in rock and roll. The problem of late has been Aerosmith's proclivity towards gonzo-mega over production such as in operatic favorites "Cryin'" and "Livin' On The Edge". While cool as a cheese pizza and rhinestone thong in the Clinton White House sort of way, they do not weather repeated rotations and now appear as tedious excess during these "desert" war years. War and economic depression have a way of making the exuberant times an insult to the human spirit in retrospect. Pictures of bloodied soldiers in body armor advancing through the streets of battle undercuts the pretensions of tough boys flashing guns and tattoos, rapping about bikini-ed "ho"s and "cappin'" someone's ass. One is a warrior; but other is worse than a fake.
Of course, Crabby (this reviewer) has no room to talk. Much like the gentlemen in Aerosmith, I grew up loving the blues from all those old Yardbirds, Rolling Stones, and Cream albums. "Smokestack Lightning" remains one of my all-time favorite songs. All the Mississippi grit and grind of those sloppy guitars, pounding bass and war drums with harmonica and distorted vocals hit you at the base of your groan and extends out the arms and legs. Whiskey rhythms, gambling, sticky sweat, and a woman's intimate aroma flood the senses and cloud the mind. Great stuff. Yet distant from the real thing itself.
As much as we thought we loved the blues those old men like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and John Lee Hooker could only sit back shaking their heads in disbelief that all these white boys just didn't get it. There was legitimate debate in the 1960's whether a Caucasian man could ever play the blues. Whatever the merits of doubting the possibility, many a boy musician from the suburbs picked the blues up and remade it in their own image. The major achievement/failing of all those "blues" records was they took what they thought they heard and made it rock. Anglo-Saxon country boys all over the world followed Elvis' tracks down the winding trail that started in Chicago, rode down river to St, Louis and Memphis and ending up in the delta of Louisiana. The Stones and the Beatles showed a whole generation that they were not condemned to live their lives listening to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Jerry Vale recycling the Great American Songbook. The youth rebelled and rocked the night away. It wouldn't have been so bad that those old blues men watched a bunch of kids get rich off of their songs as long as they got paid. Trouble was they largely weren't paid at all--and they sure weren't invited to appear on American Bandstand either.
Still, when rock and roll gets silly or too big for its britches, it is always a good move to drink waters from the old wells. Whatever you may think of Aerosmith, these guys can growl out the blues with the best of them. When the music you make reaches the realms of hysterical bombast, 100 piece orchestras, and a little too much comfort sitting down among Hollywood stars and starlets, it is seriously advised you go back and touch something real. Themes of sexual seduction, alcohol, betrayal, guilt, damnation and redemption grounds those who know they're more sinner than saint and for whom beauty often is a mockery of the world as they find it. Rock returns to what it knows. Oddly, singing songs about pretty girls is possible once again.
The best cuts are "Road Runner", "Eyesight To The Blind", "Baby, Please Don't Go", "Back Back Train", and "You Gotta Move". The rest of the album isn't quite up to the same standards as these; but they aren't bad either. The "You Gotta Move" is the same song as the one found on the Rolling Stones STICKY FINGERS album and in most ways seems to be the more complete version than the Stone's.
As far as the recording quality goes, Aerosmith has set these tracks down very cleanly. The dirt and grit comes all from the actual performances themselves. This can be a little jarring from those who love those old Yardbirds and Stones records that got much of their dirty grit from the primitive recording methods of the time (records executives at the time were sure the English rebirth of rock and roll was just a temporary fad and so didn't spend a lot of money on those early albums.) It is only at the end of HONKIN' ON BOBO with "Jesus Is On The Main Line" that we get a loose and trashy version of a blues standard as it seems everyone and his sister around the recording studio join in the singing. I don't know about you but this added touch is a charming end to this labor of love.
Charles Mingus once said "No America-No Jazz". Much the same thing must be said for Rock as well. Rock is a mongrel dog that came from a land where several music styles found themselves rubbing elbows with each other. They borrowed from each other with impunity and it came to pass that the new "whole" became greater than the sum of its parts. Rock didn't spring forth magically from the mouth of Elvis Presley in 1954 nor did it from the hands of Chuck Berry either. The blues was rough and uncouth and was certainly not performed among polite company. But it had/has a dignity all its own.
Rock is a manchild of many parents. The Blues serves as a sort of "True North" for rock. The Blues doesn't care what jeans you where or where you go on your next vacation. The Blues takes everything down to its most basic elements: man, woman, fear, love and the truth.
Free Music Review: Will this be a Hangman Jury?
Hit: 4 Stars
Aerosmith forgets to invite the orchestra on their 14th studio production- Thank God! It's about time guys get to hear a consistently guitar driven album without loads of sappy violins festering throughout their music. Ever since 92's Get A Grip, their management sought to redefine "Aerosmith" from Joe-cool nonchalance to chicky-sweet affectionate, wishing to harvest a bumper crop of album sells from a more pampered audience. All the while pop-rock radio stations were gobbling this stuff up single release after single release, opting for predictability over innovation (Amazing, Blind Man, Hole In my Sole, I Don't Want to Miss a thing, Fly Away From Here) Guys were becoming embarrassed to tout to their buddies how much they loved this way cool band even though their full length studio albums were exceptional besides the occasional anchovy. Thankfully, "Honkin' On Bobo" is definitely a venture project, providing a refreshing and consistent formula throughout the cd. The tunes focus on a whole gauntlet of stuff from ego, excess, love, lust and yes faith and divine providence too. With cranking guitars, slamming drum rolls, bar room piano and slabbering harmonica, Bobo is the essence of honky tonk blues staples cut with amps cranked up to near clip, rhythm set to relentless and Tyler's vocals propelled over the top, out of control and across the entire scale (for both better and worse), and so it will require a listening adjustment for the uninitiated. Just forget your issues and crank this bobo up on a good system. -enjoy!
tracks 1-12:
1> ROAD RUNNER [B]-- a full throttle opener without completely setting the hook- crashing drumwork behind a brutally mean rhythm guitar and lots of Tyler ego.
2> SHAME, SHAME, SHAME [C+]-- a real honky tonker here, the backbone being harmonica and bar room piano plus shamefully oft repeated chorus line. I like their guitar driven songs best.
3> EYESIGHT TO THE BLIND [C]-- catchy swaggering tune. Alas, it recalls too much from the sound of Aerosmith's worst blues cover ever, "Reefer Headed Woman" which helped to sink the steady clip of 79's "Night In the Ruts". The loads of wacky harmonica slow the song down to a drunken stupor while Tyler (sounds like a lady) during a couple of sweet squeals that will shatter cool eardrums, or nearby glass. Ouch Dude!
4> BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO [A+]-- there's plenty of Tyler's patented cool wildcat screaming on this one though, and the harmonica is tasteful too. Simply put, It's an addictive blastin' tune with loads of gritty guitar work that eventually cranks away into a velocity driven frenzy. I'm playing air guitar right now. Think About It.
5> NEVER LOVED A GIRL [A]-- the swiftness of the cd now slows down to mid tempo pace, yet it's still candy to my ears. Unfortunately, the first few seconds recall the opening of What It Takes" from 89's "Pump" effort. That being said, this harmony laden soulful love potion is about as close to perfect as possible.
6> BACK BACK TRAIN [A+]-- and now the beat slows down to just a crawl while Perry grabs the mic from Tyler in this slow drizzling delta-blues ooze. Featuring a hauntingly ominous rhythm, I predict that if you play this very loud then thunder-clapping storms will billow into the marrow of your soul. This is the blues genre at its best in every respect.
7> YOU GOTTA MOVE [A+]-- wow! Is this providence or just fate? There's so much to describe about this song. It does everything. It swaggers. It crawls. And it works itself up into another rockin' guitar frenzy. Without being overtly religious, the lyrics make me want to get downright spiritual with the gospel blues. This one merits being developed into a story line evoked Video.
8> THE GRIND. [C]-- is just that. Its got a nice tempo and some good licks, but if you need to use the restroom or pop popcorn, do it while this ..uhh ballad? rolls.
9> I'M READY [A]-- just make sure you get back in time for this tune. A really thick, muffled rhythm guitar opens up and catches hold of the ears while Tyler dishes out lyrics with attitude while other guitar work begins to crank away. You might need to hit repeat a few times before advancing.
10> TEMPERATURE [B+]-- now a lazy sounding blues funk for us to honky tonk on. This one has hooks all over the place. Lots of harmonica and bar room piano.
11> STOP MESSIN' AROUND [B]-- don't get too comfortable on the sofa because it's time to rock again. Perry steals Tyler's mic, but Tyler's going to be busy with the harmonica for a while.
12> JESUS IS ON THE MAIN LINE. [A+]-- instant gratification with perfect harmonies and an old fashioned gospel-chorus that is soothing to the ears and soul. Authentic to its genre, this stark gem is a perfect one even if it's just a half carat and a bit short.
Consistency in tone for the entire cd - [A]
CD Documentation-- The front cover features an Aerosmith emblem harmonica, on a deep red velvet blanket. The back cover has a nifty picture of the band, dressed in clashing colored suits next to their instruments with Tyler standing close by, reading the newspaper. The CD Booklet doesn't have the lyrics. The first two pages show the fine print of each songs publication, the next 10 pages are pictures of the individual band members, 2 pages for each, the left hand pages packed with b/w snippets, and the right hand pages show a single full color portrait shot. The final page on the rear has a smooth sexy female wearing scuffed up denim jeans and a "HONKIN ON BOBO" belt buckle.
Free Music Review: Very Good
Hit: 4 Stars
Coming off the mediocre Just Push Play album
Aerosmith decides to stray away the pop rock
they have been doing since the early 90's. The
results? A very solid album with few clunkers.
The two best songs here are Baby, Please Don't
Go and Road Runner. Some might say that Please
Don't Go doesn't sound as good as the AC/DC
version. PLEASE! I like AC/DC, but their version
did nothing for me. We also get two solid tunes
sung by Joe Perry such as Back Back Train and
Stop Messin Around and they sound great! I
honestly can't wait until his album is released
in just a few months.
There are a couple of tunes on here that really
doesn't go anywhere such as Shame Shame Shame
and the only orginal song The Grind. The first
just sounds rushed and not very good at all..
The second is just flat out boring. Songs You
Never Loved A Girl, and You Gotta Move are
really really good tracks aswell that Steven
Tyler really goes to work on.
The main problem that I have with this album is
is that other than the two Joe Perry songs I
feel Steven Tyler tries to hog the spotlight
alittle too much. If you listen to the South
Of Sanity disk you get the chance to hear
Whitford take charge on a couple of tunes with
his underrated guitar work. That really doesn't
happen here.
I've read some of the reviews of readers crying
about how this isn't a return to old form or
such. I got news for you, the 70's Aerosmith
was not really blues at all. You have to go
further back than that to really hear the
blues. I think alot people just have a problem
with the band doing a cover album. What? You
mean rock groups have never done cover albums
before? Think of Van Halen doing Diver Down
and I believe Rush released a cover album not
long ago. You say there is nothing new with
this covers? Are you really sure you understand
Aerosmith? Songs being done Aerosmith style
is something new on it's own. As they say, this
is a Aerosmith album and a solid one at that.
It doesn;t reach the 70's stuff or PC/Pump, but
it is better than Nine Lives which is a whiney
pop album, and Just Push Play a below average
studio album. Nobody with common sense would
take those two pop manufactured albums over
this one.
Pro's:
Please, Baby Don't Go
Stop Messin Around
Back Back Train
Road Runner
You Gotta Move
Never Loved A Girl
Steven Tyler on the Harmonica
Cons:
Steven Tyler tends to hog the spotlight
Shame Shame Shame
The Grind
Free Music Review: Aerosmith's Grand Salute to Their Roots...
Hit: 4 Stars
This time around for their next studio venture, Aerosmith decided that they would pay their salute to their roots of Rhythm and Blues. Aerosmith's remakes of legendary R&B tunes are phenomenal. This album is outstanding and it really outdoes 2001's "Just Push Play". Steven Vocals are top notch, Joe and Brad's guitar playing has never sounded better and Joe and Tom don't miss a beat. The band is at their top performance ever on this album.The opener, "Road Runner" is a really good tune. The opening is Steven screaming, "Ladies and Gentlemen....Step Right Up." Then all the guitars kick in and the band blows your mind away. The next track, "Shame, Shame, Shame" is a great touch of old 50s blues. This tune is a really good swinger. It has an excellent melody to it and the song is very catchy. Jump 2 tracks to one of the best tracks off the album, "Baby, Please Don't Go." This track is really heavy R&B Aerosmith style. Joe's guitar playing is just unbelieveable phenomenal and Joey, Tom and Brad couldn't have played any better than they did on this track.
Joe Perry also takes the role of lead vocals on this album on a couple of tracks that we haven't seen since 1993's "Get A Grip." Joe's first track on lead vocals is "Back Back Train." This tune is a slow rocker and Joe's vocals are incredible. This is definitely one of the many high points on this album. Just to show the fans that the whole album isn't just tribute, Aerosmith wrote one original tune on the album, which is "The Grind." This tune isn't too bad and the song has it's high points. Their tune contains a good set of lyrics and some good instrumental work.
Joe's second song on lead vocals is "Stop Messin Around." Joe did his very best on this song. Just listen and Joe takes it away with his outstanding guitar solos and his bluesy voice. It's definitely the second best song on the album. The closer, "Jesus is on the Main Line" is the greatest tune on the entire album. This is the perfect song for a choir to sing in church. The song is all acoustic. Several vocalists appear on this song. Along with the band on vocals is Steven's daughter Chelsea. She has a nice voice! The lyrics are so powerful. The album's best right here.
This album is a must buy for any Aerosmith fan or just an R&B fan. Aerosmith has just made their best album since 1997's "Nine Lives." Even though Aerosmith didn't write a lot of original material for the album, their salute to the blues is a excellent one. On this album they pay their respects to their idols of R&B. Buy this album and start rockin away with Aerosmith.
Free Music Review: Cool blues from Beantown
Hit: 4 Stars
From the opening howl of "Ladies and gentlemaaaaaaaaannnnn....."you know you're in for something a little bit better than the past few Aerosmith albums. For a dozen old school blues songs (only one is an Aerosmith original), "Honkin' On Bobo" parties like it's 1969. Where some of the previous albums ("Just Push Play" and "Get a Grip" spring to mind) sounded restrained and just a little too thought over, "Honkin' On Bobo" rip-snorts with a no holds barred energy that seemed to be lacking. It also pertains to the song selection. While a lot of the blues would traditionally settle in on the suffering of being blue, most of "Honkin'" takes aim at more typical Aerosmith fare. There's a lot of mojo getting worked here, and it supplies a hard drinking rock'n'roll atmosphere. It could aslo be credited to longtime producer Jack Douglas being back in the fold; as the producer of some of Aerosmith's best seventies work, he knows how to draw the best out of the players.
That is certainly to Steven Tyler and the boy's credit as well, since it's a genre they work best in. Joe Perry is playing like a man obsessed and even takes a lead vocal in the convincing "Back Back Train." When I say convincing, it's because the only Perry vocal I can remember - which was some bad news - was "Bright Light Fright" from "Draw The Line." Oddly enough, "Back Back Train" is one of the only two slower or less party animal songs on "Bobo," the other being the gospel tinged "Jesus Is On The Main Line." (Insert here that Perry's other vocal on this disc, "Stop Messin' Around," has been distorted past the point where a vocal credit really matters.)
One other thing that should obviously be stated here is that "Honkin' On Bobo" is not a record for blues purists. (If you want that, check out Eric Clapton's recent scholarly sounding "Me and Mr. Johnson.") It's the kind of album that will sound more at home in a college frat or an SUV than blasting from a sweaty club. You want a hard rocking noisy record that puts Aerosmith back in the game? Then "Honkin' On Bobo" is their best in a long time.
PS. If you're looking for anything extra with the "Limited Edition," you can skip it for this standard version. For two bills you get a toy mini-harmonica on a keychain. Granted it works when you blow into it, but I felt a bit disappointed...even though I bought both versions.