Aerosmith-Toys in the Attic

 

Recently, the Ludwig drum company announced the return of Aerosmith's Joey Kramer as an endorser. During the band's heyday in the 70's, Joey was one of many celebrity endorsers for the Ludwig drum company. To some, this doesn't seem to be a big deal. I have been playing the same set of sparkle silver Ludwig drums since I bought them used in the spring of 1982. I always felt there was something special about Ludwig considering Bonzo, Ringo, Ginger Baker, Carmine Appice, Ian Paice, Alex Van Halen and of course Joey Kramer all played drums made by Ludwig.

 

As I write this, it's been announced that Singer Steven Tyler has been asked to be a judge on American Idol. So once again, the future of Aerosmith is uncertain. In the summer of 2009, a series of events derailed Aerosmith for a bit. Now with the impending announcement of Tyler's involvement with American Idol, the future of the band once again feels uncertain. So with the unknown status of the band and the celebration of Joey's return to Ludwig, I want to talk about a classic album that features a classic lick from Mr. Kramer......Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic.

Much has been reported and told of Aerosmith's rise and fall from popularity in the 70's and the ultimate comeback in the late 80's to the point of saturation in the 90's..
Many die-hard fans of the classic 70’s Aerosmith are usually divided on two albums. Which is better?….. Toys in the Attic from 1975 or Rocks from 1976. I have owned both but initially I was a fan of Toys in the Attic over Rocks.  But, as usual, I’d like to talk about the gradual progression of discovering this band of boys from Boston.
I’ve often talked about the majority of music influences in my life came from my older sisters.  Considering Aerosmith hit the mainstream around 1973, my earliest memory was usually various ads and pictures in the teen magazines my sister bought.  There was also a record store in the Mall in North Platte known as “the Brass Ear”.  Looking back it was a very 70’s type of record store. Just thinking about it now, makes me nostalgic and I wish I could go back in time to see it with my adult eyes and experiences.  But, my first exposure to Aerosmith was seeing them in the 1978 Bee Gees/Peter Frampton movie Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.  Some may criticize that movie. But, it was filled with top notch music. I had grown up with my sisters copy of the 1962-1966 (red) greatest hits of the Beatles. So, when Sgt Pepper movie came out, I was a little in the dark that it was Beatles songs. But, in the movie, Aerosmith was featured as "the Future Villain Band” or FVB performing Come Together.  I remember seeing the movie in the theater. I actually enjoyed the movie because I didn’t have a preconceived notion of how these songs should have sounded. But, Aerosmith as “The Future Villain Band” seemed awfully evil (and just plain ugly) in contrast to the wholesome image of the Bee Gees and Frampton had in this movie. In my youth, I wasn’t used to someone with Tyler with such a big mouth. But, it’s still a great cover….
1978 was the year that Aerosmith made their film debut in the Sgt Peppers movie. The critics tore the movie apart and tore apart many of the musical performances in the movie too. Two of the that seem unscathed by the critics’ pen were Earth Wind and Fire’s cover of Got to Get You into my Life and Aerosmith’s version of Come Together.
As I entered my adolescent years, I fell prey to the musical influences of my peers with older brothers. My friend Tommy T had an older brother who had a bunch of 8-tracks(I think) that were of a lot of great bands of the late 70’s like KISS, Cheap Trick and (of course) Aerosmith. I remember hanging out at his house one day and he came across a stash of 8-tracks in a cupboard or a cabinet. We went through them and I vividly remember him coming across a certain one as Tommy exclaimed “Holy Crap….AERO-SHIT!”   I don’t think it was meant to be derogatory towards the band. We were just 12-13 year old boys who just like to interject our favorite curse words into everything we said and did.
Years later, as I grew in my love of Rock, I would continue to read about Aerosmith in my monthly purchases of Hit Parader and Circus magazines. I had read about lineup changes within the band and how the fans longed for the original band from Boston.  By the time I started college in the fall of 1985, the band had regrouped with original guitarists Brad Whitford and Joe Perry. I was excited to hear about this regrouping. During my freshman year of college, I had begun to make a daily trip to Dustys Records as part of my routine after I finished my classes in the afternoon. One purchase I remember was a cassette from the “3.99 and up” bin. It was the red and white decorated cover of Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits. I was hooked from Back in the Saddle to Walk this Way to Sweet Emotion.  That cassette became my “Aero-sampler” and I was soon on a quest to own the entire catalog.
I was constantly going through used LP bins. I remember buying the album that is the subject of this blog…Toys in the Attic , bringing it home to my basement apartment, putting it on my turntable and the awesome buzz I got from that album. The title song – Toys in the Attic was an uptempo rocker that was the exact speed I loved all my rock songs to have in those days.  What a fantastic boogie filled rocker. 

Next was Uncle Salty and it seemed so down and dirty. I don’t know if I ever knew what the song was about. I have never been a person who paid close attention to lyrics. It’s just an aural attack of the senses that got me.  Adam’s Apple followed with a little story of the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden.

Back when Cain was able
Way before the stable
Lighting struck right down from the sky
A mother ship with fate said let's give it a try
Conscience was related
Man he was created
Lady luck took him by surprise
A sweet and bitter fruit it surely opened his eyes
Well she ate it
Lordy it was love at first bite
Well she ate it
Never knowin wrong from right right right

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s when Aerosmith (and their huge comeback) were everywhere I remember seeing clips of Adam's Apple.  I remember thinking it just sounded cool. Of course, the clip was from the days(or daze) of heavy drug use and it always seemed that Steven Tyler was slurring his words badly.  The opening slide guitar of Joe Perry is just so raunchy sounding.
The next song not only has a signature drum intro. It also has a signature guitar intro. Before there was the RUN DMC/Rick Rubin collaboration, this song title was born from a line the band saw in Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedy Young Frankenstein. Of course I’m talking about Walk this Way!  Joey Kramer and Joe Perry play perfectly together in this timeless classic. The only problem with “timeless classics” is they get overplayed. The band was animated singing it on the Simpsons. They’ve performed it with RUN DMC, Kid Rock and of course the Super Bowl with N’Sync and (((shudder))) Britney Spears…oh and Mary J Blige.  I used to really love this song. But, I fear I have definitely grown tired of it.
Next is probably my favorite Aerosmith track ever. It’s fun! It has a "Jump/Boogie” blues feeling and has so much sexual innuendo it made me laugh the first time I dropped the needle on this one. I remember sitting in my basement apartment and listening to this with my roommate at the time and we just laughed at how much fun this simple song at 2:18 long.

Side two of the album starts with yet another classic for the Boys from BeanTown,  the one and only Sweet Emotion. It has a bass line that all bass players found cool to learn from the first time. I just love how it has such a slinky sexy groove for the verse and then it slams for a bit and then jumps back into the verse.  One of my favorite memories of this song is listening to my friend Mick sing it with one of three bands he had played for.  He would often change the lyrics from

Another Month on the road and I’ll be eating from your hand

to

Another Month on the road and I’ll be POOPING in my hand

It’s the same humor about bodily function that Mick and I and handful of our friends find entertaining.

As I have listened to this album to get some listening ideas, I’ve found that I really like No More No More. It almost seems rather autobiographical as Tyler sings

I ain’t seen the daylight since I started this band

All the “perks” of a young up & coming band. I also like how it rocks for awhile and then breaks and Tyler sings

Baby I’m a dreamer…found my horse and carriage-gah (obviously emphasizing the final syllable)

The album rounds out(no pun intended) with Round and Round and You See Me Crying

Round and Round has a heaviness to it. Yet it’s trippy too. It shows a heavier rocking side to the bluesy cock-sure strut they show on the rest of the album.

The last song is You See Me Crying which shows a versatility that few bands possess in today’s world. It’s a lighter song and if the band released it in today’s market, they’d be accused of putting out yet another power ballad.

For me, this album was beyond words. Maybe that’s why it’s taken me so long to write this blog and memory. Music is my drug. When I hear something that blows me away at first listen, I want that album/experience to continue to blow me away a hundred listens later. But, Sadly it never really happens.What's also really remarkable is that this was the band's 3rd release. This comes from an era in music where the record labels nurtured the act and let them grow with each album release. Today's world is mostly interested in a hit record right out of the gate and nothing to keep them going for the long haul. 

Last summer (2009), Aerosmith went on tour with ZZ Top and were performing the album of Toys in the Attic in its entirety. This has become a common practice lately for bands of the 70's and 80's. Mid-way through last year's tour, Singer Steven Tyler fell off the stage and broke his collarbone(I think). This(of course) forced them to cancel the remainder of the tour. When the tour was cancelled, Steven started talking about taking a 2 year break from the band. The band become frustrated with his inactivity and threatened to record with a new singer. Well, Tyler returned and they hit the road again this summer(2010) for another tour. In fact, they should be in Omaha this next Thursday 8/19.

This is when I found out about Joey Kramer's return to Ludwig Drums. The nostalgic side of me hoped for a down & dirty return of the Aerosmith of younger days. I felt a rush of excitement. Then, the breaking news/rumor of Tyler becoming a judge on American Karaoke(er..I mean Idol) came out and I fear for the worse. My big balloon of Rock n' Roll hope was quickly deflated.  Maybe it's time for the band to try something else.

Who Knows?