Stooge Without question, Rocks is my favorite Aerosmith record. While not what we would consider to be metal nowadays, Aerosmith have undoubtedly inspired several bands in the genre ranging from glam metal bands (Guns N Roses) to thrash metal artists (Metallica). Rocks is a major reason why such bands look back on Aerosmith with such fondness.

The album starts with two classic rock songs in “Back in The Saddle” and “Last Child”. Both songs are mid paced in terms of tempo, and feature some excellent riffing by the duo of Joe Perry and the less-praised Brad Whitford. “Rats In The Cellar” is the most up beat song on Rocks, featuring some great harmonica playing by Steven Tyler as well as a great chorus. Some of the riffing during and following the solo section reminds me of what would go on to be known as speed/thrash metal, kind of like how Metallica would close songs in the Kill em All era.

“Combination” is an overlooked song on the album. Written by Joe Perry, “Combination” features great dueling vocals by Perry and Tyler, as well as a nice dirty (if that makes sense) rhythm guitar sound. “Sick as a Dog” may be my favorite song on Rocks. This song features bassist Tom Hamilton switching to guitar and Perry playing the bass (though he plays the guitar solo at the outro). The vocal delivery and the melody are very sing-along-able. It’s a rock song that is somewhat lighter in nature compared to many of the other songs.

“Nobody’s Fault” is a heavier, mid paced tune. I’m a fan of Joey Kramer’s drumming on this track, which stands out the most to me. “Get The Lead Out” is probably the song on Rocks that most resembles what the band would produce in the late 80s and early 90s, particularly during the verse. The bluesy guitar and vocal tradeoffs work to great effect. “Lick and a Promise” has something more of an old-school rock n roll vibe to it, though slightly heavier. Surprisingly, there is only one legitimate ballad on this one, “Home Tonight”. It’s a beautiful song with great vocals by Tyler and effective melodic lead guitar playing to support the song structure.

This is one of those albums I haven’t listened to in about a year, and while revisiting it, I still can’t find any major flaws in it worth complaining about. The production is good for it’s time, and every song is memorable and well executed. An essential listen!

Sleepwalker As the title suggests, Aerosmith’s fourth studio album rocks. It’s often regarded as one of the band’s best releases, along with the preceding Toys In The Attic. There are some differences between the two albums, most notable probably is that Rocks probably is heavier and a tad less blues-oriented than Toys In The Attic. Also, it sounds more complete to my ears.

The album kicks off in an excellent way. “Back In The Saddle” is a heavy opener, followed by the more melodic first single, “Last Child”. “Rats In The Cellar” is another heavy rocker in the vein of the album opener, although it has faster tempo and is more bluesy. There are some less notable tracks on the album, like “Combination”, “Lick and a Promise” and the most bluesy track on the album “Get The Lead Out”. None of these tracks are bad by any means, though definitely not on the same level as most of the other tracks. “Nobody’s Fault” was the album’s second single. It’s a very vicious track, featuring a somewhat unexpected melodic chorus. “Sick as a Dog” is another great track, featuring a mesmerizing intro that turns into groovy song. The album closes, just like Toys In The Attic, with a ballad. “Home Tonight” is the perfect ending for Rocks, and certainly a highlight in Aerosmith’s career.

As “Home Tonight” fades out the album ends. A great album it was, not having any bad moments, though some parts weren’t as satisfying as others. Fortunately, this goes only for a small minority of the music and therefore I rate this album 4 stars without any doubt at all.