346 of 1001 Albums: Aerosmith's Rocks

Aerosmith captured everyone's attention with Toys in the Attic. It was different at the time, and sort of mixed up rock a bit. Rocks definitely takes on more of that metal vibe in 1976. Steven Tyler's vocals almost sound a tad different at times, and this album definitely has a little bit more going for it. This album would go on to influence many bands including Guns N' Roses (which you can tell), and Metallica. It's very staple in the rock community.

"Back in the Saddle" was a good way to kick off the album. It has a good beat, and gets whoever the listener is off their feet. It just has a lot of movement about the song. Something about it halfway through loses it's flare though. Aerosmith establishes their sound pretty early in this one after the first couple of minutes with that song.


What is great about the album is the range of unique things thrown in. Like Joe Perry playing a six string bass in "Back in the Saddle" it's definitely what makes the sound better. "Last Child" is the second song on the album, and again the guys fuse something into it to try to give it something to set it apart on it's own but this time with a more funk tone that was staple to the 70s. If you do happen to find yourself with the time and chance to listen to this album I highly recommend reading over a few information bits provided on some of the songs. They are unique, and usually have a strong story behind them. A couple of the songs were inspired to be written about drugs, and the band's drug dealer.

Steven Tyler's voice is also another very prominent thing about Aerosmith. He doesn't seem to push it as much in this album, but he still shows his talent enough for it to be memorable. By the time "Home Tonight" is playing you have built up to a very nice song that is a great ending to the whole album. It feels like it was meant to be that song to round the whole album out.

Aerosmith doesn't have to prove themselves to anyone by this point, especially since by this time in their career they had established themselves pretty well with Toys in the Attic, but Rocks shows a more mature band that is experiencing a little more as adults that gives them more depth to write about and a better venue to showcase what they are capable of.

Rating 6 of 10
Recommended Listen: Home Tonight