Aerosmith
In 1970, Aerosmith burst out of New Hampshire bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Rolling Stones. Lead singer Steven Tyler insisted “the only thing Mick Jagger and I have in common is that we both bought our lips at the same store,” but the band’s aggressive hard rock blues style also encouraged comparisons.
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Aerosmith
In 1970, Aerosmith burst out of New Hampshire bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Rolling Stones. Lead singer Steven Tyler insisted “the only thing Mick Jagger and I have in common is that we both bought our lips at the same store,” but the band’s aggressive hard rock blues style also encouraged comparisons. Once original members Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Brad Whitford and Joey Kramer found each other, they moved to the closest big city— Boston, Massachusetts. After gathering some momentum there, an appearance in New York at Max’s Kansas City caught Clive Davis’s attention, and he signed them to a deal with Columbia Records. Suddenly the band found itself opening for acts like Mott The Hoople and the Kinks. After a regional success with “Dream On,” Aerosmith’s second album, Get Your Wings, brought them their first gold record. Platinum soon followed with Toys In The Attic and Rocks (considered by some to be the very best American rock ’n’ roll album ever made).
By 1977, Aerosmith’s non-stop touring and recording had taken its toll. There were constant rumors of personality and
drug problems. It was only a matter of time before Joe Perry quit, claiming musical differences with Steven Tyler, his songwriting partner. After a bad motorcycle accident kept Tyler hospitalized for months with a serious leg injury, the band regrouped without Perry and Whitford, and recorded Rock In A Hard Place.
On Valentine’s Day 1984, rumor has it that Perry and Whitford went to visit Aerosmith after a local date, and everyone felt the old spark. By April, the original lineup was back in the saddle with a new record label (Geffen) and producer (Ted Templeman). The result was Done With Mirrors. Although the album didn’t set any sales records, it gave the band some good working material. Today, both Tyler and Perry report a newfound respect for each other. “Over the years you learn how to get along,” Tyler insists. “Steven and I are different people," says Perry. “That is what creates the dynamic tension in our playing and songwriting.”
