Aerosmith

["marco mart" <martmarc@xxxxx>]

Hi

I saw Aerosmith' original video of SWEET EMOTION by accident on a 
French TV
show back in 1975.  From then on, I have been a fan.  I saw them in 
Paris in
1976, in Belgium in 1977 and in France (Amnéville) in 1993.

I have to say I love their music from the first albums up to their 
official
Live bootleg (live 1978) and have been collecting bootleg-CDs and 
tapes ever
since.  Aerosmith is a great live band.  As someone on this list 
already
said:  They're tight  (from 1976 to 1978 and from 1988 till today) 
although
their lack of variation in the live arrangements of their songs can 
be a
bore.

But just listen to their interpretation of TRAIN KEPT A ROLLING on 
Get Your
Wings lp or any live performance from 74 up to 78.  I think that the
Aerosmith version of this classic is much better than the Zep version.
(Please don't shoot me for my opinion) This song is regarded as an 
Aerosmith
classic and most of their younger fans don't even know it's not one 
of their
own songs.

I am a little bit sad how Aerosmith survided.  The downfall came in 
78/79,
lasted for close to 10 years and they made their comeback with a duo 
with
rap artists Run DMC.  (Walk This Way).  Maybe that's not the right 
way for a
rock band to make a comeback.  But let's face it:  Aerosmith is still 
on top
today and Run DMC isn't.

But Aerosmith on top today is not the band I came to love in the 70s. 
I'm
glad for the individuals to have overcome the drug abuse and are now 
able to
lead a healthy (both physical and financial) career.  But their music
doesn't move me anymore like it did on the stuff they put out from 
1972 till
1978.  (some songs out of the shows from 89 to 00 are ok, but as a 
whole,
they can't
compare with 75-78).

Do some bands have to stretch their limits beyond even the 
unreasonable to
make for outstanding music?  There are definately
parallels here with Led Zeppelin.

I love Led Zep for their timeless music (1980 being the only weak 
tour -
IMHO) and their unparallaled confidence in everything they did, and 
the way
they did it, well beyond any limits.  It was an explosion of 
everything:
style, talent, music and personal boundaries.  The end of the 60 
(blues
boom) and the beginning of the 70s saw the rock music industry 
develop such
great and different styles, each with an all-consuming passion ... and
sometimes tragedy at the end.  That's what made some music of this 
era as
timeless and legendary as it still remains today.

Aerosmith survided.  Joe Perry was broke and is glad to have work 
again (in
his own words).  I respect their choice of handling their career the 
way
they do now (but the stunt with Britney Spears was highly 
questionable, to
say the least).  I don't love them now as I used to before.  When I 
listen
to an Aerosmith recording, only 1 out of 20 times it is one from the 
post 78
period.

Same as with the Rolling Stones.  I still love them today.  But my
favouriste listenings are from 69 to 78.

Page/Plant.  I love them but for one P/P show I listen to 20 Zep 
shows.

I love the spark of the golden era.  But that has gone a long time 
ago.  And
let's face it:  Nobody could have kept up that spark for very long AND
survive at the same time.  Let's be thankful for the golden era those 
three
bands have given us.

And as bootleg collectors we are happy to relive those magic moments.

Anyone out there collecting AEROSMITH boot recordings too?  I would 
love to
trade.  Zep, Aerosmith, Rolling Stones.  Only have some 40+ Aerosmith 
(300+
Zep,  800+ Stones ) and I would like to get some more

Best regards

marco  (martmarc@xxxxx)