‘Just Push Play’ won’t banish memories of Aerosmith circa ‘Get Your Wings’. It proves at the very least that the band still has a relevance, even in 2001.
Written by: Toffeepop
ARTIST: Aerosmith
ALBUM: Just Push Play
LABEL: Sony
SERIAL: CK 62088
YEAR: 2001
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Steve Tyler – vocals * Joe Perry – guitars * Brad Whitford – guitars * Tom Hamilton – bass * Joey Kramer – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Beyond Beautiful * 02 Just Push Play * 03 Jaded * 04 Fly Away From Here * 05 Trip Hoppin’ * 06 Sunshine * 07 Under My Skin * 08 Luv Lies * 09 Outta Your Head * 10 Drop Dead Gorgeous * 11 Light Inside * 12 Avant Garden
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Aerosmith Background
With each new Aerosmith album the debate continues to rage. This is whether The Bio-degradable Brothers, or Toxic Twins as they were famously dubbed, have sold out. Diluting their once classic swaggering sound and cashing in.
As a mish-mash of the band’s two easily definable eras, ‘Just Push Play’ does nothing to suggest that the Boston rockers are convincingly back to their Columbia Records heyday.
That is: snarling, classic rock. Nor does it confirm that Aerosmith are just spewing out more commercial minded rock from the late 80’s. Particularly with albums like ‘Permanent Vacation’, ‘Pump’ and ‘Get A Grip’ on the Geffen label.
The Songs
Fans of ‘Sweet Emotion’ and the like will no doubt require medical assistance to bring them round. That is after hearing Steven Tyler rap in a Jamaican Patois on the horrendous title track.
But they will soon be resuscitated by the more familiar vocal rasp of Tyler on raunchy opener ‘Beyond Beautiful’. Likewise, first single ‘Jaded’ (which is a definite grower) and piano ballad ‘Fly Away From Here’ has some appeal.
This is for those fans expecting a repeat of ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing’. And also for those who probably think Aerosmith have only been around for five or ten years.
Interestingly, ‘Fly Away From Here’ is the only track on the album solely written by outside writers. Predictably it was released as a single. It’s hard to ignore but, this is the crux of the problem with modern day Aerosmith.
In the year when the band has been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, it’s hard to decide what will anger veteran fans more. Seeing such throwaway garbage released as a single under the proud Aerosmith moniker. Or perhaps seeing the band cavorting onstage with Britney Spears and ‘N Sync at the Superbowl recently.
But the fact remains that for Aerosmith to remain contemporary, they must play the music industry game. Despite the fact that some of this album makes me Just Push Skip rather than follow the title track instructions. However, there are numerous moments of pure Aerosmith brilliance that justify tolerance of the weaker songs.
Tyler’s mastery of the double entendre one liner on the rocking ‘Outta Your Head’ (‘All this time did you ever think / That the girl sees red when a man sees pink’). While the old Joe Perry guitar magic is still in evidence on ‘Light Inside’ and ‘Under My Skin’. The standout cut is the superb ‘Trip Hoppin’ which picks up where ‘Beyond Beautiful’ left off. It soars with some great horns courtesy of the Tower Of Power.
In Summary
The album is almost the history of Aerosmith in one handy reference. Elements of their classic sound that gave the band success. Their more recent appeal which spectacularly relaunched their career in 1987 are also found in equal measure.
‘Just Push Play’ won’t banish memories of Aerosmith circa ‘Get Your Wings’. It proves at the very least that the band still has a relevance, even in 2001. This prevents them being marketed as a mere nostalgia act three decades after forming.
Aerosmith on Video
Just Push Play
Fly Away From Here
Click to go to YTM album page.
[Dangerzone] Absolute rubbish and a disgusting piece of vinyl. It’s still hard to believe just what a bunch of sellouts these guys became in the late 80s.
[Gdazegod] I’ll admit this is an album I’ve never touched.