Published on Mar 14, 1998
Here we go again… no matter how many times I warn against the
inherent dangers of live albums, I’ve found myself in the halls of
the Pierce Memorial Archives (it’s not just a job, it’s a way of
life) dusting off one of my many live albums I own.
Why do I do this to myself? Simple: there’s always a curiosity
factor of a live show. Hearing our favorite band in the studio is
one thing; hearing them give it their all on stage is something
different all together.
Why Aerosmith and their 1978
Live Bootleg? Why not? It’s been a while since we featured
the band on “The Daily Vault,” and it’s been a good five years
since I listened to this album.
When will I ever learn?
Live Bootleg has some good moments, but you have to trudge
through some real shit to get to them.
Recorded from 1973 through 1978, this double-album set often
captures a band that was in the grasps of their own demons. Steven
Tyler often falls flat on his trademark screams – so often, in
fact, that you’ll wonder how he ever hit them in the first place.
Some of Aerosmith’s best tracks are turned into poor caricatures of
themselves on stage – and you can’t tell me that better live
versions didn’t exist somewhere in their tape archives.
“Sweet Emotion” is one example of how painful this album can be
at times. The harmony vocals that made the studio version off
Toys In The Attic are distant memories; this is simply
screeching for the sake of screeching. “Back In The Saddle” shows
how bad Tyler can sound when he misses his vocal marks. The band
sounds particularly ragged on these numbers – though in their
defense, they do seem to pull it together on “Lord Of The Thighs,”
which followed “Sweet Emotion” from their Chicago show.
On the other hand, Aerosmith does turn in some surprising
performances. An early version of “Chip Away The Stone” is a
highlight – this is one of the first performances of the song. And
while it doesn’t have the polish of its studio counterpart, it is
quite enjoyable. The band even sparks a little interest from me in
the track “Mama Kin,” a song which has never been a particular
favorite of mine.
The two songs from a 1973 gig in Boston are especially
interesting – what you hear on these numbers is a band struggling
to break into the big-time, but without having to deal with the
pressure of a big production. This is just five guys (six, with the
addition of a saxophone player on “Mother Popcorn”) just out to
have some fun with their music. And, unlike some of the songs from
around 1977 and 1978, this really shows.
But
Live Bootleg doesn’t always raise interest in some songs
that listeners might not be familiar with. The live version of
“Sight For Sore Eyes” doesn’t make me want to run back into the
Archives and grab my copy of
Draw The Line. And no matter how hard Aerosmith will try, no
matter how good their intentions are, they will never recapture the
magic that is “Dream On” on stage.
The only true “live” album of Aerosmith’s career (the two
Classics Live albums were released after Aerosmith left for
their stint with Geffen Records),
Live Bootleg is a stark picture of what Aerosmith was in the
late ’70s, as well as the way they were in the beginning. It also
possibly explains why Aerosmith has never released another live
album since.
Editor’s note: Since this review first ran, Aerosmith has indeed
released another live album, A Little South Of Sanity
.