AEROSMITH – Big Ones

Aerosmith – Big Ones (1994, Geffen Records)

1. “Walk On Water” … 4:54
2. “Love In An Elevator” … 5:22
3. “Rag Doll” … 4:34
4. “What It Takes” … 5:10
5. “Dude (Looks Like A Lady)” … 4:23
6. “Janie’s Got A Gun” … 5:29
7. “Cryin’” … 5:07
8. “Amazing” … 5:55
9. “Blind Man” … 3:57
10. “Deuces Are Wild” … 3:33
11. “Other Side” … 4:03
12. “Crazy” … 5:14
13. “Eat The Rich” … 4:09
14. “Angel” … 5:04
15. “Livin’ On The Edge” … 6:20

Band:
Steven Tyler – Vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica, Mandolin
Joe Perry – Guitar, Dulcimer, Backing Vocals
Brad Whitford – Guitar
Tom Hamilton – Bass, Backing Vocals
Joey Kramer – Drums, Perscussion

For its time, this compilation of Aerosmith’s commercially successful years at Geffen was as pretty good place to start for anyone concerned with the band’s post-1970s hits. I snatched this one up during my greatest hits phase. If there was a band I wanted to check out and they had a greatest hits album then I bought it to get the most bang for my buck. I was very much a “just play me the hits” kind of guy when just getting introduced to a band. Of course, I was well aware of Aerosmith long before this release and it was hard to avoid their music once they collaborated with Run DMC and exploded all over MTV.

Older Aerosmith fans will probably be disappointed with this release because it focuses solely on the music the band made while signed with Geffen Records and even ignores the first Geffen release Done With Mirrors. During these Geffen years, the band went from a hard rock band with a classic sound to a pop-metal band.

Like I said, the album was good for what it is, I played this one a lot when I was a teenager but it is completely obsolete these days. The band recorded two new songs for this release: “Walk On Water” (which sounds like something that could’ve been on Nine Lives) and “Blind Man”. Neither song particularly stands out but both were included on the Young Lust compilation from 2001, which again is a compilation that focuses only on the Geffen years, but that time around they included songs from Done With Mirrors.

I suppose this album can probably be found for pretty cheap these days, but if you absolutely feel you need an Aerosmith compilation, I’d go with one of the more recent releases or just go all the way back to the Columbia Records Greatest Hits release from 1980 for their best stuff.

www.aerosmith.com
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