As far as tribute albums are concerned, I think you'll agree that we've had a dose much greater than enough during the last years. It usually involves some small record label, which wants to slowly make a name in the industry, that gathers the so-called "new blood" of today's music scene to pay homage to some great band of the past. Statistics indicate that these attempts usually are pathetic (to say the least), but they sure give away free laugh to the listeners. So, taking all the above under consideration, I'm really happy to get this tribute album in my hands.
The first reason is the fact that the songs covered here are from the golden age of Aerosmith in my opinion, the 70's - and mainly from albums of theirs like "Draw The Line" and "Toys In The Attic" - way before they decided to get into MTV-friendly hard rock in the late 80's and beyond; although I'm really fond of their "Permanent Vacation" and "Pump" albums. Aerosmith had an almost metal feeling back in the 70's, and it's no secret that their sounds spawned many rock musicians of our days.
Which brings me to the second reason why I like this tribute. The bands feautured in this double CD are definitely among those who grew up with this music, and are we glad about it! Here we find the majority of today's stoner/rock'n'roll scene which deliver their perceptions about Aerosmith's music (deep breath): Alabama Thunderpussy, Electric Frankenstein, Fireball Ministry, The Quill, Roadsaw, The Atomic Bitchwax, Natas, Solace, Five Horse Johnson, The Men Of Porn, Half Man, Speedball, Puny Human, Drunk Horse, Altamont and many others; a total of 28 tracks/bands coming in 2 CDs. Of course, with this quantity you can't ask for absolute quality, but as a whole, this is a compilation that will usually rid you of the dilemma of what music to put on while driving at 120km/h on a narrow straight provincial road on a bright summer day. If I had to pick 3 favourite tracks, they would be the ones by Alabama Thunderpussy (on "Sweet Emotion", the never-sober southerners showing their teeth), Five Horse Johnson (on "Bright Light Fright", with their harmonica catching an incredible rock'n'roll feeling and the voice bringing the mighty Lemmy in mind) and Electric Frankenstein (on "Sick As A Dog"; no excuses here, I just love this band). And I guess I should mention Honky's version of "Adam's Apple", where you can hear the most similar to Steven Tyler's voice in this compilation.
So, in a nutshell, this is finally a tribute album that's worth your money. And the important thing is that it's free of commercial new "rockers" who want to someday conquer the MTV charts, but instead it's consisted of honest, rock'n'roll bands who just want to pay homage to some of the music they grew up with. If you think about it a bit, it all sounds like a rock party, where beer flows free and the girls are eager and willing! Now, who would want to miss this one?