Aerosmith celebrate more than the half-decade anniversary release of their self-titled debut with Aerosmith (Legendary Edition), a newly expanded, remastered, and remixed package presented in various formats. Featuring previously unreleased tracks, new artwork, photos, liner notes, and the original album both remastered and remixed, this is a gem for any fan who has been with the “Bad Boys from Boston” since their inception.
The original eight tunes of the album are presented first, coming from a 2024 remaster of Aerosmith. Although I am not a big fan of remixes, the remix second piece of this pie (dating from the same time) was headed by Aerosmith co-founders Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, with Grammy Award-nominated producer and mixer Zakk Cervini and Grammy Award-winning producer Steve Berkowitz. With the ex-Toxic Twins onboard, I’ll admit the remix touches seem subtle, with the instruments separated nicely and the vocals especially clear. A tune like “One Way Street,” especially benefits, although I’m not sure the extra sweetening is necessary on “Dream On” (I think I hear strings, and certainly another single-line counter guitar). The horn bleating in the middle of “Mama Kin” kind of kills what has always been one of my favorites from this band.
I have to assume that for most fans, the cream on top of this rich rockin’ cake is its last two pieces; a 10-song live performance capture of the band’s show on March 20, 1973 at Paul’s Mall, a Boston jazz and blues club that operated from 1963 to 1978, and six bonus tracks. I won’t kid you: the Paul Mall stuff sounds a bit raggy, as much from how loose the band is at times to the overall sound quality. Yet it is a fantastic document of the early days of Tyler, Perry, second guitarist Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer.
It’s Kramer who shines brightest on the live material, clearly capturing this particular skin-man in a shining moment. I have seen Aerosmith lots of times through the years, including at a small New Jersey club with a different drummer. Joey Kramer was surely missed, as I feel he is the in-the-pocket glue that has always kept this band together. He and the rest of the original band rock through this live stuff though, uneven sounding though it might be, with an extra helping of sax their wailing cover of “Mother Popcorn (You Got to Have a Mother for Me)” showing what deeper funk this band would someday mine. The crowd really explodes on last tune “Mama Kin,” which does indeed explode here.
The bonus tracks comprise a half dozen of alternate takes plus an instrumental, pretty much harmonica and bass only “Harmonica Bass Jam Jelly,” what is called an Aerojam tune “Joined At The Hip.” This poppy big beat instrumental workout includes parts of a very recognizable walking-up-the-scale riff of “Sweet Emotion,” and is actually one of the better tunes across this massive collection. There’s lots to like about Aerosmith (Legendary Edition), plenty of goodies for “Blue Army” members, as well as causal fans to dig their ears and eyes into across this full celebration of the band’s first flight.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
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Aerosmith (Legendary Edition)
