AEROSMITH

Ah, what to call this? Dinosaur rock? More like "crocodile rock," I suppose, seeing as whatever the hell it was that did in the dinosaurs couldn't quite kill off the crocs. In a similar way, some bands just seem to keep on keepin' on. The question is: Is that the sign of a group so talented and tough it passes the test of time, or merely an indication of an outfit so artistically out-of-touch and/or egregiously greedy that it refuses to give up the ghost?

Of course, around about the mid-'80s, Aerosmith nearly HAD given up the ghost. But, as it turned out, it was nothing that a little rehab and a timely collaboration with Run DMC couldn't fix. Suddenly, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry & the gang were back in the saddle and about to release the most popular albums of their career.

Alas, listening to those late-'80s/early-'90s efforts now... well... let's just say that they reflect a lot of the overproduced, superficial, hair-metal fluff of the time. Maybe the band was in on the joke; maybe they weren't. But, to say the least, half-a-goof songs like "Love in an Elevator" and "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" haven't aged particularly gracefully. Nor have the later, sticky-sweet ballads, which were probably only popular at the time because they so often were accompanied by Alicia Silverstone playing cute, coy, pert, and perky for the Beavis and Butt-head generation.

Whatever the case, Aerosmith are nothing if not persistent, and they've gone ahead and released yet another greatest hits collection -- this one entitled Devil's Got a New Disguise. Its 18 tracks break down in thoroughly predictable ways -- five "older" tunes (including the classic ballad "Dream On"), two new ones (the somewhat gritty title track and the dull "Sedona Sunrise"), and 11 encompassing the aforementioned big-payday period. (It should probably be noted that the two "new" songs are, in fact, originally from the Permanent Vacation recording sessions, circa 1987.)

As a final note, Aerosmith are currently on tour with Motley Crue, which somehow sounds just about right. Maybe, twenty years from now, they'll be sharing a bill with Insane Clown Posse. Or the Rolling Stones.

Nov 13 7:30P/Cricket Pavilion/Phoenix, Arizona
Nov 15 7:30P/Smirnoff Music Centre/Dallas, Texas
Nov 17 7:30P/Verizon Wireless Amphitheater/Selma, Texas
Nov 19 7:30P/Woodlands Pavilion/Woodlands, Texas
Nov 22 7:30P/Ford Amphitheatre At the Florida State Fairgrounds Tampa, Florida
Nov 24 7:30P/Sound Advice Amphitheatre/West Palm Beach, Florida
Dec 7 7:30P/Target Center/Minneapolis, Minnesota

[MP3] "Devil's Got a New Disguise"

[MP3] "Jaded"

[MP3] "Dream On"