The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed, Guns 'n' Roses Appetite for Destruction, and Rocks all have one particular thing in common - each album defines barebones, cut-to-the-bone, slam-bang rock 'n' roll to a tee - though each has some differing characteristics, and each band eventually ended up in a state far, far removed from this rough house ideal.
In the case of Rocks, Aerosmith was a ship headed for stormy waters and the guys in the group were keenly aware of that fact, but somehow, could not stop it from going off course, for one reason or another. They even spell it out a little more than halfway through the record, on "Nobody's Fault", with a litany of lyrics going over the rapid deterioration of the group due to drink and drugging and road weariness - just an awful portent of what was soon to befall the then-current world's latest greatest dirtiest rock band.
Unlike the previous album, with its pockets of art rock and Adam's Apples and whatnot, Rocks does not play around one iota. All competitors are officially outclassed, outmatched, outmuscled, and outmoded at every turn. Whereas the Stones had the advantage of versatility, and Guns were simply more aggressive and socially relevant, Aerosmith had the advantage of being supremely confident.
Nowhere on the album is this better expressed than on the first two tracks - the ultimate sexual swagger and total maelstrom of "Back in the Saddle", followed by the mesmerizing "Last Child", with its slight touch of ballad-fantasy which plunges into its' funk-influenced, strutting main section.
So, the only question left remaining was - how long could they keep the up the junkie high-wire act, and continue with the great material, or - when was the crash going to happen? Well...stay tuned.
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