Rocks
	Produced by Jack Douglas and Aerosmith
	Released on May 1976
	US CHART POSITION #3 . . . 4x PLATINUM RECORD
	Find it at GEMM
JC 34165 cover [high resolution photo]

W ell, like, duh. Of course Aerosmith Rocks rocks (rocks rocks rocks...). In fact, few bands rocked like Aerosmith rocked in the mid Seventies. Oh, they tried to rock as hard as Aerosmith, and undoubtedly many bands have rocked as hard (or harder) before and since, but for a magical two-year span (1975-6) it was Aerosmith who did the rockin’ and the rest of the world what did the watchin’. Lost in all this rockin’ is the fact that Rocks is a rough sonic masterpiece, a worthy write-in candidate for enshrinement in the great halls of MFSL remasters. Instead, we have Al Stewart’s voice preserved for all of an eternity (thanks). Now, I’m prone to pick on Aerosmith (and policemen and people with numbers after their names), but I’ll admit that the band has released two timeless albums. If they never recorded anything after (and, unfortunately, we know they did), folks would still speak of Attic and Rocks in a reverent whisper as twin steeples of exceeding rocketude. I write “reverent” and “steeple” in jest (I write “jest” in jest too because nobody writes like that), knowing that Aerosmith mined their diamonds in the filthiest, raunchiest part of the mine. At its sludgiest (“Rats in the Cellar,” “Nobody’s Fault”), it’s hard to tell from whence the black cloud comes, but slip on a pair of headphones and you’ll see plenty of pickaxes working overtime. There was clearly a method to the mad production, and that’s why MFSL should have preserved this one for posterity. From Steven Tyler’s yodeling to the horses galloping at the end of “Back in the Saddle,” Rocks was meant to be stared at and studied. But not studied too closely, lest you see they’re riding the same horse on “Sick as a Dog” or writing nonsense on “Get The Lead Out.” Still, half the album is classic, including “Last Child” (a personal candidate for the best of the ‘70s) and “Lick and a Promise.”

JC 34165 back cover	JC 34165 picture sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. BACK IN THE SADDLE    (Steven Tyler/Joe Perry)    4:40
2. LAST CHILD    (Steven Tyler/Brad Whitford)    3:27
3. RATS IN THE CELLAR    (Steven Tyler/Joe Perry)    4:02
4. COMBINATION    (Joe Perry)    3:38
5. SICK AS A DOG    (Steven Tyler/Tom Hamilton)    4:25
6. NOBODY'S FAULT    (Steven Tyler/Brad Whitford)    4:40
7. GET THE LEAD OUT    (Steven Tyler/Joe Perry)    3:42
8. LICK AND A PROMISE    (Steven Tyler/Joe Perry)    3:04
9. HOME TONIGHT    (Steven Tyler)    3:15
   
   All songs arranged by Aerosmith and Jack Douglas
   

CREDITS

TOM HAMILTON -- electric bass, guitar (5), photos
JOEY KRAMER -- drums, percussion, background vocals (9)
JOE PERRY -- guitars, vocals, six string bass (1)
STEVEN TYLER -- vocals, keyboards, electric bass (5)
BRAD WHITFORD -- guitars, photos
Paul Prestopino -- banjo (2)
Jay Messina -- engineer
Pacific Eye and Ear -- album cover design
Fin Costello, Ron Pownell, Carol Kelleher, Pat Schenning, Phil Aquilino -- photos

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