Search - Aerosmith :: Live Bootleg

The most helpful review not so helpful

J. Montgomery | Oregon, USA | 10/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I know that the "Most Helpful Critical Review" is almost 9 years old, but I have to say that either the reviewer was extremely picky or he just didn't "get it" to begin with. I have had the vinyl edition of this album since high school, and it is still one of my most sentimental favorites (along with "KISS Alive!") of all time. What I mean to say by the reviewer not "getting it" is that this was intended to be Aerosmith from their early days to their peak (I believe one of the songs was actually recorded when they were small time enough to still be playing shopping centers in Boston), live and almost completely raw. The essence of this album and it's charisma is it's almost complete lack of polish and post production pretense, these are the things that make it so great rather than so terrible, as the other reviewer would have you believe. Therefore it has earned a permanent place in my collection alongside the select number of vinyl albums I've taken care to keep track of over all these years. I defy anyone to compare their rendition of "Train Kept A'Rollin'" on this album to the version from their most recent live offering "Rockin' the Joint" and tell me that this version doesn't have more energy and soul. I bought "Rockin' the Joint" and felt the same disappointment when I listened to that song as the critical reviewer expressed regarding this album. I expected to get a dose of the same old energy and thrill hearing them perform that track live again, but it just wasn't there. If I had to lay out money for any of Aerosmith's live albums to date, this would hands down most definitely have to be the one. As far as I'm concerned this is THE definitive Aerosmith live recording."