O, Yeah! The Ultimate Aerosmith Hits

Well, the title really sucks, and I’m sure that a band of Aerosmith’s calibre could have come up with a better one, but that’s a quibble. If you’re a hardcore Aerosmith fan who’s somehow managed not to own any of their albums, you’ll probably be very interested in this two-disc compilation, featuring hits from 1973 until the (almost) present day, with the theme from Spiderman as a bonus track. If you’re not a hardcore Aerosmith fan I’m not really sure why you’d even be reading this review….

Anyway. The basics. The first disc can be hard going, as the tracks are in (roughly) chronological order, and, let’s be frank, if you’re not a punk rock fan you’ll find the 70s stuff can sound a little dated now (although I fully appreciate that in their time they were seminal masterpieces which helped define an era).

As time relentlessly marches on, the Aerosmith sound is reminiscent of 80s Bon Jovi, (or should that be the other way around), before they were emasculated by the 90s soppy music phenomenon. A second listening is kinder on the ear, with Aerosmith’s bluesy Bo Diddly roots revealed.

Really, the Aerosmith sound is for people wanting to have fun, and that’s as relevant now as it ever was.

Towards the end of the first disc, I noticed that their sound was becoming slightly more accessible (read: radio-friendly / commercialised / what the hell I like it anyway), and the second disc has 17 tracks, almost all from the 90s, which will probably be more popular with those who aren’t 70s punk rock fundis, like me for example.

The rambunctious rockers don’t disappoint with this collection of power ballads, rock staples, and genre classics, complete with gravelly voice, thumping drums and rousing guitar riffs. This is masculinity in the raw – men who aren’t afraid to feel, love and even cry. Very sexy!

Tracks to watch out for include 'Angel', 'Love in an Elevator', and 'What It Takes' on the first disc, and on Disc 2, 'Cryin'', 'Pink', 'Jaded', and of course, 'I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing'.

Three and a half stars. Points deducted for the unoriginality of yet another “Best Of” collection to maximise sales revenue. Also the 'Spiderman Theme' is a huge disappointment, with these masters of rock sounding bored and uninspired. It’s so bad it’s almost funny.

Great for annoying the neighbours if played very loudly late at night.