Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology

Aerosmith barely staggered into the 1980s, the success of the previous decade replaced by drug addiction, infighting, and the departure of two members.

Despite the subsequent return of the two guitarists, the band was widely derided as a spent force by the time it signed to Geffen Records in 1985. The cynicism seemed justified when sales of their reunion album, 'Done with Mirrors', were less than spectacular.

Cue the entrance of hit-making songwriters like Desmond Child (Bon Jovi) and Jim Vallance (Bryan Adams), and 'Slippery When Wet' producer, Bruce Fairbarn. The result was phenomenal: the band went on to produce three smash hit albums featuring some of the best mainstream rock of the late 80s and early 90s.

It is primarily these fertile years that are documented on 'Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology', a chronological two disc trawl through the band’s most commercially successful period. All the hits are here: the pioneering rap rock hybrid of 'Walk this way' with Run DMC, the playful cross-dressing classic 'Dude (looks like a lady)', the lusty strut that is 'Love in an elevator', and the Grammy Award winning social commentaries of 'Janie’s got a gun' and 'Livin’ on the edge'. Also featured is the triumvirate of early 90s ballad hits: epic lighter anthem 'Amazing', the bluesy shuffle of 'Crazy' and the swaying 'Cryin'' with its distinctive horn and harmonica flourishes.

Impressive as this string of hit songs is, there are only so many successful singles a band can produce in the space of three or four albums. As a result, the two jam-packed CDs of 'Young Lust' are padded out with unremarkable album tracks including the dated misstep 'Permanent Vacation' and its cheesy faux-calypso interlude. Soundtrack contributions (including a limp, messy, honky-tonk take on The Doors’ classic 'Love me two times') and concert recordings also help to fill out the 32 song complement.

Recorded in 1998, the four live songs cover the band’s pre- and post Geffen days. Despite including the classic 70s power ballad 'Dream on' and late 90s hit 'Hole in my soul', the tracks aren’t a match on the studio originals with the band sounding lethargic and the recording muddy.

Production is far superior on the Fairbairn-helmed B-sides from the 'Get A Grip' era, but fails to disguise the blandness of the songs themselves. The headlong stomp of 'Don’t Stop', the driving 'Can’t Stop Messin'' and 'Head First' with its wall of backing vocals are all undeniably polished but sound like uninspired Aerosmith-by-numbers.

Even less inspired are the rare "acoustic" version of 'Livin’ on the edge' and "orchestral" remix of 'Amazing'. Rather than major re-interpretations, both feature nothing more than subtle shifts in the mix: acoustic guitars given slightly more prominence on the former, strings on the latter.

Why the originals couldn’t simply have been included is unclear, but one can assume that the "rare" tracks, including B-sides, were added to appeal to die-hard Aerosmith fans. The problem is that there simply aren’t enough rarities on 'Young Lust' to warrant even the most ardent supporter forking out close on R200 for the set.

Yet, the album is also unlikely to appeal to the casual listener who, ironically, will find that it contains too many of those rarities. These buyers, who merely want the hits, are more likely to invest in one of the other, better, Aerosmith compilations already out there. 'Big Ones', the 1994 single disc collection of the biggest hits from the Geffen years, is undiluted by filler tracks, while last year’s double album 'Oh Yeah!' is the essential retrospective of the band’s entire career.

Which leaves 'Young Lust' as a somewhat unnecessary release. Not even the string of stellar commercial rock songs featured can drown out the distinct ring of a record company cashing in.