Get Your Wings: the 50th Anniversary
The Blind Eternities forum
Posted on April 13, 2024, 6:34 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
This year is the 50th anniversary of Get Your Wings, the second album by Aerosmith, an album that contains many of their best-known songs, each of which is a classic in its own right, in my mind.
Aerosmith's eponymous debut album was certainly an amazing album, on its own, but their sophomore record demonstrated a significant step forward in terms of both songwriting skills and energy when performing, with every song on the album showcasing the skills of the musicians who were performing; from start to finish, there is not a wasted second on the album.
The bookends of the album, opening track Same Old Song and Dance and closer Pandora's Box are unquestionably two of Aerosmith's finest compositions, displaying the blues-based swagger for which they were well-known, but every track between them is just as excellent, including Lord of the Thighs, Women of the World, SOS (Too Bad), Seasons of Wither, and, of course the absolutely epic cover of the old blues standard, Train Kept a-Rollin'. Numerous artists had already covered that song, before Aerosmith, most notably the Yardbirds, but Aerosmith's version is likely the best-known version of the song, as it is grand and magnificent, with a rousing atmosphere that is certain to inspire people to jump and dance. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Aerosmith's cover of that song is one of my favorite rock and roll songs of all time, which certainly is a high bar to clear.
Aerosmith was the first band I saw in concert, back in 2012, and that was a spectacular concert, so I do hope that I can see them, one more time, before they retire, and I certainly expect that they shall do something to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their second album.
What does everyone else say about this? How do you feel about this year being the 50th anniversary of Get Your Wings?
DemonDragonJ says... #3
MollyMab, yes, that does seem to be the case, and I assure you that I most certainly have been posting about these various anniversaries elsewhere, although I am rather displeased that you are referring to Aerosmith as a "mid band;" everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but most people regard Aerosmith as one of the greatest rock and roll bands ever, and for good reason.
April 15, 2024 8:30 p.m.
To be honest, I'm not a huge Aerosmith fan, but I do think that Steven Tyler is massively talented. I've heard interviews with him where he is singing the instrumental parts of the songs and it really seems like he is incredible at hearing what he wants the whole song to sound like and then the band can build it from that. There is something truly special in the way he's not just the singer, but also in a large part the composer of their music.
I also really appreciate that they are one of those bands that was in tune in an era before electronic tuners and auto tune. Sometimes you listen to classic rock and it's like, yikes, they were way off (Bruce Springsteen, love you guys, but looking at you here). But Aerosmith was always in tune and on the same page, and there is an attention to detail in their music that they probably didn't need to have, but did it anyways.
Ha, sorry, I just find the nuts and bolts of classic rock fascinating because it was such an anything goes time. Guns and Roses tuned themselves like an orchestra, the Ramones couldn't have cared less, and Led Zepplin had 3 people in perfect rhythm and then Jimmy Page was all over the place, but then Jimmy Page was the one fans loved. Even The Beatles who largely sang in unison, which is normally a huge no-no, but then they were the most popular band in the world.
I guess I think of Aerosmith as a hugely talented band that wanted to make songs that people can just sing along with in the car, and that's pretty awesome.
April 16, 2024 5:29 p.m.
No, they are pretty mid. They came along at the right time for America but nowhere else really. They have produced a lot of albums, but actually a surprising few number of hits people remember in contrast. 15 studio albums but maybe 4 songs people care about. It works out at a decent song a decade, mostly clustered in their 70s hayday, nothing in the last 20 years, and their influence is actually pretty limited.
To be into their music when it was coming out and at its peak you need to be 50 or so so unlikely to find many folks who care here.
April 17, 2024 6:39 p.m.
MollyMab - Nonconstructive posting, such as only comment to deride a user for posting a thread, is not welcome on TappedOut. Please refrain from doing so in the future.
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It should be noted, Aerosmith kind of rocks. There is a reason they are the 29th best selling musical group of all time - with album sales comparable to such juggernauts as U2 and Bruce Springsteen. They continue to sell out concerts at some of the largest venues in the world. They held a dozen top 100 hits, with many songs ranked higher than that - and their songs continue to receive high rankings (including regular top 10 positions) on “best rock songs” polls. They were the soundtrack to the delightfully bad Armageddon and a delightfully rad ride at Disney, bringing their appeal into the 90s and beyond.
Not liking Aerosmith is one thing, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. But trying to pass off a personal dislike as an objective fact is fairly laughable in light of their generational popularity.
April 17, 2024 8:41 p.m.
They had some really solid stuff for their deep cuts, particularly when Tyler embraces his Blues roots. I love 'Amazing' .... Uoh! Ack-ack-ow, silvolobadabadow, oh-ack-ack-ack-ack ow OW!!!! :) "Pink" is good, if not a little bit on-the-nose :)
Niko9 I've always been into the "Raw" sound, that unpolished sound jives with me, just raw emotion without worrying about that choir training & no voice-modulation to fix it yet. The Ramones "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" is amazing for that raw quality, sometimes David Bowie would do it, obviously Neil Young, The Hives. Then you get into bridging the gap with modulation: The Strokes took some raw punk elements but added that electronic element, by my estimation I can listen to 2 of their albums with all the deep cuts being good.
April 28, 2024 11:40 a.m.
DemonDragonJ Looking deeper at your post, I'd say you are recommending I listen through a full album & play some deep-cuts... Which I think I should, Tyler was extremely talented & not afraid to use Blues/Soul (one of my favorites), so there is probably some more of that shining through in the deep-cuts, as they would not have been the popular sound for the time period, but they undoubtedly would have that element... Sidebar, if you want a really solid Blues revival song: 'The Hook' Blues Traveler is it-my 3-year-old is hilarious trying to sing it.
MollyMab come on with that "nothing in the last 20 years" stuff. Do you expect that they are going to throw out 30+ years of chart-toppers? That seems like an unreasonable expectation for most bands.
If you are a dinosaur like me, experiencing the time period, then you would know that Aerosmith had a revival. So, at least, 2 "haydays" not just the 70's. Certainly the 90's ranging from whenever Wayne's World 2 was around to all those slow songs that dominated WAY too many proms at that time...(that seems like maybe 8 years of relevance in the 90's). I suppose prom time for me would be more pop-punk stuff, but Aerosmith was all over right before that. I am just going to work off memory here, I'd rather not research when I can just run the clock back :)
April 28, 2024 12:31 p.m.
Man! Queen hasn't done anything in the last 20 years... So mid :)
MollyMab says... #2
I think from the lack of response, not many people care and you might find more luck on a music forum than an MtG based forum that is less likely to contain people 50+ who might listen to a kinda mid band
April 15, 2024 6:17 p.m.