Aerosmith – 1971: the road starts here

One of the sectors hardest hit by the 2020 pandemic has been the big bands that had to cancel world tours already confirmed throughout the world. One of them has been Aerosmith, which has been postponing its new “tour”, the one that initially this summer brings it to Europe. Meanwhile, some groups have been presenting new material while others have devised imaginative solutions in order not to lose their spotlight, such as the one devised by those from Boston for Record Store Day in November, such as releasing on cassette and vinyl an unreleased recording from 1971 entitled “1971: The road starts here”.

The ancient collection of songs was made in the rehearsal room and captured by a Joe Perry tape recorder. Their sound, as the reader can imagine, is neither superb nor produced, but it does have a collector’s factor since it is a sound document from before they signed their first contract and debuted in 1973 with their first album. A demo of those that when records were sold in the past could be considered a “rarity”, a pirated record for which large sums of money could be paid. In addition to having the addition of official musicians Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford.

Seven songs that begin with a long “Intro” in which the group is seen tuning their instruments while joking with each other, which gives way to “Somebody”, the second cut of the debut Lp named after the group. Classic rock and roll where the influence of the Rolling Stones on Americans is noticeable. It doesn’t have the grandeur or the production of the original, which can be noticed, above all, in the scoring, but let’s not forget that it’s still a rehearsal at the venue. “Reefer head woman” is a version of a blues from the forties. Interpreted with feeling, with the point that the harmonica gives it and that they kept for a long time in the drawer because it was not published until 1979 in their sixth “long duration” “Night in the ruts” to return to their “first work” (it was the theme closing) with another “bluesy” version. less dusty than the previous “Reefer head woman” such as “Walkin’ the dog” composed in the sixties by Rufus Thomas. We like that half of the classic almost like a “jam session” with flute and guitars, followed by “Movin’ out”, rock and roll with a strong blues influence composed by Tyler and Perry and also used in the original “Aerosmith” from 1973 Despite the poor sound, we can see many of the constants that made the band a musical legend, finding part of that tuning and touch on the six strings and Tyler’s peculiar way of singing. From “Major Barbara” we are surprised that it is here because it was found unreleased until 1991 when they released the triple “Pandora’s box” (it was at the end of the third compact), a work that synthesized that new stage with David Geffen that saved them of the ruin and pothole the band was going through and that crystallized the following year in that masterpiece that is “Get a grip”.

For the end they leave us with two songs that have marked a couple of generations, such as an ancient version of the fabulous “Dream on”, with that unforgettable beginning on the piano. The song doesn’t sound as hymnical as in its first version and the subsequent ones live, and Steven Tyler’s voice is not as powerful as the usual version, but although it is more contained and there is not so much screaming and high pitched, it is still recognizable and part of the history of rock before which you have to discover yourself. And as a finale, nothing less than “Mama Kin”, another of Aerosmith’s classics. Perhaps the song that they most trusted would lead them to stardom and that other famous groups have paid tribute to later (remember Guns & Roses).

While it is true that this “1971: The road starts here” does not add anything new to what was done by those from Massachusetts, it can be understood as a piece for “fans” and a piece of history, a “rarity” that is good to be has published and we can listen.

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