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MINI REVIEW: AEROSMITH "HONKIN' ON BOBO"

Artist: Aerosmith
Album Title: Honkin' On Bobo
Genre: Rock/Blues
2004
Columbia Records

When did I buy it?: The day it came out, March 30 2004.

Why did I buy it?: It's Aerosmith and the blues. Need I say more?

What are the best songs?: There are so many great songs on this album. Things start out hard and dirty from the get-go with "Road Runner." Joe Perry and Brad Whitford push out a great electric blues shuffle and Steven Tyler screams out the lyrics as only he can. "Baby, Please Don't Go" is the fastest and most powerful of any of the versions of the song I've heard. It was the first (and, I think, only) hit from Bobo but it knocks you on your behind with its sheer force.

"Back Back Train" is sung by Joe with backup vocals from special guest Tracy Bonham. It's a dark, gritty song that gains steam as it progresses. "You Gotta Move" is a guitar tour-de-force and gives you a wall of music. Steven's vocals are quite passionate and playful too. "Stop Messin' Around" is an early Fleetwood Mac cover and is the other song sung by Joe Perry. It has a great live blues jam feel to it. I think it's one of the best songs on here.

All of these tracks feature a great deal of harmonica from Steven as well as some great guitar licks by Joe and Brad. Tom Hamilton's bass isn't too shabby either.

Any bad stuff?: There aren't too many actual bad songs on this collection. One track that I think of as filler is "Temperature." It just doesn't really go anywhere and lacks the energy of the other songs. "The Grind" is a controversial selection because it doesn't really fit in the "blues" mode, at least musically. I think it's more of a blues song than people give it credit for, but it still messes up the overall flow of the album.

"Jesus Is On The Mainline" is an odd choice to close out the album. It's an acoustic jam session, basically. Steven and Tracy Bonham share vocals, with backup vocals by many other people including one of Steven's children. It isn't quite blues, but it isn't quite gospel either. It's also a bit repetitive. It's not a bad song, but not the album's strongest either.

Overall thoughts: Aerosmith came through and delivered what many fans wanted: a nasty, dirty, loud rock album similar to albums released in their first decade. Concerns about the increasing number of ballads and pop-friendly songs on recent Aerosmith discs are put to ease with the crunching guitar sound this album delivers. This is sort of a concept album, but it was pulled off beautifully. I've read reviews complaining of the lack of an "authentic blues sound," but isn't that what hard rock is all about? Isn't hard rock just the blues amplified to 11?

Authentic or not, this album just plain rocks! I love the fact that Joe Perry sang a couple songs, as well as the increasing use of non-standard instruments such as the dobro. Pianos and harmonica also make frequent appearances in these songs, which set them apart from songs like "Pink" and "Jaded."

Even the worst song on this album packs a huge rock punch, and that's a great thing. If you love Aerosmith, blues rock, or anything with loud electric guitars, you'll probably enjoy the hell out of this album.

Album score: 4.5 out of 5