Honkin' on Bobo

by

Aerosmith

Edit

While this is not a blues album in the traditional sense (like Clapton's ME AND MR JOHNSON, which was released the same day), HONKIN' ON BOBO is Aerosmith's hardest rockin' album since such mid-Seventies' classics as TOYS IN THE ATTIC and ROCKS.

The album kicks off with the Bo Diddley classic "Roadrunner" and doesn't look back. The heavy riffs, snarling guitars and larger-than-life vocals grab the listener and don't let go for the next 44 minutes. Of the more familiar covers, Aerosmith turn in a rendition of "Baby, Please Don't Go" that rivals Them's British top 10 version of Joe Williams' "Baby, Please Don't Go." And as they tear through a rousing version of Mississippi Fred McDowells' "You Gotta Move," you're left puzzled that this is the same song the Stones covered on STICKY FINGERS.

Things slow down a bit on the cover of Aretha Franklin's "Never Loved a Girl" and the Joe Perry vocal on "Back Back Train" (Perry also does lead vocals on the Peter Green original "Stop Messin' Around," an obscure song from Fleetwood Mac's second album from 1968). The album closer is the traditional "Jesus Is on the Main Line." Throughout, there is plenty of harmonica, Dobro and slide guitar, and Chuck Berry sideman Johnnie Johnson shows up on piano for a couple songs ("Shame, Shame, Shame" and "Temperature") to remind listeners that this is, after all, a blues album--at least Aerosmith's version of the blues. And you know what? It works. It's one of the strongest albums of their career. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

An Aerosmith blues album has been talked about for many years and I was expecting great things when I heard that it was finally a reality, especially with Jack Douglas producing it.

Aerosmith have been one of my favorite bands for many years but I have been disappointed with their albums of late, especially the over-produced, over-hyped, over-done formula cr#p that was "Just Push Play". Therefore I could not wait to get my hands on "Honkin' On Bobo" which had been touted as a return to roots album of the blues based rock of the '70's Aerosmith.

After playing it for the first time I must say that I was a little disappointed with it, and after repeated playing that feeling has not changed. That is not to say that it is a bad album, because really it isn't bad at all and I do still enjoy it. It's just that the album isn't that great either and doesn't live up to my expectations of it. Yes, Aerosmith is a rock band, and I knew it was always going to be blues done the Aerosmith way, but I was hoping for a little more traditional blues.

The Positives:

- Lots of harmonica from Steven Tyler (he really is a good blues harp player and should incorporate it more in their songs)

- The band really plays well & get to cut loose in parts.

- None of the power-ballad "Crazy", "Hole In My Soul" type formula songs that they always have on their albums of late, just blues based rock songs.

- Some real good songs ("Never Loved A Girl", "Back Back Train", "You Gotta Move", "Stop Messin' 'Round" are the best).

- Joe Perry sounds great on vocals for two tracks.

The Negatives:

- Not enough songs played in a more traditional blues style.

- The album length is a bit short. (None of the songs are very long so another two tracks would have been good.)

- A couple of pretty ordinary tracks ("I'm Ready" and "Temperature" which aren't bad songs in themselves, it's just the style that Aerosmith play them that brings them down).

My biggest criticism:

- Steven Tyler's voice can be heard almost all the time, just as on their more recent albums. Don't get me wrong, he is a great singer and front-man, and Aerosmith would never have got to where they are without him, but when he's not singing the song lyrics he still finds it necessary to be making some sort of vocal noise, which is just not necessary. I don't want to hear all these noises from him, I just wanna hear the band playing in these parts. He ruins such parts which should be a chance for the band to cut loose, by making some noise or another. He should just shut up and let the boys play, or rather "shut up and dance" and "let the music do the talking".

In general "Honkin' On Bobo" is a much better album than Aerosmith have been doing lately, but for my mind it still isn't as good as it could have been. It is a big step in the right direction and may be just the thing they need to refresh them so they can take the positives into writing and recording their next album of original material. It's also not a bad album for the rest of us to enjoy until then.