Aerosmith, “Devil’s Got a New Disguise, The Very Best of Aerosmith”
ROCK|Columbia, released today
It’s been a while since we’ve really spent a quality chunk of time with Aerosmith’s catalog. The Boston rock band’s recent releases have been lackluster and preachy, more packed with balladeering bluster than the straightforward rock that once made the band essential. And its live shows have been sporadic and, dare I say, bizarrely (and unneccesarily) experimental of late.
So it’s nice to spend some time with “Devil’s Got a New Disguise,” the band’s latest greatest-hits venture. It’s not unlike a road trip with an old friend you haven’t seen in years.
You start by refamiliarizing yourself with one another, recounting the familiar – ahh, the early days of “Dream On” and “Mama Kin.” You alternate “remember-whens” until the sun goes down – “Walk This Way” and “Rag Doll” – and then spend the night-driving hours covering the recent past (“I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing”), the present (“Jaded”) and the future (“Sedona Sunrise” and the title track).
Aerosmith is an old friend to many; the band’s music has been the soundtrack for countless first dates and class reunions over the years. While this is a pleasingly nostalgic gathering, it’s also marked with a twinge of sadness.
When you lay out the band’s music chronologically like this, the music does all the talking. It’s impossible not to hear the influential, sweeping tones of “Mama Kin” and “Dream On.” It’s equally impossible to miss the silly, saccharine inanity of “Livin’ On The Edge” and “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing.”
Everything in between is a slippery and saddening slide down the road of self-parody. Some would say it happens to the best of them, but that doesn’t make this exercise any less depressing.
Aerosmith was once a great band. And that’s all they wrote. |Ricardo Baca
Goldfrapp, “We Are Glitter”
ELECTRONICA|Mute, out today
This remix-laden album will appeal to deejays and clubkids, and might carry weight with longtime Goldfrapp listeners who have followed the performance art-minded group since its debut six years ago, or even before that when singer/keyboardist Allison Goldfrapp graced influential ’90s trip-hop albums.
What listeners won’t find here is anything new. Yes, these tracks spotlight Goldfrapp’s moody lyricism and producer Will Gregory’s atmospheric, melancholy arrangements. But by nature these tracks are repetitive and superficial. This release is really intended for Goldfrapp diehards. Anyone interested in delving into the group’s brooding elegance would be advised to skip this album and check out previous releases “Black Cherry” or “Supernature.” |Elana Ashanti Jefferson
Other releases today:
Sarah McLachlan, “Wintersong” (Arista) The Christmas-release schedule is officially underway, and McLachlan makes her intentions loud and clear on “Wintersong.” It’s exactly what you’d expect from the singer-songwriter – AAA radio-friendly renditions of familiar tracks presented in bite-sized, although somewhat tripped-out, portions. It’s not as bad as it could have been, with the Canadian singer taking on “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” and “Silent Night.” But it panders to mainstream sensibilities, which perhaps indicates McLachlan’s nervousness that she’s losing some of her appeal.
Vince Gill, “These Days” (MCA) You can’t deny the prolific approach of Gill’s four-CD set of 43 new songs. Separated into four categories/CDs – rock, acoustic, romance and honky-tonk – Gill is out for a comeback. Given the early praise for the project, he could very well be in for a rush of newfound attention.
