Post by jptheprofessor on Nov 10, 2005 17:41:28 GMT -5
AEROSMITH – ROCKIN’ THE JOINT (Sony/BMG) The Joint is the name of the live music stage at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Aerosmith rocked The Joint on January 11, 2002, during their tour for the Just Push Play album. A Dual Disc set, Rockin’ The Joint documents that concert event with nearly 60 minutes of audio footage on the CD side; and four video performances, behind-the-scenes footage and an enhanced stereo edition of the album on the DVD side. Although this performance was from the Just Push Play tour, only two songs from that album were performed here; “Beyond Beautiful” and “Light Inside.” The rest of the set features the Boston bad boys going to town on a number of their 70’s classics; with the exception of their 1998 chart-topping hit “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” Noteworthy moments include the first live album appearance of “Seasons of Wither” from 1974’s Get Your Wings and the seldom-performed “No More No More” from Toys In The Attic. Other highlights include Joe Perry’s guitar solo workout on the extended live rendition of “Draw the Line,” the feisty boogie rendition of “Big Ten Inch Record,” and a remake of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rattlesnake Shake,” one of the first songs Aerosmith ever played together. Performance-wise, Aerosmith sounds as instrumentally tight and polished as they have ever sounded, yet energetic; and Steven Tyler’s voice and sass are in top form. Although the newer songs interrupt the pace more than help it, this album still moves along fairly well. The sound is up front and full, and the mood is charged, evidenced by the ever-present ecstatic cheers of the audience. Aerosmith didn’t reinvent the wheel with this performance, and Rockin’ The Joint doesn’t reveal anything new about this veteran quintet that we didn’t know before. But it does show us a legendary band doing what they do best, and captures Aerosmith’s professionalism, confidence and swagger on the live stage. In all, it’s a solid live document that shouldn’t detract from the group’s legendary status.