Various Artists
Sweet Emotion Songs of Aerosmith
(part of the Blues on Fire series)
heavy hip mama
**** (of 5)

"The blues are our fuckin' roots. A lot of other bands dress up like I used to dress, but there's no fuckin' middle to what they play. No soul. There's no main vein runnin' down the middle of it." -Steven Tyler

I've never paid any attention to Aerosmith, and I've never been a HUGE fan of the blues. Of course, I know who a lot of the blues greats are, as well as a lot of the blues not-so-greats, and I've heard Aerosmith on the radio and in movies, but I never really paid any attention.

It's amazing how much music is sneaked into our subconcious. I could almost sing along with every track on this record. I knew the lyrics from Aerosmith and could tell what was going to happen next musically by some sort of ingrained blues instinct.

This is the first disc in a series that was created with the purpos of celebrating the influence of the blues on major rock figures.

Cool idea.

And unlike a lot of tribute albums, this one does everything but suck.

Featuring Otis Clay, Gerald McClendon, Pinetop Perkins, Rusty Zinn, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Cathy Richardson, Wayne Baker Brooks, Marshall Crenshaw, Sugar Blue, Lou Ann Barton, Lou Gramm, Kim McFarland, TAd Robinson, Joe Louis Walker, Donald Kinsey, Crystal Taliefero Joanna Connor and David "Honeyboy" Edwards.

If you've been dying for a mello, bluesey version of "Walk This Way," look no further.

-Django

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