A fun fact that I learned about Aerosmith when they created this record was this could have broken up the band. Despite their record deal with Columbia Records and recording in the world-famous Plant Studio in New York City, the record was received with little fanfare at the time and it caused tensions within the band, however this album would eventually sell three million copies and include the hits “Same Old Song And Dance” and their cover of “Train Kept A Rollin’”, which was originally done by The Yardbirds.
“Get Your Wings” starts off with their hit single “Same Old Song And Dance”. In this album, it sounds more raw and not as refined as the radio remastered single. The chorus and the intertwining of the guitars by Joe Perry and Brad Whitford definitely sell the song, the single is a definite staple at Aerosmith concerts.
We start listening to the wildside and sexual side of Steven Tyler in the next track entitled “Lord Of The Thighs”. It only takes a basic birds and bees lesson and a 7th grade education to make inferences on what Steven Tyler is singing about. The rhythm section of Hamilton and Kramer certainly stand out in this track, as it showcases somewhat of a break away from Aerosmith’s bluesy roots in the first album and we begin to see the evolution of Aerosmith towards no-frills classic rock with this track. Many critics cite this song(in particular the opening drum beat) as highly influential in their memorable hit “Walk This Way”.
The next track is entitled “Spaced”, which was co-written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. It is arguably the heaviest song and more of an experimental song that Aerosmith has written to this date in 1974. It certainly draws from Led Zeppelin/Deep Purple inspired guitar riffs. The guitars pack a punch, but at times it feels all over the place, I just expected it to be more smooth, but Aerosmith on occasion experiments with different sounds, it was just different(not that it’s a bad thing) to hear a progressive side to Aerosmith. I do like how the song comes to a crashing and sudden halt though.
In “Woman Of The World”, it offers a great mid-tempo beat in there, the only complaint I have in this song is that I wish the transition and progression changes were more seamless, it just seems a bit choppy. I also wish Joe Perry’s guitar solo during the instrumental break about halfway through the song had a few more measures to it. Again, this track showcases a more experimental side to Aerosmith, it was almost like that they were trying to find their identity as a band, definitely a mix of a progressive rock with a blues vibe to the track.
After listening to “Get Your Wings”, I felt that this album was appropriately titled as it seemed like Aerosmith were trying on various wings in order to find their identity in the rock music industry. We started to see glimpses of their no-frills classic rock vibe in “Same Old Song And Dance” and “Too Bad(S.O.S.), while they seemed to have tried out the progressive side of music in “Spaced” and “Woman Of The World”. I felt that their cover of “Train Kept A Rollin’”, originally done by The Yardbirds, was a great cover, however it didn’t feel like it belonged on this album. Maybe I’m expecting them to tell a story in “Get Your Wings”, instead of expecting some classic Aerosmith songs chocked onto an album. Overall, I enjoyed their self-titled debut much more, I rate this album a 6.5 out of 10 songs, as there are a couple of great tracks here and there, it just felt too all over the place for me. Here is the track listing below!
- Same Old Song And Dance
- Lord Of The Thighs
- Spaced
- Woman Of The World
- S.O.S. (Too Bad)
- Train Kept A Rollin’
- Seasons Of Wither
- Pandora’s Box
