Aerosmith have released a new album for the first time in over a decade, and it’s been produced by Jack Douglas, the man behind their massive hits from the seventies. After several years of being distracted by drug relapses, American Idol and not actually joining Led Zeppelin it seems that Steven Tyler has finally committed to his band again. But does that mean it’s a good album?
After a very strange sci-fi sequence the album opens strongly with the slightly ridiculously titled ‘LUV XXX’. This is how you want Aerosmith to sound, sassy and catchy with a massive sing-a-long chorus. It is followed by the equally cool bluesy and Rolling Stones-esque ‘Oh Yeah’, but third track ‘Beautiful’ sounds kind of like a terrible early 2000s nu-metal band that’s trying to be Aerosmith.
The album picks up again after that, but ‘Out Go The Lights’ sounds so much like ‘Love In An Elevator’ that I involuntarily start singing the chorus to the latter song, when ‘Another Last Goodbye’ starts I actually wonder for a second if they’ve included a new version of ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing’, and ‘Legendary Child’ literally references the lyrics from ‘Walk This Way’ all the way through. It’s clear that Aerosmith is not trying to bring anything new to the table, but then again why would they have to? The bulk of the songs are decently written and would most definitely go down well with the band’s fan base. They serve up some pretty strong power ballads like ‘What Could Have Been Lov’e and ‘Closer’, and the groovy Hammond-swagger of ‘Something’ is certainly a highlight. ‘Can’t Stop Loving You’ is a duet with Carrie Underwood and I think of bald eagles wearing cowboy hats when I listen to it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s shit. It is a little bit though.
If you want to hear a record that is fresh, original and groundbreaking, you will not enjoy Music From Another Dimension. But if you want to hear such a record, you wouldn’t have picked up the new Aerosmith anyway. The band are simply delivering more Aerosmith songs, and they aren’t doing a bad job at it. However, next time I feel like a little Steven Tyler swag I will most likely just put on some of their classic hits. ‘Dude Looks Like A Lady’ anyone?
6/10
