"Rocks" & "Toys in the Attic"

My first substantial exposure to Aerosmith -- a band I had heard of and had taste tested their hits -- was the 1990s "Get A Grip" album with all those hits and Alicia Silverstone acting all hot and bothered.

I don't know what I thought about them beforehand. I think I paired them with Van Halen as kind of a 1980s party band.

When in fact, Aerosmith was a hard rock 1970s group in the same vein as Led Zeppelin, rock royalty. "Get A Grip" wasn't a radio-friendly record by a rock mainstay, but a last gasp for a band that had very little left and was finally off drugs and the juice.

What's interesting is that they released "Walk This Way" on "Toys in the Attic" but then went heavier and rockier on the their next album, "Rocks." Little did they know that they had invented a mash of rock and rap (before rap really existed). Dumb bastards.

FYI: Tom Hamilton is one of the greatest bassists in rock history.