Issue date: 11/4/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Columbia Records

Joey Kramer's hair was singed & he received second degree burns on both legs, and his left arm and hand at a gas station in Scituate, Massachusetts when his Ferrari caught on fire on Wednesday, July 15th. Forcing the band to postpone 12 shows and cancel 2.

A Ferrari and cigarettes-essentials for a rock star. If Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer wouldn't have had the ingenious idea to gas up his Ferrari while smoking on July 15, 1998, he could have avoided singed hair and second degree burns. And I could have seen Aerosmith in concert.

I was a crushed 12 year-old, but have been continuously trying to get tickets, but they are always sold out. It's albums like the just released live Rockin' the Joint from a Las Vegas performance in 2002 that make me regret that I have yet to see one of the greatest American rock bands.

As soon as this album begins, the 21-second intro track makes the listener wish they were there, with the screaming crowd and lead singer Steven Tyler's screaming introduction.

The band then segues into the high-octane "Beyond Beautiful" from the Just Push Play album, which the band had just released at the time of the tour. However, despite all the driving Joe Perry guitar solos and powerful Joey Kramer drums, it is merely a prelude to the next song, "Same Old Song and Dance," an Aerosmith staple.

The crowd instantly recognizes the tune from the opening chord, and keeps the energy pumping throughout the song, including several crowd interaction/sing-along parts. The addition of the keyboard, supplied by Russ Irwin, is also very nice.

Aerosmith continues with its older stuff with "No More No More" from Toys in the Attic, featuring the frequent and famous Tyler screams, as well as the beautiful background vocals that the band has used so effectively over the decades. The following track, "Seasons of Wither", another staple, makes its live debut on this album, and begins a little slower than usual, giving it a haunting feel, but eventually gets to the sound that fans love so much.

Returning to the album of the tour, "Light Inside" truly features the various musical talents of the band, beginning with a driving drum solo and then a groovy bass solo from Tom Hamilton before getting into the song. Later, the listener gets to be entertained with the talents of Tyler on the harmonica, a truly enjoyable sound.
"Draw the Line" might be the most well-performed song on the album, starting out with a catchy guitar riff, and throughout the song featuring a brilliant piano solo, powerful drums, a Perry/Kramer feature where Perry builds his solo higher and faster which eventually leads into a return to the song that has Tyler screaming ridiculously high shouting words that only he can understand.

Continued...

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