Aerosmith Helped 70s Teens Dream

Walk This Way, Sweet Emotion, and Dream On are anthems of the 70s. Aerosmith's songs provided the soundtrack for a generation. The names Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford are synonymous with rock 'n' roll.

In the mid-to-late 70s many kids survived the aches and pains of adolescence with rock 'n' roll spinning in the background. For some, rock 'n' roll inspired and enchanted. It was there when you were down, but more than anything else, it was all your own. The album covers alone were a vehicle of entertainment and intrigue: the photos revealed back stage scenes, and the artwork and lyrics kept one fascinated for hours. You could find meaning and relevance in the lyrics - "lyrics not included" there was always the option of slipping on larger-than-life headphones and listening ever so closely.

A rock song was there the first time you stole a smoke, kissed someone, or stayed out later than you were supposed to. Walk This Way played during first pinball games and sips of beer; Sweet Emotion brought on exploratory kisses and growing pains; Dream On set the stage for finding your identity, or perhaps realizing the ability to dream for a better reality.

The band's style was all you were not and all that you fantasized to be. The long hair, fur jackets, limos and hotel suites symbolized a totally free and exciting lifestyle. On stage, as Tyler sang to the children of a bicentennial generation, he represented hope and idealism as the scarves flowed from his mic stand. It did not matter what the band's reality was at the time, their performance was our reality for that moment in time. The sweet part of adolescence was the ability not to question further.

Aerosmith went from a schoolyard name to a disgruntled breakup in 1979. This spawned solo efforts and new formations: Joe Perry's The Joe Perry Project and Aerosmith touring with new guitarist Jimmy Crespo - an awkward-looking pose minus Joe Perry. They reunited in 1985 to record Done With Mirrors, a severely misunderstood album but loved by some just the same with its raw style. A triumphant hit followed when they teamed with Run-D.M.C. for a rapped up version of Walk This Way. After a clean and sober Aerosmith forged ahead in 1986 they put out a number of hit songs in the late 80s and 90s. 2001 marked a Super Bowl performance, new album, Just Push Play, and an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 19.

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