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Rating: First off, I must admit that I know little to nothing about the original tracks performed on this album, just as I know little to nothing about the artists "covered" by the Boston group. Having said that, we can start the review of this album, released in 2004, three years after the enjoyable Just Push Play. This Honkin' On Bobo is a collection, a tribute that the Aerosmith pay to their primordial genre, the blues.
It kicks off with a bang with Bo Diddley's "Road Runner" and its captivating riff that immediately glues your ears to the stereo. The band plays brilliantly, as always, and towards the end, Tyler's singing starts to enrich itself with ear-piercing screams, typical of the singer's repertoire. Next up is a "booty-shaking track" namely "Shame, Shame, Shame" (by Jimmy Reed), one of the toughest tracks on the album... we face a full-fledged rock-blues track and Joe Perry's guitars weave riffs and small solos that make this piece truly unique. The "hot" atmosphere doesn't seem to want to drop even in the third track "Eyesight To The Blind," a non-energetic track, but it's pleasant to listen to, thanks to Steven Tyler's performance alone, who with his voice touches the limit... and surpasses it! Another booty-shaking track is "Baby, Please Don't Go," presented in a very hard-rock version. This track also shows how the "boys," despite their respectable age, still know how to get teenagers moving with tracks like this: movement and sweat, that's what comes out when listening to a blazing track like this!! Finally, the atmosphere drops significantly thanks to the slow-paced turn that the Aeros always gift us over the years: it's time for "Never Loved A Girl," a piece proposed by Aretha Franklin some years ago... Certainly, this track proves to be interesting also because, as usual, Tyler's voice is at its peak, reaching very high notes. Other than that, the band performs admirably, as they have been doing for thirty years now. "Back Back Train" features Joe Perry on vocals, and this piece ends up a bit weak, due to the absence of Tyler on the microphone, so let's move on to "You Gotta Move," another convincing track but one that can turn out to be a bit tedious in the long run, however, it's worth a listen. "The Grind" is an unreleased track in this sea of covers and neither adds nor detracts from Aerosmith's repertoire. "I'm Ready" by Willie Dixon sees Tyler's voice transform from a yelling to a hoarse one, maintaining a high effect: indeed, the strong point of this album is Steven's voice, which manages to adapt to all the tracks (even Santana's rubbish), and in this album, he proves to be in excellent shape. "Temperature" by Little Walter follows the previous pattern: hoarse but charming and engaging voice!! We're almost at the end, "Stop Messin' Around" sees Joe Perry again, this time tackling a slightly more dynamic track, yet the result isn't pleasant, even though good old Joe does his best to make his sweet anonymous voice enjoyable. "Jesus Is On The Main Line" is perhaps the most successful track in its simplicity: a few acoustic guitars, Steven's harmonica, and a nice choir as a backdrop... an interesting closing track.
To conclude, the first 5 tracks are really beautiful, tough, and create a truly explosive mix, but then the atmosphere drops, thanks to slightly lackluster tracks and Joe Perry's non-singer voice. As it is, this album loses a lot and recovers when it's too late, with the last track. The thing to save here is the singer's voice, which deserves five stars, while the rest of the band does their nice homework but doesn't reach the excellence of their frontman.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Road Runner (03:45)
Ladies and Gentlemans...
Step right up...
Let's go see the elephant
Well i'm a road runner honey... Yeah!
I'm a road runner honey
And you can't keep up with me
When i'm a road runner lover
And you can't keep up with me
You gotta a green light baby
Baby Baby you'll see
Well...Move over honey
Baby let me by
Move over honey
C'mon! let me by
I'm gonna show you baby
Cheers... Here's mud in your eyes
Well...
(eat my dust!)
Let's have road runner wedding
and we gotta get it right
There'll be a road runner wedding
yeah! but it can't be white
Wear the dress that i wanted
and burn some rubber tonight...
(hahahaha!)
Well i'm a road runner, honey
(beep, beep)
Well i'm a road runner, honey
(beep, beep)
Yeah! i'm a road runner, honey
(beep, beep)
Well i'm a road runner, honey
(beep, beep)
When i'm a road--
(beep, beep)
When i'm a road--
(beep, beep)
When i'm a road runner
a road runner
a road runner
a road runner, honey!
(yeaaaaah!)
08 The Grind (03:46)
I never thought a first time love would ever last
How could a kiss like that knock me flat on my ass
Heh ha..
The burning bed
The roses dead
And now I'm dancing with myself
Yeah I'm missing you
Just like you want me to
You made me trip into the grind
Now I can't get you off of my mi-i-i-i-ind
Yeah... your sweet talking hip shaking wobblin gonna blow a man away
Kiss butt... and guess what
Even double crossin' dogs have their day... ha
So forget about... regret about... ya i ain't afraid to say
Yeah I'm missing you
Just like you want me to
You made me trip into the grind
Now I can't get you off...
And the more I try
Leads to the same old lie
You made me slip into the grind
Now I can't get you off of the cloud we was on
And now it's all gone
Tell me why... why... why... why...
Why ain't I getting thorugh
Ain't no lie that i wont do..
Tell me was it good... for you
Tell me what you want
Yeah cause I'm missing you
Just like you knew I'd do
You made me trip into the grind
Now I can't get you off...
And the more I tried
Leads to the same old lie
You made me trip into the grind
Now I can't... get...you..yeah
Get you...
Get you...
Get you...
Get you...
Get you...
Get' you...
Get' you...
Off of my mind...
09 I'm Ready (04:15)
Well I'm ready... ready as anybody can be
I am ready... a ready as anybody can be
I'm ready for you
I hope you ready for me
Got an out of town pistol with the graveyard frame
It shoots tombstone bullets... wit da ball and chain
I'm drinkin' TNT... and smokin' dynamite
I hope some schoolboy pick a fight
'Cause I'm ready... ready as anybody can be
Well I'm ready for you... I hope you ready for me
Now listen...
All you pretty little chicks with'chor curly hair
Know you feel like I ain't nowhere
But stop what'chor doin' honey... come over here
I'll prove it to ya baby that I ain't no square
'Cause I'm ready... ready as anybody can be
Now I'm ready for you... I hope you ready for me
Look out...
Look out...
Well I been drinkin' gin like never before
I'm feelin' so good... honey that's for sure
One more drink... honey I wish you would
Take a whole lotta lovin' to make me feel good
'Cause I'm ready... ready as anybody can be
Well I'm ready for you... I hope you ready for...
A ready for...
A ready for...
Well I'm ready for...
Oh baby...
You know I'm ready for you
10 Temperature (02:51)
My baby gimme high temperature
My baby gimme high temperature
Yeah... 101 when we... kiss and dance
102 honey... for a late night romance
103... 4 and 5... it get to hot to stay alive
My baby gimme high temperature
My baby gimme high temperature
When I see her comin'... down the street
I be the fever giver... high to the beat
103... 4 and 5... it get to hot to stay alive
My baby gimme high temperature
My baby gimme high temperature
97... 98 is just a... false alarm
My temperature 105 when I hold her... in my arms
103... 4 and 5... it get to hot to stay alive
13 Jaded (03:34)
Hey, Jaded
You got your mama's style
But you're yesterday's child to me
So jaded
You think that's where it's at
But is that where it's s'posed to be
You're gettin' it all over me
Exer-ated
My my baby blue
Yeah, I've been thinkin' 'bout you
My my baby blue
Yeah, you're so jaded
And I'm the one that jaded you
Hey, Jaded
In all it's misery
It will always be what I love
And hated
And maybe take a ride
To the other side we're thinkin' of
We'll slip into the velvet glove
And be jaded
My my baby blue
Yeah, I been thinkin' 'bout you
My my baby blue
Yeah I'm so jaded
And baby, I'm afraid of you
You're thinkin' so complicated
I've had it all up to here
But it's so overrated
Love and hate it
Wouldn't trade it
Love me Jaded, yeah
Hey, Jaded
There ain't no baby please
When I'm shootin' the breeze with her
When everything you see is a blur
And ecstasy's what you prefer
My my baby blue, yeah
I'm a talkin' 'bout you
My my baby blue
Yeah, I been thinkin' 'bout you
My my baby blue
Yeah, you're so jaded (baby)
Jaded (baby)
You're so jaded
'Cause I'm the one that jaded you
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By MichaelRose86
"The strength of the CD lies in making the blues discoverable to new generations of musicians and enthusiasts."
"Aerosmith plays the CD excellently, paying great attention to each track, with a musical care that few bands can boast."
