Seasons of Wither

1 I bought "Get Your Wings" because I bought Aerosmith's first album. I mean you only had to hear "Dream On" once. And I'm not sure if it was the first time I heard it driving my '63 Chevy convertible from UMass Amherst back up to Middlebury, but I specifically do remember hearing it that brisk fall day, with the top down (wearing my corduroy jacket, something that no one owns in Los Angeles, not a sport coat but a heavier jacket worn for warmth). I'd like to tell you I loved Aerosmith's debut, but it was middling, not great. I was surprised they covered "Walkin' the Dog," I always disliked that Rufus Thomas track, however after going to Memphis and learning more about Rufus the script has been flipped, I now realize how great Rufus was, but I'd still like to know what inspired him to wear short shorts on stage. But I played that initial Aerosmith LP. Sometimes you purchased an album for a track and there was nothing anywhere close to as good on the rest of the record, then it was one and done. But if you played it and liked it, you bought the follow-up. Like I purchased "Tarkus," but after that I was done with ELP. However, I do love "Welcome Back My Friends," even though I know that's not the name of the song, but once you're invested in an artist, you never let go. Then again, I still can't forgive Rod Stewart for those "American Songbook" records... Anyway, I was a bit skeptical of "Get Your Wings" because of its black and white cover. Especially after color on the first. I was always worried it was a cost-saving measure. From a label that didn't really want to believe. And although "Dream On" got airplay, ultimately becoming legendary years later, Aerosmith was far from America's Rolling Stones at this point, they were not well-known, they did not have a legion of rabid fans. So I purchased "Get Your Wings" without hearing a single song on it, it was positively fresh. I dropped the needle and heard... "Same Old Song and Dance." Well, that was disappointing. Not because it was bad, but because it was the opening cut, and that's usually where acts placed their strongest songs. So if this was the top... But then came my absolute favorite Aerosmith song, "Lord of the Thighs." Now this is not like "No More No More," my second favorite Aerosmith track, from the subsequent year's "Toys in the Attic." That album was Aerosmith's breakthrough. By 1975... Every burg had an FM rock station. It was the culture and soul of America. And when you'd made it there, you'd made it everywhere. But in 1974... At that late date, FM was still building, and not everybody was paying attention to Aerosmith, so even at this late date, I don't think most people know "Lord of the Thighs." "Down to who knows who just to socialize I'm waiting for my girls when you caught my eyes" David Krebs, the band's manager during this era, told me you can't write lyrics like this anymore, that social mores have changed and have excised an entire slice of music, now seen as misogynistic. Funny if you think about it. The raw sexuality of rock, which if it even exists today is in driving, forceful metal, is no longer a feature of mainstream music. Unless it's sung by a woman. Our genes haven't changed, our desires are still there, but it's taboo for men to sing about them and own them. But back in the dark ages... That was one of the draws of Aerosmith, they were dark, they were raw, they hadn't sold out. Bands like this don't exist today. Right after they form they're looking for sponsorships, to become brands, business is as important, if not more important, than the music. The acts want to get RICH! Not that no one wanted to make money back in the seventies. But there was more to it, the lifestyle, being an outsider, making your own hours, not having to work a 9 to 5... And the power of this music drew people to you, and in this pre-smartphone camera era, this meant a lot of sex. And drugs too. You were outlaws. In some cases even if you sang soft rock. That's what the Eagles' "Desperado" is all about. And believe me, Aerosmith was selling sex. It's the essence of a great frontman. Now the truth is "Lord of the Thighs" could never cross over to AM. As a matter of fact, by time we got to 1975, rock stations on the FM dial had been codified, they wanted to only play hits, and they didn't go too deep on albums. And this was 1974! And after 'Lord of the Thighs" came "Spaced," which was a tear that defies categorization. "Spaced" sounds like a rock band shot out of a rocket towards Earth, not away. Definitely an alien feel. And then comes "Woman of the World." There's that drum beat, and then that guitar figure and then Tyler comes in... "Well she's a woman of the world And god she knows it" This was the flip side of the equation, instead of male domination, this was putting the woman on a pedestal. For all the men who think they're god's gift, most see themselves as underdogs, they've got to psyche themselves up to make an effort, bridge the gap, interact with a woman, especially a woman like this. "She'll turn my head every time she shows it" Wow. What a first side! It was direct, to the point, the following three tracks were better than "Same Old Song and Dance." They delivered. And the sound was richer than it was on the first LP, more full-bodied. Credit Jack Douglas. I don't want to say too many negative things about Adrian Barber, but he missed the target on the first Allman Brothers album too. The songs were there, but the band needed Tom Dowd to nail their sound, to get it exactly right. Now to be honest, I played the first side of "Get Your Wings" much more than the second. "S.O.S. (Too Bad)" had a directness that resonated. But I couldn't quite understand why they covered "Train Kept a Rollin'," it wasn't that obscure, why take up the space? Now their version of "Train Kept a Rollin'" was really good, but it's hard not to see the Yardbirds' take as definitive, even though Aerosmith's take was an extended one. 2 Now "Get Your Wings" was released during the spring of 1974, just before I graduated from college. And before I began my drive cross-country, in search of a job in Alta, Utah just after Labor Day, I put the album on cassette for the ride. And I played it plenty. And the following spring, in May of 1975, at Mammoth Mountain in California, I turned my newfound buddies on to the record, I knew they were hooked when Hooker stole the cassette to provide music while they practiced their flips. Although having played the first side so many times before I began my excursion across the nation, I was not as familiar with the second. Meaning I played it, but I didn't know the song titles, I didn't bother to write those down on the cassette J-card (funny how I used pencil, in case I wanted to erase the cassette and record something new on it). So when Robert told me he was hoping Aerosmith played "Seasons of Wither" when they opened the House of Blues on our birthday in 1994, I wasn't exactly sure what song he was talking about. And believe me, seeing an arena band up close and personal in a club, there's nothing like it. And then Aerosmith launched into a number whose intro I knew by heart, and Robert elbowed me and smiled. Yes, I realized, THIS WAS SEASONS OF WITHER! And the thing is it sounds like winter, with the wind blowing, as if composed in a darkened room, alone, safe from the elements, but feeling them nonetheless. And the verses convey the mood evidenced in the words, i.e. "woe is me." But the thing about "Seasons of Wither" is it gains energy as the song progresses. It builds and builds. Such that despite starting off quietly, by the end Tyler and the band are amped up... "Ooh, woe is me, I feel so badly for you Ooh, woe is me, I feel so badly for you in time Bound to lose your mind Live on borrowed time TAKE THE WIND RIGHT OUT OF YOUR SAIL" And the track doesn't fade out, it does move on, like the wind blowing into the wilderness and... The song ends and you're still thinking, you're still contemplating. 3 Now Aerosmith went on to be gigantic, America's Stones, as referenced above, before they imploded. And then suddenly reappeared years later under the guidance of Tim Collins and John Kalodner. And the first Geffen LP, "Done With Mirrors," didn't resonate with the public, despite being produced by Ted Templeman. But Templeman's sound was a bit different, cleaner than what Aerosmith was purveying. And when the band hooked up with Bruce Fairbairn the magic was completely recaptured, the latter day run began, in an era where if it didn't work at first, you didn't abandon it, you stayed with it. And now Adrian Barber is not the only one gone. But Jack Douglas too. And the House of Blues on Sunset. And Robert. Seasons of Wither indeed. -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25