Customer Reviews

O Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits (2CD)

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I thought Aerosmith had been getting worse since 1994 - turns out they've been pretty crummy since the mid-70's. One or two memorable tunes on a set that just goes on way . . . too . . . long.

Doesn't anyone with even mild interest in Aerosmith already have a compilation of theirs, considering how many are available (I've got 4 myself)? And even if you do pick this up, another best-of will probably have replaced it on the shelves by the time you get to the checkout counter.

This collection isn't necessarily terrible, it's just a bit insulting to fans. Apparently, either the band, its record labels, or both believe that all we care about is the insipid formulaic drek that Aerosmith has been making ever since "Get a Grip". That stuff takes up half of "Ultimate Aerosmith", while the their best material--from the '70's--is packed into the first ten songs of disc one. I guess the band members don't realize that their early music is what made them popular--and what makes them (almost) tolerable today. (Could a band possibly start out as a bunch of wrinkled ex-(?)coke fiends and sell millions of CDs to kids 35 years their junior?)

And even the picks from the 1970s are a bit odd. I'm very pleased to see "Seasons of Wither", but should it be picked over "Kings and Queens", "Train Kept a-Rolin'" (which is an Aerosmith classic, despite being a cover), or even "Chip Away at the Stone"? And what is "Big Ten Inch Record" doing here? This song is an amusing throwaway that fits well into "Toys in the Attic", but it does not belong on a compilation that claims to be definitive.

Moving on to the 1980's, there are no songs from "Done With Mirrors" (I believe that the "Young Lust" compilation icluded a few of those, however). At the least, "Let the Music Do the Talking" should be here. Surely the removal of by-the-numbers ballads like "Crazy" (which sounds almost the same as "Crying", just not quite as good) and the boring "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" could have made room for some of the songs mentioned above.

For anyone who doesn't own any Aerosmith, this is not the place to start. Get "Greatest Hits" and "Gems" to cover the Columbia years, or go for "Pandora's Box" if you're really interested in that era ("Box of Fire" for the ultra-motivated fans). And for those of us who want a thorough compilation covering the Geffen years of the 1980s and 1990s, the double-disc "Young Lust" (released a whopping 7 months, 21 days before this one) does a better job. Come to think of it, so does the single CD "Big Ones". True, if you get the aforementioned albums instead of this one, you won't get songs from their last two CDs or "Girls of Summer", but that's what online music swapping is for.

This is the ultimate collection for Aersomith fans and contains the best of the best. Some of my favorite Aerosmith songs would have to be the #1 single from the Armageddon soundtrack, I DON'T WANT TO MISS A THING. A beautiful power ballad and one of my personal favorites. What it takes and Janie's Got a gun are two more Aerosmith classics. Angel is a beautiful love song. DUDE (Looks LIke a lady), Livin' On the edge, Cryin', Amazing, Sweet Emotion, Dream On, Jaded and Crazy are amazing songs from Aerosmith.

Aerosmith is one of those bands that has stood the test of time.

This is the defintive collection and an absolute must for every Aerosmith fan.

it is overall a pretty good compilation for most aero fans! My
favs off the album are DREAM ON, SAME OL SONG N DANCE, SEASONS OF WITHER, WALK THIS WAY, SWEOT EMOTION, DUDE LOOK LIKE A LADY,
& JANIE GOT A GUN. Others i like are BIG TEN INCH RECORD, BACK IN
THE SADDLE, & LOVE IN AN ELEVITOR. good little compilation but the second disc sucks!

"O,Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits" is definite Aerosmith. I have been an Aerosmith fan for a long time, and I can think of nothing better than a box set with great Aerosmith music for more than two hours. None of the songs on this box set are bad. The best things about this box set are two new bonus tracks ("Girls of Summer" and "Lay it Down"), the South Beach mix of "Pink", the radio remix of "Just Push Play", and the version of "Walk This Way" Aerosmith performed with Run-D.M.C. But even though those bonuses are the best part of the whole box set, the best song is "Angel" because the lyrics, music, and singing are pretty. Also,when I listen to it, it reminds me of a very special girl who is very important to me. Plus, if you want a girl to think you're romantic, playing this song for her on a date would do just that.

First let's address the album's atrocious title. On top of being a mouthful, "O Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits" is one of the lamest names for a Greatest Hits collection ever. But to be fair, Aerosmith have put out so many hits collections that they're running out of good titles to use. That said, this is definitely the Aerosmith hits collection you'll want to get. "Greatest Hits" and "Big Ones" were both snapshots of a certain point in Aerosmith's career, but "O Yeah!..." encapsulates their entire career (through 2002). All their bigs are here, conveniently in chronological order, except for the Run-DMC version of "Walk This Way" which is wisely put at the end of Disc 2 (the original is on Disc 1). Listening to the songs in order, it's easy to track Aerosmith's career from rock underdogs to the comeback kids to '90s ballad kings. And since everybody has a favorite Aerosmith track, or five, you can be guaranteed that the album will have something for everybody.

On top of 28 of their hits, the albums includes two new numbers: "Girls of Summer" and "Lay It Down". The former is something of a miss: it's basically just generic top 40 summer rock. The latter is a should-have-been-a-hit ballad in the vein of "Angel".

Inevitably Aerosmith will continue to release albums, and by extension, greatest hits albums. But for right now, this is the one with all their hits, and it's worth every penny you'll spend.

And there are many out there. But Aerosmith has rarely let the standard drop over the years, and this two-disc set boasts strong remastered sound and a wealth of great tunes. The first ten on Disc One approximate the original Greatest Hits, including classic rockers like "Walk This Way," "Same Old Song and Dance," "Sweet Emotion" and "Back In The Saddle Again" as well as the oft-played "Dream On." There's also the humorous "Big Ten Inch Record," which you can't be without.

The last half dozen tracks on Disc One pick up with the 1987 LP "Permanent Vacation," and although there's more ballad and melody in the now-clean band (i.e. "Angel," "What It Takes"), there's plenty of finger-snapping rock and roll: "Rag Doll" echoes "Walk This Way," and "Janie's Got A Gun" displays a social conscience and is one of their most powerful songs. There are several big hits from the album "Pump" to open Disc Two, with memorable rockers like "The Other Side" and "Livin' On The Edge," and the more recent stuff is strong as well. Sure, "Don't Want To Miss A Thing" is a tad sappy, and "Just Push Play" nods obviously to hip-hop. But "Pink," "Jaded" and "Falling in Love Is Hard on the Knees" are classic Aerosmith.

The remake/hybrid of "Walk This Way" with Run DMC is included, and it's enjoyable in the spirit intended--Perry's guitar sizzles, by the way. The final tracks, "Girls of Summer" and "Lay It Down," were new at the time of release. "Girls of Summer" is a melodic rocker with just a hint of Eastern influence. "Lay It Down" is a fine ballad. Sure, there are countless compilations of this great band out there, and I'm sure Aerosmith diehards get tired of seeing them. But for the casual fan, this is an awfully good place to start.

This is a great aerosmith compilation, proabably the best one yet but here is what the track listing should have been.
1. mama kin
2. Dream on
3. same old song & dance
4. lord of the theighs
5. train kept a rollin
6. toys in the attic
7. walk this way
8. big ten inch record
9. no more no more
10. sweet emotion
11. back in the saddle
12. last child
13. draw the line
14. kings & queens
15. come together
16. chip away the stone
17. no surprise
18. dude (looks like a lady)
19. angel
20. Rag doll

1. love in a elevator
2. janie's got a gun
3. what it takes
4. the other side
5. livin on the edge
6. cryin
7. crazy
8. eat the rich
9. dueces are wild
10. amazing
11. falling in love (is hard on the knees)
12. hole in my soul
13. pink
14. I don't want to miss a thing
15. jaded
16. just push play
17. fly away from here
18. girls of summer
19. lay it down
if this would have been the track listing this would have been the perfect aerosmith compilation and probably the only aerosmith cd most casual fans will need. nevertheless it is a very good compilation and still is probably the only aerosmith cd most fans will need. (if you wanna dig deeper into the bands catalog, pick up the following: get your wings, toys in the attic, rocks, or pump.)

From Steven Tyler's lips to your ears

In other words - big, juicy songs!

A fantastic collection of gems from the most important American rock act in history.