Guest Author - Lisa Shea

Aerosmith already had done Greatest Hits releases, but Big Ones in 1994 caught them up with some of their latest tunes. How much you like this CD depends on how much you liked the band's music in that era. Some people thought it was great. Others hated any change from the raw-rocking sounds of the "younger Aerosmith" back in the 70s.

I have to admit that while I really love the Aerosmith of the 70s, I also thought that the Aerosmith of the 80s-90s was fantastic as well. Bands all change. You can look at most bands (let's say the Beatles) and track how their music evolved and changed as the band members themselves grew and matured. It seems unfair to me for any observer to say to a band, "You should keep playing the same way the rest of your life, because I enjoy it".

Start with "Love in an Elevator". I *love* that song! It's not full of deep meaning, it's not full of angst. It's bursting with great, lustful energy. Surely all of us have had that hormone-driven rush, where we just want to grab our partner in an elevator and have some fun! I love the rhythms, too.

Move on to "Rag Doll". Another song I love. She's a hot ticket, "never see ya leaving by the back door". Another great song for dancing around the living room to, enjoying life. Go right into "Dude Looks Like a Lady". I think this song is hilarious! C'mon, can anyone who listens to songs like "Octopus's Secret Garden" start to complain that all songs must be serious? Or do people who don't like Dude also frown on other "non serious" songs?

We get some serious songs in here, if that's what you're into. "Janie's Got a Gun" won a lot of acclaim when it was released, for addressing the pain and torment felt by sexually abused kids. That's not something you find in most rocker's music collections.

I really appreciate all the songs in this collection. Are they as great as "Dream On"? I really find it's hard to compare songs like that. Dream On was an epic song about reaching your goals. Janie's Got a Gun was a serious look into a tragic situation. Surely both can exist in the world and be meaningful in their own way.

Some critics love to bash this CD as being all inferior work. I really have to say, it depends on how open your mind is about music. If you have only a certain style of song you enjoy, and this isn't it, then you won't enjoy it. If you're open to a range, which includes both social commentary and poppy-dancing-fun, then you might be very pleasantly surprised with what you get here. I can only say that I really enjoy listening to this CD.

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