Aerosmith
The name Aerosmith, by the way, means nothing in particular; it simply was the only name that no one in the band hated. During the first decade of its career, Aerosmith was one of the most popular hard-rock bands in America, striking a flamboyant middle ground between the cool, bluesy swagger of the Rolling Stones and the more campy, glam-metal approach of the New York Dolls and Mott the Hoople. Later, after a period of drug- and alcohol-induced decline, they made a triumphant return to form in the late '80s and early '90s, winning back their fans and the heart — and checkbook — of Columbia Records, the label where the story of Aerosmith began. Actually, the band's tale starts a few years before signing to Columbia, when drummer Steven Tyler met guitarist Joe Perry at the Anchorage, a Sunapee, N.H., ice cream parlor where Perry worked in 1970. They formed a power trio with Tom Hamilton on bass, and before long, they'd added drummer Joey Kramer and guitarist Brad Whitford, leaving Tyler to fulfill the role he was born for: lead singer. With 1975's Toys in the Attic, considered by most to be Aerosmith's best album, the group achieved a new level of success, both artistically and commercially. The first single, "Sweet Emotion," was a terrific pop-hard rock crossover that led the album up to No. 11 on the Billboard charts (it eventually sold 6 million copies). As a result of this newfound success, "Dream On" was re-released, becoming a Top 40 hit the second time around. The super-funky "Walk This Way" followed it up the charts early in 1976. Operating with two replacement guitarists, Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay, the band released its least successful album ever, Rock in a Hard Place, in 1982. Meanwhile, Perry's and Whitford's solo projects weren't exactly lighting up the charts. Something had to be done. On Valentine's Day of 1984, Perry and Whitford visited their old bandmates backstage after a show at Boston's Orpheum Theatre. Now reconciled, they reunited for the Back in the Saddle tour, and in 1985, having signed to Geffen Records, they put out Done With Mirrors. Though it didn't sell well, it showed that the band was on the comeback trail. After its release, Tyler and Perry completed a drug-rehabilitation program, and then, in an extremely smart publicity move, they joined old-school rappers Run-DMC in the video for their cover of "Walk This Way." In 1987, with producer Bruce Fairbairn at the helm, they recorded the album that would put them back on top, Permanent Vacation. Aerosmith's best and biggest-selling non-greatest hits album since Rocks featured the hits "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," "Rag Doll," and "Angel," and ultimately sold 5 million copies. Pump, released in 1989, did it one better, selling 6 million, driven by the Top 10 hits "Love in an Elevator" and "Janie's Got a Gun."
No Surprise (Released 1979)
1971, we all heard the starter gun
New york is such a pity
But at max's kansas city we won
We all shot shit in the bar
With johnny o' toole and his scar
And then old clive davis said
He's surely gonna make us a star
I'm gonna make you a star
Just the way you are
But with all his style
I could see in his eyes
That we is goin' on trial
And it was no surprise
The boys kept kickin' ass
As usual time would tell
But some bitch in the choir
Threw water on the fires of hell
She loved to shove and tell
Lord, she loved to tell
But with all our style
You could see in our eyes
That we is still on trial
And it was no surprise
No surprise
No surprise
No surprise
Midnight lady
Situation fetal
Vaccinate yo ass with yo phonograph needle
I say look it here
A friend of mine
Scratch like you need calomine
Flamingo boots, soles a creakin'
Still in love and puerto rican too
Ridin' on the wheels of hell
Smokin' in our axle grease
The backstage is rockin'
And we're copping from the local polica
That's right, the local police
Or the juctice of peace
But with all our style
You could see in our eyes
That we is still on trial
Baby, it's no surprise
No surprise
No surprise
No surprise
Rock n' roll, junkie whore
Got my foot inside the door
Knock knock, knock knock, knock
Nobody's keepin' score
Bad time go away
Come again some other day
Topaz and sazzafraz
Will keep the blues away
Candy store, rock n' roll
Corporation jelly roll
Play the singles, it ain't me
It's programmed with insanity
You ascap, if bmi
Could ever make a mountain fly
If japanese can boil teas
The where the fuck's my royalties
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