Surprize, Surprize, Surprize

I don’t know why, but the line “gonna make you a star” popped into my head today. I remembered it was from Aerosmith, but just couldn’t place the song. It’s a lyric from the Aerosmith tune “No Surprize”, which was included on “Night in the Ruts.” I remember seeing the black and white miner 49er album cover in the used record store. I think it’s safe to say this album was a weird time for the band.

When I watched the promotional video, I was surprized to see some other dude playing lead guitar (and not Joe Perry). However, Perry is credited with lead singer Stephen Tyler as the songwriters?? Apparently, Perry left the band during the middle of this album and was replaced by Jimmy Crespo (the dude in the video). Perry returned about 5 years later.

The song chronicles Aerosmith meeting record exec Clive Davis and getting signed to a record deal at Max’s Kansas City, etc. Musically, it’s an interesting adventure. I think the section around :40-:59 is a great example of Aerosmith’s sound. There’s some cool building harmony on the line “suprize” followed by some rocking guitar. Around 1:30, you hear “no surprize” followed by a catchy, repetitive guitar riff. You hear the same thing around 1:40, then Stephen Tyler breaks into his stream of consciousness, nonsensical lyrics only the way he can:

Midnight lady
Situation fetal
Vaccinate your ass
With a phonograph needle

I’ve seen more than a couple of opinions that this is Aerosmith’s best song. It’s definitely a great piece of hard rock n roll. It’s weird how certain things take you back to certain places. The album cover takes me back to a specific record store. A friend of mine’s younger brother was a big Aerosmith fan so the song makes me wonder about his thoughts on it. Also, I don’t know why, but I can see playing this song to a wayward space alien. Just a thought.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Barf-A-Geddon

Remember way back when…in the Eighties and Nineties… when Hollywood blockbusters weren’t necessarily ALL super-hero related? Sure, they had their action hero types doing completely unrealistic feats to save the world, but the films were entertaining, right? I mean pre-Netflix you actually had to go to a movie theatre to watch brand new films. (New releases at Blockbuster usually took awhile to appear there.) Film soundtracks seemed to become part of the whole marketing package somewhere along the way, too. This brings me to the 1998 movie called “Armageddon.”

It is one of those save the known-world in a couple of hours type of films. I remember walking out of the theatre feeling pumped after viewing it with a good friend of mine. (At the time, I was working at my first full-time radio job as an overnight guy in a small town. More on that later.) However, I also remember having to listen to the schlocky power ballad by Aerosmith called “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”

When I started this blog, I wanted to keep it positive and keep the libel and slander to a minimum, but we all have our breaking points. I, for one, have always DESPISED this song. I think it was like Top 40 radio’s Flavor of the Month when Armageddon was showing. That was Strike One for me. I have never had a desire to keep up with what’s popular — in fact, it’s usually the opposite. Strike Two was the traumatic scene featuring Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler enjoying their animal cracker lovefest while her father (Steven Tyler) belted out the vocal cheese in the background. Can you say, “Ewwww”? I think I should sue for damages because I STILL feel permanently scarred. The question is should you gouge out your eyes while your eardrums bleed simultaneously?

Strike Three was when country recording artist Mark Chesnutt not only recorded another version of the song, but even titled his entire album after it. I think I actually changed jobs around this time and this song followed me from one country station to another.

If this song wasn’t everywhere before the country version, it sure was at that point. So what is my problem with the song? I think it’s the strings for one thing. I mean “Elanor Rigby” is one thing, but this is another. The whole thing is just a bit much for me.

I suppose ALL THREE: the songwriter (not going to name her), Aerosmith, and Chesnutt (that’s two T’s at the end and one S.) are still laughing their way to the bank. This song has been recorded over 90 times.

As for the film Armageddon, I actually enjoyed it. The plot is some oil rig roughnecks are sent into space to blow up a huge meteor that’s headed for Earth. They probably took their barf bags for one reason. I took them for another.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Chip Away The Stone

Aerosmith is a band that has enjoyed many lives. Lead singer Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry were affectionately known as “The Toxic Twins” at one point during their careers due to their rock star drug habits and lifestyle. I wonder who actually gave them that nickname? In any event, I’ve never been a die hard fan, but can definitely appreciate certain songs in their extensive catalog. One of those hidden gems, ironically, appeared on the 1988 release “Gems” and is called “Chip Away The Stone.”

For me, the harmony in the chorus is what really grabbed me the first time I heard it — and it still does when I listen to it today. The beat and feel of this song may be too “basic” for some listeners, but it works for me. The first verse of “Chip Away The Stone” is a poetic description of someone who’s just “too cool for school.”

You act like a prima donna
Playing so hard to get
Sittin’ so cool and nonchalant
Draggin’ on a cigarette

I can’t remember too many songs with the word “nonchalant” in them. I also like the pronunciation of promenade (prom n NOD) in the second verse. The song is basically a metaphor for trying to reach someone “cooler than thou” in the same way a sculptor chips the block of stone away to create a sculpture.

Originally the song was released in support of their 1978 album “Live! Bootleg.” Give credit to Aerosmith for bringing the words to life, but they were actually written by a guy named Richie Supa. He collaborated with the band and also wrote some other songs for them including “Amazing,” which is also worth a listen. Nowadays, Supa partners with an organization called Recovery Unplugged, which is involved with alcohol and drug addiction treatment. Give the guy some credit. I think Steven Tyler is trying to become a country singer — and I’m not kidding about that. Yikes!

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

p.s. As a completely random footnote, I always thought it would be funny to write a comedy skit about the quiz show Jeopardy! One character would win Final Jeopardy by guessing “What is Aerosmith?” (the band) instead of “What is Arrowsmith?” (the completely unrelated novel by Sinclair Lewis). Spelling doesn’t count against you in Final Jeopardy.