Aerosmith "Rocks": The Poll

I voted "Sick as a Dog," as you'd probably guess from the opening text.

Too obvious, but "Last Child."

Tough choice but I went with "Lick and a Promise." Could have easily voted Back in the Saddle, Last Child, or Combination.

went for 'last child'. this album is amazing, I'm not really into aerosmith at all but this really funky and sleazy

pretzel walrus to thread!

Combination, Sick as a Dog second.

xxxp also last child is not too obvious!

I kind of want to go with "Rats In The Cellar," but "Last Child" it is.

From what I remember (it's been ages): "Sick as Dog" starts to meander about three-quarters of the way through, but the rest is so great, it gets my vote nonetheless. (As contrasted with "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" from Sticky Fingers, where the great-to-meandering transition happens before the song even hits halfway, and therefore wouldn't warrant a vote.)

god these guys were untouchable back then.

back in the saddle for me.

The riff from Lick and a Promise is what ultimately clinches it for me. It's so infectious, also seems like it must be hard to play. I wouldn't know cuz I've got zero guitar ability in the first place.

I'm gonna say "Rats in the Cellar", but I liked it better as the leadoff Side Two track (I owned the cassette)

"Lick And A Promise" over "Sick As A Dog" over "Back In The Saddle." Love this album.

Voted "Back In The Saddle." I totally heart that outro with all the phasing guitars, a galloping horse, a bassline that predates Peter Hook, and the Mother Of All Snares.

"Last Child"

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

There is truly no arguing with "Back in the Saddle." That bass line? Come on, give it up.

well it's personal story time with JD, this may get depressing so be warned, skip past it if stories that end sad are gonna feel like a waste of your time. the first night I hung out with my now-departed-because-he-killed-himself friend Rozz, we met up at a party - we knew about each other from around, there'd been an effort at one point to get us to meet & then we'd seen each other at the Cabaret Voltaire show at the Palace so we had a yeah-you kinda familiarity. The party got dull and we'd been talking about music so we went back to the apartment where me & mom & my sister were all living after my mom had finally gotten us out of house-where-everybody-gets-his-ass-kicked. the whole new apartment scene had this the-box-is-only-temporary feel to it. I'm seventeen, Rozz is like 24 I think, and we break open the only bottle of wine in the place and speaking in whispers to not wake up anybody we start going through my records. most of my good records were still back at my stepdad's house but I was really getting into Aerosmith which was a fuck-your-values,-peer-group kinda deal 'cause my friends were snobs about music and I was getting into metal. Rozz sees Rocks and says "Oooooh, let's play this!" and I'm like "are you serious? because I am totally serious that that album is like all-time great" and he's like "oh yes, God, they're just SO great" and I knew he was for real and got that teenage feeling you get when you know you're talking to somebody who feels music like you do. so we played the album & spilled wine & smoked cigarettes & lip-synched the "pleeeeeeeaaaaaase"s in "Sick As A Dog" and now it's a fond memory of a guy for whom the pain turned out to be just too much so that is why that song gets the extra kick that makes me vote for it but I like to think I would have voted for it anyway, wish friends didn't have to die, the end.

beautiful post jd. this perfect album reminds me of all the lost-soul teenage stoners i hung out with in the mid 70s...where have all the good times gone etc etc.

a vote for any of these songs is valid but I've gotta go w/"Lick & A Promise" today, anyway.

oh man, this is an all-time litmus test record (if you don't at least LIKE it, you're wrong about lots of things). "sick as a dog" by the thinnest of margins - i think the handclaps are what put it over for me.

also john that is a real good post.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

I have had this album for years, and I could never really get into it for a variety of reasons. Still, every so often with albums that are beloved, but haven't clicked with me, I feel it's a good idea to try to listen with fresh ears. So, today I said to myself: I'm gonna spin this album and read through some ILX chatter about it. I loved the enthusiasm and great stories on this thread, and it really helped me connect with the album. So...thanks thread!

Fine, there was only one great story on this thread, but it *was* a great story.

Been here yet?: Aerosmith 'Rocks' - the first punk-dub album?

“I could never really get into it for a variety of reasons. “

Whaaaat

I mean don’t force yourself but this is one of the greatest albumz of all time

Nobody’s Fault all day every day

Combination would be my OPO

completely disgusted by the lack of “nobody’s fault” here. Is it an ilm thing? There is nothing sicker than that song.

Lack of love for “nobody’s fault”, that is