Toys in the Attic - Aerosmith
Track List:
Toys in the Attic
Uncle Salty
Adam's Apple
Walk This Way
Big Ten Inch Record
Sweet Emotion
No More No More
Round and Round
You See Me Crying
In preparation of my listen.
I know a few of these songs. I am not sure what to expect beyond. I think I probably have listened to this before because when I was a youth, perhaps between 10-13 years old, my uncle gave me a lot of Aerosmith cassettes for my birthday. I am actually still tired from attending a concert last night so I don’t feel like I have much to say. Let’s listen.
Toys in the Attic
This one starts with a reverse cymbal crash, that’s not important. There isn’t an obvious meaning jumping out at me. Perhaps leaving reality due to drug use or mental illness. The lines “voices scream, nothing seen, real’s the dream” sound like true hallucinations. Followed by “Leaving the things that are real behind” also suggests losing touch with reality. Overall not what I had suspected before pressing play.
Uncle Salty
Well this is sad, a story of a girl growing up with a mother who is a prostitute. She is neglected and eventually also becomes a prostitute. The lyrical delivery is very similar to Same Old Song and Dance. The musical soundscape is much closer to what I was expecting than the title track.
Adam's Apple
I like Steven Tyler’s voice more on this one. A take on a retelling of the story of Adam and Eve? I think they also are discussing a sex act. “The snake was he and she just climbed right up his tree” and “Lady luck took him by surprise, her sweet and bitter fruit, it surely opened his eyes.” and “She ate it”, she isn’t a spitter.
Walk This Way
This is probably the first song I think of when I hear someone mention the name Aerosmith. A song about the narrator losing his virginity to a more experienced woman. I am actually a bit surprised how much airplay this one gets given how explicit the lyrics are.
Big Ten Inch Record
I really like the composition on this one. Sounds akin to Zeppelin's Hot Dog. I think the lyrics are legitimately talking about a large 10 inch record but phrased in a way where someone may think he is alluding to his genitals.
Sweet Emotion
I almost feel like this song would make more sense if written/sang by a woman. The narrator is spurned because someone has left them and is now showing attention to a woman who the narrator calls “Some sweat hog mama with a face like a gent”. In the second half of the song the narrator seems to change his focus and is now looking for a groupie to distract him. The last verse indicates he will fall into the same “trap” that his friend at the start of the song did.
No More No More
I like the more honky tonk style sound from this, much like Big Ten Inch Record. I think this is describing life as a rock star. Being tired of songwriting, practice, travel, being away from family. I like the extended jam/instrumental section. I wish the band would have included more of those in the album and done more solos, their guitar solos are really fun.
Round and Round
Very different intro, nearing metal territory. There is an effect on the vocals and I don’t really like it used in this capacity. The lyrics tell a story about feeling a loss of control of the narrator’s life. I like the heavier, more traditional Zeppelin sound from Aerosmith presented here.
You See Me Crying
Another new sounding experience. Perhaps No More No More was written about this song talking about blood stains on the piano. I am really impressed with the composition on this one and the soundscape, it’s unlike anything else on the album. I can see how this would develop into the arena rock ballads that Aerosmith had. The song seems to tell a story about a man who finds out his partner is cheating on him and he is upset about it, it’s not that his partner doesn’t love him but rather he has cheated on her before and she is aware of it so she is getting back at him for it.
Epilogue
I was surprised with the variety in the album honestly. It’s not a bad album, however I don’t think I will be filling up my playlist with songs from it, however the final two songs may creep in there.
