Released: Nov 6, 2012
Genre: Hard Rock, Blues Rock
Label: Columbia
Number Of Tracks: 15
One of the biggest bands in the rock industry has released a new album "Music From Another Dimension".
Music From Another Dimension
Reviewed by:
Firehawk2410, on november 17, 2012 1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Sound: Aerosmith's fans have been patiently waiting for over a decade for an album of new material. Moreover, many were hoping for an album that captured the essence of Aerosmith's 70's heyday of hard rock music. And when Jack Douglas was revealed to be producing this latest work along with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, many were optimistic. Douglas is probably best known for producing "Toys In the Attic" and "Rocks" with the band (which are often regarded as their best works), so it is only natural to assume this album would sound the same. Well, you wouldn't be wrong, but not completely right either.
The album begins with a Twilight Zone - esque mysterious intro spoken by Jack Douglas, which fades into silence for several seconds (this was also used as an intro during the Global Warming). It is silent for several seconds until all of a sudden Joey Kramer's drums come in and then a couple of those familiar blaring guitars come crashing in. You immediately think "Aerosmith is back!" when you hear this intro to "Love XXX". The second song "Oh Yeah" has a Rolling Stones vibe, and fans of the old stuff are going to like "Out Go the Lights," which has an intro hearkening back to "Get the Lead Out" on "Rocks." "Street Jesus" sounds like it comes straight out demos for "Toys In the Attic."
However, the dreaded ballads and love songs come in every time you get pumped again. One ballad-esque song, "Tell Me," is actually quite good, and it is much different from the ballads Aerosmith has released in recent years. One especially painful ballad is "We All Fall Down." This was an unreleased song written by Diane Warren, who also wrote the band's "biggest hit": "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." It's just cheesy and does not fit Aerosmith. The closing song "Another Last Goodbye" and the latest single "What Could Have Been Love" can also make you cringe, but Aerosmith's own songwriting could make them tolerable after a few listens, but no guarantees. Another strange one is "Can't Stop Loving You" which apparently Tyler forced the band to do without their prior knowledge. It's a duet with Carrie Underwood with a country-pop vibe. You be the judge. Hey, at least Aerosmith is still showing they can do ANY genre you throw at them successfully. // 7
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are typical top-notch Steven Tyler and Joe Perry poetry. However, Aerosmith is still using outside writers that some fans are not pleased with. Marti Frederikson, Desmond Child, and Jim Vallance all return to "help out" with the musical quality. However, it seems that the tracks written by only members of the band are the most "pure" in rock quality, and its a wonder why they feel the need to consult other people. The lyrics, still, are pretty good, and you can actually understand them more than half the time. However, it is a mystery as to why Steven Tyler needs to throw words like f--k and s--t at least once on every album without getting a Parental Advisory. Call me old fashioned, but he needs to grow up for once. I can just imagine parents trying to introduce their kids to this great band of their youth or someone re-discovering Aerosmith for the first time in years and spitting their coffee or tripping on the treadmill while listening to "Lover Alot." (And by the way, if you have kids, skip that track if they're listening. It's not the same as the single version you hear on the radio.) The aforementioned track also has the most annoyingly repetitive lyrics of the album. I don't know how many times Tyler says "dontcha know." Lyrically, it's the black sheep of the whole album, even though the sound of the song is pretty good. "Oh Yeah" might have been a stronger single to release.
Aside from that, Steven Tyler sounds just as good as he did on "Toys" and "Rocks." His voice is a little raspier due to age, but he can still hit all the high notes he always has. Joe Perry also sings on "Something" and "Freedom Fighter" on the standard version, which is a nice surprise because we don't get to hear his voice by itself too often. He also wrote "Oh Yeah" but his wife told him to let Steven sing it. Yes, Joe's voice isn't as strong as Steven's, but you can't help but think Joe would sound really cool singing that song when you hear it (maybe a future solo or compilation album version?). Also, Tom Hamilton makes his lyric writing debut on "Tell Me." What I still don't understand on top of outside songwriters is why female backing vocalists and overdubbing Steven Tyler's voice are necessary. I like it much better when just Joe Perry or Joe and Tom sing backing vocals. // 8
Impression: Overall, this album is a great improvement over "Just Push Play" and even "Nine Lives," and it has many tracks the old faithful fans will love, and it is a warm welcoming for curious newcomers. The must-hear tracks are "Luv XXX," "Oh Yeah," "Out Go the Lights," and "Street Jesus." I love the old-school hard rock/blues rock sound of the aforementioned tracks, but I'm still irked by all the overdubbing of voices and guitars, and the use female backup singers and outside writers. It makes the music feel like it's been messed with too much and it's overdone. Aerosmith doesn't need anything other than themselves to make good music (or perform live, but that's another story). The music itself is much more enjoyable than anything on pop radio in my opinion, and it deserves some commendation. I always recommend it when people ask me about it, so I think if you already have a grasp of the band you should go for it. If you absolutely hate ballads to death and will die if you hear just one more, then I'd recommend just "filtering" the songs you want on iTunes. However, if you buy the CD from Walmart (if you have access to one) you get the cover song "Shakey Ground" which is a lot of fun. There is also a deluxe version that includes three extra tracks (one which Tom Hamilton sings on!) and a DVD with live performances and interviews. I bought the deluxe version from Walmart (to get as much content as possible) and I don't regret it one bit. However, if you're looking for a straight-up "Toys In the Attic" and "Rocks" album, you'll not be completely happy, but keep in mind that ballads have always been a signature mark of Aerosmith, even on the hardest rocking albums. I encourage you to at least give the standard release a try, and remember, play it LOUD! // 8
Music From Another Dimension
Reviewed by:
OJ12, on november 05, 2012 1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Sound: Well as we know one of the biggest bands in the rock industry has released a new album "Music From Another Dimension". We've waited more than ten years for Aerosmith to release a new one. Is fair to say that we all have high hopes for being Aerosmith but maybe when you heard "Legendary Child" you were not enough satisfied, maybe expecting more. After their problems they had as a band, with Steven Tyler doing his own and personal projects. Not being sure about the future of the band. Leaving behind all that and after all that they focus on creating new material and they did it.
"Music From Another Dimension" is finally here. This record is the kind of record that you must hear it a couple of times to get the feeling of it and taste the 70's again mixed with the experience of the new era in music. Is like from "Just Push Play" to this new record they had evolved. The sound of album is kind of different from the older stuff. Some songs are unique and can't be consider to belong to previous records but other songs may be part of some of them without a problem. Joe Perry and Brad Whitford did a really good job on the riffs, they're catchy and make you feel how they enjoy doing this record. Make us think that mixing blues with hard rock is simple. Although in some songs I got the feeling there's missing something like in "Freedom Fighter" "Something" and "Closer" but in other song they totally have done a great job for example in "Beautiful", "Street Jesus", "Luv XXX", and "Out Go The Lights".
They're three songs that make us remember "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" playing the piano in "Another Last Goodbye", "We All Fall Down" and "What Could Have Been Love". Personally, I think that three ballads for an album of hard rock is a lot, but the truth is that the songs are really great. Also they have a country style song "Can't Stop Loving You" I like the song but is not why I love Aerosmith but is good to try to get out of the same routine. We have heard "Lover A Lot", "Legendary Child" and "Oh Yeah" great song as well feeling the energy and the return of a legendary band trying to be on the top again. What I really missed was the harmonica, guess that I'm used to hear Tyler with it. Overall I'm really surprise and satisfied with the sound. // 7
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics. We know Aerosmith how they are creative and solid on this department. Some of the older song's lyrics are creative, even a little funny. This is not the exception. They did a great job for example in "Beautiful" ("As I get closer to her fire, her desire was to leave me on and on and on and baby was like beautiful").
"Now I get to think about the high speed dirty deeds what I want, what you need I think you best believe it gotta it, want you here, But you still gotta know We can skin it, we conceal it And so baby let's begin it".
And in "Street Jesus" "Come on, come on, what you think about life? Demon in heaven gotta carry a knife, You said to me, 'no, that ain't the plan' With a smile on his face and the holes in his hand". They've done a really good job, they don't talk about the same stuff. The vocals, we all know about Tyler's skills, he gives the band another dimension and finish the sound that belongs to Aerosmith. His voice has age in a good way from hard songs like in "Beautiful And Legendary Child" to ballads like in "Another Last Goodbye" in this song really impressed me how he have maintain his voice, hitting high notes and singing so clean on it.
He have done a great work, there are a couple of songs that he doesn't sing, one of them is "Something". Joe Perry have a decent voice in here but maybe the song would be better with him in the back vocals. The other one is "Freedom Fighter" in this song he sounds a little better. Overall Tyler have done a great job in the vocals and the band have demonstrate that they have still imagination. // 8
Impression: As I wrote earlier on the review I'm surprised and satisfied, and impressed of the great job the band really did. While I was hearing the record I could perceive how they enjoy creating new music together, and is good that a band like Aerosmith have consistence. Is a good album to bring new generation people and if they like this album they will enjoy the first one and so on. The record is creative and authentic, marking an epoch of Aerosmith as not recreating older songs. Of course this album is not a "Get A Grip", "Permanent Vacation", "Toys In The Attic" neither the self-titled one, but is a solid record overall they work pretty well on it. Although there's missing a hit like for example "Rag Doll Or Walk This Way". Personally I think "Beautiful" is the closest to a hit, but is a well spend money buy this album. I definitely would buy it again if I lost it. Have a true potential to be someday a classic.
Simple request - if you're going to have someone publish a review on UG, please check first that they speak English. This reads like the person was trying to write write in Russian-accented English:
"Is like from "Just Push Play" to this new record they had evolved. The sound of album is kind of different from the older stuff."
Believe it or not, the world outside where you live is a big place. Not everyone speaks English as a first language because you do, the article was translated to English, but if it's still to hard for you to read, then google "Aerosmith Music from Another Dimension" and find something you can understand, instead.
I have never been an aerosmith listener. Heard this from radio at midnight and i really liked it. Mayby too many ballads but they are ok still.
I really dig this and bought it.
Being honest, I am a massive Aerosmith fan (hence my UG handle), so I won't waste time with my most-likey biased opinion. I will say I found myself loving every song written solely by the band members and wishing they (eh em... Steven Tyler) had enough confidence to release an entire album of songs written only by members of the band. They still have so much left to offer and songs like "Out Go the Lights" and "Oh Yeah" show that. It kills me thinking how great the album would be if they filled it with songs like those.
Sounds like the same old Aerosmith to me...and not in a good way....to be fair I'm not a huge Aerosmith fan so it would have never have been life changing for me anyway but still..... it could have been so much more.
It might be a **** hair better than a couple of the albums from the 80s (but even that's a stretch, and they weren't even the classic full lineup) or the last 2 or 3, but I don't think it's better than anything they did in the 70s or even Permanent Vacation, Pump, or Get a Grip.
I'm gonna say this album is just a bit better than mediocre. I haven't heard it, nor will I ever, but that being said, I think they should have kept those two guys that replaced Joe Perry and the "other guy" back in the eighties. That will always be my classic Aerosmith.
I'm really happy this album turned out the way it did. I was irked by the ballads at first but after a few listens I realized the writing was pretty good. But when those first few notes come blasting in on Luv XXX, you know the real Aerosmith is finally back in the saddle.
It's good to hear some 70's style Aerosmith. This album is definitely better than the horrific 'Just Push Play' and is a tad better than 'Nine Lives'. The production on this album is weird, the rockers have poor production and the ballads sound very well produced. Aerosmith almost always does good ballads, the problem is they cram 4 or 5 of them onto what is supposed to be a 'rock' album (which is what they have done with this album). This album is a solid effort. I'm glad someone was good enough to post the entire album on youtube so this way I didn't have to buy the album. It would not have been worth my money for what is basically a mixed-bag album (yet again!! Aerosmith hasn't put out a solid front-to-back album since Pump...since '89? wow).
Seeing as how this album took 11 years to create, it is highly unlikely Aerosmith will put out another since Aerosmith isn't so much a band anymore, but rather five separate guys collecting a paycheck. Rock n' roll.
For me, the album is kinda "meh"...sure, Legendary Child is a decent song but somewhere between the release of Nine Lives and Just Push Play Aerosmith lost the plot.
Nine Lives was their last true rock record. I love all their work up to that point.
Then, JPP released and I was like WTF!?!?!?! All this electro production stuff. "Made for Radio" BS!!!! And now this new record takes it another step further. No thanks. To me, Aerosmith and Metallica are starting to follow the same trends...started out greatly but getting worse in recent years...
"Is like from "Just Push Play" to this new record they had evolved. The sound of album is kind of different from the older stuff."