Customer Reviews

Live Bootleg

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Live Bootleg was released in 1978. Being Aerosmith's first live album, it included live versions of songs from all of their albums; AEROSMITH (Released in 1973, tracks that make an apperance on this album are Mama Kin and Dream On), GET YOUR WINGS (1974, included on this album are Lord Of The Thighs, SOS, and Train Kept A Rollin), TOYS IN THE ATTIC (1975, Toys In The Attic, Walk This Way, and Sweet Emotion), ROCKS (1976, Back In The Saddle, Sick As A Dog, Last Child), and DRAW THE LINE (1977, Draw The Line, Sight For Sore Eyes).This CD also includes a few songs not on these albums (The cover of the Beatle's Come Together, Chip Away The Stone, and two covers from an apperance at Pall's Mall in 1973 that is widely bootleged: Mother Popcorn and I Ain't Got You)

The original release on vinyl was on two records, and included a poster. The cover was meant to parody bootlegs of Aerosmith shows that surfaced. Infact, to make it seem more like a bootleg, they did not include "Draw The Line" on the tracklisting. This is from the 1978 show in Philadelphia at the Tower.

This is Aerosmith's at its raunchiest, rawest form. The band was heavily in drugs at the time and that is evident in the recordings. For example, in Dream On, Steven seems to struggle with the vocals in this song. But to me, this is what Aerosmith is. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Even the ugly is better than any music out there today. Aerosmith is up in your face for over an hour. Highlights of the album include a fast-paced Toys In The Attic, a 7+ minute Lord Of The Thighs jam, and the the two "club" numbers Mother Popcorn and I Ain't Got You. But really, the whole album is a highlight. Everything is so loose and rocking, it is the perfect defintion of what a live album should be. A lot of the tracks here are even better than their studio counterparts, for example, S.O.S., Walk This Way (which includes Joe Perry using the talkbox throughout the song), Train Kept A Rollin (incluiding Strangers in the Night), and Sight for Sore Eyes (which Stevens opens the song by asking "Are they gonna let you dance tonight?").

If you are only familiar with the new "polished" Aerosmith (see Just Push Play), you might have a little difficulty adjusting to the band as they were over 20 years ago. This is Aerosmith at its roots. This is Aerosmith before it was pressured by record companies to make pop songs. This is Aerosmith playing raw rock n roll. This is one album that should not be passed up by any fan of Aerosmith, or even rock music in general. This is one of the best live albums of all time and ranks at the top alongside Get Yer Ya-Yas Out and If You Want Blood.

This rough, tough and rowdy live album brings together 14 recordings from Aerosmith's 1977-78 tour, plus a couple of rarities from 1973 in the form of James Brown's "Mother Popcorn" and the Yardbirds' "I Ain't Got You".

The sound is very much live, with the loud, crunchy guitars of Joe Perry and Brad Whitford at the forefront, but it is also relatively clear, and not as cluttered as "A Little South Of Sanity". It is obvious that not a lot of overdubbing was involved to fix up the tracks, which results in a refreshingly authentic representation of Aerosmith at their best.

Almost every early Aerosmith classic is included: "Back In The Saddle" opens the CD, followed by "Sweet Emotion" and a seven-minute "Lord Of The Thighs".
The band's powerful version of John Lennon's "Come Together" is here as well, as is the superb "Walk This Way", the hard-rocking "Mama Kin", and one of Aerosmith's best and most overlooked songs, Richie Supa's catchy "Chip Away At The Stone".
And "Draw The Line" is here as well, although it is unlisted (probably to tie in with the casual "bootleg" design of the album, which includes fake coffee stains on the back).

There are a couple of lesser songs as well, but most of what is here is simply excellent. "Live Bootleg" is a must for fans of Aerosmith's seventies output.
4 1/2 stars.

Bootleg is a collection of live songs from their 77-78 tour (with the exception of Mother Popcorn from a 73 radio broadcast). For my money, Aerosmith is one of the greatest live bands ever, and this is a collection of some of their greatest songs, from the era before they were ever on MTV or even radio.

Some of the highlights:
Back in the saddle- Just a cool song. Sounds great live..what Tyler calls a "lusty cowboy song"
Sweet Emotion and Dream On-Two classics that are made to be played live
Last Child- Another great song...a little faster than studio versions, but full of energy
Walk this Way- More funky than on the album...real cool
Chip Away- Best track on the album...awesome crowd reaction
Train Kept a rollin'- I'll quote the liner notes on this one: "Loud and fast-speaks for itself"

This is the pinnacle of Aerosmith with all its raw gritty vocals and crunchy guitar over tones. Back in the day when they were on the road 24/7 and hit the stage liquored up everynight setting the venues on fire, this is the Aerosmith I remember.

This is a bootleg containing recordings of the band from Draw The Line world tour 77-78, and extra songs, like "I Ain't Got You" and "Mother Popcorn" are from Boston Pall Mall, unofficial bootleg, 1973.
So, this recording is a rough 'n tough power n' roll and shows how great was Aerosmith at the stage! The were going so wild! It's just perfect recording. It contains some excellent versions of "Back In The Saddle"(which sounds much more powerful than on the studio version, and it should sound like this forever!) "Sweet Emotion" (More hardrocking, You can feel the heavy riffing here) "Toys In The Attic"(much more wild, yeah!), "Sick As A Dog", and "Draw The Line". It all in itself just kicks ass, but there are some lame versions here: "Lord Of The Thighs" sounds great here but improvisation is getting too long, thus boring. This Bootleg, unfortunately, contains the worst cover song Aerosmith ever did, "Come Together" and that's the only one song I always skip when I listen to it. Another lowlight is crapped up "Dream On" which sounds like the boys were tired and bored while playing it. I hate "Train Kept A Rollin'" in this version; because it is no longer classic power song that it is on Get Your Wings, but here it is just a concert mess; solos are crapped up and the song is confused, too; it doesn't keep its right order. However, even with these bad tracks, You can't help but love this cd! It is a perfect assume of essence of young Aerosmith. I would like to hear more songs here although, like "Rats In The Cellar" or "Same Old Song & Dance" but it's still great anyway. It is the best Aerosmith live cd (I always loved A Little South Of Sanity, but now, when I got into their 70s era, I hate later stuff) and I recommend it to any rock fan!

Love it

If you consider yourself a fan of all that was Aerosmith, thenthis album should be yours. If your Aero pleasure consists ofanything beyond 1978, then you most likely won't enjoy it. Bootleg is a raw, sloppy, and murky collection of most of their hits, albeit performed live in a revved up manner. Yet, this is the Aerosmith I saw during those days and the Aerosmith that I enjoyed then as well. Nothing polished, nothing calculated, no anti-drug messages, no [nonsense]; simply a great live version of a once great band. Highlights: "Lord of the Thighs," which features tortured guitars and a nice extended jam, "Dream On," better than the studio version, and "Sick As A Dog," with some nice guitar work at the end. Low points: "Chip Away At The Stone," the beginning of the end for Aerosmith songwriting, "Come Together," a song they never should have covered, and "Back In The Saddle," which I say only because it can't compare to the multi-layered studio version and just doesn't come across well live. Don't waste your time on either of the "Classics Live" efforts. Side note: try this cd on for size using headphones and you get a great idea of the guitar interplay between Whitford and Perry.

This was the 70's! Though this was not put out when Aerosmith was going strong in 75/76 this was put out when they were goin down in a blaze of glory, but who ever gave this less then five stars isnt a Aerosmith. All the songs are great live, and even thought they dont sound perfect like they do now when the band plays them they still sound better then most live albums. This is a live album that was not fixed in the studio like Kiss did and like The Who and Peter Frampton did. You will love this, it has great sound quality you can hear it all. Someone said Aerosmith never could perform 'Back In The Saddle' live, what a stupid thing to say every time I have heard the band play it live Steven hits all the notes, Perry plays the six string bass perfect, its all perfect. This whole album is great for a live album that was never messed with in the studio, I think this is the best live album ever made! This is not just for die hard fans this is for anyone who was ever interested in the band. Aerosmith is the greatest live band of all time, I mean that no one even comes close to them. You will love yourself so getting this but you'll hate yourself for not getting it sooner!

Have the record, always enjoyed it compared with the newer live cd's out there. Seen them 3 times, although I wish they would do more of the older classics. The older classics they do in concert are usually the same 6 or so songs, Dream On, Walk This Way, Sweet Emotion, Mama Kin, etc. This cd, although right about when everything seemed to be burning out, draws classics out of the closets and cutting room floor and brings me to a concert I wish I was old enough at the time to see. Overall, a must have ! There is a hidden classic Aerosmith song on this release that is worth noting: "Draw The Line" and it is not listed on the cd and/or the cd cover.

One of my favorite live albums of all-time. I always loved the studio version of "Walk This Way", but when I heard the live version on this album, it absolutely knocked me out. I'd stop and listen to the song 4 or 5 times in a row, but that is hardly the only highlight on Live! Bootleg. Rockin' versions of "Last Child", "Back In The Saddle", "Train Kept A Rollin", and "Toys in the Attic" round out the package. Only a few subpar songs distort this awesome album. That said, the sound quality itself is not very good. Indeed, it sounds like it was recorded in a tin can. But that goes along with the whole bootleg of the album (DTL not being listed, Strangers being listed, but not being included, etc.). But as good as the performances are, it's easy to look past that, although South of Sanity is better.

I love this record! My friends and I bought this newly released 8-track on the way to seeing them in Pittsburgh in 1978 and, man, did we have a party that night! This is what the five ugly stoner guys of Aerosmith were to me - feedback soaked amps, screaming guitars, screeching vocals, shattering drums, thumping, seductive bass, and songs that are like a roller coaster ride off the edge of the map. This is it. Raw and unglossed (see: Nugent, Ted and Kiss), the cuts on this wonderful album are Aerosmith in their element at the right time in their careers. I don't care what the biographers or the historical revisionists say, even the band members themselves who seem averse to endorsing much from this era, THIS is the real deal.
To be specific; Lord of the Thighs is killer, Dream On rivals the studio version's passion, the "tortured Strats" of Sweet Emotion and Sick As A Dog, and the frenzied Train Kept A Rollin.' You even get two "extras" (way before the cd era) in the 1973 tracks that show a band in their nascent years. Great stuff, indeed. The liner notes and photos are even cool.
I can't give it five stars because there are still a few missteps. Specifically, Come Together and Chip Away The Stone. First, I don't understand their need or desire to cover Beatles songs (care to field this one, Mr. Tyler?), but it's just a bad match. If they want to cover a band, then quit the pretense and cover the Stones already. Seriously, can you think of a better song to cover for this band than the Stones' Monkey Man? Imagine Tyler handling the chorus on that number! As for the latter, the song is too poppy and lame for me and could've been replaced by a version of Same Old Song and Dance or Rats In The Cellar (or countless others). Other than that, it is their best live album for sure and it is a juicy slice of the greasy pie that was Aerosmith in all their dirty glory.
Spark it up, pop on your headphones and your A-smith baseball jersey, and enjoy.