Customer Reviews

Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith

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This is essential reading for any Aerosmith fan. Even if you hate reading, I gurantee that once you pick this book up, you will not be able to put it down. I've read it through three times, and plan on reading it again soon. Even if you think you know everything about Aerosmith, you will find out once you read this book that you were very wrong. You'll confirm things you've always suspected, learn many things you didn't know before, including some things you probably wish you didn't know. Speaking of that, people who have said that this book is in bad taste, and that it is wrong for Aerosmith to bare their souls like this and tell what really happened in their lifetime, well, you do not understand this book. This is the AUTOBIOGRAPHY of Aerosmith, UNCENSORED, not some edited kiddie show bullcrap. This is the real deal, don't wanna read about the drugs, women, and all that between tales of how the albums were made, then don't read the damn book! This is a story of human triumph, that should inspire us all, knowing that no matter how bad things get, we can always come out better than we were before. That's not saying that you should smoke dope or whatever because Aerosmith said they did it in this book and then they went out and sold 50 million albums, but apply it to your own situation. Fact is, if you love Aerosmith, then you should own this book!

"We believed anything worth doing was worth overdoing." Those words are spoken from the famous mouth of the ever talkative, ever charismatic Steven Tyler, frontman of the East Coast rock band, Aerosmith. Indeed, that seems to be the underlying current of thought running through the pages of the recently released autobiography, Walk This Way. Overindulgence is an understatement for these Boston Bad Boys. Why then, should their ever faithful "Blue Army" of fans be any different? Aerosmith is a potent drug themselves. They keep you wheedling for more, whether it be a dying thirst for their exciting, blues-influenced brand of rock, to the ache of withdrawal you feel when they're not breezing into your nearest town with one of their awesome live shows. Once you get hooked, you can't even pick up their massive autobiography and be able to put it down, even when going back for seconds.

Walk This Way is a surprising expose from five guys who knew the story best -- Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, and Joey Kramer -- the guys who lived through it. To fill in the gaps of consciousness are wives, ex-wives, managers, roadies, friends, and peers from the entertainment field.

The journey of Walk This Way takes you back to Tallahassee, sort to speak. It starts where it should: from the beginning, from the childhood years of all five guys in the band, their family background, and their influences that helped pave the way for their musical direction. It portrays their struggles, their frustrations, their hopes and ambitions, and even their starry-eyed dreams. Even Steven Tyler, as a young lad, had his idols as he sat for hours in front of hotels to meet the members of The Rolling Stones -- much like his fans do today. The journey called Aerosmith is one full of clouds, full of bumps, full of fights, full of brotherhood, full of triumph, and full of ideals and goals. The book takes you through the pages of history when Aerosmith got their first record deal with their self titled album, and through their second, Get Your Wings, as a band trying to make their mark in the rock and roll universe. It takes you through their countless determination in building a following by playing club after club, and being persistent. It takes you through their first big taste of success when their next two albums, Toys In The Attic and Rocks hit the public smack in the head. Suddenly they were somebody and success, money and fame walked right into their door.

Along with that fame and success came a slow destruction that was caused by the excesses of life: drugs, drinking, women, and endless touring and being on the road. The devil of drugs started to play puppet master with the band, causing what appeared to be a slow and imminent death of a band that had the chance to be destined for greatness. This cancer took hold when Draw The Line was made, and escalated during the making of Night In The Ruts. A wedge was finally driven between the two soul brothers of the band, Steven Tyler, and guitarist Joe Perry. Joe left in the middle of recording NITR. The fighting, the drugs, and the band members significant others, pried the band apart, leaving their fans wondering if rock and roll would ever be the same.

Joe Perry branched out on his own, forming the Joe Perry Project, and releasing two cult hit records, Let The Music Do The Talking and I've Got The Rock `N' Rolls Again. Aerosmith plunged on and started recording Rock In A Hard Place when Brad Whitford decided to leave the fold. The band continued to crash and burn, losing money, cars, their homes, and their relationships.

Aerosmith hit bottom and seemed to be continuing on their path of destruction when the members of the band seemed to get brought together again. Joe Perry and Brad Whitford returned, along with a new manager, Tim Collins. Trying to clean up their act, they recorded their next album, Done With Mirrors, which didn't make as much noise as it should have.

It wasn't until the release of Permanent Vacation and a commitment to a sober lifestyle by all parties involved that caused Aerosmith to rise from the ashes. They were back with a vengeance with the biggest album of their career, and continued thereafter to hit the concert trails and reach even higher numbers on the charts with the release of their next two albums, Pump and Get A Grip. There was a new Aerosmith on the rise, and they were going to steamroll anyone who got in their way. The born-again Boston Bad Boys were newly sober and loving life, and the world embraced them. The last chapter winds up at the present, with their current tour and release of Nine Lives, as they continue their successful jaunt.

This book is more than a book about the drugs and the women. It is more than a book about the fame, the money, and losing it all. It digs deeper than the tantrums, the in-fighting, the "business" part of the entertainment field, and the distrust. This book covers all of that, but it has a deeper message. The pain, the struggle, the love for music that brought these five very different personalities together like brothers, and the inspirations that drove them first to the top of the world, and then to the bottom of hell, then back up to an even higher plateau . . . all of that is here in black and white. It's a frank, honest, sometimes amusing, and sometimes painful story about how each member thinks and what makes each of them tick. It is written in such a way that their personalities burn through each page. It lets you peek in on their hopes and dreams. Most of all, it is a book about survival. Aerosmith survived when others didn't. While they indeed fell as many of their peers had, it wasn't a final fall for them, and they got back up. Today, they are still standing, while others didn't get a second chance once they fell. That, I believe, is the crux of what makes Aerosmith tick. Not many lived through what they have and still be around to tell their story. With a nod of thanks in having nine lives, these five men are still on their journey, meeting their destinations a little at a time, but never stopping too long to miss the train. May they continue down that road of magic called music for a long time to come, continuing to win the smiles of millions along the way who have felt some happiness because of them.

I was never more than a marginal Aerosmith fan during the band's heyday in the 70's, but being a fan of rock bios and knowing something of the subject matter, I decided to take a chance on this as a vacation beach read. This book has everything; lurid tales of drug use, lurid tales of sex, lurid tales of easy money. Hey, it's a lurid tale. Lurid, but nicely done. The author has set it up so that the stories can be told from the standpoint of different charachters consecutively, so that a clearer idea of what actually happens presents itself. (When I say clear, keep in mind that I'm talking about Aerosmith, one of, if not the most, excessive bands of the 70's. I sometimes wonder how much is really clear even to them.) One is left with the idea that very little was left out, always something to consider in a book like this one. It's a great read, ranking right up with the Led Zeppelin bio "Hammer Of The Gods" in the "think I'll read that one again" department.

I have read the Motley Crue book, and was so surprised at how decadent that group was, until I read WALK THIS WAY. Aerosmith makes Motley Crue look like a bunch of choir boys and saints. I love Aerosmith's music and was very happy to see them rise to the top once again. The book travels with the band from their humble beginnings in New Hampshire to their rise to the top of the mountain till the drugs and alcohol had them all crash and lose it all. The book ends with the release of the NINE LIVES Cd. With this book we get straight from the band members themselves the stories behind writing the hit songs, all the internal conflicts that destroyed the band, all the drug use, girlfriends, everything is covered here in this book with no one being protected. No names have changed. This book will keep you hooked as you go from one story to the next. While some of the members have different recollections of some of the events, they are not that far off and you get to whole inside look into the greatest american band their has ever been. So I suggest that if you like reading about the bands you dig, you go out and get this book. You will not be disappointed

Descriptive, historical, truthful and hysterical all wrapped up into 1 book. The band members, friends, etc. all speak openly and very inventively captivating from a personal perspective. Total honesty is refreshing and the wit, completely charming and awe inspriring. This is a must read for anyone who loves Aersomith, rock n roll, or for those who are curious. It will keep your attention until the very end, leaving you with a sense of accomplish and pride towards some of todays icons. Well done to the band, significant others, managers, friends and writers who took the time for this magnificant work of literature.

The book to end all books for Aerosmith fans. You can't get any closer to the band without actually stepping into their lives. You'll never look at these guys the same after you've read their story. It's more info than you ever needed to know about the Boston bad boys. Don't even think you know everything about Aerosmith unless you've read this book cover to cover. Filled with enough pictures to satisfy your eyes, the info in this book with satisfy your head. It's funny, dramatic, sometimes even disgusting. It's not written in the style of a novel. It's constantly switching narrators, from the guys in the band to their closest friends and back again. Wanna know about their lives before Aerosmith? Read the book. Wanna know how they named the band? Read the book. Wanna know why they really split up, and why they really got back together? Read the book. Wanna know about the first time Steven Tyler got laid? Read the book. 30 times more information than a "Behind the Music" special. This is the Aerosmith bible.

If you are a real Aerosmith fan, you have this book. If you don't have it, you are not a real fan. Even if you don't like Aerosmith I suggest you two things. Buy this book and visit your doctor. If, after reading this book, you don't become an Aeorsmithian, your doctor won't be able to help you at all. It is a detailed history of a rock'n'roll band that has been trough a lot of things. It is very well written and keeps you "Living on the Edge". It is "Amazing", shows "What It Takes" to become the best band ever, tells how to cure some "Hole in My Soul",and gives you "Sweet Emotions". It is almost as good as making "Love in an Elevator"!

This book should have been titled, "Drugged Up and Can't Walk." Told in interviews with all of Aerosmith, their girlfriends, wives, ex-wives and others, this book will knock your brains out. After Joe Perry and Elyssa were divorced, the man woke up and eventually went on to make great music with Steven and have happiness with his now wife Billie. I have new respect for rock bands. If any band lasts more than 10 years you know they went through hell to stay together. For the first 20 years of their lives, Aerosmith were drugged to their teeth. But for the Grace of God they are still alive. What I liked about this book as it is told in their own words. I liked reading how they wrote their songs and what it took to get a song written, all their hardships when they were first together and the craziness they survived. I have a renewed respect for all rock and roll bands after reading this book. The grueling schedule of touring, the sacrifices they make just to put on a show for the masses is unbelievable. I was thrilled to read that they are now off drugs. I went out and bought a tape of their greatest hits just to hear the music I read about. The book is full of pictures which I kept referring to as I read the book. I loved the book and if you love rock and roll you've got to, got to, got to read this one!

Every celebrity has his/her own outside and inside and we never know the last one. The "Walk this Way" is an interview book, where you can actually read the thoughts of musicians and their feelings about their lives, careers, each other and people around them.

Rock admirers will find the book interesting as it also touches upon other bands; begninners in the music will find it as their study book so not to follow the mistakes. It is not detailed, however. Looks more like a newspaper.

This book is for people who grew up in the 60's & 70's with the band Aerosmith. I cannot believe how candid the guys were in telling their stories, stories you could not believe. The beginning is kind of slow, but still excellent, mainly about their childhoods, very detailed. Then it gets into their beginnings with their first bands, and proceeds to the forming of Aerosmith. Then to the war stories of sex, drugs, & rock & roll. The stories are not your usual stories, one story was about during a tour, their accountants told them to get a cheaper jet, they looked at one, their pilot said I will quit if we have to lease this particular jet, he didn't think it was safe, so they didn't thank god, because 1 month later the band Lynyrd Skynyrd went down in that plane because of mechanincal problems! WOW! This is just 1 story of a GREAT, GREAT read, you will not want to put down! A GREAT book from cover to cover!