This is the album where Aerosmith begin to shake off their "Rolling Stones rip off's" label and stretch their legs a little, at least to some extent. Opener "Same Old Song and Dance" and its following track "Lord of the Thighs" are the hugely catchy classics and remain the highlights here. Both are firmly hard rock rather than heavy metal, but this is no bad thing; certainly the two are more impressive than anything on the debut. The band substantially improve on the raunch factor that would make them so popular during the late seventies and it's this that makes their first five albums so thrilling (something they seem to have forgotten recently).
"Too Bad" is solid if a tad too short, certainly when compared to the overlong "Woman of the World" which in context of the rest of the disk, is barely more than filler. "Train Kept A-Rollin'" with its psuedo live setting is the band's signature cover, also is used to end their concerts (both then and now). "Seasons of Wither" is the sound of a band trying to recreate "Dream On" (from 'Aerosmith') but is still quite moving and just as good as the former minor hit (though if you didn't like that, it's unlikely you'll like this). Even the ofton overlooked "Pandora's Box" has value with its funky riff and chorus, however repetitive it is. All the songs have a rawness to them that is lost on the busy overproduced albums of the early 90's.
You should be aware that most of the decent tracks can be found on the numerous best of's/greatest hits that the band has released over the years (specifically 1991's Pandora's Box).

TRACK LIST:
1. Same Old Song and Dance
2. Lord of the Thighs
3. Spaced
4. Woman of the World
5. S.O.S. (Too Bad)
6. The Train Kept a' Rollin'
7. Seasons of Wither
8. Pandora's Box

Review by Rob Brown