Aerosmith - Nine Lives (1997) WMA320

Aerosmith scored a grand slam, straight out of the ballpark home run with this album entitled Nine Lives. The band rocks harder than ever before and each song tells a story using perfect vocals and some awesome musical arrangements.

The track set begins with "Nine Lives," the title track. The cat sound effects at the beginning work really well and Steven Tyler's cry at the very beginning sets the tone for an awesome rockin' hard album. Steve sings of a budding love between man and woman. The chorus uses some solid minor chords to make "Nine Lives" take off like a jet! "Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)" expresses the pain that can also come along when "Ol' Cupid Is Taking Aim." The electric guitars work well; and the drums and percussion bolster the number. Tom Hamilton's electric bass playing helps Aerosmith to really make this number a hit! Once again, listen for some great changes between major and minor chords; and Steven Tyler handles the tempo changes like the pro that he is!

"Hole In My Soul" gives us a classic rock ballad by Aerosmith; Steven Tyler speaks the first several lines about a love that leaves him so much in pain that he thinks there's a "hole in (his) soul." The moving lyrics stun me with their thoughtfulness; and the arrangement easily proves what a great rock ballad this truly is. Listen up for a masterpiece, people--"Hole In My Soul" is a ballad about a love affair that is dying; this is an experience that we all sooner or later must bear. The chorus works well; "Hole In My Soul" lacks nothing--it's THAT good.

"Taste Of India" sports some interesting and unusual sounds; Steven Tyler sings some lines in a minor key that impresses me very much. "The Farm" uses references to The Wizard Of Oz in this song about a place where a person can go to get relief from the pain of everyday life. Steven and Joe sing of a farm where peace and freedom from your troubles are easily attainable; the electric guitars work wonders for "The Farm" and the band jams really well. I predict that you will enjoy "The Farm" very much.

"Pink" gets the royal treatment from Aerosmith; this rock ballad also sports a country flavor to it that we don't always hear from Aerosmith. Steven Tyler sings of how he loves to spend romantic time alone with his woman; he loves and worships the female body. The guitars, percussion and drums work well for "Pink;" this romantic rock ballad also rocks hard--how Aerosmith managed all this at once I'll never know. "Pink" is pure genius! "Attitude Adjustment" starts with Aerosmith rocking hard as they sing of a woman who loves them and leaves them; Steven Tyler and Joe Perry sing this to perfection. They sing of how they need to make themselves at peace with the fact that the girl they fell for is really gone.

The liner notes include great artwork and the lyrics to the songs although the lyrics are not given in order; we also get a flyer that tells us this CD has a multimedia portion that we can access using the CD-ROM drive in our personal computers. Try that on for size!

Aerosmith remains a force to be reckoned with; and Nine Lives is one of their best albums. Obviously, this CD is a "must-have" for Aerosmith fans; and people who appreciate rock ballads will listen to this CD for ages to come.

Rock on, Aerosmith!

by Matthew G. Sherwin

TRACKLIST:

01 - Nine Lives.wma
02 - Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees).wma
03 - Hole In My Soul.wma
04 - Taste Of India.wma
05 - Full Circle.wma
06 - Something's Gotta Give.wma
07 - Ain't That A Bitch.wma
08 - The Farm.wma
09 - Crash.wma
10 - Kiss Your Past Good-Bye.wma
11 - Pink.wma
12 - Falling Off.wma
13 - Attitude Adjustment.wma
14 - Fallen Angels.wma

WMA 320Kbps 44100Hz STEREO