Often overshadowed by the subsequent twin highlights of Toys in the Attic and Rocks, Aerosmith's 1974 second album, Get Your Wings, is where Aerosmith became Aerosmith -- it's where they teamed up with producer Jack Douglas, it's where they shed much of their influences and developed their own trademark sound, it's where they turned into songwriters, it's where Steven Tyler unveiled his signature obsessions with sex and sleaze. Chief among these attributes may be Douglas, who either helped the band ease into the studio or captured their sound in a way their debut never did. This is a leaner, harder album, bathed in grease and layered in grit, but it's not just down to Douglas. The band itself sounds more distinctive. There are blues in Joe Perry and Joey Kramer's interplay, but this leapfrogs over blues-rock; it turns into slippery hard rock. To be sure, it's still easy to hear the Stones here, but they never really sound Stonesy; there's almost more of the Yardbirds to the way the group works the riffs, particularly evident on the cover of the early 'Birds classic "The Train Kept a Rollin'." But if the Yardbirds were tight and nervy, Aerosmith is blown out and loose, the sound of excess incarnate -- that is, in every way but the writing itself, which is confident and strong, fueled by Tyler's gonzo sex drive. He is the "Lord of the Thighs," playing that "Same Old Song and Dance," but he also slows down enough for the eerie "Seasons of Wither," a powerful slow-churning ballad whose mastery of atmosphere is a good indication of how far the band has grown. They never attempted anything quite so creepy on their debut, but it isn't just that Aerosmith is trying newer things on Get Your Wings, it's that they're doing their bloozy bluster better and bolder, which is what turns this sophomore effort into their first classic. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Tom Hamilton (Bass (Electric)), Aerosmith (Main Performer), Joe Perry (Guitar (Acoustic)), Joe Perry (Guitar), Joe Perry (Percussion), Joe Perry (Guitar (Electric)), Joe Perry (Vocals), Joe Perry (Guitar (12 String)), Joe Perry (Slide Guitar), Michael Brecker (Sax (Tenor)), Randy Brecker (Trumpet), Stan Bronstein (Sax (Baritone)), Ray Colcord (Keyboards), Ray Colcord (Producer), Don DeVito (Digital Producer), Jack Douglas (Producer), Jack Douglas (Engineer), Bob Ezrin (Executive Producer), Joey Kramer (Percussion), Joey Kramer (Drums), Joey Kramer (Vocals), Jimmy Ienner, Jr. (Photography), Jay Messina (Engineer), Rod O'Brien (Engineer), Steven Tyler (Guitar (Acoustic)), Steven Tyler (Bass), Steven Tyler (Harmonica), Steven Tyler (Percussion), Steven Tyler (Piano), Steven Tyler (Keyboards), Steven Tyler (Vocals), Brad Whitford (Guitar (Electric)), Joel Zimmerman (Art Supervisor), Vic Anesini (Mastering), David Krebs (Art Direction), David Krebs (Direction), Steve Leber (Art Direction), Steve Leber (Direction), Lisa Sparagano (Package Design), Ken Fredette (Package Design), Darren S. Winston (Creative Consultant), Charles Walters (Liner Notes), Keith Garde (Creative Supervision), James Diener (Project Director), James Diener (Direction)
Get Your Wings is the second studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released March 1, 1974. The album is the first to feature production from Jack Douglas, who would go on to produce the band's next four albums.
The album has been certified Triple Platinum by the RIAA.[2]
The title of the album comes from it being the first appearance of the band's winged logo, which would go on to be modified and used on many of their later albums.
After the band decided they needed one more song for the album, they locked themselves into their rehearsal room, and came up with this. The narrator is a pimp who recruits a young woman he sees on the street into prostitution. Tyler also plays the piano. Kramer's opening beat is very similar to the one he would tap out a year later in "Walk This Way" The song can be heard on Liberty Rock Radio in Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned.
A proto-punk song, it emphasizes the same content punk rock would soon be known for: gritty lyrics, questionable moral content, and straight to the point music.[original research?]
Train Kept A-Rollin'
Tiny Bradshaw's 1951 R&B classic, already turned into a rock song by The Rock and Roll Trio (Johnny and Dorsey Burnette and Paul Burlison) (1956) and updated by the The Yardbirds in a 1965 raw British blues version, after whom Aerosmith modeled their version. In the band's early days, it was their signature, show-stopping song, and is still used to end their concerts today. Despite the band's opposition, Douglas put in echo and recorded crowd noises (from the Concert for Bangla Desh) around halfway through to give it a live feel, fading into the next song's synthesized blowing wind/acoustic guitar entrance. The song appears in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Rock Band.
Seasons of Wither
In a change of pace from the rest of the album, this song is a slow, mournful ballad inspired by the Massachusetts landscape in the winter.
Pandora's Box
Joey Kramer's first writing credit, this song was written on a used guitar he found in a dumpster. It was heavily inspired by the Soul musicians of the 60s and 70s. It is a bonus song in the music game Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.
