Lunch Break: Aerosmith, “What It Takes?”

Along with Rush and Lynyrd Skynrd, Aerosmith was another band I gave very little thought to during the 70’s and into the late 80’s.

I do confess that Sweet Emotion is great little guitar song, but aside from that, not much the band did tickled much of anything in me till Pump came out in 1989.

As with lots of other bands who had a defined sound, Pump was surely Aerosmith, but it was poppy and accessible like 1984 was for Van Halen, and I really thought the album was a pretty strong effort all around.

But, none of the songs nailed me like the Beatles homage, What It Takes?

From the chorusy solo that points to Let It Be, to the bridge background vocals with the band harmonizing “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,” to the lovely droning arpeggios and fade that are sort of a blend of Let It Be and Hey Jude this is just a great tight little cut that always makes me smile.

Nothing fancy, but in a perfect way, this is sort of the Beatles way much of the time, no matter how complex getting to simple was.

 

3 thoughts on “Lunch Break: Aerosmith, “What It Takes?”

  1. Gene’s a big Aerosmith fan.

    I like:

    1) Toys In The Attic
    2) Get Your Wings
    3) Rocks
    4) First Album

    The rest are mediocre to sucky.

    Sheesh, Lawr. So Van Halen started with “1984” and Aerosmith with “Pump”?

    I’ll give you originality points, but I can think of few bands whose early stuff isn’t their best stuff.

  2. Steve-

    I know a fair amount of the Halen (they did the best cover of Pretty Woman imho) before they made it, and some Aerosmith too. but, they just seemed largely noisy and/or inconsistent to me at the time. And, when those bands were cranking out their early discs, i was into the Jam and Eddie and the HotRods and the Records (all a lot more poppy, which i do gravitate towards).

    i usually find the early stuff from bands is good and raw, though as you suggest, not necessarily their best. it is kind of like ballplayers, for me. once a kid is in his third season, that tells me make or break, and if there is a young band i like, it is usually the third album that tells me if these guys are artists or just a fad.

    not trying to defend what i like here. but, i do like this album and this cut (forgot to mention the mouth organ sounding accordion that is also early Beatle reminiscent).

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