Aerosmith's Greatest Hits - Aerosmith

Guitar Hero band is tame compared to today's rock.

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Music details

Artist(s): Aerosmith
Genre: Rock
Label: Columbia
Parental Advisory: No
Edited Version: No
Release Date: 10/01/1980

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that the fourth installment in the Guitar Hero video game franchise profiles this long-standing popular rock band. So, even if your kids don't own any Aerosmith music, they'll probably want to borrow your albums. Although there are several songs with mature themes on this CD -- such as passing references to casual sex, hard living, drugs, and crime -- they're not glamorized, and overall, this album is tame by today's standards.

Families can talk about how Guitar Hero has made bands from decades ago popular again. Why does glam rock and metal that was made before most teens were born still have appeal? Is there a new connection that can be made between parents who might have listened to Aerosmith when they were young(er) and their teens who now find the music through a video game console? Do you think Aerosmith is still relevant today? Based on the popularity of their video game, do you think Aerosmith will soon release an album to capitalize on its success?

Message
Violence
Sex
Language

Message

Social Behavior:

Themes of casual sex, hard living, and crime are throughout the album. However, with lyrics about heartbreak and despair, the subjects are not entirely glamorized.

Consumerism:

Some of the tracks are featured in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, the fourth installment in the Guitar Hero franchise.

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

A few references to drinking is scattered throughout the album, and cocaine is mentioned once on "Same Old Song and Dance."

Violence

A few passing instances of violence. Guns and murder are mentioned in "Same Old Song and Dance" and "Back in the Saddle." Also "Kings and Queens" features the line, "Maidens fair, with gold they dared/to bare their wombs that bleed."

Sex

Several of the lyrics include sexual innuendo, such as lines like "The girls are soaking wet" from "Back in the Saddle" and "Oh, whatever happened to/that night I gave it to you/What will I do with it now," from "Remember (Walking in the Sand)."

Language

Only a few songs contain somewhat strong language, such as "ass" in "Sweet Emotion" and "poontang" from "Last Child."

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Jacqueline Rupp

The first of Aerosmith's compilations, this album was released nearly three decades ago. Remastered and re-released numerous times, the album has become the band's best-selling LP in the U.S. Now the band is enjoying yet another resurgence with the release of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. This album contains many of the tracks featured on the game and is a prime example of '70s and early '80s rock.

Is it any good?

No one combines blues, soul, and rock quite like Aerosmith, and that's a good reason why they have been going strong for nearly forty years. The band has a sound that is smooth enough to appeal to pop-sensibilities but edgy enough for hard rock fans. This CD is a great example of the band's early days of success -- before the Alicia Silverstone videos. In fact, on this album younger fans might discover tracks that they never heard before, gems such as "Last Child," "Kings and Queens," and "Remember."