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    The Jock of Rock posted an update 5 years ago

    RockChat Rewind with Joe Milliken
    On this day in 1976, Aerosmith released “Rocks!”
    On this day in 1976, Aerosmith released their fourth studio album (and this writer’s all-time favorite album) titled “Rocks.” Recorded for Columbia Records at the Record Plant in New York City and the bands “home rehearsal space,” the Wherehouse, in Waltham, Ma. The album was produced by the legendary Jack Douglas (The Who, John Lennon, Miles Davis, Cheap Trick, NY Dolls) and the band.
    After the breakthrough release of “Toys In The Attic” the previous year, the band had been touring heavily and writing the songs for “Rocks” while on the road… they were also now rich, famous, and fully indulging in the rock-and-roll lifestyle. The results were a band that was quite frankly, unapologetic about how loud, rowdy, bold, sexual, daring, cocky, hard-core and popular they had become.
    Other members of the band, Brad Whitford and Tom Hamilton, were also participating more in the song writing process and experimenting with different ideas, which aided in the creativity of the new songs, such as Joe Perry playing six-string bass on “Back In The Saddle,” Whitford playing lead guitar on several tracks, Hamilton playing guitar on “Sick As A Dog,” Steven Tyler playing bass on “Sick As A Dog,” and Steven and Joe’s dueling lead vocals on “Combination.”
    The results of this unabashed creativity were a stunning mix of raw energy, powerful guitar riffs, badass lyrics, brash production values and some of the most memorable songs of the band’s catalog.
    The album has been included in several media “top rock albums of all-time” lists, has been considered the ultimate “American hard rock album,” and many musicians have sited it as a major influence including Slash, Kurt Cobain, Nikki Six, James Hetfield, Stephen Pearcy, and Sebastian Bach. It is truly a masterpiece from beginning to end.
    “Rocks” would climb to #3 on the Billboard album chart, and three songs cracked the Hot 100 singles chart with “Last Child” (#21), “Back In The Saddle” (#38) and “Home Tonight” (#71). The album was re-released as a quadraphonic mix with additional liner notes, and has gone on to sell over five million copies worldwide.

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