Various

People forget what a great band Aerosmith was first time around, before they came back in the late '80s as a terrible AOR band. Their first incarnation as one of the wildest hard rock bands both on and off the stage established them as one of the most influential and popular bands in the U.S., and Detroit's Small Stone have put together a two-CD set featuring 27 new readings of Aerosmith classics. Most of the bands featured here are of the stoner/fuzz variety, a musical genre that no doubt has seen most of these bands cranking older Aerosmith in their wood-panelled basements and muscle cars. For the most part, the versions here are pretty loyal to the originals. Highlights of the first CD sees Monster Magnet guitarist Ed Mundell get down to business when his Atomic Bitchwax project rips through "Combination" like it's 1975, while Southern fried rockers Honky and San Francisco's Drunk Horse both breathe new life into "Adam's Apple" and "Kings and Queens," respectively. The second disc's highlights include Alabama Thunderpussy's new, updated take on "Sweet Emotion" (no vodocoder, but way more balls), while the band Volume breathes new life into "Walkin' The Dog," taking the track into completely new, spacy territory. If I had to pick the brightest overall moment on the CD, it would have to be Roadsaw's excellent dive into "Toys In The Attic." The Boston-area band is probably more similar to Aerosmith than any other band on the collection, and the justice they give the punk-fuelled rocker is worth the price of admission alone.