Toys in the Attic (album)
| Toys in the Attic | ||||
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| Studio album by Aerosmith | ||||
| Released | April 1975[1] | |||
| Recorded | January – March 1975 at The Record Plant, New York City, New York[2] | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock[1][3] | |||
| Length | 37:08[1] | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Jack Douglas[2] | |||
| Aerosmith chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Toys in the Attic | ||||
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Toys in the Attic is the third album by American rock band Aerosmith, released in April 1975[1] by Columbia Records. The album's first single release, "Sweet Emotion", was released a month later on May 19 and "Walk This Way" was later released on August 28 in the same year (see 1975 in music).[4] The album is their second-most commercially successful studio LP, with eight million copies sold in the United States alone, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.[5]
Steven Tyler claims that his original idea for the album cover was a teddy bear sitting in the attic with its wrist cut and stuffing spread across the floor. They decided, in the end, to put all of the animals in instead.[6]
The album was ranked #228 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[7] The album's title track is part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.[8]
Contents |
[edit] History
For Aerosmith's previous album, 1974's Get Your Wings, the band began working with record producer Jack Douglas, who co-produced the album with Ray Colcord. Even though in the liner notes to the 1993 reissue of Greatest Hits it was said by an unnamed member of the group that they "nailed" the album,[4] it was not a hit, only reaching #71 on the Billboard 200[9] and none of the album's singles charted.
At the beginning of 1975 the band started working at The Record Plant in New York City for the album that became Toys in the Attic. The sessions for Toys were produced by Jack Douglas without Ray Colcord. However, as with Aerosmith's previous record, additional "uncredited" musicians were utilized on this endeavor as well. engineered by Jay Messina with assistant engineers Rod O'Brien, Corky Stasiak, and Dave Thoener. The songs for Toys were recorded with a Spectrasonics mixing board and a 16-track tape recorder.[2]
When Toys in the Attic was released in April 1975,[1] it eventually made #11 on the Billboard 200, a full 63 points higher than Get Your Wings.[9] The single release of "Sweet Emotion" became a minor hit on the Billboard Hot 100 reaching #36 in 1975 and "Walk This Way" reached #10 on the Hot 100 in 1977.[10]
[edit] Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  [11] |
| Blender | [12] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[13] |
| Rolling Stone |  [14] |
For his review of Toys in the Attic for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the album's style a mix of Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones riffs and was filled with songs about sex with a different style than there ever was before.[11] Greg Kot called the album a landmark of hard rock.[14] For the Blender magazine review, Ben Mitchell called Toys in the Attic cocaine-influenced and mentions the songs "Toys in the Attic", "Walk This Way", and "Sweet Emotion" as "Standout Tracks".[12] Interestinly, it would be nearly two decades after the release of Toys in the Attic that rumors that several hooks and even entire guitar solos on this album were either played and or written by non-Aerosmith guitarists were found to be true.
[edit] Track listing
| Side one | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Toys in the Attic" | Steven Tyler, Joe Perry | 3:07 | ||||||
| 2. | "Uncle Salty" | Tyler, Tom Hamilton | 4:09 | ||||||
| 3. | "Adam's Apple" | Tyler | 4:33 | ||||||
| 4. | "Walk This Way" | Tyler, Perry | 3:41 | ||||||
| 5. | "Big Ten Inch Record" | Fred Weismantel | 2:16 | ||||||
| Side two | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Sweet Emotion" | Tyler, Hamilton | 4:34 | ||||||
| 2. | "No More No More" | Tyler, Perry | 4:34 | ||||||
| 3. | "Round and Round" | Tyler, Brad Whitford | 5:03 | ||||||
| 4. | "You See Me Crying" | Tyler, Don Solomon | 5:12 | ||||||
[edit] Personnel
Per liner notes[2]
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[edit] Cover versions
R.E.M. covered the song "Toys in the Attic" released in 1986 as a B-side to "Fall on Me". It is available on Dead Letter Office, as well as the 1993 reissue of Lifes Rich Pageant.
"Sweet Emotion" has been covered by Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon, The Answer, Warrant and Ratt.
The song "No More No More" was covered by Velvet Revolver.
The song "Toys In The Attic" was recorded by Metal Church on Masterpeace.
Run-D.M.C. covered "Walk This Way" in 1986. The song features Steven Tyler on co-lead vocals and Joe Perry on guitar.
Sum 41 along with rappers Ja Rule and Nelly did a cover of "Walk This Way" in 2002.
Rose Hill Drive covered the album in its entirety during their 2007-08 New Year's Eve concert.
"Walk This Way" was covered by jam/bluegrass band The String Cheese Incident on their 1997 self-titled live album A String Cheese Incident.
"Sweet Emotion" was covered by ska band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on their EP Where'd You Go?.
Mr. Blotto covered the album in its entirety on Sat. July 23rd 2011, during their 12th Blottopia at Vasa Park, South Elgin, Il.
[edit] Charts
- Album
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[9] | 11 |
| Canada RPM 100 Albums[15] | 7 |
- Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | "Sweet Emotion" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 36 |
| "Walk This Way" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 10 | |
| "Toys in the Attic" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 96 | |
| 1991 | "Sweet Emotion" | Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 36 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – U.S.[5] | Gold | August 11, 1975 |
| Platinum | November 21, 1986 | |
| 4× Platinum | ||
| 5× Platinum | December 21, 1988 | |
| 6× Platinum | October 28, 1994 | |
| 8× Platinum | June 4, 2002 | |
| CRIA – Canada | Gold | April 1, 1977 |
| Platinum | December 1, 1978 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Toys in the Attic - Aerosmith > Overview". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/toys-in-the-attic-r169. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d (1975, 1993) Album notes for 'Toys in the Attic' by Aerosmith [CD insert]. U.S.A.: Columbia Records (CK 57362).
- ^ "Toys in the Attic at Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6599406/228_toys_in_the_attic.[dead link]
- ^ a b c d (1980, 1993) Album notes for Greatest Hits by Aerosmith [CD insert]. U.S.A.: Columbia Records (CK 57367).
- ^ a b "RIAA Gold and Platinum Database". http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Toys+in+the+Attic&artist=Aerosmith&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ "Cool Aerosmith info". http://www.rockthisway.de/cool_info.htm. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ "Toys in the Attic - 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". rollingstone.com. Jann S. Wenner. April 5, 2010. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/6862/35223/36567. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame top 500 songs". http://www.rockhall.com/exhibithighlights/500-songs/.[dead link]
- ^ a b c "Aerosmith - Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/aerosmith-p3508/charts-awards/billboard-albums. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ "Aerosmith - Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/aerosmith-p3508/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ a b Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Toys in the Attic - Aerosmith > Review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/toys-in-the-attic-r169/review. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ a b Mitchell, Ben. "Toys in the Attic". blender.com. Alpha Media Group. http://www.blender.com/guide/back-catalogue/52496/toys-in-attic.html. Retrieved November 13, 2010.[dead link]
- ^ "Robert Christgau Review of Aerosmith". http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Aerosmith. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ a b Kot, Greg. "Aerosmith - Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Jann S. Wenner. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artist/album/news/artists/8828/52977/53017. Retrieved November 13, 2010.[dead link]
- ^ "RPM top albums 1975". http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4029a&type=2&interval=20&PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
