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January 03, 2002 Music

They’re All Alright! 

After more than a quarter century, Cheap Trick is still raising hell.

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The best bands, the ones that endure and leave an indelible mark, are like superheroes. The Beatles, Queen and Kiss are no different than the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and the Avengers in that they’re composites of distinct, singular personalities that exude mystique and induce fantasy. Over the past 27 years, by virtue of their songs, synergy, work ethic and individuality, golden-throated vocalist Robin Zander, goofball guitarist and main songwriter Rick Nielsen, 12-string bassist Tom Petersson and anti-rocker/drummer Bun E. Carlos with his ubiquitous dangling cigarette—until he quit a few years ago—have established Cheap Trick as such a band.


Sound Affects


Iwas asked recently to explain (defend) why I think Aerosmith is still so damn cool. After much deliberation, I’ve come to the conclusion that they just are. It’s just one those things I just know. Growing up in Boston in the mid-’80s, there were two truths firmly implanted in my head: The first truth being that Larry Bird was God and the second being that Aerosmith is the coolest band ever. Boston considers Aerosmith native sons and is extremely proud of them. You know, local boys make good and all that.


One of the first albums I ever bought was 1987’s Permanent Vacation. The very first in my collection with swearing, it made me feel like a bad ass.


As for more substantial reasons why Aerosmith is so damn cool, other than because I said so, how about longevity? Nearly all the big bands from the ‘70s are either dead, broken up or have experienced drastic line-up changes. Aerosmith still has Steven Tyler (above), Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer. The fact that they’re still playing together, touring and putting out new music nearly 30 years later is unheard of.


That explains their success—why they’re so cool is harder to pin down. Cool is a subjective term. There’ve been bands that have defined cool, while most have merely chased it. Aerosmith said screw cool and did their own thing. They made one of the earliest rock-rap crossovers redoing their own “Walk This Way” with Run-DMC. There have been missteps and unpopular roads taken—and there’s the whole scarf thing. It’s been said that Steven Tyler was the one man left on earth that still thought scarves were cool. Who the hell said they weren’t? Steven, if you want to wear scarves, then you wear scarves—rock on, man! The defiance of cool is what rock n’ roll was built on.


Some things you learn as a kid stay with you for life. Larry Bird is still a God to me, and Aerosmith is and will always be cool. Maybe I was brainwashed at an early age, or maybe I just know good music when I hear it. Bottom line is that they have consistently been making solid rock n’ roll, one of the last bands to actually do that for as long as I can remember, and that has to count for something. God willing, they will continue to do so for many, many years to come.


—Heather Dixon

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