Since
Aerosmith
had become one of America's premier rock & roll concert attractions by 1978, it was only natural that an in-concert collection was issued that year, the double album,
Live Bootleg
. Unlike other live albums at the time, it's obvious that not a lot of overdubbing was involved to fix up the tracks, which results in a refreshingly authentic representation of
at the group's most drugged-out and rocking. All of the performances were taken from
Tyler
and company's 1977-1978 U.S. tour (with the exception of a couple from 1973), while the album's packaging and title were a joke on all the poor-sounding, unauthorized live recordings that were in circulation at the time. Just about every classic is included --
"Back in the Saddle,"
"Sweet Emotion,"
"Walk This Way,"
"Come Together,"
"Last Child,"
"Mama Kin,"
"Train Kept A'Rollin,"
etc. -- as well as key album tracks (
"Sick as a Dog,"
"S.O.S.,"
etc.). But the album's high point has to be the aforementioned pair of long-lost tracks from 1973 -- loose and groovy covers of the
Yardbirds
'
"I Ain't Got You"
and
James Brown
's
"Mother Popcorn."
Although the performances may lack the fire of the shorter
Classics Live II
set from 1988,
is an excellent representation of one of rock & roll's elite live acts. Note: to tie in with the careless bootleg theme of the album, the track
"Draw the Line"
is unlisted. ~ Greg Prato