Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

Continuing my quest to review/discuss the setlist to every Guitar Hero/Rock Band game, our next entry in the series of these posts is the second Guitar Hero expansion and the first band-centric Guitar Hero title; Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. This game was apparently the biggest selling band-centric GH title although to many fans of the franchise (myself included), certainly not the best. However, just how good is the setlist?
In this post, I'll be looking at the 30 main-setlist songs (occasionally referring to the 10 bonus tracks and ignoring the Joe Perry boss battle tune) and deciding whether or not I think they belong in the game based on a) my personal opinion of the song's quality, b) whether it's fun to play on guitar and c) whether it fits in with the general tone/purpose of the game. If you're interested in what I've had to say about other Guitar Hero/Rock Band games like Guitar Hero 2 and Rock Band Unplugged, feel free to follow those links. If not, let's get started!

"All Day And All Of The Night" - The Kinks
First up, we have one of the game's guest acts and let me just say, I am fucking glad we got The Kinks in one of these games. Granted it's a WaveGroup cover but hey, at least it's a damn good one with an extended guitar solo. As for whether this song's appropriate, I can totally see Aerosmith enjoying The Kinks and wanting to include one of their songs in the game. All in all, it's a fun track for one of the early career mode stages and even if it isn't my personal favourite Kinks track, it's definitely a better choice than "Lola" or "You Really Got Me". THUMBS UP.

"All The Young Dudes" - Mott The Hoople
Not gonna lie, this song is solely responsible for me buying this game when it came out. I watched the chart, listened to the cover and immediately fell in love with it. The quality of the WaveGroup cover is incredible and the extended guitar solo fits in perfectly with the track. It's a shame they had to underchart the solo to fit in with the game's first career mode stage but at least it's still very fun to play and again, totally a song I can imagine Aerosmith being inspired by. It's definitely the best Mott The Hoople song to go with (as it is their signature song) although "One Of The Boys" would've been a fun one too. THUMBS UP.

"Always On The Run" - Lenny Kravitz and Slash
Another guest act but this time, it's the original master recording. Even though Aerosmith started before Lenny Kravitz, I can definitely hear similarities between Aerosmith's vocals/guitar riffs and Kravitz's so I have no objection to Lenny's inclusion in the game. It's also a great Kravitz song choice, as "Are You Gonna Go My Way" was clearly set up for Guitar Hero: World Tour and if you want a Kravitz song for a GH game, you definitely want one with fun guitar...so what better track than one with Slash tagging along too? It's a solid song and a fun chart so THUMBS UP.

"Back In The Saddle" - Aerosmith
Our first (alphabetical) Aerosmith song is a good 'un! Great guitar riff and awesome Hard Rock rhythms. This is the ultimate "Fuck yeah, here I am" song and it's one of Aerosmith's big hits so it totally belongs in the game. However, there are some issues I have with the chart; namely the overabundance of lead guitar over the main riff on rhythm. Rock Band released this song as DLC with the rhythm guitar taking all of the glory during the chorus and it's easily more fun to play. Playing sustains instead of the epic riff is a poor choice but hey, at least it's still fun and sensible for the game. THUMBS UP. Looking good so far, huh.

"Beyond Beautiful" - Aerosmith
So this is a bit of a funny one. Whilst the song's decent and the chart is kinda fun once the solo kicks in (as that main riff is a little dull), I'm not sure it's the best choice for the game. It's a fairly modern Aerosmith track compared to the release date of this game and considering some of the glaring omissions from this game, it feels more like it was included because the band wanted some of their more recent tracks to share the spotlight. It's not even the best modern Aerosmith track, as they recorded a fantastic cover of "Baby Please Don't Go" in 2004 and considering how much Joe Perry has shit on the album and band's career around this time, I can't say I would've missed this if it was removed at the last minute. THUMBS DOWN.

"Bright Light Fright" - Aerosmith
Meh, not impressed with this one. It's a deep cut off Draw The Line and even though it has some fun little guitar licks here and there, it's definitely not worthy of the game's main setlist. It could've passed as a bonus track instead of one of the Joe Perry solo songs but when you've got songs like "Young Lust" and "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" missing from the game, it's an easy THUMBS DOWN for this song.

"Cat Scratch Fever" - Ted Nugent
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ted Nugent might be a world class cunt but he was a fucking great guitarist in his prime and his songs would've been incredible in Guitar Hero/Rock Band. Sadly, the only ones they've picked are this and "Stranglehold", both containing fairly weak guitar riffs and solos in comparison to tracks like "Stormtroopin'" and "The Great White Buffalo". I don't really like this song and even though a great Ted Nugent song would've been fun (and suitable) in this game, I'm giving it a THUMBS DOWN.

"Complete Control" - The Clash
Whilst I guess Punk songs MAY have a place in an Aerosmith game if Aerosmith have acknowledged Punk influences (I don't care for the band or genre enough to independently research it), the fewer the better in my eyes. However, of all the songs to pick, this has to be one of the best. It's got an actual guitar solo, not to mention the line "YOU'RE MY GUITAR HERO" which kinda gives it a reason to be in a GH game alone. THUMBS UP for being a shining diamond in the murky turd filled toilet bowl of the Punk music genre.

"Draw The Line" - Aerosmith
As odd as this may sound, this song's guitar riff is so fucking ugly. Like, if sound could be unattractive, this is what it would be. This song is boring to play, rough to listen to and even if it is the title track from their 1977 album, it's a lame song choice that early on in the game. Compare the first few songs in Guitar Hero: Metallica; "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "The Unforgiven", both fantastic tracks with fun but easy guitar charts. There are easy Aerosmith songs like "Hangman Jury" with some great HOPO riffs that should've been included over this shit. THUMBS DOWN.

"Dream On" - Aerosmith
This is one of four songs rerecorded for the game and I'll be honest, I love this version over the original. The guitar chart is fun to play and Tyler's vocals don't sound fucking laughable during the helium-sucking "DREEM OWHN!" bit. It's also one of Aerosmith's better power ballads and if you're going to include power ballads (which you pretty much have to when making a rhythm music game focused around Rock's biggest pussies), this is a far greater choice than "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing", another surprising omission although I'm not gonna shed a tear over it. THUMBS UP.

"Dream Police" - Cheap Trick
Another guest act that I'm OK with being in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. However, I'm not sure that this song is the best choice. "Dream Police" is kind of a campy song and at the time of this game's release, the At Budokan live version of "I Want You To Want Me" hadn't been featured in a rhythm music game and that song reminds me of Aerosmith more than this one. However, it's an easy song to include early on in the game's career mode and a popular track by the band. I guess there's no real reason it shouldn't be in the game but since it's a mediocre song that feels more appropriate as Rock Band DLC than on-disc track in GH:A, I'm giving it a THUMBS DOWN. Apparently a White Stripes song was rumoured to be in this game but changed at the last minute and you know that would've been easy on guitar. If this song replaced one of their better guitar based tracks, that would've sucked.

"Hard To Handle" - The Black Crowes
Ah, now THIS is a good track and a decent cover by Steve Ouimette. There are some damn fine guitar solos and the gritty Southern Blues sound of the song definitely fits in with the rest of the Aerosmith material. Whilst The Black Crowes have some great songs that would work in Guitar Hero, this is certainly the best one they could've gone with. It's the band's signature song (and a superb cover) so not including this would've been the wrong decision. THUMBS UP.

"I Hate Myself For Loving You" - Joan Jett
Bleh, more Punk. Chords, droning vocals and general boredom a-plenty in this song. I don't know how much of an influence Joan Jett played in Aerosmith's career but if you're after female Rock musicians, Pat Benatar always trumps Joan Jett. ALWAYS. However, if you have to pick a Joan Jett song, I probably would've preferred "Bad Reputation". It's still dull on guitar but at least it's a fun and punchy song. THUMBS DOWN.

"King Of Rock" - Run-D.M.C.
OH SHIT, IT'S RUN-D.M.C. BOIZ! You may be asking why a Hip Hop artist is in a Rock music game but remember that godawful "Walk This Way" remix? Yeah, it was this prick. Since he did a pointless Hip Hop remix of a great Rock song with these guys, he not only has a song in the game but he also appears as a playable character in game. I don't know much Run-D.M.C. although I probably would've preferred his shameless Toni Basil ripoff "It's Tricky" to this crap tune. Also, fuck this shithead for calling himself the "King Of Rock". THUMBS DOWN and furthermore, I hope he's penniless and miserable.

"Livin' On The Edge" - Aerosmith
I feel like I haven't heard this song outside of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith but apparently, it's one of the band's more popular songs? Personally, I think it's a little overproduced and the lyric "There's something wrong with the world today" just makes me hate this song. Then there's Joe Perry's guitar work, which is average at best. Sure, the riffs are fun but he craps out a terrible guitar solo and the outro goes on WAY TOO LONG. All in all, this is the kind of song I would hide in the bonus section instead of "Rats In The Cellar", a far greater Hard Rock track with an awesome guitar chart. THUMBS DOWN.

"Love In An Elevator" - Aerosmith
One of the band's more popular songs and yeah, it's OK on guitar. It also has a lengthy vocal outro which isn't fun to sit through in a guitar/bass only game but hey, the rest of the song makes up for it. I'm surprised we didn't get more songs from Rocks and Pump, since they're two of the band's better albums. However, I can't argue with this song's inclusion so THUMBS UP. However, somewhere out there in the multiverse is a reality where Guitar Hero: Aerosmith happened in place of Guitar Hero: Van Halen (with full band) and this song is far better in that game.

"Make It" - Aerosmith
Another rerecording from the band's debut album. Goddamn, Motley Crue must've been avid listeners of this album, huh. Anyway, this song is also one of the first Aerosmith songs you play in the career mode and whilst it's not exactly a big hit for the band, it's not a bad guitar chart for the early tier and it's a good rerecording too. I also don't have a problem with this song being in the game, even though I'm not a huge fan of it outside of GH, as there's nothing wrong with deep cuts being in the game as long as they're not replacing better songs. It's good to introduce people to music they may not have heard before in these games so THUMBS UP.

"Mama Kin" - Aerosmith
Another rerecording but this time at the end of the game's career mode. In comparison to final stages in other GH/RB games, this song's actually pretty easy on guitar. It's mostly challenging due to chord progressions and a faster rhythm that previous tracks but it's still relatively straightforward. However, since Aerosmith don't have a huge number of insanely difficult songs (or any at all), it's as good as they could get. I mean, this song could've been bumped down the career mode list, replacing an easier song that I'll be discussing in a bit and instead allowing "Eat The Rich" to be one of the last songs on-disc. However, the song's a solid Rock track and one of the band's popular songs so it's a good fit for this game. THUMBS UP.

"Movin' On" - Aerosmith
The final rerecorded track from the debut and my God, what a fun one on guitar. A hugely underrated track in this game with some great riffs and a tidy solo. It may be featured early on in the game's career mode but it's not a walk in the park if you're after the FC, due to some brief rapid strumming moments. Even though it's not a single, it was one of the first songs the band actually wrote and played together so it has some significance in the band's career making it a worthy song for this game, in my books. THUMBS UP for the fun chart alone.

"No Surprize" - Aerosmith
And here we have a weaker version of "Mama Kin", although the guitar riff in this song isn't bad. It reminds me of another song with a name that I can't quite place although the track has a kind of Rolling Stones vibe, which probably explains why it's a little dull. All in all, this song isn't one I would've chosen for the game, just due to how plain it is. THIS is the song that could've been replaced by "Eat The Rich" if you moved "Mama Kin" down the career mode list so it's getting a THUMBS DOWN.

"Nobody's Fault" - Aerosmith
I forgot how fun the guitar in this song is, although it's off Rocks so you know it's gonna be good. Great riffs, awesome solos, one annoying trill section (fuckin Joe Perry and his annoying trills when he can't think of anything else to play) but otherwise, a great inclusion in the game. The career mode setlist should be full of fun guitar songs by Aerosmith so tracks like this will always make me happy. It also helps when they're good tunes or singles/favourites by band members or fans but the main thing is how fun it is to play. THUMBS UP.

"Personality Crisis" - New York Dolls
Jesus, more Punk?! Alright then. Admittedly, I don't know too much about the New York Dolls but I do know that "Jet Boy" would've been more fun to play than this song. Alternatively, we could've had a song that WASN'T Punk! A song that Aerosmith have been inspired by or maybe covered at one point like "Oh Well" - Fleetwood Mac or something by Deep Purple, since a Deep Purple song was also rumoured to be included in the game's soundtrack at one point. THUMBS DOWN.

"Rag Doll" - Aerosmith
This song is built around a catchy riff and vocal melody in the chorus, making it a fan favourite and a fun one to play for casual players. It's also quite similar to "Love In An Elevator" but thankfully, just as fun to play. I wouldn't replace this song with any other, even if I'm not the biggest fan of it, but if you're after a middle ground song with some fun riffs to play, you can do much worse than "Rag Doll". THUMBS UP.

"Sex Type Thing" - Stone Temple Pilots
Some 90s Grunge/Hard Rock? OK, I guess. This may be one of STP's bigger songs but come on, it's a pretty poor song to play on guitar. Something like "Vasoline" or "Crackerman" would've been way better, especially since the latter sounds just like "Sex Type Thing" only with an actual guitar solo added. I'm not sure if Aerosmith consider Stone Temple Pilots a major source of inspiration or whatever but musically, this song sounds a little out of place in this game. Just a little but enough to contribute to the THUMBS DOWN it's getting.

"She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult
As much as I love this song, I feel the same way about this inclusion. The Cult are a different breed of Hard Rock to Aerosmith and their song doesn't quite sound as aggressive as other guest acts in the game. Then again, if Mott The Hoople can sound right, so can this. This is The Cult's most famous song and since the band aren't the most musically diverse when it comes to their hit singles, it's a sensible choice. However, this arguably should've been featured earlier on in the career mode setlist (as it's pretty fuckin' easy on guitar) so we could've had a properly charted "All The Young Dudes". Ah well, what's done is done. THUMBS UP.

"Sweet Emotion" - Aerosmith
Here we go, one of Aerosmith's best songs and a fun (but easy) guitar chart too. Granted the trills get a little annoying but they can't be helped when Joe Perry's involved. Thankfully, the bass is epic and the riffs are sweet. Plus, it's arguably the band's signature song so if it wasn't included in the setlist, there would've been hell to pay. THUMBS UP because do you really need me to say anything else?

"Toys In The Attic" - Aerosmith
The single greatest chart in this game and one of the finest in GH history. Unlike Rock Band 4 where they fucked up everything except the main riff, this song is just fantastic to play from start to finish. The solo is great, the trills aren't annoying and that riff. Man, that fuckin' riff is just the best. What the hell were Harmonix thinking when they charted this song in RB4? Wait, let me rephrase that; what the hell were Harmonix DRINKING? THUMBS UP and if you haven't played this song, I recommend picking up a copy of GH:A just for this and "All The Young Dudes".

"Train Kept-A-Rollin'" - Aerosmith
The final boss of the game and to the untrained player, it's pretty darn challenging. Trills, tough solos throughout and a change-up in tempo halfway through. It's also a great cover of the original by the Yardbirds and one of Aerosmith's better known tracks so totally appropriate for this game. It's a shame we never got this track as a master recording outside of GH:A but at least the RB1 cover is great; that's right, one minute I'm dicking on HMX and the next I'm praising them! However, that doesn't change the fact that this song is getting a THUMBS UP.

"Uncle Salty" - Aerosmith
This song fucking sucks. Boring, godawful to listen to and taking the place of literally any other Aerosmith song. It's bad in every sense of the word. THUMBS DOWN.

"Walk This Way" - Aerosmith featuring Run-D.M.C.
Why, why, why, WHY did they include the remix in the main setlist instead of the original?! Don't worry, the original version is available as a bonus track but boy, did they get that decision wrong. This should've been bonus, the original 1975 version of "Walk This Way" with the amazing guitar chart should've been part of the main setlist. THUMBS DOWN.


So it turns out with 17 Thumbs Up against 13 Thumbs Down, this game's soundtrack is about as good as I remembered if not a little bit better. There are a bunch of classics, some decent tunes and a sturdy collection of shit. In other words, not as good as Guitar Hero: Metallica but about as good as Guitar Hero: Van Halen, as both GH:A and GH:VH have approximately 57% Thumbs Up! However, if you factored the bonus songs into it...well, you'd probably still get the same percentage, as I like five of them and hate/dislike the other five. Still, at least we know what I think of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith ten years after playing it so it hasn't been a complete waste of time!