Aerosmith - O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits (2CD, 2002)

As the sixth domestic Aerosmith hits collection and the first to feature selections from both their Columbia and Geffen years (not to mention that it's the second double-disc retrospective released within eight months), O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits should live up to its title – and it does, for the most part. Over the course of two discs and 30 songs, almost all the heavy-hitters are hauled out, from "Mama Kin" to "Jaded", including both versions of "Walk This Way". Some of the songs are presented in a remixed form – "Draw the Line", "Pink", "Just Push Play" – but all of the new mixes are good, possibly even improvements, and the new song, "Girls of Summer", is strong (its companion, "Lay It Down", isn't as noteworthy). So, all the parts are in place – why doesn't it feel definitive, then? After all, there are no big songs or hits missing (apart from the cover of "Come Together", which isn't much of a loss), just fan favorites and album tracks like "Lord of the Thighs", "Lick and a Promise", and "Chip Away the Stone" (and nothing from Done With Mirrors, for that matter). The reason it doesn't feel definitive is that the classic Columbia recordings are wrapped up by track ten, and then the best of their late-'80s comeback is wrapped up by the end of the first disc, which leaves disc two pretty much devoted to everything from Get a Grip on – an era not widely considered their best, even though it had a number of hits, plus a couple of good songs along the way ("Crying", "Deuces Are Wild"). So, even though this delivers everything it should and will certainly be the one Aerosmith disc most casual listeners will need, it doesn't quite capture the essence of the band the way their greatest albums do (whether they're Rocks or Pump).

~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, all media guide

Tracklist, Disc 1:

01. Mama Kin - [from Self-titled album]
02. Dream On - [from Self-titled album]
03. Same Old Song And Dance - [from Get Your Wings]
04. Seasons Of Wither - [from Get Your Wings]
05. Walk This Way - [from Toys in the Attic]
06. Big Ten Inch Record - [from Toys in the Attic]
07. Sweet Emotion - [from Toys in the Attic]
08. Last Child - [from Rocks]
09. Back In The Saddle - [from Rocks]
10. Draw The Line - [from Draw the Line]
11. Dude (Looks Like A Lady) - [from Permanent Vacation]
12. Angel - [from Permanent Vacation]
13. Rag Doll - [from Permanent Vacation]
14. Janie's Got A Gun - [from Pump]
15. Love In An Elevator - [from Pump]
16. What It Takes - [from Pump]

Tracklist, Disc 2:

01. The Other Side - [from Pump]
02. Livin' On The Edge - [from Get A Grip]
03. Cryin' - [from Get A Grip]
04. Amazing - [from Get A Grip]
05. Deuces Are Wild - [from Big Ones]
06. Crazy - [from Get A Grip]
07. Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees) - [from Nine Lives]
08. Pink (The South Beach Mix) - [from Nine Lives]
09. I Don't Want To Miss A Thing - [from Armageddon OST]
10. Jaded - [from Just Push Play]
11. Just Push Play (Radio Remix) - [from Just Push Play]
12. Walk This Way (feat. Run-D.M.C.) - [from the Run-D.M.C. album Raising Hell]
13. Girls Of Summer - [new track, Recorded April 2002]
14. Lay It Down - [new track, Recorded April 2002]


Release Date: July 2, 2002
Format: Original Recording Remastered
Number of Discs: 2
This compilation available in four different hologram covers
Catalog No.: 86700 (CK86705/CK86706)
Label: Columbia Records (Sony Music)