Producing a wide
variety of tunes influenced both by the 60s hard rock legends as well as the
bombastic rhythm and blues artists that the band loved, Joe Perry and Steven
Tyler became known as the “toxic twins” due to their rambunctious live
performances and nasty lifestyles. The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia reportedly
said Aerosmith featured “the druggiest bunch of guys I’ve ever seen.” Classics
from their early area with much airplay also include 1974’s “Same Old Song and
Dance” and 1976’s “Back in the Saddle”, with 1973’s “Dream On” being a concert
favorite.
Jimmy Crespo replaced
Joe Perry for about five years as the band’s fortunes failed. However, in 1984,
chiefly due to the tireless efforts of Joe Perry’s then manager, Tim Collins,
to reform the band, Aerosmith was born again. Despite his own client Perry’s
insistence that it was unthinkable, Collins succeeded in helping the band
resolve old differences and ultimately overcome their addictions.