What is it about “Behind the Music” that intrigues us all? Even those who usually don’t watch more than an hour of TV in one sitting will shamelessly absorb all the dirt on Def Leppard, Cher and the Mamas and the Papas in VH1 “Behind the Music” marathons. Some people watch it purely for the music or entertainment value. Others watch it because, bitter in their own lives, they cannot wait for the inevitable half-hour block of Alice Cooper’s/Pearl Jam’s/Jim Morrison’s battle/obsession with death, sex, drugs, fame, alcohol or even all of the above. Then, there are some who rejoice in the opportunity, albeit short and borderline pathetic, to share the agonies and triumphs with our rock idles — who doesn’t want to be Penny Lane for an hour-long block?
On that note, it was high time that VH1 honored Aerosmith with their very own cable romp through hell and back. On Sunday, Sept. 1, singer Steven Tyler, guitarist Joe Perry, drummer Joey Kramer, bassist Tom Hamilton and guitarist Brad Whitford starred in their very own alterna-memoir. Unfortunately, “Behind the Music” works almost as arbitrarily as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions; no offense to hair band fans, but if Poison and Whitesnake both have their own shows, then the always-cool Steven Tyler and company deserve one as well. The special two-hour show proved entertaining but rode requisite tracks of every “Behind the Music.” The band had its predictable trajectory through stardom — birth, rising to fame, climax, death-addiction-destruction and sober resolution (and in the case of less hip bands, the formation of a lame, elevator-quality resurrection). It was introduced as a “voyeuristic ride with one of the most volatile bands in history,” and it was, complete with tight spandex and leather, floppy lips and evil agents. No false advertising here, folks.
The first hour-and-a-half focused on the boys’ early days — from their fairytale formation at Lake Sunapee, N.H., in the early ’70s to the murky jungles and dirty basements of drug addiction and finally, to the turning point, when Tyler passed out, two breaths from death, ripped on cocaine and drunk on gin at a small club in Worcester in 1982. The last half-hour then briefly discusses Aerosmith’s push for sobriety, their reemergence in the ’90s with “Pump” and “Get a Grip,” a segment that warranted more details.
It then details their tango with the MTV generation and their only career no. 1 single: the inspirational “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (too bad it only inspires diehard Aerosmith fans to hurl instantaneously).
As expected, the show sometimes leaned toward “Behind the Music: Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and Three Other People.” Of course, the duo does have one of the most infamous, eerily spiritual love-hate relationships in rock ‘n’ roll history. The show explores this symbiosis in depth, chronicling the pair’s infighting about girlfriends, addiction and art and finally, Perry’s brief departure from the band in the early ’80s.
More details on the other members would have been nice, but understandably Tyler’s big hair and Perry’s big guitar — with big egos to match — filled the screen.
The highlight of the show — and arguably of the band itself — was all the live concert footage from Boston and Japan. Aerosmith is the quintessential performing band – its live presence is alchemic, its live sound, cathartic. Keep saving your pennies for an evening with Tyler’s scarves and screams, but in the meantime, fill the void with VH1’s two-hour gossip session.
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