Aerosmith & Yungblud – One More Time
3.5 out of 5 stars

By J.C. Correa

After being forced into retirement from touring two years ago due to a severe vocal injury sustained by singer Steven Tyler, and with a complete lack of new music since 2012, Aerosmith, as a band and brand, save for through the commodity of its storied back catalogue, was, for lack of a better term, effectively comatose. In fact, not dissimilar in fate to where they found themselves in 1986, after years of endless drug abuse had veered the once-formidable American hard rock group into irrelevancy. It took a desperate, last-minute collaboration with then rap pioneers Run-D.M.C. on a now iconic re-recording of their earlier hit “Walk This Way” to rightfully return the Bad Boys from Boston to the limelight; a place that, in some form or other, they have admirably remained in ever since. Until now, that is, when Tyler’s malady seemed to force them into the only slot afforded to them at this point – that of a retired legacy act.   

Perhaps it’s no surprise then that, in a move most didn’t see coming, Aerosmith continues to display the nine lives it once bragged about on an album of the same name, attempting yet another comeback by teaming up with the “it” guy of the moment, British rock/pop phenom Yungblud, for the recording of a 5-song EP entitled One More Time. On the surface, it’s a smart move for all involved. Having released his Grammy-nominated rock opus LP Idols earlier this year, and then stolen the show at the Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne farewell concert in Birmingham over the summer, the young artist (born Dominic Harrison in 1997) speaks mainly to Gen Z (and possibly even Alpha), but likely still eludes the Boomers and Gen Xers that grew up with Aerosmith. Similarly, by partnering up with a hot young talent, Aerosmith’s brand of swaggering, blues-based rock now gets exposed to the kids who might not have come around to it otherwise.

Similar to the Run-D.M.C. project from almost 40 years ago, the collaboration specifically includes the participation of Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry. However, in spite of the fact that bassist Tom Hamilton, second guitarist Brad Whitford, and drummer Joey Kramer (who has since retired from all music-related activities) are not featured beyond in a particular, loophole-related way (more on that later), the endeavor bears the name Aerosmith right next to Yungblud’s. Being that the ‘80s version of “Walk This Way” did the same thing and paid off handsome dividends, perhaps it’s not that questionable a point. 

Recorded over a year ago, the songs were produced by Matt Schwartz, Yungblud’s main board master. Schwartz also co-wrote four of them along with Yungblud, Perry, and Tyler. Perhaps expectedly, these feature an eclectic combination of radio-ready pop hits, hard rock offerings, and ballads. An immediate standout is “Wild Woman,” the third track on the disc. Driven by a groovy, country-tinged guitar with a Western flavor, and featuring richly-melodic, soaring vocals by the two main singers, who duet around one another and harmonize in tandem, the result is an immediate earworm, the likes of which radio is likely to pick up. 

“Problems,” with its ambitious guitar arrangement and wild punk spirit, seems to be the tune closest to Yungblud’s brand of rock; a point that is not disguised by the fact that Tyler mostly plays second fiddle and cedes the spotlight to his young counterpart. Perry, one of rock’s greatest riff masters, has always also had a particular gift for rhythm playing, as well as melody, and it’s this latter quality that shines through on this particular composition. It’s unfortunate that the team saw it fit to end the tune with a recall of the bombastic middle section that seems to exist just to give Yungblud a chance to howl and scream. It works as a serviceable detour when first introduced, but as a coda it seems unsure if it wants to evoke Led Zeppelin or simply create chaos for the sake of it. 

The token ballad, “A Thousand Days,” is a fine offering in its own right. In this one, the arrangement allows for the voices of Tyler and Yungblud to complement each other wonderfully throughout. A subtle, and thankfully not overpowering, string arrangement nicely supports the lovely melodies during the song’s memorable middle eight. Although the meaning of its title remains somewhat of a mystery, with its downbeat, pain-invoking lyrics – not to mention its musical components – the number also works well within the sensibilities of both brands, and would have functioned as such had either artist chosen to record it individually. 

Even better, however, is leadoff single “My Only Angel,” which also serves as the EP’s opener. Blasting off with layered, wall-of-sound harmonies from its two lead singers, the tune creates an instant rush of energy that doesn’t let up for four minutes. This one feels much more within Aerosmith’s wheelhouse and is their strongest single since at least 2001’s “Jaded,” and arguably since “Pink” all the way back in 1997. Here, Perry’s guitar tone is firing on all cylinders, albeit within a contemporary context. In spite of his injury, Tyler sounds particularly vibrant as well, and his performance on it (and throughout the collection of songs as a whole) does not betray the 77 years of age that he is currently at. Taking all of these factors into consideration, it does seem like a minor miracle to have one of rock’s all-time greatest vocalists back in the saddle, so to speak, and sounding this good. 

Which brings us to precisely that. The parties involved have decided to close off the EP with a new interpretation of the old-school Aerosmith classic “Back in the Saddle.” Even though for a hot minute many years ago, Bon Jovi made a career out of writing tunes about cowboys, the greatest ode to the Old West (by way of sex, of course) in the classic rock songbook is, and continues to be, this Aerosmith barnburner, which serves as the opening number to the band’s seminal 1976 album Rocks. This very pedigree is precisely what might raise a few eyebrows here, bring out the cynics, and have many inspecting it with a magnifying glass. This is also the only point where all the members of Aerosmith are actually present on the record in that their tracks from the original recording are used here in some capacity, thus justifying the labeling.

The good news is that the song’s frenzied, driving energy is actually enhanced upon through a myriad of ways. The vibe feels supercharged, and this is most evident through the additional oomph given to Perry’s already monstrous riff, as well as through Tyler’s layering of his own vocals. Tyler’s original performance oozed delicious sleaze, and Yungblud understands that well enough to follow in turn. Their back and forth across the first two verses is terrific (the call and response that comes later, less so). Also critical to the effect is the drumming of Matt Sorum (formerly of The Cult, Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver). Sorum contributes drums to the entire EP, but here he plays over Kramer’s original track, while adding inspired fills along the way. Though the end result lacks the looseness of the original, what Sorum does makes the song seem more propulsive, giving it an added swing, almost disco-like feel. Additionally, while it excludes the iconic instrumental outro – replete with the sounds of horse gallops and whip cracks – the new version comes across as something contemporary that’s aimed at today’s young listeners, and in this regard at least, it succeeds. Considering how many classic tunes from the band’s back catalogue they could have chosen, the Western vibes already present in “Wild Woman” make “Back in the Saddle” a fitting choice.

Taking into account the events of the past few years, it’s difficult to believe that new Aerosmith music has indeed been unveiled to the public, even if it’s just Tyler and Perry, the one-time infamous Toxic Twins. The truth is that, even if they wanted to, it would be damn-near impossible to release new material that sounds like their hallowed output from the ‘70s. Most of this, as Schwartz himself recently revealed in an interview with Billboard, simply has to do with the fact that recording techniques have drastically changed since then, not to mention trends and sensibilities. As such, if we choose to look at it strictly from an Aerosmith standpoint, One More Time is not the ‘70s throwback that some were perhaps hoping for. But it’s also not a rehash of their ‘80s and ‘90s sound either, even if it gets a little closer to that. Abandoning all retro aspirations, the goal seems to have clearly been to create a product that is very much of today, and for better or worse, it’s difficult to argue that they haven’t done just that. With “My Only Angel” plastering itself on several Billboard charts upon release, including going to No. 1 on its Hot Hard Rock Songs list, it seems at least like the right move. 

One More Time is available in vinyl and CD formats, and also on all streaming platforms.