Random Music Review: Aerosmith

It's the age old question: is it better to burn out or fade away?  Be The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?

The story of Aerosmith is nothing new.  A band that was once great, then larger than life, then slowly descended into lame, boring, marginality.  They used to sing about banging ladies in an elevator, now they have a so-so roller coaster in Disney World (it's okay, but like love in an elevator, over much too fast).  

Steven Tyler used to be the model rock star.  Howling, untouchable, with the occasional drug problem.  Then he became a gracefully aging woman sitting next to J-Lo on American Idol.

J-Lo can only pray she looks that good when she's 65.

Aerosmith fans still worship the band while also being convinced that they are perpetually snubbed by the rock gods and are the Rodney Dangerfields of rock n' roll.  Are they right?  Well, it depends which era of 'Smith you look at.

Peak of Their Quality: Toys in the Attic (1975)

Like early Scorcese, Aerosmith was largely overlooked during their greatest years in the mid-late 70s.  They would go on to greater success but they'd never match the musician ship and raw energy of their early classics, "Dream On", "Back in the Saddle" and "Sweet Emotion".  That energy would inspire many a future rocker including legendary rock band: Guns N' Roses.  Guns idolized Aerosmith, and much of their early musical stylings are modeled after 1970's Aerosmith.  They would later far surpass their 70s fame, but never again reclaim the quality.

Peak of Their Fame: Get a Grip (1993)

The band was churning out radio hits like babies from a catholic maternity ward in the 80s.  Four years made the gap between Aerosmith's pinnacle of success between 89's Pump and 93's Get a Grip.  Both spawned a slew of radio hits and while there is little question which was the better album (Pump, which also had one of the band's best songs "Janie's Got a Gun"), success is built up like a garbage heap and Get a Grip tops it off.  Also, "Cryin" played a very important role in my developmental years with the 17-year-old daughter of Tyler performing a strip tease for Alicia Silverstone in what is still a pretty risque music video to this day.

Peak of Their Hubris: Armegeddon (1998)

Michael Bay doesn't just ruin movies.

The downfall of Aerosmith began with one of their biggest hits.  While I personally always begrudged the existence of "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" for it's topping the Goo Goo Doll's "Iris" (My first love in music) there was no denying it was everywhere.  EVERYWHERE, like on my mom's easy-listening radio station light 100.5 WRCH everywhere.  It's not a terrible song, but the full orchestra and sheer schmaltzy-ness of it all were signs of things to come.  It wasn't long before they were emploring us to "Just Push Play" and everything was "Jaded".  Blech.

In the end, I paraphrase Stannis Baratheon:  Love them for the band they were, not the band they became.  Underrated (early career)  Rated Right (prime years) Overrated (Late Career).

The Ice Bucket Challenge: Overrated, Underrated, or Rated Right?

Go to www.alsa.org to make a donation and learn more about ALS.

Some people love it, others can't stand it.  Either way, the Ice Bucket Challenge is everywhere.

It first started popping up right around the end of July as a way to raise awareness and money for ALS (also known as Lou Gherig's Disease) when it was done to honor Pete Frates a former Boston College baseball player who was diagnosed with the disease in 2012.  It has since been done by LeBron James, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Timberlake, Bill Gates, former Yankee Kevin Youkilis and has raised millions for research and has indeed raised a great deal of awareness for what was still somewhat  of an obscure disease.

ALS is a truly terrible disease.  The muscles and nervous system in the body gradually degrade and atrophy, the afflicted loses the ability to walk, eat, talk, and eventually breathe.  The afflicted does, however, retain full mental awareness as their body fails them.  Not only is there not a cure, frustratingly little is known about the disease.

So why, do some people have such a problem with it?

Don't just dump, DONATE!

When the Ice Bucket Challenge first began it was not specifically meant to be for ALS, but rather a general fundraising movement in which the cause can change from person to person.  One of the more creative (and ridiculous) complaints is that that the Ice Bucket Challenge has effectively "stolen" donations from other causes by being so popular.

While this may be true on a small scale, the fact of the matter is most of the people that have donated money to the Ice Bucket Challenge don't allocate money to charities or research regularly.  They aren't donating money they would have otherwise donated to AIDS research, it's money they would have spent on a hamburger.

There are no shortage of laughable reasons people claim the Ice Bucket Challenge is really just stupidity run amok.  One of the most hilarious being that it is insulting to countries with limited drinking water.  

To me, it seems a lot of the hate getting thrown at the Ice Bucket Challenge borders on people just hating to see others having a good time.  That is a shame, because I think that is an aspect those suffering from ALS probably enjoy seeing the most.  People aren't just talking about ALS they're smiling and laughing, it helps create a feeling of optimism where there wasn't before.

Some people take issue with the way it has spread on social media, with people dumping water on their head much in the same way they were dancing gleefully to the "Harlem Shake" and "Gangnam Style".

When it comes down to it, the real problem dissenters have with the Ice Bucket Challenge is the way certain people are doing it.

Particularly when it first started to catch fire, most of the people doing it were athletes and exercise enthusiasts.  People very into having a strong, good-looking body.  This began to set a precedent that the Ice Bucket Challenge was also a very convenient way to film a little video of you with your shirt off dumping water on yourself and put it out on social media.

Indeed, for many, the Ice Bucket Challenge is more about their desire to show the world how crazy and fun they are, and oh yeah, by the way have you seen my beach body?

And that is the rub.  The Ice Bucket Challenge is NOT about you.  It is great that you do it, but you should want to do it whether or not anyone sees you.

A great video for raising awareness that ALSO provided a website to donate to.

A shockingly high percentage of videos posted for the Ice Bucket Challenge don't mention donating money to ALS or even mention ALS at all.  In all of the videos I have seen only two, actor Brian Baumgartner's and Paul Bissonnette's, have provided a link to a place where you can actually donate to ALS research.

The Ice Bucket Challenge is a fantastic movement for ALS research but, it is also easy prey to the lazy self-serving nature of hashtag activism.  If you're going to make a wacky video, make sure the real message doesn't get lost.

The Ice Bucket Challenge is a great thing and very UNDERRATED. Do it, but don't forget why you're doing it and don't let the people who see it forget either.

Random Movie Review: Top Five Robin Williams Films

Hello all, a little bit different spin on Random Movie Review this week.  Now, I know what you're thinking... "this week"?  "different spin"?  That's right folks!  New weekly segment!

I couldn't help but notice in the days that have followed the death of Robin Williams many people have shared their feelings on depression and their collective grief at the passing of a prolific entertainer but not quite as many have taken a moment to celebrate his work.

It is with that in mind that I invite you to realize the five greatest accomplishments of Robin Wiliiams' career, as decided by me: The decider.

#5

Good Morning, Vietnam

Way back in 1987 America got a big screen sized helping of Robin Williams' stand-up style done as a radio play.  Good Morning, Vietnam, loosely based on the experience of actual radio personality Adrian Cronauer, is one of the first memorable performances by Williams' and also one of the funniest.  It loses a little bit of steam when it focuses on the drama aspects of story, but its irreverence and many quotable lines make it a classic.

#4

Dead Poets Society

Some might be surprised not to see this even higher on the list.  One of the most well regarded of Williams' dramatic performances is certainly memorable for the right reasons but the story itself is a bit tired and the student characters fail to develop into anything beyond archetypes.  This movie always reminds me of another coming of age film from the same era, Scent of a Woman; a film that might have been quickly forgotten if not for one majestic performance.

#3

The Birdcage

Not only is The Birdcage Robin Williams' funniest live action movie, but it happens to also be one of the best stage to screen adaptations Hollywood has pulled off in the last 30 years.  Williams shares the screen with a fantastic cast and another brilliant comedian in Nathan Lane allowing him to play off others and set up jokes for a change instead of the manic "one-man-show" performances he is more widely known for.

Aladdin

Number 2 on Rated Wrong's definitive list of Robin Williams' movies is what was probably the first exposure anyone under the age of 30 head to the funniest man on earth.  Aladdin was a part of Disney's pre-Pixar animation hot streak of the late 80s early 90s (Little Mermaid - Pocahontas) and Williams' wild man performance is THE reason why.  Williams picks up what very easily could have been a very forgettable animated tale and effortlessly carries it into the cannon of Disney classics.

#1

Good Will Hunting

After Good Will Hunting Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon could all bill themselves as Academy Award winners, but only Williams could boast the title of Academy Award winning actor.  Good Will Hunting is Williams' best movie, a great movie, and it earns that distinction in large part because of his masterfully understated performance.  With Good Will Hunting Robin Williams showed the world he was more than just a clown, he was an artist, and a damn good one.