Show Notes
In Episode 109 of 300 Favorite Albums, host and music journalist James Campion welcomes prolific rock historian and author Julian Gill for a deep, visceral dive into Aerosmith’s 1975 hard-rock tour de force, Toys in the Attic. Together, they dissect the sleaze, swagger, and sheer sonic lightning that propelled Boston’s blues-rock quintet into the rock stratosphere—exploring everything from the kinetic dual-guitar attack of Joe Perry and Brad Whitford to Joey Kramer’s funky backbeat, Tom Hamilton’s hypnotic bass hooks, and Steven Tyler’s razor-sharp, scat-driven lyricism.
From the hilarious Young Frankenstein movie trip that sparked "Walk This Way" and the dark, cinematic allure of "Sweet Emotion" to the orchestral melodrama of "You See Me Crying," Campion and Gill explore the cocaine-and-booze-fueled magic captured by producer Jack Douglas and engineer Jay Messina at New York’s legendary Record Plant. But what unsung studio secrets and phantom guitar heroics linger in the shadows of the album's most famous riffs, and how did a record steeped in madness become the definitive blueprint for American hard rock? Tune in to experience the full, unfiltered dissection of this timeless masterpiece—and discover what made Toys in the Attic the ultimate gateway into rock 'n' roll history.
"Toys in the Attic"
"Uncle Salty""Adam's Apple""Walk This Way""Big Ten Inch Record""Sweet Emotion"
"No More No More"
"Round and Round"
"You See Me Crying"
Additional Selections:
"Toys in the Attic" - R.E.M. from Dead Letter Office
"Cissy Strut" - The Meters from The MetersScene from the film, Young Frankenstein"Walk This Way" - Run-D.M.C. (featuring Aerosmith) from Raising Hell
"Big Ten Inch Record" - Bull Moose Jackson from 28 Big Ones"Rice Pudding" - Jeff Beck from Beck-Ola"Too Much Monkey Business" - Chuck Berry from After School Session"Dream On" - Aerosmith from 1971:The Road Starts Hear Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from 300 Favorite Albums with James Campion
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In Episode 116 of 300 Favorite Albums, host James Campion is joined by acclaimed music journalist and author Steven Hyden (There Was Nothing You Could Do, Twilight of the Gods) to dissect one of the most flawless, prescient debut records in rock history: The Cars (1978).
Welcoming in my dear friend, book tour compatriot, and former bandmate, Mr. Berry Geller—a master multi-instrumentalist who once played with legends such as The Coasters, Bo Diddley, and many others, including the subject of this week's episode, Chuck Berry, as we discuss the master's third studio album, Berry is on Top. The hits, the inventiveness, the fun, fury and everlasting boogie woogie goodness of the complicated but uber-talented American poet and guitarist, Chuck Berry, are on display on this incredibly diverse and entertaining long player.
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