This album marks the last "peak" Aerosmith had artistically as of 8/20/02… If they better themselves after today, then good for them. But as it stands, this is the last hurrah for Aerosmith before slipping into "slightly above mediocrity," and is the high point of their post-comeback career.

The album kicks off pretty well, too. The all-time Aerosmith classics "Young Lust" and "F.I.N.E." "Love in an Elevator," "Monkey on My Back," and "Janie's Got a Gun" make up the first side of the record. Each of them is a classic in its own right, at least two of them were hits. The band shows it is in peak form on here, and it never gets as overdone as the now dated and over produced Permanent Vacation.

The second side has "The Other Side," a boppy, poppy song that, again was a hit single. It would eventually be outdone in its live version on A Little South of Sanity about eight years later, but for this album, it's perfect. "My Girl" continues the winning streak with clever lyrics and a speedy grind (it's also the only song here written solely by Tyler/Perry). "Don't Get Mad Get Even" is rather repetitive, but still memorable. "Voodoo Medicine Man" has a memorable chorus and intro, but not much else to back the… interesting… wording of Steven Tyler's social commentary.

But things pick up with "What It Takes," the best ballad Aerosmith ever cut in their late period, and the best love song they ever made, period. Skipping the melodramatic cheese of anything that came after it or "Angel," "What It Takes" is one of the most perfect ballads Aerosmith ever accomplished. It's sweet, soulful but energized all rolled into one. I like that.

Some people complain that late-era Aerosmith is too "commercialized." I laugh at them. Hard. Aerosmith was ALWAYS based in trends, milking the late mid-late 70's rock boom for all it's worth, eventually fading away. They're doing the same thing now, just not as well and with a lot of outside help. Oh well. The music doesn't live up to the heights of Rocks or Toys in the Attic, but it still deserves a high rating