I think it is funny that the record company and the band promoted this as a Blues record prior to its release. This is a blues record only in the sense that Disraeli Gears by Cream or Beck-Ola are blues records.

Honkin on Bobo is a Blooze-Rock record that Rocks with a capital R and would not have been out of place in the early 70's. This is a stunning return to rock and roll form for a band that has made way too many trips to the power-ballad ATM in recent years. Keep it coming guys, I love it.

First impression, strange name, but one of the best covers of all time, and the album is as advertised, Tyler puts his harp to good use in most songs on this album. Although the album contains 11 covers and only one original it sounds more like Aerosmith than Just Push Play did. Billed as an album where 'Aerosmith does the blues' do not expect a blues record. It is more closely comparible to the bands work in the 70s when you could still hear there obvious blues influences. Many of the tracks covered here are obscure as well, so the material sounds fresh and new.

The songs range from rockers like the first single Baby Please Don't Go and Shame Shame Shame to slower blues tunes such as Back Back Train sung by Joe Perry no less. In fact Perry lends lead vocals to two tracks on the album with the voice of the talented Tracy Bonham backing him up. This album is a welcome surprise from start to finish, fans of old Aerosmith will not be disappointed and fans of new Aerosmith will be introduced to a whole new world, with no boring power ballads (as good as Aerosmith does them) to break the mood.

In short, even if you haven't bought an Aerosmith album in years, this is the one to help renew your faith in the greatest Rock and Roll band of our time.

Just when I had written these guys off for selling out they reunited with producer Jack Douglas and created their best album since "Rocks". The new disk focuses on cover tunes instead of original material. Most of the tunes are blues covers or early rock and roll tunes. Even though there are some blues covers on the disk, they rock! Blues purists will balk but even though Aerosmith's music was blues influenced, the influences came via the second generation of British blues. The Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, and early Fleetwood Mac appear to be more influential than Muddy Waters anyway. I do not know if it was the presence of Jack Douglas or lack of pressure for coming up with new hit material but the band sounds more inspired than they have in a number of years. I have seen them in concert a few times and the new disk sounds more like the excitement they can generate in concert.

There are no clinkers and the songs themselves are all interesting. My favorites include Bo Diddley's "Road Runner", Big Joe Williams "Baby, Please Don't Go", and Mississippi Fred McDowell's "You Gotta Move" and "Jesus Is On The Main Line". The sass that Steven Tyler injects into the songs is great. He also plays a lot of harmonica on the album. Joe Perry and Brad Whitford add a bluesy tinge to the proceedings with their vast array of guitars. Joe Perry even takes the lead vocals on Mississippi Fred McDowell's "Back Back Train" and Fleetwood Mac's "Stop Messin' Round". An example of the vibe the album emits would be to imagine an Aerosmith cd that contained "Walkin' The Dog", "Train Kept A Rollin'", "Big Ten Inch Record" and "Milkcow Blues" from Aerosmith's earlier career. My only regret is that the disk clocks in at only about 44 minutes. Hopefully, they have more high quality material in the can from these sessions that will be issued at a later date. I guess these guys really do have nine lives!

These guys haven't made an honest effort at making music in over 20 years; They sold out and started making "product" instead. Now, after all these years, they decide to make a real rock 'n' roll CD, and it's decided during the mastering process to crank the volume so high that the peaks clip and the overall sound becomes very compressed! I have a volume control, so why do they feel a need to do this? This band can't win for losing.

One would think an Aersosmith blues album would be a raw affair, with Joe and the rest of the band finally being allowed to breathe and just let go. Nope. The problem with this album lands squarely on the over-production and more imporantly on the shoulders of one Steven Tyler. The man just never shuts up. With the exception of a couple of songs (one that he doesn't sing on at all) it's "The Steven Show" from start to finish. The band never really gets to open up and just jam. It's a blues album for Christ's sake! Where are the leads? Where's the loose jamming by the band? I'll tell you where: Smothered by Steven's incessant singing and noise making. Just when you think the band is going to have a little fun, Steven comes back and reminds you just whose band this has become over the past decade. I feel like i'm listening to a Steven Tyler solo album. Don't get me wrong. He's an amazing singer and an invaluable reason why Aerosmith have survived so long. It's just lately, he's all you get. This album simply has no life. Stick a pick in them, they're done!