Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith

As a lighter holding young boomer who went to see Aerosmith SIX TIMES in their heyday I can definitely say I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I still have the ticket stubs. Fun fact: concerts back then were $7 to $18 with all fees included. Imagine seeing Aerosmith in 1978 for $8.50. Hehe

This book should have been titled, "Drugged Up and Can't Walk." Told in interviews with all of Aerosmith, their girlfriends, wives, ex-wives and others, this book will knock your brains out. After Joe Perry and Elyssa were divorced, the man woke up and eventually went on to make great music with Steven and have happiness with his now wife Billie. I have new respect for rock bands. If any band lasts more than 10 years you know they went through hell to stay together. For the first 20 years of their lives, Aerosmith were drugged to their teeth. But for the Grace of God they are still alive. What I liked about this book as it is told in their own words. I liked reading how they wrote their songs and what it took to get a song written, all their hardships when they were first together and the craziness they survived. I have a renewed respect for all rock and roll bands after reading this book. The grueling schedule of touring, the sacrifices they make just to put on a show for the masses is unbelievable. I was thrilled to read that they are now off drugs. I went out and bought a tape of their greatest hits just to hear the music I read about. The book is full of pictures which I kept referring to as I read the book. I loved the book and if you love rock and roll you've got to, got to, got to read this one!

It’s written by all parties involved. Each individual has an opportunity to speak their mind and hearts. It is chronological so you get the story from beginning

This book always sticks in my mind because I happened to have it in my work bag to read on 9/11, so when I got stuck down in DC waiting for the public transportation to open up again, I just sat on a patch of lawn, cracked open "Walk This Way" and spent some quality time with Steven, Joe and the rest of the boys. Later that day I read it in the McDonald's which was the only place we could find open to eat in, and later that week I read it on a couple of planes and sitting up late in a hotel room where I was visiting my band friends on tour. Thanks to Aerosmith and the author for giving me a fine easy and not too sleazy rock read to focus on that week, it really helped.Getting on to the merits of the book, I enjoyed the format of having the story told by each of the band members in turn (sort of like "The Dirt" which is probably the gold standard for hard rock/ metal band bios). I prefer to get the stories in the band members' own words and their voices come across nicely. The tales of Steve and Joe's teenage band performances go on for a little too long in my opinion, but once you get over that hump, the band's early years move along at a pretty fast clip, and it's especially fun to read about the origins of the hit songs like "Dream On" and "Sweet Emotion". Before long, the tales of excess begin to crowd out the tales of musicianship, and I was shocked to read about the depths to which Steve and Joe both sunk before they got help.My favorite story was the one about how Aerosmith almost leased the plane that later crashed and killed several members of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Fortunately, Aerosmith had a very responsible pilot who warned that the plane didn't seem safe, so they didn't lease it. Skynyrd leased the plane instead, with tragic results.I would have liked to see a few more pictures, particularly of the band's wives and ladies. It seems like Elyssa Jerret gets the lion's share of the attention in the book (mostly negative) just as she reportedly demanded it for the years she was with the band. I'd like to hear more of that story, but it seems out of place in a book about the band, since she was not a band member as much as she apparently tried to be front and center.

Great book, very interesting

A friend told me about this book and said that after reading it she couldn't believe these people are still alive. She's right - it's hard to understand! There's no explanation for how they survived such a careless, excessive lifestyle.I'm not going to spoil the book by telling you any of the stories, but many of them are hilarious and many just left me shaking my head in bewilderment. I don't think there is a single dull page anywhere in this book.One of the nice things is, it's not from a single perspective. They've included all the band members, and most of the girl friends and business partners. After an event occurred, you'll hear the various people who were there each give their side of the story. Sometimes similar, sometimes completely different.If you liked Hammer of the Gods, this is similar. To paraphrase how someone put it, Zeppelin knew what they were doing. These guys didn't have a clue.

First, I'd like to state that my favorite books are autobiographies about musicians. That being said, this is probably the best one I have ever read.I bought this book along with three others, and it was the one I was the least excited about reading. But, from the very beginning, this one just grabs you. It's one of those books that you never want to put down.If secrets were left untold, I couldn't tell. These guys reveal things about themselves that you know they wish had never happened. After reading this book, I almost felt like I was part of the band.Highly recommended.

What an amazing autobiography on Aerosmith. I am a huge fan, and I loved every page. You think you know a lot about this band? You really don't until you read this book. It takes you through everything: the pre-Aerosmith lives of each band member, the early days, the drug days, the years of being split apart, the band members' relationships, the rehab, and the rise from the ashes. It wraps up by saying what Aerosmith will always be: a great American band. It's a must-read for any Aerosmith fan, or just rock 'n' roll fan in general.

A qualidade da obra é incontestável. Porém, do material físico, é de dar dó. Folhas finas e a aparência de ter sido produzido em uma impressora a jato de tinta residencial.

A little out of date now, probably 20 years or so would be my guess. It does give the tale of the creation of the band up to the early 2000's. Best part is it is all before Steven decided to try his hand at Country.

Just buy it, and enjoy it. Everything (and more) that you needed to know about Aerosmith is in your hands.

This honest, gritty and often bleak look at the euphoric highs and painful lows of Rock 'n' Roll excess is the "Can't put it down" book of the year, so far. Each member of Aerosmith along with those others who "made it happen" share their memories of the drugs, the women, the fights.....oh yeah, and the music! The absolute honesty in which Tyler, Perry and friends discuss not only their drug habits, but their innermost feelings is startling yet refreshing - not to mention miraculous that they can even remember any of it! The interesting aspect for me was that it painted the picture that EVERYONE in the US in the late 60's and 70's were all on drugs of some sorts - there are only about three or four people who feature in the book who didn't indulge in some form of narcotic injestion.....Hmmm. The fact that this book is an autobiography and not some un-researched throw-away money spinner makes this the compelling read that it is. If there was ever a "Do's and Don't's" of Rock 'n' Roll then this is it! On the back of the book is says "Hang on - It's a hell of a ride!" and it is exactly that. Buy it - NOW!

If your an Aerosmith fan , it is worth the money