AeroSmith

The Boston band’s early records placed Joe Perry and Brad Whitford’s guitars around Tyler’s elastic voice. “Dream On”, from the 1973 debut, showed an appetite for drama, but Toys in the Attic in 1975 made their range harder to miss. “Sweet Emotion” began with a bass line and a peculiar atmosphere; “Walk This Way” converted a sharp guitar pattern into a whole attitude.

Rocks followed in 1976 with a heavier, more concentrated sound. These records were rooted in blues without behaving like museum pieces. The pleasure came from the way the musicians pushed against one another: a riff could be tough, a vocal ridiculous, and the song still hang together. That mixture helps explain why the early catalogue speaks to hard-rock listeners and groove-minded players alike.

The Run-D.M.C. collaboration on “Walk This Way” introduced that rhythmic vocabulary to another audience in 1986. Permanent Vacation and Pump then established a major later chapter. The production was bigger and the hooks more deliberately shaped, but songs such as “Love in an Elevator” retained the band’s sense of mischief. “Janie’s Got a Gun” gave that period a much darker centre.

Get a Grip in 1993 pushed the ballads and MTV presence further, with “Cryin’”, “Amazing” and “Crazy”. Those songs can overshadow the rougher material, so it is worth hearing them beside the earlier records. Aerosmith’s catalogue contains both a hard-playing rock band and expert pop craftsmanship. The most convincing moments keep some friction between the two, allowing the polished song to retain a little dirt under its nails.