Music From Another Dimension

They've always been considered America's version of The Rolling Stones: Steve Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, the stateside Jagger and Richards. Aerosmith are in a rare group of recording artists who have sold over 150,000 million albums. The hits? Yeah, they've had a few … Sweet Emotion, Walk This Way and Dream On in their early days, and later on Love In An Elevator, Janie's Got A Gun and Dude Looks Like A Lady. In Australia, they've never achieved the level of adoration they are used to at home, and that's probably one reason why they've only ever toured here once but expectations are that album number 15 could bring them to our shores.

Music From Another Dimension was a long time coming, partly due to extracurricular activities band members are involved with, and partly due to the difficulty of getting things done in a band with such strong personalities. The main issue delaying a start on the album was choice of producer. Once that was sorted, Hamilton tells Muso, the band was ready to roll tape.

“I would say the bulk of the album was realised over the last two years. Some of the riffs have been around for many years. There were a couple of older songs which were close to being finished but everything was completely redone, redesigned and re-imagined in the last year or two. It started with Jack [Douglas, producer] and I think that some of these riffs were always going to be in limbo until we did work with Jack. He will hear something that is weird and off the wall, and he'll know that it could turn it into a great Aerosmith song. Even some of the great producers we have worked with in the past weren't that interested.”

Much like the Stones, after four decades Aerosmith have to deal with that ever-present question of when they'll call it a day. Although there's no talk of quitting from the band's camp, there is a sense of swansong about the new album in that musically it has a retrospective feel about it. On some tracks there's a return to the pure rock vibe of early Aerosmith albums, but there's also the grandiloquent ballad sounds of latter years and a nod and a wink to influences such as The Beatles. For Hamilton though, he sees it more as throwing everything they know at it.

“I think we just wanted something that had a strong connection to when we started but without trying to contrive an imitation of Toys In The Attic or Rocks. We have gained so much throughout our career by trying something outside of what we normally do. We have learned to just try things, so I think there is a range of different material on the record. Hopefully people like it and don't jump all over us for not playing every song as fast and loud as we can possibly go.”

In regard to the subtle Beatlesque motifs, Tom is happy to own up and declare his hand. “It wasn't a conscious thing, but when these moments came up we kind of realised what was happening, but we couldn't stop ourselves. It will be interesting to see if we get criticised for that or commended for flying our influences… where our hearts are attached. I think there are a lot worse insults you can get than somebody saying you copied a Beatles riff.”

For Hamilton, the new album presented many firsts, most notably the inclusion of two of his own songs. “There's a song called Tell Me, the fourth song on the album, and it's a medium tempo ballad in three-quarter time,” he says. “It's the first time I have written a song with lyrics and had Steven sing it, and that was an awesome experience. I have been in the band with the guy for forty years and still admire him. It was a great experience to hear what my writing sounded like with a real singer. Then on the deluxe version of the record, there is a track called Up On The Mountain which I wrote, with me singing the lead and that's something I never thought would happen. It's pretty amazing that – even as we talk about it now – it's very ironic that it's going to be out there for people to hear, so I hope they like it. If they like it, I better be ready to sing it live!”

On the album Hamilton mainly used a Fender Relic Jazz bass, as well as a G&L Asat through an Ampeg B15 amp, which is a different set-up than he used on their recent American tour. “On stage I'm using Gallien Kruger amplifiers but for most of the set, I have been using my G&L Asat,” he says. “Last summer when we were in the studio, their artist rep came over and dropped off this amazing Asat with an incredibly deep gold sparkle finish. He just said, 'Here, do with it what you will'! I tried it out and thought it was pretty interesting, but the damn thing was as heavy as lead. Then we went out on the road and I brought it out with me and loved the sound of it, but it was so heavy, I got pissed off at it and only used it for a few songs. I told the company that I loved their bass but why did it have to be so damn heavy? So they made me one out of pine with that same finish and it's beautiful and a joy to play. Then they made me one out of ash and I channeled it, you know, dug a lot of the wood out of it and put a blue sparkle finish on it and that sounds great too. I have really been having a lot of fun playing them.”

Hamilton is not a huge fan of effects, preferring to keep it fairly clean. “The only effects I really use are distortion but I have never been able to get the exact distortion sound I hear in my head. I have tried to do it with pedals. I think in the future, I'm going to pursue it, maybe trying some Marshall guitar amps. See if I can blow one of those up and get a good sound.”

In forty years with the band, Hamilton doesn't feel his playing style has changed much but has an interesting take on his band role. “I think I am a little more assertive with my playing and my writing but no, I think my role is what it has been and it's interesting how my musical role is so similar to my band member role. As a musician, my musical role in the band is to be a liaison between the drums and the guitars, and my role as a band member is usually to be in between two personalities trying to claw away at each other. I try to make the guys understand each other a little better.” Sounds like a dangerous place to be, I suggest. “You gotta keep your head down,” he fires back!

Being the bass player in a multi-million album selling band, Hamilton has racked up quite a few recognisable bass riffs, one of them, Sweet Emotion, was rated in the top 25 of all time in a recent web poll. But which bass lines does Hamilton consider to be among the best? “First of all, that's a pretty amazing thing to hear. I mean I am aware that when people hear that bass line, they do know that it's Sweet Emotion, which is interesting. As far as bass lines that I like, I was never one for getting the same bass line down as a record. First of all I didn't have the patience. I didn't have good enough equipment as a kid growing up to hear the bass well enough. I knew guys who would put their turntable on 78 to figure out the bass that way. Other people just had the ability to hear those low notes. I was very frustrated, so I've always been one to learn the chords and then play something similar. I have always loved the bass party to Lady Madonna and a lot of Beatles' songs, especially Rain and Paperback Writer. McCartney is so creative and uses such simple elements. I just love his playing. In terms of power and emotion, John Entwistle, especially his playing on Live At Leeds... it floors me. The guy did so much research into how to take the bass beyond it's usual role and then as an overall bass player, I think John Paul Jones is such a fine musician. He plays amazing keyboards and writes amazing stuff. I always found his playing to be an amazing marriage between raw power and funk.”

Once the new album is out, Hamilton suggests the band will let the audience decide which new tunes will find their way into the live set. “There are a couple that we have been playing. There are a couple more that we will probably add, but I think we will sit back and see what people like. We don't like to force the audience to listen to stuff they'd rather not hear. I think there are very few songs they don't want to hear but when you're up there on stage, you really get addicted to the energy from the audience. When you play a song and don't feel that energy coming back, it's kind of disappointing. You have to be realistic and think, are we going to keep pounding them with this or move on?”

As to when the band might return to Australia, Hamilton is a little exasperated. “Jesus, I don't know,” he says. “We're so overdue. I think we've only been there once in our lives, it's crazy! It's insane, so make a loud enough noise down there and we'll be there!”

Music From Another Dimension is out Tuesday 6 November