STEVEN TYLER - We're All Somebody From Somewhere (2016)

Genre - Rock

Label - Universal Ltd.

Track listing:

01 - My Own Worst Enemy
02 - We're All Somebody From Somewhere
03 - Hold On (Wont Let Go)
04 - It Ain't Easy
05 - Love Is Your Name
06 - I Make My Own Sunshine
07 - Gypsy Girl
08 - Somebody New
09 - Only Heaven
10 - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly And Me
11 - RED, WHITE And YOU
12 - Sweet Louisiana
13 - What Am I Doin' Right?
14 - Janie's Got A Gun
15 - Piece Of My Heart (feat. The Loving Mary Band)

So Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has gone country. Well actually he hasn't, but it has to be said that on this his debut solo album, we see him incorporating a strong country music influence whilst slowly moving away from the brash stadium rock that Aerosmith have become world famous for. Indeed on We're All Somebody From Somewhere there’s something for everyone – the die-hard Aerosmith fan, the adventurous Tyler fan and the fan fearing the worst.  It does have some country-ish moments such as "It Ain't Easy", "Gypsy Girl" and the catchy and enjoyable "Love is Your Name",  and "Red White and You" is fairly modern country. This is a rock album with a sometime country feel but not much of one. So if you are looking for a country album a bit like Cyndi Lauper's you might be disappointed. If you’re looking for a hint of the cheeky lustfulness that powered Aerosmith’s best early songs, head straight for the title track. There’s also a slow-burn take on the band’s 1989 hit “Janie’s Got a Gun,” which emphasizes the song’s notoriously dark subject matter.
And “Only Heaven” gamely attempts to revive Aerosmith’s power-ballad prowess from the same era, and quite succeed. The cover of “Piece of My Heart” (made famous by Janis Joplin) works rather nicely. Tyler is at his best here when he focuses on blending those two impulses, adding a rootsy undertow to the familiar Aerosmith sound. “My Own Worst Enemy,” the album’s episodic opener, is perhaps the perfect example.  He also unleashes a thunderous, blues-drenched performance on the harp during the Jeff Beck-ish “Hold On (Don’t Let Go).” The former — which includes the lyric, “I could blame Jesus, I could blame Momma, I could blame Brahma for all the bull that’s in my head” — shows Tyler has lost none of his way with a winking lyric either.
This is a fine album that has something for everyone, but will undoubtedly not be to everyone's taste,  me personally rather like it!

Worth Checking Out

Rating: 8/10