News

When Aerosmith surprised fans by moving their entire catalogue to Universal Music Group – switching two eras of material for Columbia Records (eight studio and live LPs originally issued between 1973-1982 and a further four studio releases from 1997-2012), everyone was dreaming on about potential archival titles. But outside of the terrific early rehearsal EP 1971: The Road Starts Hear and a new greatest hits package, there wasn’t much to speak of, and frontman Steven Tyler’s vocal issues forced an early end to their planned farewell tour.

But just as in the ’80s, one shouldn’t count the Bad Boys from Boston out. Last year’s One More Time, a new collaborative EP with British singer Youngblud, was a surprise Top 10 release; now, UMe has announced a lavish multi-format “Legendary Edition” of the band’s self-titled debut, due for reissue March 20. The set, primarily available on three CDs or four LPs, offers the remastered original album (featuring tracks like “Mama Kin,” “Movin’ Out” and the eventual smash hit “Dream On”) alongside a new remix of the album, overseen in 2024 by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry with producer/engineer Zakk Cervini and producer Steve Berkowitz, plus a further 17 unreleased tracks including studio outtakes and a vintage live performance in the band’s hometown. The new remix will be available on its own CD and vinyl releases (including a translucent red color variant), and a collector’s edition box that includes colored vinyl variants (plus an extra clear “UV cloud effect” 12″, placed on a sky-blue slipmat, featuring the remaster and remix of “Dream On”), a hardcover version of the included book of liner notes and rare photos, and an exclusive poster and sticker sheet, all housed in a special package with a 3D diorama of the band.

The quintet – singer Steven Tyler, lead guitarist Joe Perry, rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer – had been playing together since 1970 – even sharing a home together on Boston’s Commonwealth Avenue – and were famously signed to Columbia Records by Clive Davis after a last-minute booking at Max’s Kansas City in New York. But other than Tyler, who’d penned most of the material on the album and had cut a few singles in previous band The Chain Reaction (where he was credited under his birth name Steven Tallarico), most of the members had barely set foot in a professional studio. Working with producer Adrian Barber in the local Intermedia studio was not easy; Perry has long expressed his discontent for the album’s sound, while Tyler once quipped, “I’m not sure if it was because he was so high, or because we all were.”

Nonetheless, Aerosmith’s unique, blues-rooted hard rock sound was galvanizing to anyone lucky enough to hear it. Tracks like “Mama Kin” and “Movin’ Out” (the latter being the first of many written by the duo of Tyler and Perry) crackled with confidence, and the magical “Dream On,” written by Tyler in his teens, featured a distinctive circular riff that wisped around listeners like smoke, building to a thunderous climax where Tyler lifted his voice to new heights (cementing his longtime reputation as The Demon of Screamin’). The track was an immediate local hit, but Aerosmith took years to find an audience; only after the release of third album Toys in the Attic in 1975 did critics feel the band were stepping away from imitating bluesy British contemporaries like The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin. Columbia subsequently reissued the album (redesigning the cover closer to what is seen on the new package) and recirculated “Dream On” to radio and record stores, and in 1976 it became their first of an impressive eight Top 10 hits charted through the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and ’00s.

Today, Aerosmith are regarded as one of the most influential bands of their era, and the set’s accompanying, box set-exclusive liner notes will tell that story in a most colorful way. Author Rick Florino has gathered not only thoughts from all the members of the band, but testimonies from influenced rock vocalists (Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes, Sully Erna of Godsmack) and guitarists (Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell), and even thoughts from Dolly Parton. A 16-page booklet of photos will be included with the 3CD set, along with a 12-page cutdown on the single CD.

All formats can be pre-ordered from the band’s official store below, with Amazon links hopefully to follow in due time. They’ll be released March 20.

Aerosmith (Legendary Edition) (Capitol/UMe, 2026)

5LP: Official Store (Fan Pack with satin bomber jacket)
4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (fan pack with T-shirt)

CD/LP 1: Original album – 2024 remaster (released as Columbia KC 32005, 1973 – 180-gram clear vinyl in 5LP box)

1. Make It
2. Somebody
3. Dream On
4. One Way Street
5. Mama Kin
6. Write Me a Letter
7. Movin’ Out
8. Walkin’ the Dog

CD/LP 2: Original album – 2024 remix (same track list as Disc 1 – 180-gram red vinyl across all formats except 4LP box)

CD 3/LP 3-4: Paul’s Mall Live Performance (3/20/1973) and bonus tracks (all previously unreleased – 180-gram black vinyl across all formats)

1. Introduction (Live At Paul’s Mall, Boston, MA – 3/20/1973)
2. Make It (Live At Paul’s Mall, Boston, MA – 3/20/1973)
3. One Way Street (Live At Paul’s Mall, Boston, MA – 3/20/1973)
4. Somebody (Live At Paul’s Mall, Boston, MA – 3/20/1973)
5. Write Me a Letter (Live At Paul’s Mall, Boston, MA – 3/20/1973)
6. I Ain’t Got You (Live At Paul’s Mall, Boston, MA – 3/20/1973)
7. Mother Popcorn (Live At Paul’s Mall, Boston, MA – 3/20/1973)
8. Movin’ Out (Live At Paul’s Mall, Boston, MA – 3/20/1973)
9. Walkin’ the Dog (Live At Paul’s Mall, Boston, MA – 3/20/1973)
10. Train Kept A Rollin’ (Live At Paul’s Mall, Boston, MA – 3/20/1973)
11. Mama Kin (Live At Paul’s Mall, Boston, MA – 3/20/1973)
12. Train Kept A Rollin’ (Session Take)
13. Make It (Rehearsal Take)
14. Make It (Alternate Take)
15. Write Me a Letter (Alternate Take)
16. Harmonica Bass Jam Jelly (Session Take)
17. Joined At the Hip (Aerojam)

LP 5: Dream On (2024 Remaster) b/w Dream On (2024 Mix) (clear “UV cloud effect” vinyl exclusive to 5LP box)