Steven Tyler: The Biography by Laura Jackson

Author:Laura Jackson [Jackson, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Aerosmith, Biography & Autobiography, Music, Musicians, Nonfiction, Retail, Rock Star, Singer
ISBN: 9780748110278
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: 2008-10-02T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

Going Up, Mr Tyler?

TOWARDS THE end of 1988 several weeks were devoted to developing ideas for the follow-up to Permanent Vacation. Revelling in the creative benefits of his hard-won sobriety, Tyler was typically tongue-in-cheek: ‘I’ve been like a squirrel storing things up and I can’t stop fiddling with my nuts!’ He maintained that they wanted to keep the material simple and guitar-oriented, but the song collection that evolved over the coming months wove an interesting and intricate tapestry.

Steven collaborated with Jim Vallance on two numbers, ‘Young Lust’ and a belter called ‘The Other Side’, both of which came quickly to fruition. Desmond Child’s services were called upon to assist Tyler and Perry pull together ‘What It Takes’, a song that proved immensely popular with the fans live; seven other songs came from collaborations within the band, for they had closed ranks this time. From the band’s perspective, exploring collective creativity was always the best, and at this time it could only help to foster their new cohesion. Still, Perry’s raucous riffs marrying with Tyler’s intrinsic understanding of melody could, even after all these years, leave the others in awe.

A Tyler/Perry number to come straight off the bat was ‘Monkey on My Back’, reflecting Steven’s experience with drug and alcohol addiction, but the two standout tracks were swiftly identified as the diametrically different songs, ‘Love in an Elevator’ and ‘Janie’s Got a Gun’. Tyler once confessed: ‘I put so much sex in my lyrics because it is always on my mind.’ Certainly, the source for ‘Love in an Elevator’ has become a near fabled tale in rock.

According to Tyler, one evening in a swish hotel elevator, two nubile beauties ambushed him, keen to check out his credentials as a groin-grinding rock god. Not in the least averse to this ‘attack’, Tyler ended up down on his knees attending to one lady, who was in a startling state of undress. Completely engrossed with making out, the steamy pair forgot where they were until reaching the ground floor lobby, where the door slid smoothly open. Hotel staff and customers queuing to use the lift could not believe their eyes. Said Steven: ‘It was very exciting. The door was open for all of six seconds, then closed, but it felt like a millennium! ’ Steven effortlessly came up with the lyrics to tell this story and they twinned perfectly with a riff Joe had become attached to. The chemistry was right and both Tyler and Perry knew that it would be a stimulating live number - something which always motivates them. Perry later stated: ‘“Love in an Elevator” really sums up the excitement I feel is all over the Pump album.’

In complete contrast, ‘Janie’s Got a Gun’ dealt with a taboo topic. In the basement of his house, Steven had installed a sophisticated keyboard next to the treadmill he used to keep fit. Exercising often energised him lyrically. In ‘Janie’s’ case he had the song title and the melody but no specific direction.

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