AEROSMITH Drummer: 'Being A Live Band Is What We're All About'

John Parks of Legendary Rock Interviews recently conducted an interview with AEROSMITH drummer Joey Kramer. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Legendary Rock Interviews: I know that you guys have worked with so many producers over the years, but other than the longtime relationship with Jack [Douglas], there has to be something he brings to the end result. I mean, you can hear it.

Joey: Yeah, Jack is definitely part of the equation. I think the most important thing he does is he makes the entire process of making a record fun. When we have fun as a band, it comes out on the tracks. I think that was the case on "Toys In The Attic" and "Rocks" and I think that holds true on "Music From Another Dimension". We really had a lot of fun working this time around, just singing and playing together. We're lucky in that sense, because when you're doing something you really like and you're having a good time it's not "work" anymore.

Legendary Rock Interviews: You've talked very candidly in your book "Hit Hard" about how sometimes it just wasn't fun anymore or things got in the way of it being fun. Now that you've hit this point in your career and you've played songs like "Draw The Line" or "Livin On The Edge" a million times, is the live show just as much fun as getting down to business and being creative in the studio?

Joey: Yeah, it is just as much fun, at least. It's probably much more fun on the road, because being a live band is what we're all about and what we've always been about. Being in the band for this long, you have to learn to work in the studio, I mean, I've been playing in AEROSMITH since 1970. All those years going into the studio we've all had to learn to make records and we have but what we really enjoy the most is playing live. That's always been the thing with us, we enjoy getting up there and getting that response from the fans in that setting. The live show is what AEROSMITH was based on and it's still what we're all about. To be honest, being a live band is what any band should really be about. If you're not a good live act, then what is the point of it, what good is it all and why do you exist? Unfortunately, there are some bands that aren't good live, but it's something we really pride ourselves on. As long as we can get up there and do, that it makes it so much fun to be in this band with the guys. There is no greater feeling than playing those songs live.

Legendary Rock Interviews: I've also noticed there's been a couple of guest artists who've already been mentioned in terms of being on "Music From Another Dimension". Julian Lennon did some vocal work and Carrie Underwood is featured on a track called "Beautiful". Is that correct, and do you think that song has a tremendous amount of radio appeal?

Joey: No, no, she's not on a track called "Beautiful". I'm not sure where all of these reports are coming from. but that's dead wrong. Carrie actually appears on a track called "Can't Stop Loving You" and it absolutely has a lot of radio appeal in it. It's a great, great song.

Legendary Rock Interviews: How are the new songs going over and how soon before you start working in different tracks from the album live?

Joey: They're going over great! So far we've done a song called "Oh Yeah!" and, of course, "Legendary Child", but they're both a lot of fun in the set. As soon as this tour is over and we get set to go back out again when this album comes out in November we will start working more of it into the shows.

Read the entire interview from Legendary Rock Interviews.

"Legendary Child" video: