Just Push Play

Just Push Play is an ambitious work on which Aerosmith boldly mixed programming and processed tones into its unshakable blues-rooted framework. Actively taking in the latest production technology of the time, it is a record that challenged a more modern sound. Steven Tyler’s voice and Joe Perry’s guitar always powerfully keep a clear, sure axis even within the change-filled sound. A record with many experimental elements too. The big melody of the powerful popular “Jaded,” which became the lead single, and the drive of the title track “Just Push Play” powerfully show that the band widened a poppy entrance even further. The moving ballad “Fly Away from Here” and cuts like “Beyond Beautiful” and “Sunshine” convey the work’s fullness. In particular, “Jaded” recorded a big hit. On the other hand, a record on which Aerosmith’s own loose groove and rough rock-and-roll feel are firmly kept throughout. It is truly intriguing content that sought the balance between tradition and innovation. An engaging record that showed vigorous challenging drive even as veterans — a record where the band’s inquiry shines.