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Sure, there's the occasional melodramatic interlude (despite its lyrical cliches, "Luv Lies" has the potency to be another "Angel"-size smash). But there's also more white-knuckled hard-rock intensity here than on the band's most recent efforts.
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An expert balance of vintage Aerosmith and more contemporary stylings.
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No one will mistake ''Play'' for one of the band's best discs, but neither will anyone who enjoys the signature sound of one of America's musical treasures fail to find pleasure in its polished, mostly ungimmicky grooves.
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The band’s most energetic record since 1993’s Get A Grip.
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Except for the predictable re-entry "Fly Away From Here," Boston's bad boys have jettisoned the sappy ballads and slick producers that fueled recent releases, unveiling a homemade endeavor which recasts the crunch and cadence of vintage Aerosmith.
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Granted, not everything here is top drawer scarf-worthy.... Still, it's worth noting that the album works to a middle-of-the-set peak -- which means that Aerosmith understands the dynamics of CD construction better than bands half its age.
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While nothing else on "Play" quite matches the slinky intimacy of its Top 10 single, "Jaded," every song has something to root for, whether it's the title track's inventive genre-shuffle, Tyler's spontaneous yodeling or the way "Under My Skin" continues the band's love of gender-bending.
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One of the group's most adventurous outings...
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 32 out of 41
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Mixed: 4 out of 41
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Negative: 5 out of 41
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Jan 26, 2023
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Jun 4, 2014
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stevecSep 28, 2006loads of fun