‘We’re All Somebody From Somewhere’ By Steven Tyler Album Review: Intriguing Premise But Poor Realization

At age 68, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler goes solo with an album that evokes some of the old rock band classics and is infused with a country vibe. We’re All Somebody From Somewhere pretty much like the title suggest is a melting pot of genres and lyrical references filled with more nostalgia than anything innovative.

‘We’re All Somebody From Somewhere’ By Steven Tyler Album Review

The stripped down opener “My Own Worst Enemy” and the first single off the album “Love Is Your Name,” released last year, give a promising start to the record. Immediately clear are the surprising prospects of a country album by a rock legend — a move that is as unexpected as it is logical given the shifting musical interests of the consumers.

But that We’re All Somebody From Somewhere is a publicity move in search for radio spotlight is doubtful. A lot of the production carries in the same vein as classic Aerosmith hit. The power ballad “Only Heaven,” for example, channels the energy of “Crazy” or “Cryin’.” Tyler’s scat vocals are timeless and just what we might expect, though veering towards the melodramatic at times. But what’s perhaps worse than recreating an already familiar and functioning formula is writing forgettable and lackluster pieces. The title track is the first hint of disappointment we get after hearing just the opener – a slip that we can readily forgive. However, the generic anthem “RED, WHITE & YOU” further thwarts the good impression

But what’s perhaps worse than recreating an already familiar and functioning formula is writing forgettable and lackluster pieces. The title track is the first hint of disappointment we get after hearing just the opener – a slip that we can readily forgive. However, the generic anthem “RED, WHITE & YOU” further thwarts the good impression We’re All Somebody From Somewhere was genuinely trying to make. Whether this is an unfortunate result of the varied collaborative songwriting or the delving into a new genre, the failures of the album are abundant.

The album comes to a close with a cover of Aerosmith’s legendary tracks “Janie’s Got a Gun” followed by another classic cover this time of Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart.” Both tracks hit a sentimental spot and Tyler’s vocals are completely in tune with the songs both his own and Joplin’s, bringing the right energy to them. But the album fails in that it perhaps tries to accomplish too much by trying to give something to everyone. It loses focus and shifts into a nostalgic tone that merely recalls the past and gives way to the generic. Ultimately We’re All Somebody From Somewhere strikes a banal chord despite some of its impressive moments.

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