Aerosmith’s 1973 “Joined At The Hip”: Rock’s Missing Link

I’m not sure how many times I have to say it: Aersomith will never retire.

When a legacy act opens their vault, it’s usually a gamble—a mix of half-baked demos and studio outtakes that didn’t make the cut for a reason. But today’s release of Aerosmith’s Legendary Edition of their 1973 self-titled debut is a massive exception to the rule.

Overseen by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, this fresh mix definitely polishes up the Boston bad boys’ earliest definitive riffs; it also unearths a piece of rock history that fundamentally connects their raw beginnings to the stadium-dominating era of Toys in the Attic.

A Fresh Coat Of Paint On A 1973 Classic

Aerosmith’s 1973 debut has always been the gritty blueprint of American hard rock. Tracks like “Dream On” and “Mama Kin” set the standard, but the original production famously left the band feeling like they hadn’t quite captured their ferocious live energy on tape. This new Legendary Edition rectifies that decades-old grievance.

Tyler and Perry’s new mix brings the rhythm section forward, giving Tom Hamilton’s bass and Joey Kramer’s drums a thunderous punch that was slightly muted in the original ’73 pressing. The guitars bite harder, and Tyler’s vocals sit perfectly in that sweet spot between bluesy grit and soaring theatricality. It’s an auditory facelift that doesn’t compromise the album’s foundational sleaze, making the classics hit exactly how you remember them—only louder.

Why “Joined At The Hip” Is The Ultimate Unearthing

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While the remastered hits will drive the nostalgia, the crown jewel of this release is the completely unreleased six-minute studio jam, “Joined At The Hip.” Don’t mistake this for a throwaway B-side. It is the missing link in Aerosmith’s sonic evolution. Right out of the gate, “Joined At The Hip” features a grinding, swampy groove where you can explicitly hear the early genesis of the iconic “Sweet Emotion” lick.

It’s a fascinating look at how Perry was experimenting with those talk-box-ready rhythms years before they actually laid them down for Toys in the Attic. The track captures the band at their most primal, trading solos and finding their groove in real-time. For anyone who tracks the technical progression of classic rock’s greatest anthems, “Joined At The Hip” is essential listening—proof that Aerosmith’s biggest, most maximalist ideas were already brewing from day one.

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