Big Ones
Greatest hits album by
Aerosmith
ReleasedNovember 1, 1994 (1994-11-01)[1]
RecordedMarch – May 1987, April – June 1989, September – November 1992 at Little Mountain Sound Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
January – February 1992 at A&M Studios, Los Angeles, California
April 1994 at The Power Station, New York City, New York
June 1994 at Capri Digital Studios, Capri, Italy[2]
Genre
Length73:15[1]
LabelGeffen
ProducerBruce Fairbairn, Michael Beinhorn[2]
Aerosmith compilation chronology
Pandora's Toys
(1994) 		Big Ones
(1994) 		Box of Fire
(1994)
Singles from Big Ones
  1. "Blind Man"
    Released: 1994
  2. "Walk on Water"
    Released: 1995

Big Ones is a compilation album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on November 1, 1994[1] by Geffen Records. Big Ones featured 12 hits from the band's three consecutive multi-platinum albums, Permanent Vacation (1987), Pump (1989), and Get a Grip (1993), as well as the hit, "Deuces Are Wild" from The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience (1993), and two new songs, "Blind Man" and "Walk on Water", which were recorded during a break in the band's Get a Grip Tour. These songs were also included on the band's 2001 compilation album, Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology. Big Ones is the band's second best-selling compilation album, reaching #6 on the Billboard charts, and selling four million copies in the United States alone. The album quickly became a worldwide hit reaching the Top 10 in nine countries before the end of the year.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

History

In March 1987, Aerosmith began working at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for the album that became Permanent Vacation. The recordings were completed in May,[2] the album was released in August,[12] and reached #11 on the Billboard 200.[13] The album released several singles including "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (#4 on the Mainstream Rock Charts, #14 on the Billboard Hot 100), "Rag Doll" (#12 Mainstream Rock Charts, #17 Hot 100), and "Angel" (#2 Mainstream Rock, #3 Hot 100).[14]

Then in April 1989, the band went back to Little Mountain Sound Studios to record songs for their next studio album, Pump. The recordings were completed in June 1989,[2] the album was released in September,[15] and reached #5 on the Billboard 200.[13] Several other singles were released from Pump including "Janie's Got a Gun" (#2 Mainstream Rock, #4 Hot 100), "Love in an Elevator" (#1 Mainstream Rock, #5 Hot 100), "The Other Side" (#1 Mainstream Rock, #22 Hot 100) and "What It Takes" (#1 Mainstream Rock, #9 Hot 100).[14] In May a song was recorded during the sessions for Pump called "Deuces Are Wild", however it was not released on the album and was not released until the 1993 compilation album, The Beavis and Butt-head Experience.[2]

In January 1992, the band began recording at A&M Studios in Los Angeles, California. The recordings at A&M ended in February and in September the band began recording again at Little Mountain Sound Studios.[2] The recordings at Little Mountain ended in November,[2] and Aerosmith's next studio album, Get a Grip was released in April 1993[16] and went to #1 on the Billboard 200.[13] The singles released from Get a Grip included "Amazing" (#3 Mainstream Rock, #9 Top 40 Mainstream, #24 Hot 100), "Cryin'" (#1 Mainstream Rock, #11 Top 40 Mainstream, #12 Hot 100), "Eat the Rich" (#5 Mainstream Rock), "Livin' on the Edge" (#1 Mainstream Rock, #18 Hot 100, #19 Top 40 Mainstream), and "Crazy" (#7 Mainstream Rock, #7 Top 40 Mainstream, #17 Hot 100).[14]

In April 1994 the band went to The Power Station in New York City, New York and started recording the songs "Walk on Water" and "Blind Man". The group then completed the songs in June at Capri Digital Studios, Capri, Italy.[2] "Blind Man" reached #3 on the Mainstream Rock Charts, #23 on the Top 40 Mainstream, and #48 on the Hot 100 in 1994.[14] "Walk on Water" reached #16 on the Mainstream Rock Charts in 1995.[14]

There were no songs from Aerosmith's first Geffen release, Done With Mirrors (1985), despite the hit "Let the Music Do the Talking" which reached #18 on the Mainstream Rock Charts.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Robert Christgau(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)[17]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[18]

For his review of Big Ones for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album a high rating because he felt that the album captured the "comeback" of Aerosmith. However, he felt that the songs did not match the "rawness" of the band's earlier material, and seemed a little too "mainstream", with rampant over-production and too many power ballads.[1] Robert Christgau did not think the album included enough songs from the album Get a Grip, and did not like that it excluded "My Fist, Your Face." However, he did like the two new tracks, "Walk on Water" and "Blind Man."[17] Tom Sinclair thought well of the album in his review for Entertainment Weekly because it showed that they could mix hard rock and funk-based blues, and that they were more than just the American version of The Rolling Stones. He'd have given the album a higher rating had it not included the song "Angel".[18]

Track listing

Big Ones
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Walk on Water" (previously unreleased)Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Jack Blades, Tommy Shaw4:54
2."Love in an Elevator" (from the album Pump)Tyler, Perry5:21
3."Rag Doll" (from the album Permanent Vacation)Tyler, Perry, Jim Vallance, Holly Knight4:24
4."What It Takes" (from the album Pump)Tyler, Perry, Desmond Child5:09
5."Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (from the album Permanent Vacation)Tyler, Perry, Child4:23
6."Janie's Got a Gun" (from the album Pump)Tyler, Tom Hamilton5:30
7."Cryin'" (from the album Get a Grip)Tyler, Perry, Taylor Rhodes5:08
8."Amazing" (from the album Get a Grip)Tyler, Richard Supa5:55
9."Blind Man" (previously unreleased)Tyler, Perry, Rhodes4:00
10."Deuces Are Wild" (from the album The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience)Tyler, Vallance3:35
11."The Other Side" (from the album Pump)Tyler, Vallance4:03
12."Crazy" (from the album Get a Grip)Tyler, Perry, Child5:16
13."Eat the Rich" (from the album Get a Grip)Tyler, Perry, Vallance4:10
14."Angel" (from the album Permanent Vacation)Tyler, Child5:07
15."Livin' on the Edge" (from the album Get a Grip)Tyler, Perry, Mark Hudson6:22
Total length:1:13:15
Japanese and European edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
16."Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (Live)Tyler, Perry, Child5:20
Total length:1:18:35
Special Edition Disc Two - all tracks taken from live album A Little South of Sanity
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)"Tyler, Perry, Glen Ballard3:20
2."Hole in My Soul"Tyler, Perry, Child5:41
3."Walk on Down"Perry5:09
4."Dream On"Tyler3:40
5."Back in the Saddle"Tyler, Perry4:42
6."Mama Kin"Tyler4:06
7."Walk This Way"Tyler, Perry4:07
8."Sweet Emotion"Tyler, Hamilton5:57

NB: "Love in an Elevator," "Janie's Got a Gun," and "The Other Side" are presented without their original lead-ins as heard on Pump ("Going Down," "Water Song," and "Dulcimer Stomp," respectively).

Personnel

Per liner notes[2]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for Big Ones
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[50] 3× Platinum 180,000^
Australia (ARIA)[51] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[52] Gold 25,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[53] Gold 100,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[54] 8× Platinum 800,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[55] Platinum 40,060[55]
Germany (BVMI)[56] Gold 250,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[57] Platinum 200,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[58] Gold 100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[59] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[60] Gold 7,500^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[61] Platinum 50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[62] Gold 50,000^
Sweden (GLF)[63] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[64] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[65] 4× Platinum 4,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[66] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Tracks Label Catalog # Barcode Edition Series Notes
USA Nov 1, 1994 CD 15 Geffen/MCA GEFD-24716 720642471623 — — [67]
USA Nov 1, 1994 Cassette 15 Geffen/MCA GEFC-24716 720642471647 — — [68]

See also

References

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  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Big Ones (CD insert). Aerosmith. U.S.A.: Geffen Records. 1994. GEFD-24716.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ "Big Ones - Aerosmith". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 12 November 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
  4. ^ "100 Albums (CD's & Cassettes)". RPM. 60 (18). November 21, 1994. ISSN 0033-7064. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-20. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  5. ^ "1994-11-12 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
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  15. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/pump-r182
  16. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/get-a-grip-r168816
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  18. ^ a b Sinclair, Tom (November 4, 1994). "Big Ones - Aerosmith (Music Review)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
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  58. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved August 23, 2022. Type Aerosmith in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Big Ones in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  59. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Aerosmith – Big Ones" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved November 27, 2019. Enter Big Ones in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1995 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
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  61. ^ "Norwegian album certifications – Aerosmith – Big Ones" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
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  65. ^ "American album certifications – Aerosmith – Big Ones". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  66. ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1996". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  67. ^ "Big Ones CD". Zia Records.
  68. ^ "Big Ones CASSETTE". Zia Records.

External links

Aerosmith
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