Boston 1971: A historic early recording of Aerosmith in their rehearsal room - just the band, crew and friends captured on Joe Perry's tape recorder. This never-before-heard performance showcases the early, raw talent of this future Hall Of Fame band, one year before signing to Columbia Records, and two years before their eponymous debut, which featured many of these songs, including their enduring anthem "Dream On."

Aerosmith Celebrates 50th Anniversary and Completely Moves to Universal Music! Aerosmith celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a complete transfer of its entire catalog to Universal Music! For 50 years, the legendary Boston rock band, Aerosmith, has been a household name, delivering anthems and hits that everyone knows and loves, winning four Grammy Awards(R) and being certified Diamond for the highest-selling album of all time (note: 10 million copies sold in the U.S.). This 3 CD deluxe edition of the ultimate best-selling album of the Smiths' entire career includes 3 bonus live discs prepared by the band for Japanese fans, for a total of 6 discs.

Almost all the heavy-hitters are hauled out for The Essential Aerosmith, from "Mama Kin" to "Jaded," and including both versions of "Walk This Way." Some of the songs are presented in a remixed form – "Draw the Line," "Pink," "Just Push Play" – but all of the new mixes are good, possibly even improvements, and the newer song, "Girls of Summer," is strong (its companion, "Lay It Down," isn't as noteworthy). So, all the parts are in place – why doesn't it feel definitive, then? After all, there are no big songs or hits missing (apart from the cover of "Come Together," which isn't much of a loss), just fan favorites and album tracks like "Lick and a Promise," and "Chip Away the Stone".

In retrospect, it's a bit shocking how fully formed the signature Aerosmith sound was on their self-titled 1973 debut – which may not be the same thing as best-executed, because this album still sounds like a first album, complete with the typical stumbles and haziness that comes with a debut. Despite all this, Aerosmith clearly showcases all the attributes of the band that would become the defining American hard rock band of the '70s. Here, the Stones influences are readily apparent, from the Jagger-esque phrasing of Steven Tyler to the group's high-octane boogie, but the group displays little of the Stones' deep love of blues here.

John Lennon would have turned 67 in 2007. If alive, he could well be at the forefront of bringing peace to Darfur, where more than half a million have died from violence and disease during four years of rebel discord. So to create awareness of the ongoing conflict, Amnesty International (with permission from Yoko Ono) has mined Lennon's solo work and rounded up nearly two dozen current artists to reinterpret the music, which spans the ex-Beatle's entire post-band catalog (plus a pair from while the Fab Four were still in business). As with any attempt to cover Beatles-related music, results are hit and miss, with kudos going to Snow Patrol and the Postal Service for capturing the starkness of "Isolation" and "Grow Old with Me," respectively, Mexican rock band Jaguares for uncovering the fear and fury in "Gimme Some Truth," and (surprise!) Christina Aguilera for nailing the complex composition and mood of "Mother." Other highlights include Jackson Browne's piano-led "Oh My Love," Green Day's louder straight take on "Working Class Hero," and the Black Eyed Peas turning "Power to the People" into a gospelly protest. Will resurrecting 30-to-40-year-old messages of peace and love be enough to help end the brutalities in Darfur? That remains to be seen. But selecting John Lennon as the author of those messages will make people listen and, with this collection, may keep them listening.

At the beginning of the 1990s, Aerosmith were celebrating a high point in their career. In the wake of 1987's Permanent Vacation, which had gone 5 x platinum and spawned the Top 20 singles Dude (Looks Like A Lady), Rag Doll and Angel, their 1989 follow up Pump was an even greater success. With four hit singles, all on heavy rotation at MTV, Pump was certified 7 x Platinum in the U.S. alone, and earned Aerosmith their first Grammy award for the song Janie Got A Gun. In addition, Janie also received two MTV Video Music Awards, and is still regularly featured in lists of all-time great videos. In support of the album, the group embarked on the year-long Pump Tour, which saw Aerosmith play 166 shows across the U.S., Europe and Asia.