Billboard.com reported yesterday that Steven Tyler's attorney, Skip Miller, has addressed a cease and desist letter to Aerosmith management, basically a legalese request that they discontinue their consideration of a different singer.
Granted, a band called Aerosmith without Steven Tyler is not such a good idea. Oh, hell, let's be honest, it's commercial suicide, almost as good a move as Aerosmith without Joe Perry from 1979 to 1984. But the drama playing out in front of the whole world is equally detrimental to the Aerosmith brand. Its cliché for band members to describe their relationships as a four- or five-way marriage, but that's a pretty accurate way of looking at it. And just like a separated couple on the verge of a divorce, watching their personal problems play out publicly is pretty uncomfortable.
At the time, prior to Joe Perry leaving the band in 1979, followed two years later by Brad Whitford, the fans never really knew what was happening behind the scenes. Sure, there were plenty of barbs traded back and forth in print, but that was after the fact. And when Perry and Whitford did return in 1984, we never really read the detailed specifics of the band struggling to rebuild their interpersonal relationships until their Walk This Way autobiography 13 years later. Prior to that, we basically knew the band was back, they worked out their differences, and the music did most of the talking.
But just like David Lee Roth and the Van Halen brothers foregoing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony three years ago, nothing evaporates the perceived power of a band quicker than their drama being played out in tabloid fashion—except maybe an all-too-revealing documentary, a la Metallica, that exposes the frailty of our icons. That's not to suggest that rock stars don't deal with the same shit as the rest of us. Believe me, they do. After all, they're human beings, too. But the larger-than-life magnitude of their collective persona takes a major hit when we get a glimpse of the man behind the curtain. And unless that man is someone with whom I have a one-on-one relationship as friend and confidant, I don't want to see his limitations. I don't want to give up the suspension of disbelief, and the feeling of empowerment that comes with the perception that rock stars are superheroes. No one ever looks at the everyday foibles of our heroes and says, “Wow, man, I want to be just like that.”
Peter Criss was fired from Kiss in 1980. But when Paul, Gene and Ace appeared that year with new drummer Eric Carr on Kids Are People Too, they stated that Peter was still part of the Kiss family, but he just wanted to spend time with his new wife and pursue different opportunities. No drama, no tabloid fodder. Kiss still seemed all-powerful to a 13-year-old kid, without bickering like a couple during a bitter separation. Sure, the truth came out years later, but by then it was not singularly to the detriment of their mystique.
Entertainment Weekly asks how much we would pay to see Aerosmith perform with rumored replacements Paul Rodgers or Billy Idol. Really, the idea of a band called Aerosmith featuring anyone but Steven Tyler on vocals is ludicrous (seriously, Billy Idol?), but should four of the five band members want to continue without their iconic singer, hey, that's their decision. A better idea would be to call it something—anything—other than Aerosmith. Either way, keep it under wraps until the machine is ready to roll. Hints to the media about potential candidates for the gig just add to the tabloid devaluation of the band. And if a legal course of action is the path Tyler feels will best protect his position and help keep the band intact, fine. Just do us a favor, everyone, and spare the kids until after divorce court.
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