In 2011 Japan was hit with a devastating earthquake, a tsunami, and a subsequent meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, leaving parts of the country in a complete disaster zone. That however didn't stop veteran hard rockers Aerosmith from their 'Back on the Road' tour of Japan, and this Blu-ray features footage from a few of the shows played, as well as behind the scenes & interview snippets from their trip to the Land of the Rising Sun.
The live performances are stellar, filmed in high-definition and delivered with superb picture quality and audio. One look at the set list and you know that the band chose the tracks for the tour wisely, as many Aerosmith classics were dusted off for their rabid Japanese fans. Forty years into their career and the band still have it, churning out blistering renditions of staples like "No More No More", "Draw the Line", "Mama Kin", "Toys in the Attic", "Sweet Emotion", "Rats in the Cellar", "Last Child", and of course "Walk This Way", along with more recent favorites like "Livin' on the Edge" and "Love in an Elevator" (curiously, no "Dream On" to be found here). Through it all Steven Tyler is in great vocal form, as are the guitar team of Joe Perry & Brad Whitford, with Perry taking center stage on most of the first half, and Whitford laying down some tremendous lead guitar later in the set. Though Joe has always gotten most of the praise, Whitford is a truly underrated player and really shows some serious chops on "Last Child" and "S.O.S. (Too Bad)".
As good as the live clips are, the main problem here is that too many songs are cut to allow for the inclusion of interview & backstage segments, and footage of the band walking around Japan. Those who really wanted to see the definitive live concert film of Aerosmith are going to be ultimately disappointed, as that's not really what you get here. To add insult to injury, as the band closes out with what starts as a raging version of "Train Kept A Rollin", the film goes to credits and we don't get to see the majority of the song.
That being said, Rock For the Rising Sun is still a fun watch and shows that Aerosmith, as a live act anyway, still have plenty of fire left in the tank.
Track Listing
1) Draw The Line
2) Love In An Elevator
3) Livin On The Edge
4) Hangman Jury
5) No More No More
6) Mama Kin
7) Monkey On My Back
8) Toys In The Attic
9) Listen To The Thunder
10) Sweet Emotion
11) Boogie Man
12) Rats In The Cellar
13) Movin Out
14) Last Child
15) S.O.S. (Too Bad)
16) Walk This Way
17) Train Kept A Rollin (credits)
Bonus Features:
Bonus Performances:
(1) Lick And A Promise
(2) One Way Street
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
