“GREATEST HITS LIVE” the unreleased 1995 album that AEROSMITH shelved

Posted on by AerosmithBackBurner

‘Greatest Hits Live’ was an Aerosmith album that was recorded between 1993 and 1994, although none of the ’93 shows were used. It was scheduled to come out in 1995 but was shelved and ultimately never released. American record producer and engineer Kevin Elson was brought on board to manage the recordings of a host of concerts and the ultimate production of this live compilation album. This live album was completely mixed and mastered and ready for release but the band was going through so much inner turmoil trying to write NL that they shelved the project completely.

It was possibly shelved as the band already had plans to go on to the studio (what would result in Nine Lives) and the label didn’t want it to interfere with the new album sales. Eventually, the project would be picked up by Jack Douglas with 1998’s “A Little South of Sanity”.

Source BackStageAuctions

Featured here is a stunning and historically significant lot that includes:

  • Kevin Elson’s notepad with 16 pages of handwritten production notes from the recordings
  • Eight-page document with technical details of the mixing consuls used during the recordings
  • Two-page fax with a detailed breakdown of all recorded songs and the 12 shows where they were recorded
  • One-page fax with detailed comments about the tracklisting
  • Lots of 18 original setlists – many with handwritten notes and comments by Kevin Elson – from recordings made during the final legs of the 1994 ‘Get A Grip’ tour. There are setlists from Mexico City, Santiago, Prague, Vancouver, Toronto, San Jose, Boston, Chicago, Tacoma, Portland, Louisville, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Buffalo, Minneapolis, Albany, Richmond, and Detroit

This exceptional lot comes directly from the private collection of Kevin Elson, who is best known for his work with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Journey, Europe, Mr. Big, Aerosmith, and Night Ranger. Elson started his career as the sound engineer for Lynyrd Skynyrd and was one of the survivors of the October 1977 plane crash.

During the 1993–94 tour numerous shows were recorded for what was initially planned to be a contract fulfilling double-live album for Geffen, then expected for release in 1995. The recordings had not been compiled into a coherent album. Producer Kevin Elson felt that there was very little needed studio work to flesh out the recordings. Some of the tracks had issues that needed addressing. Expectations, internal or external, may have played a role in the decision to delay the release. If Columbia was undergoing a fundamental change in how they handled product, the band may have been waiting for the right conditions. Efforts towards the project were abandoned in favor of waiting until additional recordings could be completed during a subsequent tour, though not all the previously recorded shows were discarded and Kalodner’s departure from Geffen may have played a role. The safety-DAT is one version of a possibly sequenced album constructed with probable recording sources. Kalodner had substantial issues with the version as submitted, dated Nov. 3, 1995. Tracks 1.01, 1.07, 1.11 & 1.13 were the only tracks that turned up on A Little South of Sanity. Tracks 2.07–08 may have been considered for bonus/B-side usage, since the purpose of their inclusion is not detailed.

The tracklist could have been:

  • 1.01. Eat The Rich (Costa Rica, Nov. 10, 1994)
  • 1.02. Fever (Costa Rica, Nov. 10, 1994)
  • 1.03. Rag Doll (Cleveland, Dec. 1, 1994)
  • 1.04. Seasons of Wither (Chicago, Dec. 6, 1994)
  • 1.05. Monkey on My Back (Costa Rica, Nov. 10, 1994)
  • 1.06. Cryin’ (Costa Rica, Nov. 10, 1994)
  • 1.07. Crazy (Costa Rica, Nov. 10, 1994)
  • 1.08. Walk on Water (Louisville, Dec. 3, 1994)
  • 1.09. What it Takes (Philadelphia, Dec. 10, 1994)
  • 1.10. The Other Side (Boston, Jan. 1, 1994)
  • 1.11. Amazing (Donington, June 4, 1994)
  • 1.12. Stop Messin’ Around (Louisville, Dec. 3, 1994)
  • 1.13. Walk on Down (Cleveland, Dec. 1, 1994)
  • 1.14. Janie’s Got a Gun (Vancouver, Oct. 24, 1994)
  • 1.15. Angel (Portland, Oct. 22, 1994)
  • 2.01. Love in an Elevator (Costa Rica, Nov. 10, 1994)
  • 2.02. Dude (Looks Like a Lady) (Louisville, Dec. 3, 1994)
  • 2.03. Sweet Emotion (Detroit, Dec. 4, 1994)
  • 2.04. Dream On (Costa Rica, Nov. 10, 1994)
  • 2.05. Livin’ on the Edge (Costa Rica, Nov. 10, 1994)
  • 2.06. Walk this Way / Intros / End (Philadelphia, Dec. 10, 1994)
  • 2.07. Last Child (Boston, Dec. 19, 1994)
  • 2.08. Big Ten-Inch Record (Boston, Dec. 19, 1994)

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