Photographer Tony Mottram shot shy, retiring wallflower Steven Tyler and the bad boys from Boston for Sounds, Kerrang! and other mags in the 80s and 90s. Usually only one or two shots from a session were used, so he had a surplus of candids. Many, ranging from plentiful live captures to off-stage poses – “You have to grab hold; sometimes it’s your crotch, sometimes it’s reality,” offers the eloquent Tyler – are presented in this expensive hardback book, which lands in an oddly appropriate silver flight case. There are close-up, feel-the-sweat shots from the Marquee in 1990 with Jimmy Page guesting, and broader photos from the Monsters Of Rock festival. An eyebrow-raising session at the band’s Wherehouse rehearsal studio shows Tyler laughing heartily as the Mottram sports a gigantic dildo found on site. You just don’t get that kind of access with these Ed Sheerans the youngsters have nowadays.
Aerosmith: In Full Flight by Tony Mottram book review
Limited-edition collection of intimate photos of the band
You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.
“Religion never accepts the balance that exists in a human being. It’s just a one-way street. That’s always going to cause conflicts”: How Dimmu Borgir made an irreligious symphonic black metal classic with In Sorte Diaboli
“It was carnage. We partied on the road, then I’d get home and start the party all over again. I thought, ‘If this carries on, I might die’”: The explosive story of The Darkness’ OTT hard rock masterpiece Permission To Land
“We were heartbroken. The world had lost a big talent. But as a band we had lost much more”: The rollercoaster story of AC/DC’s Back In Black, the 50-million selling album that emerged from tragedy
