Ok folks, it is time to dig out all your Aerosmith cds, lps, sps, DVDs and any other ees and burn them. That’s right get rid of them! Steven Tyler has sold out. The king of cool needs to go back to school. The god of rock needs a huge sock, in his mouth. He is no longer a rock ‘n roller but just a mere judge on a talent show that is destroying the industry that has provided him the extravagant lifestyle that he as afforded for decades.

I could not believe my eyes and ears when I saw an advertisement for the coming seasons American Idol sprouting off about the new judges. I can accept Judge Jenny who was really just a made artist anyway, but Steven Tyler. My god! I used to worship Aerosmith when I was growing up. I am shattered, disturbed, destroyed. Is nothing sacred?

We must ask the question does anyone create art for art’s sake anymore? Or is it only about the almighty dollar? I know a person has to live but how much is enough. These days most rock ‘n roll stars are little more than prostitutes selling themselves to the highest bidder and losing their dignity in the process. Allowing record executives to dictate terms re-arrange and even rewrite their songs, all for a little money.

A good friend of mine, JJ Harris, used to drum with Australian band The Divinyls in the 80s. When the band went off to New York to record their Temperamental album, producer Mike Chapman (of Suzie Quattro fame) sacked Jeff (JJ Harris) because he had no recording experience. Upon his return to Australia Jeff said to me, “What really gets me is that Mike Chapman is not even in the band and no one in the band said anything.” So not only do these record execs and producers rewrite the band’s songs they even take the liberty of hiring and firing the band’s members and what is even worse than that is that these great rock ‘n rollers let them do it.

I have so much admiration for musicians like Buddy Holly, who punched out his record producer because he wanted to change one of Holly’s songs. And Stevie Ray Vaughan who used to play at music festivals, like Bumbershoot in Seattle on small stages in the street, for next to nothing. And Jim Morrison for being unwilling to change one word of Light My Fire when he performed live on the Ed Sullivan Show, knowing his actions would cost the band any potential of a repeat performance.

But gone are those days, now it’s all about the dollar. Greed is ubiquitous in modern society. We have seen it all but destroy the world’s financial systems as it continues to tear apart the music industry.

So Mr. Tyler thanks for shattering my illusions and destroying my faith in rock gods from the seventies. You should be ashamed of yourself. I hope fellow Aerosmith members are ashamed of you too.

- Axel