Honkin' on Bobo is the fourteenth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on March 30, 2004, by Columbia Records. The album includes 11 covers of blues and blues rock songs from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, with one new song, "The Grind". The album pays tribute to Aerosmith's earliest influences and showcases a rawer sound when compared to their more recent commercial efforts. Honkin' on Bobo was produced by Jack Douglas, who was Aerosmith's producer on a vast majority of their 1970s output.
The album sold over 160,000 copies in its first week, reaching number five on the Billboard 200. Honkin' on Bobo was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on May 11, 2004.
Honkin' on Bobo was recorded in Joe Perry's ranch near Boston, with the band committing to playing only when they were in a good mood. "We wanted to do something we haven't done before and that excites us," Perry said. "That's what makes us want to do another record. Otherwise, we'd say, 'OK, we've done everything we can do, so why bother even going in again?’"
The album title was suggested by Tyler, who had heard the phrase before, possibly the song by Canadian country/bluegrass band The Good Brothers, and amused the band with it. Perry stated during a radio interview, "We just know that it's a phrase that sounds... jazzish, nastyish, so it works for us."
Many tracks feature harmonica by Tyler, including Little Walter's "Temperature". This was played on an episode of the House of Blues Radio Hour that was about the harmonica. A harmonica keychain was included with the limited-edition version.
"Stop Messin' Around" – a Fleetwood Mac cover, sung by Perry – had never before appeared on an Aerosmith album, despite being a staple of the band's concerts for more than ten years.
Reception
Metacritic gave the album a score of 69 out of 100 based on 12 generally favorable reviews.
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Year-end charts
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|+2004 year-end chart performance for Honkin' on Bobo
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! scope="row"| US Billboard 200
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