Aerosmith – The Wanderer (Tarantura TCDAS-1-1,2)

The Wanderer (Tarantura TCDAS-1-1,2) 

Sports Center, Maebashi Gumma, Japan – January 29, 1977 

Disc 1: (45:44) Jaws, Toccata And Fugue, Introduction, Mama Kin, Write Me, S.O.S.(Too Bad), Lick And A Promise, Big Ten Inch Record, Sweet Emotion, Rats In The Cellar, Dream On, Lord Of The Thighs 

Disc 2: (35:24) Last Child, Walk This Way, Sick As A Dog, Same Old Song And Dance, Train Kept A Rollin’, Bat Man, Planet Claire, Train Kept A Rollin’, Toys In The Attic, SE/Announcement 

The Wanderer from Tarantura documents Aerosmith’s first ever concert in Japan. The first date of the Japanese Tour was originally scheduled for January 28th in Tokyo but was cancelled due to unknown reasons. 

This is another excellent recording from Mr. Peach. Even though it is a bit distant, the quality of his recordings always have a certain “punchiness” to them making them very enjoyable. The performance is a bit sloppy in places, perhaps the band were still getting comfortable in their foreign surroundings but Aerosmith has always been a little rough around the edges even on their good nights. What they do bring to the table is a good energetic show that comes from the band’s ability to really let loose and go for it. As with most Mr. Peach tapes, the recording is very complete with no loss of music. 

The recording starts with the taped “Jaws” theme leading directly into “Toccata And Fugue” while the band can be heard checking their signals. “Mama Kin”, “Write Me”, and “S.O.S.” are run together in quick succession before a brief break in the action. Aerosmith is known for delivering a fast paced show and this one is no exception.  

The first from the new Rocks LP follows with “Lick And A Promise”. This is played almost non-stop with “Big Ten Inch Record” which features solos from both Brad Whitford and Joe Perry. Joe breaks out the talk box for “Sweet Emotion”. The Toys In The Attic track will remain a staple in the band’s setlist to this day. 

Whitford comes to the front again with “Last Child”, his main contribution to Rocks. Tyler seems to struggle a bit with the most challenging vocal of the night. The talk box makes another appearance in “Walk This Way”. Tyler miscues the second chorus but quickly recovers avoiding a potential disaster. The backing vocals in “Sick As A Dog” sound a bit off key but the song has great energy otherwise.  

“You’re gonna sing for me tonight, can you say All Night Long” Tyler says to the crowd before “Train Kept A Rollin”. After the fast section the band breaks into “Bat Man” and the “Peter Gunn Theme” to close out the main set. “Toys In The Attic” starts with a slow blues before busting into the only encore. 

With only two other shows documented from the Japanese tour, this Mr. Peach recording is a very important find. While it is arguably the best sounding tape from the tour, we can only hope that Mr. Peach attended more than one show. Tarantura packaged The Wanderer in a gatefold cardboard sleeve with era photos and a picture of the Sony master tapes inside and is easily recommended.