Devil's Got a New Disguise (2007)
1.Dream On
2.Mama Kin
3.Sweet Emotion
4.Back in the Saddle
5.Last Child
6.Walk This Way
7.Dude (Looks Like A Lady)
8.Ragdoll
9.Love in an Elevator
10.Janie's Got a Gun
11.What It Takes
12.Crazy
13.Livin' on the Edge
14.Crying
15.I Don't Want To Miss a Thing
16.Jaded
17.Sedona Sunrise
18.Devil's Got A New Disguise
By the time Devil’s Got a New Disguise was released, Aerosmith had already solidified their place in rock history with a catalogue spanning more than three decades. This compilation, however, is a curious entry in their discography—less a definitive celebration and more a commercial afterthought.
Released with the implied authority of a “very best of” collection, the album falls short both in scope and in representation. The problem lies not with the music itself—many of the included tracks are undisputed classics—but with the misguided curation and timing of the release. Aerosmith's oeuvre, rich in both musical experimentation and chart success, simply cannot be distilled meaningfully onto a single disc. Moreover, the band had already issued a more comprehensive two-disc retrospective only a few years prior, raising serious questions about the intent behind this truncated follow-up.
From a historical standpoint, the most egregious omission is the original version of Walk This Way—a track which, arguably, encapsulates the band's swaggering, blues-infused hard rock ethos. Instead, listeners are offered the Run D.M.C. collaboration, a version iconic in its own right but lacking the raw edge of the 1975 recording. While the crossover hit undeniably expanded Aerosmith’s audience and reinvigorated their career in the mid-1980s, its inclusion in place of the original seems less about musical merit and more about brand recognition.
The two “new” tracks—Devil’s Got a New Disguise and Sedona Sunrise—feel less like a genuine return to form and more like strategic bait for completists. Their exclusivity to the compilation (absent from digital platforms at the time) makes them feel like a marketing maneuver rather than an artistic contribution. Neither track significantly advances the band’s narrative, and both echo themes and motifs better explored in earlier work. Even the artwork invites criticism. Echoing the design aesthetic of a past Def Leppard release, it further underscores the impression that the album was conceived with minimal originality or intent.
Ultimately, Devil’s Got a New Disguise does little to enhance Aerosmith's legacy. Instead, it serves as a reminder of the commercial pressures often at odds with artistic preservation. If one wants to understand Aerosmith's enduring appeal and musical evolution, they'd be better served by revisiting full-length studio albums like Rocks or Toys in the Attic, where the band's dynamic interplay, songwriting craft, and raw energy are fully realized.