better as far as range and artistic creativity
'smith was boss thoughout the 70s, but after that they went downhill as they "sold out" and let the general public dictate the music that they should produce ie. pop music
You could argue that Aerosmith has shown superior range. Their music appeals to more fans, and has done so across 4 decades, threatening to go into its fifth with strength. By way of comparison, Van Halen topped out with a decade of good solid productivity. Their range, at the peak of their heyday, was amazing (be it Roth or Hagar...most forget that it was in Hagar's day that their music was chosen to lead Pepsi as the theme song for the brand, or with their addition to the sountracks of Twister. That said, it's not like Aerosmith hasn't had their music featured in action blockbusters (the Bruce Willis metor movie Armageddon comes to mind). However, Aerosmith's music has evolved from the 70's hard rock scene to mix nicely with the 80's hair rock scene, and then morphed into a female friendly ballad machine that keeps them relevant despite their age. Van Halen has not shown the same range.
As far as creativity, I would argue in favor of Van Halen. Eddie represents one of, if not the greatest guitarist of our time. And Alex is one of the greatest drummers of all time. Though Joey Kramer is solid, he's no Alex Van Halen...not even close. Alex's sound from his kit is better, his mastery is superior, his creativity is better, and his desire to take risks with straight ahead 4/4 rock is head and shoulders above Kramer. And I don't think anyone on this board will claim Perry is anywhere near as good as Eddie Van Halen. Both bring unique sounds, but Eddie Van Halen inspired a generation, for generations to come. Perry will go down as simply a great guitarist. Now, in terms of singers, my opinion is that Tyler buries Roth or Hagar. Tyler has created a brand that is mesmerizing and has maintained that persona for decades. Roth has faded, emerged, and faded, and emerged...each time slightly different but failing to recapture his past mystique. Hagar is an amazing voice, but not iconic in his presentation as an artist. Overall, I feel Van Halen has been more creative, but not by much. Van Halen revolutionized arena rock and were the undisputed champions of 80's rock (over other bands like Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Def Leppard and GnR -- all of which owe a debt to Van Halen). Aerosmith sort of rode along in the wake of all these styles mimicking where needed, and exploring where safe...but they were truly not the creative avant-guarde geniuses that were the Van Halen brothers.
Please forward this editorial piece along to the writers of Rolling Stone magazine. They need fresh writers...I've had it with the hacks they have on staff.
