'Gold' better off buried

Aerosmith's recently-released compilation album Gold packs in everything you would want in a greatest hits album from the aging rockers -- too bad it's all been done before. The two-CD collection is a rerelease of the 2001 release Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology and has a nearly identical playlist. The main difference between the two seems to be the packaging. Gold adopts a more serious tone than Young Lust in order to fit in with the Geffen Gold series. The biography included also serves to defend Aerosmith's credibility -- something that should not be required since the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.\nGold highlights the 12 years between 1984 and 1996 that Aerosmith worked with Geffen Records. During this time, the band achieved some of its greatest commercial success with the multi-platinum albums Pump and Get a Grip. Though this set is nothing original when one considers that Aerosmith has released a laundry list of compilations, it still holds up on its own. As opposed to the greatest hits set Oh Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, these CDs don't include any new songs which might be a good thing considering their recent flops.\nThe Gold CDs include 34 tracks including singles such as "Janie's Got A Gun," "Walk This Way" (with Run-D.M.C.), "Dream On," "Sweet Emotion" and "Cryin'." All of the tracks have been remastered and a previously unreleased orchestral version of "Amazing" has been added. Unfortunately, this cut is lackluster and doesn't pack the punch and edge of the original recording.\nThis two-CD set is the perfect addition to any Aerosmith virgin's CD collection, but if you're one of the many who already have Young Lust, Aerosmith's Greatest Hits or Oh Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits you might want to save your money and pass this one up.