hunter60
11-17-2008, 04:50 PM
Artist Profile: Joe Perry
By Hunter60
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200/drP000/P044/P04484TX6R3.jpg
It's impossible to tell the story of guitarist Joe Perry without telling the story of Aerosmith. It would seem that one cannot exist, at least not well, without the other.
If you were growing up a rock and roll fan in the 70's, you know that one of the bands that fueled the fire of adolescence was Aerosmith. Although front man Steven Tyler's vocals are quickly conjured up when you think of the band, it was (and is) the hard charging, snarling guitar work of Joe Perry that stoked the engine of the machine.
Catchy, pounding riffs and infectious hooks interspersed with his stinging, bluesy leads all add up to the Holy Grail of Rock and Roll guitar; an immediately identified sound. Love him or hate him, the fact that within a bar or two, you know exactly who it is on the business end of that Les Paul.
Born on September 10, 1950 , the part Portuguese and part Sicilian Anthony Joseph Pereira, grew up in New England town of Lawrence, Massachusetts. As a youngster, he attended the Vermont Academy, a prestigious boarding school in Saxtons River, Vermont with an eye on future academic pursuits. However, like most folks coming of age during that time, he heard and fell hard for rock and roll hearing songs like 'Tutti Fruitti" and "Rock Around The Clock" from his neighbors. His musical education continued to gain footing as he became infatuated with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the 60's.
While still a teenager, Perry picked up a guitar and began to play along to recordings by the British blues powerhouses like The Yardbirds and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Perry has said in interviews that this was were he learned the base for his lead work that would become a signature for Aerosmith.
He did his grunt work with local area bands like Flash, Just Us, Plastic Glass and The Jam Band. It was with The Jam Band where he met up with bassist and Aerosmith co-founder, Tom Hamilton. In one of those surreptitious moments in music history, Perry crossed paths with a young Steven Tallarico (born in Manhattan, NY) when both of their bands happen to be playing at "The Barn" in Sunapee, New Hampshire. Shortly after this meeting, Aerosmith was created; Perry on guitar, Tyler as the vocalist (originally a drummer in other bands), Tom Hamilton on bass, Joey Kramer on drums and second guitarist Ray Tabano (later replaced by Brad Whitford).
For their first two years, the five band mates shared a small apartment in Boston and played out practically every night. On occasion, they would venture into New York City on gigs and one night at Max's Kansas City, the band was spotted by Columbia Records Clive Davis who signed them to a deal.
Their self-titled debut album "Aerosmith" was released in 1973 and they had a minor hit initially with 'Dream On', which charted at #59. The band took to the road hard, touring almost constantly in support of their debut as well as 1975's release 'Toys In The Attic" (their most successful album, selling over 8 million units in the US alone) and 1976's "Rocks" which made to it to number 3 on the Billboard charts. Columbia opted to re-release the bands debut album and 'Dream On' made it onto the charts again, this time as a #6 hit single.
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200/drP000/P031/P03117R6SC8.jpg
Although the band was riding high on their success as what many at the time called 'Americas Greatest Rock and Roll Band', apparently they were riding high on other things as well. Tyler and Perry had developed almost debilitating heroin habits and their 'partying' had gained such monstrous levels, drug dealers were said to have followed the tours all over the world, knowing that they always would have a steady supply of customers. People both inside and outside of music had taken to calling them 'The Toxic Twins" as much as a slam and a nod for being considered a cheap American Rolling Stones (several critics have said many, many times during the bands career that Steven Tyler almost "did Jagger as well as Jagger") knock off as well as their almost Rasputin-like drug use.
But heavy drug use and a blurred vision for the musical future of the band began knocking the wheels off of the bus. They managed to put together 1977's "Draw The Line" but it was becoming clear that the band was arcing down in what they were accomplishing on record. Touring continued but incidents at the concerts began to get out of hand. At a 1977 concert at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, a fan threw an M-80 onto stage injuring both Perry and Tyler. But it was an incident at a Cleveland, Ohio concert in 1979 that ended the first round of a Perry driven Aerosmith. The story has it that highly volatile Elyssa Perry argued with Tom Hamiltons wife and ended up dumping a glass of milk over her head.
Joe Perry quit the band shortly thereafter.
By the end of 1979, Joe had formed up a solo effort called appropriately enough "The Joe Perry Project" with Ralph Mormon, David Hull and Ronnie Stewart. Their first of three albums titled "Let The Music Do The Talking" was made up of several un-recorded Aerosmith songs, sold a respectable 250,000 copies. The Projects next album "I've Got The Rock And Rolls Again' was both dismissed and dissed by critics and fans alike, selling a dismal 40,000 copies. The band however did quite well as a live act despite the beatings they took in the press and at the cashbox.
The third and final album by The Project "Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker" featured fellow Aerosmith exile, Brad Whitford and even that failed to gain much attention and by 1984, The Project had essentially been orphaned by the label.
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200/drP100/P157/P15721BXB07.jpg
Perhaps The Projects biggest problem was that they never nailed down a solid line up with each of their three albums featured a different vocalist and Perry himself seemed unsettled in what style and direction he wanted to go with the group.
The Project ended shortly after a brief tour with Huey Lewis and The News in 1984. On the verge of collapse from drugs and teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, Perry (along with Whitford) made amends with Tyler and rejoined with Aerosmith.
As one of their first projects, Tyler and Perry opted to collaborate with RUN D.M.C. in 1986 for a re-make of the Aerosmith hit "Walk This Way" which gave the band some much needed credibility and rocketed them back into the music's consciousness. The remake is credited with helping breaking rap into the mainstream landing at #5 in the US and #8 in the UK. Shortly after, the members of Aerosmith complete drug rehab, the band launched phase two of their careers with successes with "Permanent Vacation", "Pump", "Get A Grip" and "Done With Mirrors".
Perry released his first solo effort, the self-titled "Joe Perry" in 2005. recorded at his home studio with Perry playing every instrument except the drums, was received somewhat favorably and had the track "Mercy" nominated for a Grammy in 2006 for Best Rock Instrumental.
Branching out a bit from music, Perry has created and sells his own line of gourmet hot sauces called "Rock Your World Hot Sauces" via his website with promises of ventures in Mac-n-Cheese as well. Apparently you can order a quesadilla at the Hard Rock Café, which features a flavor of Perry's latest hot sauce venture. There are also rumors circulating that Perry and Tyler along with some other backers co-own a restaurant, Mount Blue, in Norwell, Massachusetts.
Rock critic, journalist and some times musician Lester Bangs once said of hard rock in America in the early 70's that it was 'working mans heavy metal' and that has always seemed to be about as appropriate a label as anything I have ever heard for the band and specifically for Joe Perry. He is a sneering, swaggering working mans guitarist with the chops to back it up.
There are blues players. There are rockers. There are blues-rockers and then there are the hybrids that can easily skate between the labels. That's Joe Perry.
By Hunter60
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200/drP000/P044/P04484TX6R3.jpg
It's impossible to tell the story of guitarist Joe Perry without telling the story of Aerosmith. It would seem that one cannot exist, at least not well, without the other.
If you were growing up a rock and roll fan in the 70's, you know that one of the bands that fueled the fire of adolescence was Aerosmith. Although front man Steven Tyler's vocals are quickly conjured up when you think of the band, it was (and is) the hard charging, snarling guitar work of Joe Perry that stoked the engine of the machine.
Catchy, pounding riffs and infectious hooks interspersed with his stinging, bluesy leads all add up to the Holy Grail of Rock and Roll guitar; an immediately identified sound. Love him or hate him, the fact that within a bar or two, you know exactly who it is on the business end of that Les Paul.
Born on September 10, 1950 , the part Portuguese and part Sicilian Anthony Joseph Pereira, grew up in New England town of Lawrence, Massachusetts. As a youngster, he attended the Vermont Academy, a prestigious boarding school in Saxtons River, Vermont with an eye on future academic pursuits. However, like most folks coming of age during that time, he heard and fell hard for rock and roll hearing songs like 'Tutti Fruitti" and "Rock Around The Clock" from his neighbors. His musical education continued to gain footing as he became infatuated with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the 60's.
While still a teenager, Perry picked up a guitar and began to play along to recordings by the British blues powerhouses like The Yardbirds and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Perry has said in interviews that this was were he learned the base for his lead work that would become a signature for Aerosmith.
He did his grunt work with local area bands like Flash, Just Us, Plastic Glass and The Jam Band. It was with The Jam Band where he met up with bassist and Aerosmith co-founder, Tom Hamilton. In one of those surreptitious moments in music history, Perry crossed paths with a young Steven Tallarico (born in Manhattan, NY) when both of their bands happen to be playing at "The Barn" in Sunapee, New Hampshire. Shortly after this meeting, Aerosmith was created; Perry on guitar, Tyler as the vocalist (originally a drummer in other bands), Tom Hamilton on bass, Joey Kramer on drums and second guitarist Ray Tabano (later replaced by Brad Whitford).
For their first two years, the five band mates shared a small apartment in Boston and played out practically every night. On occasion, they would venture into New York City on gigs and one night at Max's Kansas City, the band was spotted by Columbia Records Clive Davis who signed them to a deal.
Their self-titled debut album "Aerosmith" was released in 1973 and they had a minor hit initially with 'Dream On', which charted at #59. The band took to the road hard, touring almost constantly in support of their debut as well as 1975's release 'Toys In The Attic" (their most successful album, selling over 8 million units in the US alone) and 1976's "Rocks" which made to it to number 3 on the Billboard charts. Columbia opted to re-release the bands debut album and 'Dream On' made it onto the charts again, this time as a #6 hit single.
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200/drP000/P031/P03117R6SC8.jpg
Although the band was riding high on their success as what many at the time called 'Americas Greatest Rock and Roll Band', apparently they were riding high on other things as well. Tyler and Perry had developed almost debilitating heroin habits and their 'partying' had gained such monstrous levels, drug dealers were said to have followed the tours all over the world, knowing that they always would have a steady supply of customers. People both inside and outside of music had taken to calling them 'The Toxic Twins" as much as a slam and a nod for being considered a cheap American Rolling Stones (several critics have said many, many times during the bands career that Steven Tyler almost "did Jagger as well as Jagger") knock off as well as their almost Rasputin-like drug use.
But heavy drug use and a blurred vision for the musical future of the band began knocking the wheels off of the bus. They managed to put together 1977's "Draw The Line" but it was becoming clear that the band was arcing down in what they were accomplishing on record. Touring continued but incidents at the concerts began to get out of hand. At a 1977 concert at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, a fan threw an M-80 onto stage injuring both Perry and Tyler. But it was an incident at a Cleveland, Ohio concert in 1979 that ended the first round of a Perry driven Aerosmith. The story has it that highly volatile Elyssa Perry argued with Tom Hamiltons wife and ended up dumping a glass of milk over her head.
Joe Perry quit the band shortly thereafter.
By the end of 1979, Joe had formed up a solo effort called appropriately enough "The Joe Perry Project" with Ralph Mormon, David Hull and Ronnie Stewart. Their first of three albums titled "Let The Music Do The Talking" was made up of several un-recorded Aerosmith songs, sold a respectable 250,000 copies. The Projects next album "I've Got The Rock And Rolls Again' was both dismissed and dissed by critics and fans alike, selling a dismal 40,000 copies. The band however did quite well as a live act despite the beatings they took in the press and at the cashbox.
The third and final album by The Project "Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker" featured fellow Aerosmith exile, Brad Whitford and even that failed to gain much attention and by 1984, The Project had essentially been orphaned by the label.
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200/drP100/P157/P15721BXB07.jpg
Perhaps The Projects biggest problem was that they never nailed down a solid line up with each of their three albums featured a different vocalist and Perry himself seemed unsettled in what style and direction he wanted to go with the group.
The Project ended shortly after a brief tour with Huey Lewis and The News in 1984. On the verge of collapse from drugs and teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, Perry (along with Whitford) made amends with Tyler and rejoined with Aerosmith.
As one of their first projects, Tyler and Perry opted to collaborate with RUN D.M.C. in 1986 for a re-make of the Aerosmith hit "Walk This Way" which gave the band some much needed credibility and rocketed them back into the music's consciousness. The remake is credited with helping breaking rap into the mainstream landing at #5 in the US and #8 in the UK. Shortly after, the members of Aerosmith complete drug rehab, the band launched phase two of their careers with successes with "Permanent Vacation", "Pump", "Get A Grip" and "Done With Mirrors".
Perry released his first solo effort, the self-titled "Joe Perry" in 2005. recorded at his home studio with Perry playing every instrument except the drums, was received somewhat favorably and had the track "Mercy" nominated for a Grammy in 2006 for Best Rock Instrumental.
Branching out a bit from music, Perry has created and sells his own line of gourmet hot sauces called "Rock Your World Hot Sauces" via his website with promises of ventures in Mac-n-Cheese as well. Apparently you can order a quesadilla at the Hard Rock Café, which features a flavor of Perry's latest hot sauce venture. There are also rumors circulating that Perry and Tyler along with some other backers co-own a restaurant, Mount Blue, in Norwell, Massachusetts.
Rock critic, journalist and some times musician Lester Bangs once said of hard rock in America in the early 70's that it was 'working mans heavy metal' and that has always seemed to be about as appropriate a label as anything I have ever heard for the band and specifically for Joe Perry. He is a sneering, swaggering working mans guitarist with the chops to back it up.
There are blues players. There are rockers. There are blues-rockers and then there are the hybrids that can easily skate between the labels. That's Joe Perry.