It's funny, I was poking around in some of the Amazon reviews and one of them said something about how this record sounded like it was a home-recording kind of thing. Though the reviewer meant this in a not-too-nice way, I took it to mean that Perry had touched a nerve. Yes, it's raw. Isn't that what rock & roll should be about?
The idea that aging rock stars should trundle off quietly into retirement is crushed to a pulp by this collection of songs. "Shakin' My Cage" comes cranking out of the gate with a severe combination of classic rhythm mayhem, momentum-inducing slide guitar and twisty solo work. Far from being a one-dimensional "guitar player's" record, Joe Perry shows off Joe's huge guitar sonics palette: from skidding metallic solos to low-down chunky rhythm guitar to gently-strummed acoustic to chiming artificial harmonics.
The songs themselves are similarly varied with flat-out rockers ("Shakin' My Cage", "Lonely"), swaggering blues ("Talk Talkin'"), spacey instrumentals ("Twilight"), country-inflected soul ("Ten Years", on which Joe's voice manages to sound like Warren Zevon) and the Indian-influenced "Pray For Me", driven along by a very cool analog synth part.
The cover of the Doors' "Crystal Ship"? The bits of backward guitar are nice, as is the spacey guitar solo. As the tune began, I was pretty skeptical. Do we really need a cover of this? Probably not, but Perry's surprisingly good vocals and that guitar stew were just too good to pass up. On the DVD-side of this disc, Perry admits to oversinging some in the Joe Perry Project. Here he seems much more relaxed. Even if you're not sold on Ship, you'll be won over by the surprise of the record: a blistering rendition of Woody Guthrie's "Vigilante Man."
Perry starts with a huge dose of volcanic slide guitar and proceeds to blow the doors out from there. I don't know if Woody would have appreciated all of the volume, but I had a good time.
People have been arguing that Aerosmith has been "washed up" for years, if not decades. That's debatable. But what seems clear is that it's looking like Joe Perry's just getting started.
Article comments
1 - Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
Nice job on this one. I am in total agreement with you, this is a real ass kickin' solo album!
2 - Mark Saleski
i think i mighta blew out my little cheapo headphones while writing this last night!
3 - SFC SKI
Man, I am glad to hear it doesn't suck or sound like new Aerosmith (or is that redundant?)
I'd hoped Joe would have put Charlie Farren on one song at least, but I will have to check this one out anyway.
4 - HW Saxton
Can't say I've been all that impressed
with Joe's solo records and I haven't
enjoyed Aerosmith since "Draw The Line".
But I saw Joe live in a small bar out in
Las Vegas after "L.T.M.D.T.T" had come
out and he was way better than I thought
he would be.
He did about 90% of the solo record and
about 5 or 6 covers which were the best
part of the set for me. He did the NY
Dolls version of "Pills" for his encore
and great covers of The Yardbirds,Kinks,
Muddy Waters and a couple more I can't
remember. He has a lot of stage presence
once removed from Tyler's shadow and his
guitar playing was phenomenal as he was
not restrained by time or any binding
set list. At one point he just asked the
crowd for some suggestions on what to do
next,hence all the cover tunes.
And best of all he didn't do Aerosmith
tunes. He explained they were the band's
collobarative efforts best done by the
band. A gentleman and a rocker.
5 - Vern Halen
Saw Aerosmith on the Bobo tour & Joe Perry was the best part of it for me. Guess I'll have to pick this one up, but not on dual disc. What's with that? A disc that can't be played by all CD players? This is supposed to be an improvement?
6 - Dave
Yeah - that's what I said too
7 - Temple Stark
Cool. I didn't even know the guy had another solo album out.
8 - Temple Stark
Mark, This post has been digitally replicated over at Advance.net, a place affiliated with about 10 newspapers around the country.
One such site is here.
Also please let your contact know, if you had one, that this article, is published at one more place. That helps to show they get two?, three? for the "price" of one.
Thank you.
Temple Stark
9 - Paula
I love Joe Perry and I love Steven Tyler...
When I see them in the Quilmes Rock of Argentina I fall in love with them...
SON GROSOSSS!
Pau
10 - Riku Richards
To be coolest an old-school guitarist at the globe, I was happy see and hear that he has NEVER played better than in Helsinki, Finland, 2007!
Joe had perfectly taken his place as a showman and a middlepoint of music istead of Steven to be honest.
Never ever seen him THAT energic!
His playing is still r´n´r and onewalking middlefinger as it has to be.
Thanks for helping my flame burning,too!!!
Cant stop messin´!
Rick