The album that made Joe Perry leave Aerosmith: “I had to get away”
“It’s my heart and soul,” Joe Perry once reflected, noting his appreciation for being an integral part of Aerosmith. More than just his lifeblood, being in the band represented a perceived pipe dream come true, a blazoned vision of once stepping into the shoes of The Yardbirds materialising into something he could almost touch. A real band of brothers, if you will.
In his early years, before rock and roll consumed his life, Perry dreamed of becoming a respected marine biologist. The idea of becoming a legendary rock guitarist was just a distant fantasy, one he entertained during quiet nights when the only thing that filled his thoughts was the thunderous sound of Jimi Hendrix. But despite his passion for marine life, Perry was destined for a different path far less structured than the scientific study of the oceans.
The moment Perry picked up a guitar, an unrelenting obsession began, and the urge to become a better, more accomplished version of those he looked up to settled in like a fiery force of destiny. He spent hours a day playing the instrument while his parents left him to it, supporting him in quiet admiration while their son busied himself with something that wasn’t just getting up to no good out in the town.
Then, when Perry formed his first band and met Tom Hamilton, he took his guitar practice to new heights, experimenting with various techniques and transitioning from a bedroom player to a performer with the potential to make it big. After moving to Boston, Perry met Steven Tyler, Joey Kramer, and Brad Whitford.
The immediate, undeniable chemistry between Perry and Tyler, in particular, highlighted the power of unexpected camaraderie and sparked a drive in Perry to fully embrace the opportunities before him. “Steven and I are the type of guys who like to run through the woods with BB guns,” Perry told Guitar World. “And for all the ups and downs when we were away from the band, Steven and I have always been just like brothers.”
Of course, the ups and downs he refers to are the moments Perry succumbed to the pressure of fame, notably at the tail end of the year they started. This took its toll on the band’s dynamics, resulting in disagreements and rising bitterness. As the years went by, Tyler and Perry created a reputation for their explosive fights and arguments, which made recording almost impossible. Interestingly, most of these fights were triggered after the members became involved with girlfriends and wives, disrupting their flow and altering the chemistry.
By the time 1979’s Night in the Ruts came around, Perry needed an out. With new dynamics, a reshuffle of personal priorities, and a lack of seeing eye-to-eye, everything was in shambles. “Looking back, we didn’t handle it all that well. We just didn’t know how to deal with it at the time, you know?” Perry reflected. “It wasn’t that we didn’t play well together; it was just that we had trouble getting along by that point. I guess that’s why it had to end. I split during Night in the Ruts; I had to get away.”
However, Perry’s decision wasn’t all bad—he knew he had some personal issues to attend to, but he was also growing increasingly interested in venturing into new pastures. Having just discovered the first Van Halen record, he knew in his heart that the 1980s was going to be a force that would leave you behind if you didn’t keep up. Aerosmith wasn’t ready for the transition. But he would be.
