The band Joe Perry almost chose over Aerosmith: “I went down the list of reasons”
When it comes to the meaning of rock ‘n’ roll, it seems like Joe Perry is the one who sits smack bang in the middle, tipping the scales in either direction.
Some might argue that, of course, Perry is the ultimate figure of pure, traditional rock ‘n’ roll, especially when he takes to the stage, and all else falls away except his raw, explosive magnetism. However, others might say that, especially now, he’s become central to a new type of rock that isn’t all that rock at all – just a glossy version of what the thing itself used to be.
After all, let’s think about his more recent performance alongside Steven Tyler and Yungblud at the VMAs. Their tribute to the late and great Ozzy Osbourne quickly became one of the most controversial television moments of the year, especially when other musical veterans decided to platform their negative feedback after the fact, including The Darkness’ Dan Hawkins, who called it a “cynical” and “shit” take on rock ‘n’ roll.
Harsh, but one that Perry responded to with his own views on what it should be, especially when it comes to working with new stars or paying tribute to lost legends, in which case, there isn’t any set rulebook. As he recently explained to MusicRadar, a big difference is the tech involved, which is usually the breaker between having the right mindset and going off somewhere else.
“The way you approach things, you can look at it by shaking your head, walking away and saying, ‘This isn’t real rock ‘n’ roll. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.’ Or you can look at it another way,’” he said.
He’d been discussing their One More Time EP, proving once and for all that all he’s ever followed, especially when it comes to musical greatness, is his own instinct. It’s something he’s honoured since day one, before he even joined Aerosmith, when he wasn’t entirely sure which direction to go in and who to work with.
Before Aerosmith, Perry wasn’t sure where he’d end up settling, initially working with the Alice Cooper band until that fizzled out into nothing. Unsure what to do next, his wife, Billie, suggested giving Steven Tyler a call. As he recalled to Louder, “The Joe Perry Project was going through another change, and somebody suggested hooking up with Alice Cooper. I went up to his manager’s house in upstate New York, and we hung out for a week and worked on some songs, then he had to go off and do a movie.”
He went on, “That fateful week, I also made a few phone calls to talk to Steven. Billie said: ‘This band [Aerosmith] are so good, why aren’t you guys together?’ And I went down the list of reasons, and I realised it was just a lot of fucking bullshit. Billie was the one who said, ‘Why don’t you give Steven a call. I don’t know why you guys aren’t playing together.’ So I picked up the phone and called Steven.”
When Perry eventually started jamming with Tyler and the rest of the band, he’d realised he’d been sidestepping the true meaning of rock ‘n’ roll for too long, not only in terms of sound but with the chemistry they had whenever they were in a room together. Obviously, they came together with the caveat that Tyler would be the frontman, but that was neither here nor there when it came to the broader decision-making, especially as they had something special from the off.
The rock entity that Aerosmith became might have continued to draw raised eyebrows or unconvinced expressions of disbelief, especially in the rock world, where discussions about what constitutes “true” rock ‘n’ roll are especially rife. But it’s something that still follows Perry to this day, making you wonder whether it’s actually about what people say it is, or a byproduct of a community that seeks to tear down those it feels the most threatened by.
