The band Joe Perry called the essence of rock and roll: “I was crazy about them”
The definition of the rock genre has seemed to change over the years. There has always been a certain attitude that goes along with it, but it’s much more likely that offshoot genres like metal and grunge deserve a welcome spot among the greatest acts of all time just as much as The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix. When you break it down to its bare essentials, Joe Perry thinks that everything you need for a rock band can be found in the New York Dolls.
Before Aerosmith had even risen to prominence, the genre was going through a unique transformation. There were still the blues outfits from the late 1960s, but once Cream decided to disband, it was all downhill for everyone who had ever thought they would play blues for the rest of their lives.
Everyone needed a change of scenery, and the glam movement almost seemed to work too perfectly. They didn’t need to be the most flashy guitar players in the world, and it didn’t really matter as long as they had enough glitter and attitude to get their music onto the radio, whether that was Sweet or T Rex.
But even by glam standards, New York Dolls were the closest thing to a punk band as the genre ever got. They were still clad in lipstick and sequinned clothes, but as soon as David Johansen opened his mouth on their first record, they were creating some of the most ramshackle rock and roll that anyone had ever created, all while possessing more swagger in their left big toe than most have in their lifetime.
Although Perry stood his ground as the bluesy badass throughout most of his time in Aerosmith, he knew a kickass band when he saw one, recalling in his book Rocks, “I was crazy about the band. The year we did our showcases, The Dolls were the shit. I heard them as a straight-out rock and roll, the essence of what I loved. They understood how to marry performance art and rock. They just did whatever the fuck they wanted to do.”
Perry was still more than happy to rep for rock and roll alongside Tyler, but listening to some of their older records, there are more than a few comparisons between them and The Dolls. Sure, they might not have worn the same glamorous looks, but listening to tracks like ‘Toys in the Attic’ or ‘SOS’, that kind of intensity only comes from someone who’s listened to ‘Personality Crisis’ more than a few times.
But whereas Johnny Thunders seemed to be flying blind and hitting every note that he could whenever he played, Perry was dialled in from the minute that he walked onstage. Compared to other guitarists who play like the music is on top of them, Perry is one of the few who makes it look so effortless every time he goes onstage as if he’s just gliding his way through the track without a care in the world.
Aerosmith did eventually get prettied up when it was time to make videos for MTV, but it’s a shame that The Dolls were never able to work their magic after the late 1970s. Because when you think about it, the concept of eye-catching stars on MTV was something the New York Dolls perfected but were never able to capitalise on.
