The first Aerosmith song not to feature Steven Tyler
The majority of people coming to Aerosmith’s music do so because of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. Although the rest of the band may have their fair share of highlights, the intrinsic chemistry of ‘The Toxic Twins’ has endeared them to fans for years, not being able to get enough of their onstage telepathy. Once the band started to become seasoned veterans, they didn’t feel the need to fall back on traditional roles anymore.
After a massive blow-up at a show in 1979, Perry originally left the band to pursue a solo career. Though the rest of the band soldiered through future albums like Rock in a Hard Place, it was hard to deny the magic had gone, with Tyler becoming a husk of himself trying to come up with song lyrics.
As Perry’s solo career started to flame out, his manager Tim Collins helped bring the musical soulmates back together, recommending they start rebuilding their relationship. Once Tyler and Perry left their hangups in the past, their return would take a while to fully take off.
While Done With Mirrors was received modestly, it wasn’t until they collaborated with Run-D.M.C. on a remake of ‘Walk This Way’ that Aerosmith truly found their calling. On their commercial comeback, Permanent Vacation, the band worked with outside songwriters on soon-to-be hits like ‘Rag Doll’, putting themselves alongside the hair metal acts of the day. As their career renaissance continued, Tyler walked away from the microphone for the first time.
Though the band had initially put together an instrumental called ‘The Movie’ as the final track on Permanent Vacation, Tyler’s presence behind the keyboard kept his spirit alive even without his howling register. Coming into the ‘90s, Perry was comfortable enough to come forward to sing his song on the 1993 album, Get A Grip.
While Perry had been known for singing backup for Tyler every time they performed live, the frontman usually found his way onto the studio version of every song. Despite Perry’s lead vocal debut on ‘Bright Light Fright’, Tyler delivers fiery background vocals to Perry’s usual 12-bar blues.
Fresh off his work in his solo career, Perry’s register works wonders on the track ‘Walk On Down’. Having a slightly deeper register than Tyler, Perry’s tough-guy cadence is a change of pace from Tyler’s usual schtick. Compared to the other Aerosmith hits, this track feels like a relic from the high-energy days of Fleetwood Mac, as Perry channels his inner Peter Green.
Perry would make a habit out of singing lead on a handful of tunes in the next few years, grabbing the mic again for the song ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ on Just Push Play and delivering a plodding ballad on ‘Something’ from Music From Another Dimension!. Perry’s comfortability behind the mic led to him revamping his solo career, releasing a few albums in the 2000s with his band. While Tyler and Perry have been chased by comparisons to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for years, Perry’s tougher voice certainly has the same cadence as Keef’s occasional vocal appearances.
