Like trendy guitar icons Keith Richards and Johnny Thunders, Joe Perry’s vagabond image and caustic licks have made him the perfect co-frontman. Jagger, Johansen and Tyler wouldn’t have had half the allure without their charismatic foils to gallivant on stage with. Given such a rock’n’roll pedigree, further investigation of any product Perry releases should be required for any serious rock fan. So here’s the scoop…
Perry’s first solo album in 20 years holds no surprises. The man responsible for many of Aerosmith’s most potent riffs, sticks to what he knows best on this outing: bluesy, full-tilt rock’n’roll. There are no power ballads, keyboard-laden interludes or multi-layered harmonies, like those employed throughout most of Aerosmith’s releases since its comeback two decades ago. Inspired by the back-to-basics approach and raw production values of Aerosmith’s last album HONKIN’ ON BOBO—which harkened back to some of its early classics—Perry chose to continue down that path, and the results of this journey back in time are fruitful.
Kicking off with the raucous “Shakin’ My Cage,” the album is solid and consistent throughout— particularly with songs like the Eastern-flavored “Pray for Me,” and the ballsy “Lonely.” There are also a couple of interesting covers including The Doors classic “Crystal Ship” and Woody Guthrie’s “Vigilante Man.” In spite of Perry’s obvious guitar talents (the man also plays bass and keys on the album), his vocals have always been an acquired taste. After all, working with the likes of Steven Tyler for all these years, he hasn’t had to flex his vox all that often. To perhaps compensate for the average vocals, Perry includes a few instrumental numbers in the form of “Twilight” and “Mercy” that exemplify his extraordinary knack for cranking out soulful and scorching guitar bits.
Speaking of hot licks, Mr. Perry has also recently delved into the gourmet food arena with his very own brand of hot sauce: “Boneyard Brew.” Possibly a metaphor for his saucy guitar bits, Perry’s new brew is the perfect combination of heat and flavor, exemplifying the man’s fine taste and dedication to his craft.
Back to the CD, it’s been released in DualDisc format, a double-sided disc containing a CD version of the album on one side, and a DVD side with a 5.1 surround sound mix, and extra video material. The DVD contains a documentary featuring Perry, plus two tracks you can even mix yourself. Not a bad deal for the price of a single CD, especially when coupled with such rocking material.
+ Jim Kaz
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