JOE PERRY
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has gone solo before but this, his 2005 self-titled solo album, takes things to an entirely different place.
While earlier Joe Perry projects sounded more like an Aerosmith album with Perry in charge, "Joe Perry" is a bluesier, raunchier collection of rock'n'blues tunes that sound more like George Thorogood, Johnny Cash or ZZ Top than Aerosmith. It's Perry playing what he wants to play and the result, while sometimes uneven, is never boring.
This self-titled CD starts out with its first single, "Shakin' My Cage," a song that apparently shares its main riff with Thorogood's "Gear Jammer." Track 2, "Hold on Me," rolls out the thickest of ZZ Top-type riffs while track 3, "Pray For Me," starts with a sound that could be the soundtrack for a snake charmer and then morphs into a smooth ballad.
And so it goes. Perry's obviously not afraid of stretching his wings here and it's that devil may care flare that keeps the CD interesting. Most of the songs here rely strongly on guitar and that's a good thing. Although Perry probably sounds better here on vocals than he has in the past, he's still an okay vocalist at best. The songs on "Joe Perry" lean heavily on six string swing and that's where Perry truly shines.
A pair of covers here are tweaked to Perry's style to the point that they no longer sound much like covers. The Doors' "Crystal Ship" gets an almost Elvis-like funk to it while Woody Guthrie's "Vigilante Man" becomes a theme for a motorcycle gang movie.
Like Aerosmith's highly underrated "Honkin' on Bobo," "Joe Perry" finds its namesake exploring the boundaries between rock'n'roll and blues and finding much to celebrate and enjoy.
For more information, check out www.joeperrymusic.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2005 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 30 Sep 2008 01:41:39 -0500.
