BOOK: “Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith” by Joe Perry
“Hey, Joe! I came all the way from DC. Can I get a picture?”
“Sure.” (walks away)
Okay, Joe. Cool. That’s fine.
This is my lasting impression of Joe Perry. Grumpy, laconic, broody, and, in the public eye, stuck in the shadow of his toxic twin, Steven Tyler. But, for me, even after his epic denial for a photo, that doesn’t hold true.
Joe Perry was my first guitar hero. When I was 17 and heard “Eat the Rich” off the live Aerosmith recording, A Little South of Sanity, that was it. I was pulled into the rock ‘n’ roll fold. And I’m sure plenty can attest to the fact that Perry was the reason they picked up their guitar, whether it be Slash, now touring with the rock god himself, or Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme, who cited the guitars on “Get Your Wings” as what threw him “all in” on becoming a rocker.
It was thrilling and satiating to finally see who the mysterious man behind the Les Paul really is, his true sentiments towards the band, his relationship with his family, and the drugs — all entangled in his brotherhood with Tyler.
Perry shares all these details, starting with his initial dream of becoming a marine biologist. His un-diagnosed ADD and academic struggles, however, led to his subsequent exit from school — not for his failing grades, but his refusal to chop off his long locks of hair. Of course, there are the obligatory tales of his sexual escapades, subsequent transition into fatherhood, and his resilient marriage with the vivacious lady painted onto one of his guitars, Billie Perry.
This is the raw Aerosmith; Perry discusses every detail of the creative process, the growing tensions and love between the band members, and the shockingly manipulative and destructive hand of manager, Tim Collins. Perry reveals that, through all their alcohol, drug, and sex addictions, Collins pushed the band into rehab, even when they were seemingly stable and in recovery, ergo pitting the bandmates against each other and pouring salt in open wounds.
Rocks delivers an intimate narrative, for sure. I felt like a silent observer, one second watching the Bad Boys of Boston rocking the barn in Sunapee, NH, and the next basking in the glory of the Boston Garden. Above all, the book humanizes Perry and is a must-read for every guitarist, particularly for Perry’s perfect depiction of the moment every guitarist’s libido hit the roof when first laying eyes on the iconic Fender Stratocaster, deeming it “the wildest guitar I had ever seen.” I felt like the same kid, aroused by the neighbors’ squealing electric guitars, listening in awe to Johnny Winter tearing up Rick Derringer’s “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” rebelling against straight-edge parents trying to shield us from the allure of rock culture.
Perry takes you through every developmental stage of his journey in becoming the guitar legend he is today. Spanning from the moment he laid his fingers across his first acoustic guitar (delivered in a box from Sears — facepalm for ever complaining about my Mexican Strat), to his collaborations with the greats spanning the rock alphabet, from Alice Cooper to ZZ Top.
His story is inspiring to no end, making the musical profession actually seem attainable and creating hope for aspiring musicians that, one day, they, too, can venture down that road and share the stage, hell, maybe a studio, with their idols. Obviously, Joe Perry and Aerosmith are inextricable. If you’re a guitarist, or simply an Aerosmith fan, this is a fun and timeless read. Perry puts it perfectly: it’s “the loner’s story, the band’s story, the recovery story, the cult story, the love story, the success story, the failure story, the rebirth story, the re-destruction story, and the post-destructive rebirth story.”
I now view Perry in a completely different light — and not just as one of my idols who denied me a photo-op. Though I did have to chuckle when Perry was shut down by one of his idols in a similar fashion:
Perry: “You’re great, Jeff.”
Jeff Beck: “Thanks, man.”
Says Perry, “He expressed no interest in further conversation…he seemed very moody, very distant, very mod — all the things I admired most.”
Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith by Joe Perry with David Ritz will be released via Simon & Schuster on October 5.
