Album review: Joe Perry, Joe Perry (2005)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 2, 2005

By Steve Newton

Judging by the cover photo on the new Joe Perry solo CD, you might think that Aerosmith‘s guitar god has gone rockabilly or somethin’. He’s pictured shaking his hips in a slick black retro-’50s suit, posing with a big, Brian Setzer-type hollow-body slung down around his knees.

But of more pressing concern for Perry fans is whether or not the music here, no matter what its genre, would be strong enough to make up for Perry’s famously limited lead-vocal abilities. It’s evident from the first slide-infested bars of the raging opener, “Shakin’ My Cage”, that the raven-haired rocker is giving it his best shot.

Track two, “Hold On Me”, continues the winning vibe, Perry’s chunky Chuck Berry riffs and lead-guitar wipeouts totally carrying his so-so singing. After a bit of a setback with the semi-tedious “Pray for Me”, things pick right back up again on the anthemic “Can’t Compare” and peak with the righteously ragged “Lonely”.

It makes you wonder how, with all these cool arrangements and catchy licks at Perry’s disposal, the last few Aerosmith albums managed to be so shockingly lame.

With the exception of the throwaway boogie-blues of “Talk Talkin'”, the rest of the 13-track album is topnotch. Much of it recalls Aerosmith at its raunchy, mid-’70s best, and the moody instrumentals “Twilight” and “Mercy” showcase Perry’s unique phrasing and seemingly off-the-cuff approach to soloing.

He does a great job of imitating Jim Morrison on a cover of the Doors’ monumental “Crystal Ship”, and offers up the best rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “Vigilante Man” since Nazareth Razamanaz‘d it in ’73. Perry also deserves credit for his DIY intent-handling all original songwriting, vocals, guitar, and bass-and for not relying on guest appearances by his former Toxic Twin or radio-friendly pop tunesmiths like Desmond Child.

This is the rockingest album Perry’s been involved with since Aerosmith’s Draw the Line. Now if only he would embark on a solo club tour to promote the disc. One sold-out night at the Commodore would do quite nicely. Are you listening, House of Blues?

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