The guitar hero market has gotten so crowded that many musicians don’t get noticed by anyone except their devoted following and a select group of knowledgeable onlookers. Sadly, Joe Perry, a fretboard virtuoso, remains largely underappreciated in mainstream narratives. Yet, he’s a major contributor to the Aerosmith phenomenon.
Several intricate factors prevent the Bostonians from receiving full compensation. Nevertheless, they all come down to the fact that he appeared at a time when there were so many important players. He and his band actively cultivated a reputation for outrageous antics, so much so that during their prime, he and the contentious frontman Steven Tyler earned the nickname “The Toxic Twins.” When they were at their height in the 1970s, many people thought of them as the American equivalent of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones. This character overshadowed their musical endeavors.
However, it doesn’t take a Livingstonian-scale explorer to realize Perry’s incredible skill level. Not surprisingly, he led the charge with swaggering melodies and performances during the band’s two most successful chapters. Perry’s list of highlights is long and encompasses a wide range of emotions, from the hard-rock fire of “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way,” two of their most significant moments from the 1970s, to the bombastic performances on songs like “Living on the Edge” and “Love in an Elevator,” from when they returned to form in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Perry draws inspiration from some of the greatest guitarists in history, especially those who prioritize feeling over technical arrogance. Perry is a highly dynamic player who thinks outside the box when creating his riffs, chord progressions, and use of electronic effects. Given the intensity of some of his band’s most well-known songs, it may seem odd. Still, Peter Green, founder of Fleetwood Mac, had a lasting influence. His raw emotion underlies his sound, shaping Perry’s strategy.
Naturally, Jimi Hendrix was another person who revived a blues-infused vibe and had a significant influence on Perry. Notably, the Boston band and The Joe Perry Project cover “Red House,” one of Hendrix’s masterworks. Aerosmith’s Joe Perry finds himself astonished by Hendrix’s blend of technicality and emotion.
Hendrix’s innovations leave Perry so grateful. He even believes his album featuring “Red House” is his best work. The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut masterpiece, “Are You Experienced,” released in 1967, heralded the elemental American. It forced major rock acts to rise above 1950s imitations. Hendrix put true imagination into his songwriting, playing, and recording, making it entirely original.
According to Perry’s 2009 interview with Pop Matters, this distinction is what makes it the greatest album ever recorded; no one else has even begun to match Hendrix’s force. “Does Jimi Hendrix experience you?” he asked. in particular, the title track. It encapsulates everything that Jimi was creatively, lyrically, and inventively capable of doing on the guitar. Since then, nobody has even come close.
