Aerosmith sounds great, despite a bumpy ride lately
Houston Chronicle, TX
November 17, 2006
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry reads a lot, though one wonders when a rock star on the road would find the time.
The second leg of the band's current Route of All Evil tour started last month. Since then, Perry has partied with actor Denis Leary; played with Chuck Berry, one of his heroes, on the rock legend's 80th birthday; turned down an invitation to dinner at Al Gore's house (it conflicted with the Berry gig); taken a backstage tour of Cirque du Soleil's spectacular devoted to Beatles music; and tried indoor skydiving.
Perry, 56, also took a nasty hit earlier this month in Las Vegas, when, three songs into the set, he ran into a 2,000-pound moving camera boom that was filming Back in the Saddle for a NASCAR commercial.
The impact knocked Perry unconscious and left his face bloodied, swollen and bruised. Though he discovered the next day he had a concussion, he was able to finish the show.
Is every Aerosmith tour this adventurous?
"Yeah, we just never talk about it that much," Perry says, referring to the Occasional Journal of Admiral Perry, a blog he posts more or less weekly about sailing around the country on Aerosmith's "land schooner."
"We always try to take advantage of doing what we can, being out on the road, whether it's side trips to Roswell or hang-gliding."
That's a lot of stories. Aerosmith — Perry, vocalist Steven Tyler, guitarist Brad Whitford, drummer Joey Kramer and bassist Tom Hamilton — has led the rock-god life since its 1973 self-titled debut album, which produced its breakout hit ballad Dream On.
That life included the requisite rock-band drama — addictions, infighting, a bitter breakup in the mid-'80s. Then Aerosmith righted itself and started making new hits that attracted new fans while luring back some of the original ones.
But while Aerosmith has survived, the rock gods are feeling very much like rock mortals these days.
Perry's accident was only the most recent reminder. The band canceled 30 dates earlier this year because of a still-undisclosed problem with Tyler's throat. And Hamilton is missing his first tour as he recovers from radiation therapy for throat cancer.
"We were slammed back from (Tyler's) throat thing," Perry says. "Steve was really uptight about it at the start of the tour; we all were. It shakes you up."
Though David Hull has seamlessly adopted Aerosmith's sound while he fills in for Hamilton, Perry says they miss their man.
"Tom's been at every Aerosmith gig there ever was; he never called in sick," Perry says.
The band is touring in support of Devil's Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith, its second greatest-hits release in four years. But the band is getting great reviews for sounding tighter, seeming more reconnected and looking like it's having more fun than it has in years.
"The shows have been good," Perry agrees. "There's a kind of immediacy to them we've always had, but now we feel like it could be the last one. We don't know when the band's going to tour again, so we put a little more into every show. I know I do."
Devil's Got a New Disguise ends with two new tracks: Sedona Sunrise, a Southwestern-flavored ballad with acoustic guitar and the album's title track, a raunchy, bluesy cut in the original Aerosmith tradition.
"We're pulling a lot of pieces out of our old demos," Perry says. "They (songs) come back into fashion like bell bottoms."
The band plans to release a new album in the spring. And the former Toxic Twin also plans to develop new Rock Your World products to join his hot sauces.
"It is what it is," Perry says about the rock-and-roll life. "It has its ups and downs and excitement and all that, but it's kind of fun to have something that takes you away from that."
Like books. Perry is an avid reader, lately of "nautical stuff," such as Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander, whose hero he describes as "the James Bond of the Royal Navy." He's also recently finished a book about the whale ship Essex, the inspiration for Moby Dick.
Admiral Perry may consider himself a pirate, but displays none of the hubris that brought Capt. Ahab down.
"We cruise along; we've had a lot of good years. It's easy to get a sense of security, but we're just here by good luck and fate."
November 17, 2006
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry reads a lot, though one wonders when a rock star on the road would find the time.
The second leg of the band's current Route of All Evil tour started last month. Since then, Perry has partied with actor Denis Leary; played with Chuck Berry, one of his heroes, on the rock legend's 80th birthday; turned down an invitation to dinner at Al Gore's house (it conflicted with the Berry gig); taken a backstage tour of Cirque du Soleil's spectacular devoted to Beatles music; and tried indoor skydiving.
Perry, 56, also took a nasty hit earlier this month in Las Vegas, when, three songs into the set, he ran into a 2,000-pound moving camera boom that was filming Back in the Saddle for a NASCAR commercial.
The impact knocked Perry unconscious and left his face bloodied, swollen and bruised. Though he discovered the next day he had a concussion, he was able to finish the show.
Is every Aerosmith tour this adventurous?
"Yeah, we just never talk about it that much," Perry says, referring to the Occasional Journal of Admiral Perry, a blog he posts more or less weekly about sailing around the country on Aerosmith's "land schooner."
"We always try to take advantage of doing what we can, being out on the road, whether it's side trips to Roswell or hang-gliding."
That's a lot of stories. Aerosmith — Perry, vocalist Steven Tyler, guitarist Brad Whitford, drummer Joey Kramer and bassist Tom Hamilton — has led the rock-god life since its 1973 self-titled debut album, which produced its breakout hit ballad Dream On.
That life included the requisite rock-band drama — addictions, infighting, a bitter breakup in the mid-'80s. Then Aerosmith righted itself and started making new hits that attracted new fans while luring back some of the original ones.
But while Aerosmith has survived, the rock gods are feeling very much like rock mortals these days.
Perry's accident was only the most recent reminder. The band canceled 30 dates earlier this year because of a still-undisclosed problem with Tyler's throat. And Hamilton is missing his first tour as he recovers from radiation therapy for throat cancer.
"We were slammed back from (Tyler's) throat thing," Perry says. "Steve was really uptight about it at the start of the tour; we all were. It shakes you up."
Though David Hull has seamlessly adopted Aerosmith's sound while he fills in for Hamilton, Perry says they miss their man.
"Tom's been at every Aerosmith gig there ever was; he never called in sick," Perry says.
The band is touring in support of Devil's Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith, its second greatest-hits release in four years. But the band is getting great reviews for sounding tighter, seeming more reconnected and looking like it's having more fun than it has in years.
"The shows have been good," Perry agrees. "There's a kind of immediacy to them we've always had, but now we feel like it could be the last one. We don't know when the band's going to tour again, so we put a little more into every show. I know I do."
Devil's Got a New Disguise ends with two new tracks: Sedona Sunrise, a Southwestern-flavored ballad with acoustic guitar and the album's title track, a raunchy, bluesy cut in the original Aerosmith tradition.
"We're pulling a lot of pieces out of our old demos," Perry says. "They (songs) come back into fashion like bell bottoms."
The band plans to release a new album in the spring. And the former Toxic Twin also plans to develop new Rock Your World products to join his hot sauces.
"It is what it is," Perry says about the rock-and-roll life. "It has its ups and downs and excitement and all that, but it's kind of fun to have something that takes you away from that."
Like books. Perry is an avid reader, lately of "nautical stuff," such as Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander, whose hero he describes as "the James Bond of the Royal Navy." He's also recently finished a book about the whale ship Essex, the inspiration for Moby Dick.
Admiral Perry may consider himself a pirate, but displays none of the hubris that brought Capt. Ahab down.
"We cruise along; we've had a lot of good years. It's easy to get a sense of security, but we're just here by good luck and fate."
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