Aerosmith Vs. Joe Perry (1979 - 1984)

Aerosmith were one of the biggest bands of the 1970’s and possibly the greatest American rock and roll band of all time, but there was a time when it all fell apart and their future looked bleak.

Aerosmith released their self-titled debut album in 1973, the Boston-based five- piece quickly became a household name with a string of hits including “Dream On,” “Walk This Way,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Same Old Song and Dance,” “Toys In The Attic,” “Last Child,” “Back In The Saddle,” “Draw The Line” and….well, you get the picture.

By the end of the decade cracks had started to form within the band, due to many factors that eventually led to the departure of guitarist Joe Perry. Perry says he quit but singer Steven Tyler says he was fired. Either way, this was a huge blow to the band, the equivalent of The Stones losing Keith Richards. The band forged ahead, replacing Perry with Jimmy Crespo on their Night in The Ruts tour and Perry soon announced the formation of The Joe Perry Project, but fans wondered if either side could survive without the other.

While Aerosmith went on the road to support their latest album Night In The Ruts, Perry began recording his first solo album, Let The Music Do the Talking in December of 1979 and it was released in March of 1980.

The album was well-received by fans and critics. Perry sounded re-energized and had maybe taken some of his stronger material with him. The album was packed full of solid tracks like “Conflict Of Interest,” “Discount Dogs,” “The Mist Is Rising” and the album’s title track. The album was produced by Jack Douglas and had a classic Aerosmith sound all the way through. It seemed, at least at this point, Perry had the upper hand.

Aerosmith lumbered on but no new music was heard from the band during 1980. They released a highly successful compilation album entitled Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits, which bought them some time while making their next move.

The Joe Perry Project returned in 1981 with another strong album called I’ve Got The Rock N Rolls Again. While not as strong as the first album it still had plenty of that Aerosmith swagger that fans were eager to hear. Highlights on the album included “East Coast, West Coast,” “No Substitute for Arrogance,” “TV Police” and “Dirty Little Things.” The production wasn’t quite as good on this one and I think many fans thought if Steven Tyler were singing these songs, it would be killer! With that said, Perry was in the drivers’ seat and people were wondering if Aerosmith would ever rise from the ashes.

It was reported in 1981 that Aerosmith were working on a new studio album but news quickly followed that guitarist Brad Whitford had left the band and was forming a new band with former Ted Nugent guitarist Derek St. Holmes.

Whitford/St. Holmes released their debut album during 1981 and it pretty much flew under the radar. Although not a huge success, it was another strong album from a former member of the once mighty Aerosmith. Check out the tracks “I Need Love,” “Whiskey Woman,” “Hold On,” “Sharpshooter” and the shoulda-been big hit “Every Morning.” Great production from Tom Allom, best known for his work with Judas Priest. Not a bad song on the album.

So, where was Aerosmith?

Almost three years had passed since Joe Perry left the Aerosmith ranks and still we had no new music from his former band.

Finally in August of 1982 Aerosmith delivered their seventh studio album, Rock in A Hard Place.

To the surprise of many, Aerosmith delivered a hard-rocking and focused album. Tyler and company were probably at their lowest lows physically & mentally but when you listen to Rock in A Hard Place, the band sounds tight and at the top of their game.

The line-up then consisted of three original members, Steven Tyler on vocals, bassist Tom Hamilton, and drummer Joey Kramer. Guitarist Jimmy Crespo had been with the band since Perry’s departure in 1979, but this was his first full record with the band. Newest member, guitarist Rick Dufay joined the band to fill the shoes of Brad Whitford but did not play any guitars on Rock in A Hard Place. On a side note, check out Dufay’s album Tender Loving Abuse. It was released in 1980 prior to joining Aerosmith. It is pretty killer.

Rock In A Hard Place was produced by long time Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas. Douglas managed to retain the classic Aerosmith vibe in his production but maybe gave them a bit of a harder edge with this album.

“Lightning Strikes” was released as the album’s only single/video and received moderate play on MTV.

Highlights from the album include “Jailbat,” “Bitch’s Brew,” “Joanie’s Butterfly,” “Rock in A Hard Place (Cheshire Cat)” and the aforementioned “Lightning Strikes.”

The album received mixed reviews from fans and critics. Some fans call it the last classic Aerosmith album while others say there is no magic without Joe Perry on guitar.

The album managed to go gold eventually.

The Rock in A Hard Place tour played smaller venues and half-capacity arenas across the US and Canada. Steven Tyler was struggling with heavy drug addiction, that led to him collapsing on stage more than once.

The tour stopped in my hometown of Huntington, WV on Saturday December 11th, 1982, with special guests Pat Travers and Rose Tattoo.

I remember the show being rough and chaotic but in a cool rock & roll way. Of course, I was very young and naïve at the time, so it was probably more like a train wreck, but I still consider it one of my top ten best shows ever.

While the band were in Huntington, they attempted to record a 3-D music video for the song “Sweet Emotion.” They filmed footage during the show and the following day as well. The video was never released, and very little footage has surfaced. A live audio track from the show later appeared on the band’s live compilation album Classics Live. Maybe one day we will see more of the footage filmed in Huntington, but I am guessing it is not at the top of the bands’ priority list.

The Joe Perry Project returned in 1983 with their third album Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker. The album did not sell well and is the weakest of the three albums that Perry released during his hiatus from Aerosmith. The band went on tour to support the album and added Joe’s former bandmate Brad Whitford on guitar.

By the end of 1983, the original members of Aerosmith were talking again, and the seed of a reunion had been planted. Joe Perry had kicked his heroin habit and Steven seemed to be getting his act together as well.

The band launched their Back in The Saddle reunion tour in 1984 and eventually regained their crown as one of Americas biggest and best rock and roll bands of all time.

So, at the end of the day, who was the winner when the founding members of Aerosmith decided to part ways?

I would say the fans won because we got some great music from both sides. I tend to think Aerosmith’s Rock in A Hard Place is the best album to be released during the breakup but it’s tough to deny those first two Joe Perry Project albums and the Whitford/St. Holmes album is solid as well.

Success-wise the band proved they are stronger together. Tyler was quoted saying, "Time heals all wounds. Joe is nothing without me, and I'm nothing without him.”

So, if you’ve never investigated this era of Aerosmith’s history I highly recommend checking it out. Lots of great music to discover.

Let the music do the talking……..

 Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH. band Radio Tramps. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.