But like everything else, I probably just read about it on the Internet. Kind of like, “Joe said he was gonna write a book.” I’m not sure how Steven told us, but we kind of knew he was doing it, I guess. Perry: Well basically I just said, “Hey guys, I’m writin’ a book!” (laughs). : None of your band members would have been unaware that such a book would come along sooner or later, but how did you approach them about it? It was a little hard, but it’s gonna have to be part of the book. I don’t think we were totally ready for the impact of it. We knew some of the family’s dirty laundry would have to be in there, and we were both ready for it. It basically started with my wife really asking me, “Well, what do you think about doing it?” Because I’ve been thinking about doin’ it for years and years, and I kind of felt like there was never like a point to stop, you know? The way things kind of rolled around, and the timing, and the 40th anniversary of the band, and the last record, and things like that…Īnyway, she probably sensed it was a good time, and when she brought it up, it was like, “Yeah, OK.” And we were both ready. At first it sounds like a great idea, and getting the ball rolling was an interesting process, a lot of fun. So, about the book:I know it was probably a labor of love, and probably some sweat and stress over the past couple years, right? : Great, because I’m hoping we’ll be able to talk a little guitar, along with the book. So you know that I’m the editor of, right? I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me. So I’m takin’ this time to fill in some of the gaps. There’s only so many hours in the day, and I can’t just get everywhere. I’ve been through the country at breakneck speed, on the book tour, and there’s still so many people, and so many outlets I didn’t get a chance to talk to. I’m talking with people I haven’t had a chance to talk to since it came out. So you’re having a long day of talking about your book? Chances are I’ve been there once at least. I just kind of like to know where people are that I’m talking to, so that I can kind of get a picture of that area. But Joe really opened up when the discussion turned to effects pedals - he loves to check out new pedals and is on an endless search - and guitars new and old, including plenty of boutique dealers and lesser-known brands that are among his favorites. In our hour-plus conversation we talked about everything from how his bandmates responded to his book, to his early love of the water, to his relationships with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. But when Perry called at the end of what had already been a long day of interviews, he sounded relaxed, and when the conversation turned to guitars, he was in no hurry to end the call. When his publicist contacted me to set up the interview, I was told I had 20 minutes, and was given a list of “talking points,” all of which centered around a section of the book.
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Certainly there’s no shortage of sex and drugs to go with the rock and roll in Perry’s excellent memoir. Oh, and of course there’s all the classic stories about the making of some of rock’s most revered albums, and the open discussion about the decades of craziness that have been his life on tour as one-half of the “Toxic Twins,” as he and partner-in-crime Steven Tyler were often referred.
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer made the rounds recently to promote his new autobiography, “Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith,” which surprises with its honesty, and its insight into the mind of both the young Joe Perry - the potential scientist - and the Joe Perry of today - the family man who has somewhat quietly been married to the same pretty girl for 30 years.
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Is there anyone out there who hasn’t heard or learned to play Joe’s iconic riff in “Walk This Way” yet? Well, maybe Kanye West’s fans, but not too many others. How can you quantify the impact Perry has had on the rock guitar world? Aerosmith has sold more than 150 million albums worldwide - more than 70 million in the U.S. At this point, it’s been 40-plus years of kick-ass music with “America’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band,” as Aerosmith has been called, and with his occasional forays down the solo path. That was good for us, and it didn’t turn out too bad for Joe Perry either. He wanted to be a marine biologist, like his hero Jacques Cousteau, but got sidetracked playing guitar.
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This interview was first published in 2004.