Joe Perry Reveals His Pick For The Best Rockbands
via Aerosmith / YouTube
He’s Got Good Picks
Aerosmith was a game-changer in the early days of 1970s rock music. Better known by the music industry as the “Bad Boy in Boston,” they brought a gritty sound to the table that was heavily influenced by basic blues.
All About Peter Green
Aerosmith’s guitarist, Joe Perry, revealed that his inspiration came from Fleetwood Mac. He particularly praised Peter Green as one of his all-time favorite guitarists, telling Music Radar:
“Peter Green is one of my all-time favorite guitarists. They [Fleetwood Mac] were a great band, and that’s where I got a lot of my blues education.”
It’s easy to see where Perry took notes from Green’s distinctive way of making the guitar talk in tunes like “Walk This Way.”
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Can’t Go Wrong With The Stones
Perry also has a special place in his heart for The Rolling Stones, who were trailblazers for the genre and kicked down the doors for bands like Fleetwood Mac, Them, and The Yardbirds. The Stones’ soul was always in the deep roots of music like Muddy Waters, which became a cornerstone of Perry’s playing.
One Of the Most Iconic: The Beatles
Yet although Aerosmith’s catalog borrows from The Stones’ rockers, like all great rock and rollers, Perry’s love always returns to The Beatles.
“The Beatles just changed everything right across the board. They just had that right combination of clean-cut good looks, a cute band. But under that, they had a real rock ‘n’ roll thing going on,” he continued.
The Fab Four’s influence reached across the board, with Aerosmith eventually covering “Come Together” for the Sgt Pepper film and doing their rendition of ‘I’m Down” on their album Permanent Vacation.
All in all, Joe Perry has carved out his place in rock history as one of the most in-the-pocket lead guitar players. Although he admits to borrowing a lick from various musicians here and a look there, there will never be someone who sounds exactly like him.
