"I Wanna Roll" from Sweetzerland Manifesto Joe Perry, 2018 https://youtu.be/J9KahTprD7g?list=PLfYTnbKbI5XyMSd18V9hRkQpYkqLl0LJX
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Product Description:
Recorded between 1980 & 1983. Includes liner notes by Ian McFarlane.
Australia's
Raven Records has released another important retrospective -- a focus
on guitarist Joe Perry's three solo albums and the three frontmen who
put their voices on those discs. Ralph Mormon performed on Let the Music
Do the Talking prior to his stint in Savoy Brown, and that may have
been the better band for his bluesy voice. The excellent liner notes by
Ian McFarlane give a very clear history of "The Project" and their
accuracy is amazing. Given Aerosmith's success, it is odd that Sony
hasn't released a similar compilation -- or that this one isn't being
imported in droves, since Perry is a legend, and his work while
estranged from the hard rock phenomenon that is Aerosmith deserves
attention, no matter how dark the period was for the guitarist
personally. The album is a very good overview while purists and fans
would, of course, prefer two CDs and all the tracks. "Listen to the
Rock" from I've Got the Rock & Rolls Again is missing, and that was
one of their key tunes; also, there were numerous outtakes or demo tapes
from the period of Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker -- lead singer Mach
Bell played one for this writer called "When Worlds Collide" and it is
incredible -- those aforementioned tracks and other goodies would have
really rounded this out. But these are minor quibbles. Hearing each
phase of the Joe Perry Project from start to finish is textbook rock
& roll and highly enjoyable. Charlie Farren eventually landed his
own deal on Warner Bros. with Farrenheit, but imagine if Perry had
stayed along for that ride? The music in the middle of this disc --
"East Coast, West Coast," "Buzz Buzz," and "I've Got the Rock &
Rolls Again" -- were indicators of a developing sound, and Farren was
the perfect partner for Perry to develop a sound to rival, not revisit,
Aerosmith. Thundertrain lead singer Mach Bell, on the other hand, is
truly the guy to add chaos to this touring unit. Bell is one of the most
charismatic frontmen from the New England music scene, and his
Thundertrain band mixed Rolling Stones with Slade, so Perry traded a
vocalist/songwriter for a total madman. The video of track 16, "Black
Velvet Pants," is a story in itself, and it shows Bell in all his rock
& roll glory, while the inclusion of T. Rex's "Bang a Gong" is the
one cover, and perfect for Mach with his British rock leanings. The
three phases of the Joe Perry Project -- blues singer Mormon,
songwriter/vocalist Farren, and stage performer Bell -- is a vitally
important chapter in American rock & roll, which Raven and McFarlane
have lovingly packaged and preserved. If any reissue has a chance of
finding a new audience, this is it. ~ Joe Viglione
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