Classic Rock Bottom

For this Black Friday, I bring you the debut album from The Joe Perry Project, 1980's "Let The Music Do The Talking".

And since it is Black Friday, I'm not going to waste our time. You probably have this album, and anyone that doesn't is silly.

The bio, courtesy of allmusic.com (because wikipee sucks and so do those that wikipee):

"The Joe Perry Project was a short-lived band during the early '80s led by Aerosmith's founding guitarist (and obtained the dubious feat of featuring a different singer for each of their three albums). After Perry grew disenchanted with the indulgent, drug-consuming, time-wasting monster that Aerosmith had become (despite the fact that they were still one of the biggest rock outfits in the U.S.), Perry jumped ship and rang up a trio of acquaintances from the Boston area: singer Ralph Mormon, bassist David Hull, and drummer Ronnie Stewart. The quartet got off to a good start with the back-to-basics debut Let the Music Do the Talking, but not long afterwards, the same vices that plagued Aerosmith began to rear their ugly heads once more in Perry's latest band. By the Project's sophomore release, 1981's I've Got the Rock 'n' Rolls Again, Mormon was replaced with Charlie Farren, which proved to not be up to par with the quartet's debut. But their weakest release was yet to come, 1984's unfocused Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker, which saw the entire band (save Perry) replaced: as singer Cowboy Mach Bell, bassist Danny Hargrove, and drummer Joe Pet signed on. Realizing that he was on a sinking ship, Perry made up with his former Aerosmith bandmates and rejoined them full-time later the same year. 1999 saw the release of a 20-track Joe Perry Project retrospective, The Music Still Does the Talking: The Best Of, which contained a rare instrumental version of Aerosmith's "Bone to Bone," previously available only as a B-side. Mormon eventually surfaced briefly as a frontman for Savoy Brown (appearing on a pair of 1981 releases, Greatest Hits Live in Concert and Rock 'N' Roll Warriors), while Farren formed the group Farrenheit, and later issued a solo debut in 1999 (Deja Blue, the Color of Love)."

Now the review, again courtesy of allmusic.com:

"Joe Perry split from Aerosmith under less than favorable circumstances in 1979, directly assembling a solo band, the Joe Perry Project (with Ralph Mormon [vocals], David Hull [bass], and Ronnie Stewart [drums]), which soon released its first album, 1980's Let the Music Do the Talking. Unlike his former band, which would now take excessive amounts of time to record albums that should have been cranked out quickly, L.T.M.D.T.T. recalled the brash and trashy appeal of early Aerosmith. Maybe because he wanted to show his former bandmates that he could succeed without them, the performances were extremely inspired, while the songwriting was sharp and focused. The anthemic title track was aimed at all the in-press bickering that was going on at the time between Aerosmith and Perry. While subsequent Perry Project albums didn't contain many Perry lead vocal spots, the singing on the debut is split 50/50 between Perry and Mormon. Tracks such as "Conflict of Interest," "Discount Dogs," "Shooting Star," and "Rocking Train" were all up-tempo highlights, and the instrumental "Break Song" showed off the fantastic interplay between the new band, while "The Mist Is Rising" was more low-key. A truly great and underrated record, Let the Music Do the Talking could have been a classic Aerosmith release if the drugs hadn't split the band apart."

What did I buy this Black Friday? None of your bidness!

Yes, the title track was on the underrated "Done With Mirrors" from Aerosmith. 

Let The Music Do The Talking

1. Let the Music Do the Talking
2. Conflict of Interest
3. Discount Dogs
4. Shooting Star
5. Break Song
6. Rockin' Train
7. The Mist Is Rising
8. Ready on the Firing Line
9. Life at a Glance

Availability: Only $4.99 if you have Amazon Prime! You don't have Prime??!! Why not?

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I bought this on vinyl right when it came out, and I thought it would be great. But it wasn't. Did n't like it at all, other than the title track and the quick instrumental, "Break Song". I was very disappointed in this.

But now, hearing it in full again, well over 30 years since I last heard it, I'm finding it more enjoyable. Don't recall it being this funky. It just was not heavy enough for me, way back then. I'm liking it enough right now, where I will listen through a second time. And next time I pull out some vinyl, if I stumble across this one, it will get consideration to be played. Would have never played it again without hearing this first. Stuff happens like this sometimes....the older we get....????

So I listened to the Title Track here and the redo on Done With Mirrors.  Gotta say they DWM version smokes this one even at nearly 1 minute less.  Amazing what a real singer will do for ya!  Still a great opener...

Very melodic and upbeat sounds that could've came straight out of the ROCKS sessions, that's a cool thing!  The album is way better than I remember it to be.  I may have to look into to this one...

Unlike Gordon and Scott, I had no preconceived notions for this one because I've never owned it or even heard it for that matter.  This was actually a pretty good listen.  The vocalist isn't the best, that's for sure.  But the guitar player is fantastic.  Was he in a famous band or something?  

Seriously, I don't think I'll search this out, but if I run across it in the used CD store, I'll pick it up if the price is right.  I have to say, you done good Jon.

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