Hard rock aficionados the world over know Joe Perry as the nimble-fingered guitar master with the multi-platinum, multifarious Aerosmith, one of the all-time great outlaw rock'n'roll bands of the age. A lesser-knownaspect of Perry's 30-year journey from hopeful young guitar hero to world-renowned musician is his brief solo career as leader of his own band, the Joe Perry Project. Throughout the 1970s, Aerosmith had established a position as the USA's pre-eminenthard rock attraction. Then, in October 1979, with Aerosmith's career at something of a creative impasse and relationships within the band strained to breaking point, Perry struck out on his own.With no money, no band, no recording contract and no management to back him, Perry set about getting his solo career off the ground. He assembled a crack backing band, which he dubbed, inevitably, the Joe Perry Project, and launched himself on the college and club touring circuit. Over the course of four years, and through four different line-ups, the Joe Perry Project issued three albums of exuberant, swaggering, funky rock'n'roll. The debut, LET THE MUSIC DO THE TALKING (1980), fared well, selling a more-than-respectable 250,000 copies in the US. The subsequent albums, I'VE GOT THE ROCK'N'ROLLS AGAIN (1981) and ONCE A ROCKER, ALWAYS A ROCKER (1983) maintained the quality, but sold significantly less copies. By early 1984, Perry and his old sparring partner, Steven Tyler, had patched up their differences and reformed Aerosmith.As for the Joe Perry Project, all that remains are three underrated albums, a bunch of tightly coiled, energetic rock songs and, no doubt, a mess of faded memories. In customary fashion, Raven has now culled the best material from thosealbums for release on one action-packed, 20-track, 75-minute collection. From the arrogant swagger of LET THE MUSIC DO THE TALKING and DISCOUNT DOGS (off the debut album), through the blazing EAST COAST, WEST COAST and SOUTH STATION BLUES (from album #2)onto the raw and playful BLACK VELVET PANTS and NEVER WANNA STOP (album #3), this is gritty, street-level 1980s rock at its finest. Naturally enough, as the band's resident guitar godhead, Perry pulled out all stops throughout with his fiery licks,most notably on the whiplash instrumental BREAK SONG. His various backing musicians responded with appropriate vigour, and if some of the material here echoes Aerosmith's brash take on arena rock, then the songs are all the more exciting for their fluentdynamics and barely contained rock energy. As an added bonus, there's the rare non-album B-side BONE TO BONE (from 1980, and transferred directly from a long-lost master tape discovered in the vaults at Sony Records Australia) that has never before appeared on CD.For a myriad of reasons, the Joe Perry Project missed out on long-term success. Yet, no lesser a person than Joe Perry himself would be proud of his achievements throughout that challenging time circa 1980-1984. As the comprehensive liner notes contained within the classy CD booklet conclude: 'The story of the Joe Perry Project is a classic tale of high hopes and expectations, of rock'n'roll excesses, of excruciating lows and missed opportunities. Were it not for Perry's tenacious will to survive in the face of overwhelming odds, then this compilation may well not exist.' THE BEST OF THE JOE PERRY PROJECT will serve to fill a gap in any self-respecting hard rock fan's music collection.

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Let The Music Do The Talking
2. Conflict Of Interest
3. Discount Dogs
4. Shooting Star
5. Break Song
6. Rockin’ Train
7. Life At A Glance
8. Bone To Bone †
9. East Coast, West Coast
10. I’Ve Got The Rock’N’Rolls Again
11. No Substitute For Arrogance
12. Buzz Buzz
13. Soldier Of Fortune
14. South Station Blues
15. Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker
16. Black Velvet Pants
17. King Of The Kings
18. Bang A Gong
19. Walk With Me Sally
20. Never Wanna Stop