Joe Perry (1)

Now I know why Dream On doesn't sound like other Aerosmith songs (you'll have to read it to find out why). I also know a lot of other things I didn't know about the band, their roots with English rock and American blues and their music. I enjoyed reading Joe Perry's memoir, Rock: My Life in and out of Aerosmith. I like that it included pictures--a lot of photos. I like a good bio with accompanying photographs. After reading this I had to spend some time on YouTube watching some of their videos and recorded appearances--and then that also lead to some time spent on some of the legends that Joe mentions in the book such as Chuck Berry.… (meer)

I received a copy of this eBook from the publisher, via netgalley, in return for an honest review.

I was so looking forward to reading this autobiography, as I'm a fan of rock music and have enjoyed musician's memoirs in the past.

This book started off well, and I found the first 25% or so really engaging and hard to put down. Perry's experiences in the studio and on the road with Aerosmith, as well as the formation of the band, are entertaining and interesting. The tempestuous relationship between Perry and vocalist Steven Tyler has been well documented in the press, so it's inclusion here is no surprise. Unfortunately, I found myself getting a bit bored with the endless confrontations between the two and a variety of other players. Reading about the music was great, but I feel this was very much overshadowed by so much emphasis placed on the tangled web of personal relationships the members of Aerosmith shared, both within and outside of the band.

I found it quite interesting, but it lost me relatively early on. This took me so long to read, a sure sign that it didn't hold my interest. Disappointing, but sure to appeal to die hard fans. 3/5… (meer)