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The 1958 album that shaped Joe Perry’s guitar playing: “Some records really make a difference”
Joe Perry of Aerosmith has identified the 1958 compilation 'The Best of Muddy Waters' as one of the most transformative records of his lifetime. Born in 1950, Perry encountered this collection of blues recordings spanning 1948–1954 during his formative musical years and credited it with providing his foundational education in both Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon's approaches to the instrument.
What distinguished this album for Perry was how directly instructive yet accessible the guitar work felt for someone learning the instrument from scratch. Though he didn't begin playing until age ten and initially pursued contemporary 1960s rock acts, the blues masters' techniques proved engaging rather than forbiddingly complex. Perry's continued appreciation for the record—articulated in a 2025 Guitar Player interview—illustrates how certain albums can become embedded in an artist's development and sustain their resonance across an entire career.
In short
- Joe Perry credits the 1958 Muddy Waters compilation as a foundational influence on his guitar development
- He discovered the album during his teenage years and valued its accessible approach to blues guitar technique
- The record's impact has remained profound across over six decades of his musical career
Explained simply
Joe Perry is the lead guitarist of Aerosmith, the American rock band formed in the early 1970s. He began learning guitar as a child, when blues and rock records helped shape the music he would go on to play.
Muddy Waters was a major American blues singer and guitarist, while Willie Dixon was a blues musician and songwriter whose songs were recorded by many artists. Their music helped influence the sound of rock, and the 1958 compilation brought together recordings they had made between 1948 and 1954.
Perry has described the collection as an important early guide to guitar playing. His story illustrates how recordings from one musical generation can influence artists in another.