Steven Tyler Says ‘American Idol’ Will Not Stop Aerosmith From Making New Record
Steven Tyler is still insisting that his new gig as a judge on American Idol will not stop Aerosmith from completing a new record: Yesterday the singer told journalists at a press conference promoting the new season of Idol that he intends to begin work on their 15th studio album later this month.
Getting the rest of Aerosmith on board may be a problem for Tyler. As he told Rolling Stone last week, “We’re having trouble getting Joe [Perry]. I don’t know where he is.”
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It’s easy to understand why anyone would get the impression that Aerosmith may be over since the band’s internal conflicts in recent years have played out in public like a rock & roll soap opera — complete with rehab stints, near-constant break-up rumors and numerous injuries. Last year Tyler threatened to sue the band if they were to hire a new singer following rumors that he had quit the band, and more recently guitarist Joe Perry has attacked Tyler for associating himself with American Idol.
The band have been at each other’s throats for so long now that it’s hard to imagine how they could get on the same page to write their first album of original material since Just Press Play in 2001, especially with Tyler devoting so much of his time to a television series that tapes twice a week.
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That said, even though Perry has insisted on distancing Aerosmith from Idol, the show will inevitably increase Tyler’s public profile to the point that there will be a renewed interest in the band in the coming year. From a strictly commercial standpoint, it may be in the group’s best interests to get over their differences and lay down some new tracks.
Steven Tyler says Aerosmith not dead, plans new album [Reuters]