Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry revealed that Van Halen’s legendary debut album played a part in his decision.

In the latest issue of Guitar World, Aerosmith axe-men Joe Perry and Brad Whitford discuss the band’s fifty-year legacy. But Joe also spills some tea about his decision to walk away from the band for several years.

Longtime Aerosmith are somewhat familiar with these stories: intra-band tensions, the substance abuse that inspired the “Toxic Twins” moniker bestowed upon Perry and frontman Steven Tyler, and so on. But Joe now reveals a touch of competitive envy as well.

“We were rolling into the ’80s, and I still remember hearing the first Van Halen record and loving it. I mean, what a great ****ing record. Eddie’s guitar playing was just so incredible; he turned guitar on its ear and was doing stuff that I’d never heard before. I knew it was time for a break because new ideas were needed. But we also needed to re-adjust our sights and learn to get along again. I remember saying, ‘We’re not ready for the ’80s.’ I don’t know why I said that; it was just a vibe or feeling I had.”

Aerosmith sputtered along without Perry or Whitford during the early 1980’s. Both returned to the band in 1984; but it took rehab for every bandmember and the 1986 Run DMC collaboration on “Walk This Way” to set their comeback in motion. As great as they were in the 1970’s, their biggest commercial successes were yet to come!

More recently, Aerosmith had to push pause on ‘Peace Out: The Farewell Tour’ due to Steven Tyler’s injured vocal chords. You know as soon as we hear any news about rescheduled dates, we’ll pass it along.