- Rocks (album)
Infobox Album | Name = Rocks
Type =Album
Artist =Aerosmith
Released =May 3 ,1976
Recorded = January-March 1976
Genre =Hard rock ,Heavy metal
Length = 34:30
Label = Columbia
Producer =Aerosmith , Jack Douglas
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:a1l67uy0h0j0~T1 link]
*Review-Christgau|A-|album=23
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://rollingstone.com/reviews/cd/review.asp?aid=47022&cf=18 RS 218]
Last album = "Toys in the Attic"
(1975)
This album = "Rocks"
(1976) | Next album = "Draw the Line "
(1977)
Misc = Singles
Name = Rocks
Type = studio
Single 1 =Last Child
Single 1 date = 1976
Single 2 =Home Tonight
Single 2 date = 1976
Single 3 =Back in the Saddle
Single 3 date = 1977
Single 4 = Rats in the Cellar
Single 4 date = 1976 (promo only)"Rocks" is the fourth
album by American hard rock bandAerosmith , released in 1976.Allmusic described "Rocks" as having "captured Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking". [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:t2j97iajg74r Allmusic.com] ] "Rocks" also ranked #176 on "Rolling Stone"'s list of the500 Greatest Albums of All Time . Additionally, it has greatly influenced several people in thehard rock community including members ofGuns N' Roses andMetallica . [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7235473/57_aerosmith The Immortals - The Greatest Artists of All Time: 57) Aerosmith : Rolling Stone ] ] [ [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=7772 Blabbermouth.net] ]The album was also a commercial success, charting three singles on the
Billboard Hot 100 , two of which reached theTop 40 ("Back in the Saddle " and "Last Child "). The album also was one of the first albums to ship platinum when it was released. The album has since gone quadruple platinum.Track listing
ide one
#"
Back in the Saddle " (Steven Tyler , Joe Perry) – 4:40
#"Last Child " (Tyler,Brad Whitford ) – 3:26
#"Rats in the Cellar" (Tyler, Perry) – 4:07
#"Combination" (Perry) – 3:39ide two
#"Sick as a Dog" (Tyler, Tom Hamilton) – 4:12
#"Nobody's Fault " (Tyler, Whitford) – 4:25
#"Get the Lead Out" (Tyler, Perry) – 3:43
#"Lick and a Promise " (Tyler, Perry) – 3:05
#"Home Tonight " (Tyler) – 3:18ong information
"
Back in the Saddle "Written by Joe Perry on a six-string bass, which gives the song its distinctive "growl". Although written with the simple idea of
cowboys andsex , this song took on new meaning after Aerosmith reunited in 1984 and embarked on their Back In The Saddle Tour.Brad Whitford plays the lead guitar part."
Last Child "Brad Whitford created the riff after listening to
the Meters , and the band wrote the rest in the studio. Whitford also plays lead guitar."Rats in the Cellar"
Written as Tom Hamilton describes it, "taking this thing
The Yardbirds created, and making it balls to the wall"Fact|date=February 2007, it was also conceived as a counterpart to "Toys in the Attic"."Combination"
Joe Perry's first solo effort, (sung by Perry with
Steven Tyler on background vocals) this song is aboutheroin ,cocaine , and the dangers of being able to afford your vices.Fact|date=February 2007"Sick as a Dog"
A guitar part is by bassist Tom Hamilton, who also co-wrote the song. When recording the song, for the first half of the song, Joe Perry played the electric bass; after the last chorus, during the rhythm guitar break, Perry handed the bass over to Steven Tyler to play, and picked up his guitar to play the solo during the finale. This song is said to be about Tyler's less than spectacular first meeting of Mick Jagger.
"
Nobody's Fault "With "Back in the Saddle", one of the heaviest songs on the album (as "Round and Round" had been on the previous one), this is one of former
Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash's favorite Aerosmith songs, as well as that ofMetallica leaderJames Hetfield .Thrash metal band Testament covered this song on their 1988 album,The New Order , as well asL.A. Guns contributing a cover of the song for their 2004 covers album "Rips the Covers Off ". This song is an important contribution to the band's catalogue by Brad Whitford, who cites it as his favorite Aerosmith song. [ [http://www.aeroforceone.com/index.cfm/pk/content/pid/1015841 AeroForceOne | Aerosmith - Brad Whitford ] ]"
Lick and a Promise ""(This song) is just about going out there and winning an audience." quips Steven Tyler.Fact|date=February 2007
Cover versions
Thrash metal band Testament recorded "Nobody's Fault " for their 1988 album, "The New Order "Influence in music
* Slash says that "Rocks" was the album that changed his life.
* "Rocks" was one ofKurt Cobain 's favorite albums, as he listed in his Journals. [ [http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view?list_id=23404&start=-25&show=50] ]
* [ [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6599184/176_rocks 176) Rocks : Rolling Stone ] ]Appearances in other media
*The song "Last Child" is a playable song in the video game "
Guitar Hero II ".
*Also released as a 4-channelquadraphonic mix.
*"Back in the Saddle", "Nobody's Fault", "Rats in the Cellar" and "Combination" are playable songs on "".Personnel
*
Steven Tyler - lead vocals,harmonica , percussion, keyboard, bass
*Joe Perry - guitar, percussion,steel guitar ,backing vocals , lead vocals (on "Combination"),lap steel guitar , bass
*Brad Whitford -guitar
*Tom Hamilton - bass, additional guitar
*Joey Kramer - drums, backing vocalsAdditional personnel
*Paul Prestopino -
banjo Production
*Producers: Aerosmith, Jack Douglas
*Engineer: Jay Messina
*Assistant engineers: Sam Ginsberg, Rod O'Brien
*Arrangers: Aerosmith, Jack Douglas, David Hewitt
*Directors: David Krebs, Steve Leber
*Photography: Fin Costello, Scott Enyart, Tom Hamilton, Ron Pownall, Brad WhitfordCharts
Album - Billboard (North America)
References
External links
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.