- Last Child
Infobox Single
Name = Last Child
Artist =Aerosmith
from Album = Rocks
B-side = "Combination"
Released = 1976
Recorded = 1976
Format = Record
Genre =Hard rock
Length = 3:26
Label =Columbia Records
Writer =Steven Tyler ,Brad Whitford
Producer = Jack Douglas
Chart position = * #21 (USBillboard Hot 100 )
Reviews =
Last single = "Dream On" (1976)
This single = "Last Child" (1976)
Next single = "Home Tonight " (1976)"Last Child" is a song performed by Americanhard rock bandAerosmith . It was written bySteven Tyler andBrad Whitford . It was released as the first single from the band's hard rock album "Rocks" in 1976. The song peaked at #21 on theBillboard Hot 100 , one of many in a string of hit singles for the band in the mid-1970s.tructure
The song is one of the most famous contributions of Brad Whitford to the band, featuring his signature opening guitar notes, riff, and solo. The song opens like a slow song, with the slow, careful playing of the guitar and Steven Tyler's dreamy lyrics. But then after 22 seconds, it abruptly changes to a hard rocking bluesy song, complete with a boogie background and two-guitar interplay between
Brad Whitford and Joe Perry, with Whitford playing the low notes of the song's riff on the verse and Perry playing funk chords higher up on the neck.Legacy
Long after its release, "Last Child" continues to see regular airplay on rock radio stations and is regularly rotated into Aerosmith's concert setlist, even on their latest tour. In concert, it is often Brad Whitford's feature spot, in which Steven Tyler gives him an introduction with something like "Brad Whitford, what you got to show for yourself?" or "What you got up your sleeve?" Brad often does a little bit of an intro before playing the opening notes to the song.
"Last Child" has also been re-released on numerous Aerosmith compilations including "
Aerosmith's Greatest Hits ", "O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits ", and "Devil's Got a New Disguise " as well as numerous live collections including "Live! Bootleg", "Classics Live II ", and "A Little South of Sanity ".The song is one of
Aerosmith 's most funk-based tracks — modeled after the bandThe Meters , whichJoe Perry was listening to at the time.In other media
* The song is featured as a playable track in the video game "
Guitar Hero II ", with many noticeable differences: the rerecording uses a less deep tuning, and the song closes with a lengthy solo and the "home... sweet... home" verse repeated at the end, instead of the recorded fade-out. The track in the game is actually a cover of the version of Last Child found on "A Little South of Sanity ", not the recorded version on "Rocks".
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