"Last Child" is a song by American rock band

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...

. It was written by

Steven Tyler Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer and songwriter. Tyler is best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, h ...

and Brad Whitford and released as the first single from the album '' Rocks'' in 1976. It peaked at number 21 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, one of a string of hits for the band in the mid-1970s.

Structure

The song is one of Brad Whitford's best-known contributions to the band. "Brad wrote, 'Take me back to sweet Tallahassee, home sweet home…'" recalled Tyler. "Whatever he put into 'Last Child', that's his moment. He can take that, and that's his, forever."

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that "it's right in the groove: a straightforward rock tune with a slick, rhythm oriented arrangement."

Legacy

Long after its release, "Last Child" enjoys regular airplay on rock radio and is regularly rotated into Aerosmith's concert setlist. In concert, it is often Whitford's feature spot, in which Tyler introduces him with something like "Brad Whitford, what do you got to show for yourself?" or "What do you got up your sleeve?" Whitford often does a little bit of an intro before playing the opening notes to the song. Although it was often assumed that the guitar solo as heard on the studio recording was played by Joe Perry, it was originally rumored to have been played by an uncited (hired) guitarist. During his appearance as a guest on '' That Metal Show'' in 2012, Whitford stated that he actually wrote and performed the solo himself. "Last Child" has been rereleased on compilations including '' Aerosmith's Greatest Hits'', '' O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits'', and '' Devil's Got a New Disguise'' as well as live collections including '' Live! Bootleg'', '' Classics Live II'', and '' A Little South of Sanity''.

Charts

References

{{Authority control Aerosmith songs 1976 singles Songs written by Steven Tyler Songs written by Brad Whitford Song recordings produced by Jack Douglas (record producer) Columbia Records singles Funk rock songs