Posts by Day: Friday, May 02, 2008
Posted 5/2/2008 @ 6:15:00 PM by aerosmithrock.com
Brad Whitford is Aerosmith's second guitarist, a less visible counterpart to Joe Perry. He joined the band early on in 1971, only leaving once in 1981 to try his hand at a brief solo project before returning three years later when it fizzled. He hasn't written many of Aerosmith's songs, but he did help to write Last Child and also plays lead guitar for it. He switches up on several songs when the material demands it. Whitford lived with the band in the early days, and makes up as much of the band's genetic makeup as Steve Tyler or Joe Perry. He's a talented guitarist, and he picked Aerosmith originally because he wanted to be in a group with dual lead guitars. That's not a bad reason to join a band, but he stuck around because the fusion of their talents managed to produce a nearly uninterrupted parade of hits over a span of over thirty years. They figured out something that works together and just stuck with it. Whitford sees himself as a schooled and technical counterpart to Perry's unvarnished emotional playing and self presentation. Whitford's style reflects his playing philosophy. His long hair and permanent frown is sometimes accented by a plain hat. He's comfortable being the backup man, without any need to hog the attention of an audience that's already focusing on Tyler's wild and crude gyrations and colorful outfits. In the mixing process, he plays a role in controlling the various guitar volumes to create a seamless and full bodied sound for their songs. |
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