Post by StevePulaski on Feb 13, 2015 0:08:43 GMT -5
Kid Rock (2003)
By: Kid Rock
By: Kid Rock
Rating: ★★★
The common criticism I find with Detroit born-and-raised rapper/rocker/country artist Kid Rock is his willingness to practically reinvent and rebrand himself with every new album. Starting as a rapper, mimicking the styles of The Beastie Boys and Vanilla Ice in the 1990's, Kid slowly gravitated towards a more mainstream rap approach before embodying that of a rocker, emulating Lynyrd Skynyrd and other childhood idols. More recently, Rock has become known for his slowburn country and rock style, with the release of his most recent efforts Born Free and Rebel Soul which, for me personally, have failed to captivate. Nonetheless, Kid's experimentation shouldn't go unnoticed; though he's inconsistent, his refusal to beat a dead horse or cling comfortably to convention is one that would be requested if he stuck to a specific style for decades (say, his white gangsta rap image that got him on the map).
His eponymous sixth-album from 2003 serves as a welcoming forte into his more soulful rock anthems, following his brazen and fleshed-out Cocky in 2001. With this, the album is over an hour long, featuring fourteen tracks and a bonus and definitely not coming up short with its content. Right off the bat, the general issue with many Kid Rock tracks is they often try to be two songs sandwiched into one, either evoking two separate styles or are simply too long for their own good. This happens a bit too often with Kid Rock, but Kid's commanding efforts to make this particular album rock out from start to finish almost effectively obscure that fact.
He opens with "Rock and Roll Pain Train," an efficient kickoff to an album comprised of everything from soft rock to harder rock. He follows with the surprising "Cadillac P****," and I say "surprising" because none other than Hank Williams, Jr., the only featured guest on the album, makes an appearance on the sole track boasting foul language in its title. The song is marginally amusing, but feels like Kid is toying with us, resisting to get to the good stuff too early and instead treating us with filler. Thankfully, Kid's album picks up speed with the likes of "Feel Like Makin' Love," a cover of the Bad Company song, and "Black Bob," one of Kid's few songs where the merging of two genres - rock and Motown - blend with ease and produce infectious results. "Black Bob" is easily the winner of the album, boasting stylistic charm and a Kid Rock who seems to take this particular song to heart, commenting on his roots and his rise to fame.
The rest of the album persists on, occasionally dragging with Kid overextending some songs here and there, but for the most part, occupies a wonderful sense of urgency for the rock genre. Dislike Kid all you want, but one can't say he doesn't breed heart and soul into his songs and sings them with the kind of confidence and force needed to make each one resonate with the listener. Kid Rock is an interesting, if somewhat forgotten, stepping stone that further made the singer who he is today; a piece in the complex, multi-layered puzzle that is Bob Ritchie and makes for a thoroughly enjoyable listen all around.
Recommended tracks (in order): "Black Bob," "Feel Like Makin' Love," "Hillbilly Stomp," "Son of Detroit," and "Hard Night for Sarah."