justsoyouknow 0 Report post Posted November 20, 2003 Kid Rock Kid Rock THE ROLLING STONE REVIEW **** When Eminem crossed over to pop, he freaked out. But when Kid Rock crossed over, he just grinned, threw up a middle finger and kept going, crossing right through the mainstream and coming out the other side. He embraced the "White America" that Eminem scorned, conjuring up a fantasy of backwoods life that looked a lot like his fantasy of ghetto life: guns, drugs and lots of fucking. There was the smash Devil Without a Cause, the cash-in compilation History of Rock and then Cocky, a rather uninspired album that became a late-breaking success because of the hit single "Picture," with Sheryl Crow, a thug-love duet for Nascar fans that stayed on the country charts for months. By now, Kid Rock's shtick should be wearing thin. But his Kid Rock is a monster: raucous and clever and unpredictable. It's one of the best hard-rock CDs you'll hear this year, carrying on the shitkicking tradition of Hank Williams Jr., ZZ Top, Guns n' Roses and Bad Company. They're all here: Williams shows up to help sing "Cadillac Pussy." ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons adds vocals to "Hillbilly Stomp," a country-funk hybrid that evokes Parliament's "Little Old Country Boy." And "Run Off to L.A.," another Crow collaboration, recycles Axl Rose: "They say all we need is just a little patience/But what do you do when your woman's too high-maintenance?" As for Bad Company, the album's first single is a cover of "Feel Like Makin' Love." Like Eminem, Kid Rock is a shrewd cultural politician, always stopping just short of claiming to be something he isn't. "I Am" includes a risible declaration of Southern pride: "I am Georgia, I am Memphis, Tennessee." But there's a twist: "I am everything that Hollywood wants to be." And he's also Boston and Florida and both Dakotas -- no more or less real, in other words, than his audience. You can hear this audience reflected in the music, a mishmash of dusty cowboy songs and riff-rock rants and piano ballads. It's almost all convincing (even the occasional raps), thanks in large part to the underrated Twisted Brown Trucker Band, especially guitarist Kenny Olson, who gives Kid Rock the snarling, sinuous riffs he needs. Mainly, though, this album is proof that Kid Rock knows what he's doing. He is whatever he says he is: a coke-sniffing star and a hardworking "redneck," but also a "single father, part-time mother." The album includes the obligatory too-much-touring ballad, "Cold and Empty," which doubles as a prom song and triples as a tribute to the fans who make his populism credible. "It's the life I love," he sings, "but it's you I can't live without." ...Does anybody have this CD to back this up, or is this just Rolling Stone being Rolling Stone? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Corey_Lazarus 0 Report post Posted November 20, 2003 I'm going to guess on Rolling Stone being Rolling Stone, but I've heard snippets here and there, and I dig his more "classic rock" feel now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justsoyouknow 0 Report post Posted November 20, 2003 Well, I think we can all agree that Kid Rock isn't exactly an excellent musician, so I was a little taken aback when I saw four stars on the review. He kinda destroyed any semblance of a "badass" image when he did a duet with Sheryl Crow, though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Doyo Report post Posted November 21, 2003 allmusic.com, which often has very weird ratings, gave it 4.5 out of 5 they said he is now "a full-out rocker and outlaw country singer" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nighthawk 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2003 The cover looks pretty cool, but you know what they say about that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted November 21, 2003 Kid Rock is a intelligent person, He knows the Rapping Rocker gimmick got old and he always loved Country and Blues more anyways. He finally made it so that he could do his BEST stuff and the genre he is most comfortable with popular. Notice he doesn't appear on MTV anymore but can be seen on CMT constantly? I, as do many others perfer the country based Kid Rock then his white rapper gimmick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nighthawk 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2003 Lest we forget, Kid Rock began his career as a rapper with no rock influence and spent many years that way. So I guess he's the new Everlast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted November 21, 2003 Everlast just sucks. Kid Rock proves he can evolve to this genre and has been warmingly embraced while no one has or ever will give a shit about everlast Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nighthawk 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2003 I agree. I admire his genre shift, even if I do find it a bit odd. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted November 21, 2003 I don't, He's been chomping at the bit to make the transition ever since He and Hank Williams Jr hooked up and shit. As soon as I saw Williams in that Only God Knows Why video... I knew it was only inevitable. Too bad we had to deal with that horrid COCKY album where he couldn't make his damn mind up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1234-5678 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2003 I don't have it, but now I kinda wish I did. I have been a Kid fan since one of my boys turned my onto "Devil Without A Cause" and if he is going towards a classic rock sound, well then this is probably the best album he has made. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haVoc 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2003 I'm looking forward to picking this album up over the weekend. I really like Kid Rock's country/blues rock. He really has it down and it's nice that people are finally seeing that's his stronger music then focusing so much on his rap/rock stuff. As far as "what about his "bad ass" image?" I think he's saying "fuck the image" with this album. Those douchebags at MTV will probably ignore this album, so Kid Rock has now become a VH1 and country baby. Which isn't a bad thing in my eyes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1234-5678 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2003 As far as "what about his "bad ass" image?" I think he's saying "fuck the image" with this album. Those douchebags at MTV will probably ignore this album, so Kid Rock has now become a VH1 and country baby. Which isn't a bad thing in my eyes. Well, since he is boys with Carson Daly, I don't think he'll ever really disappear from TRL or MTV. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haVoc 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2003 Carson is still on MTV? Last few times I've caught TRL they have 5 other VJ's hosting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1234-5678 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2003 Carson is still on MTV? Last few times I've caught TRL they have 5 other VJ's hosting. I don't know, I never watch it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted November 21, 2003 Carson is still under contract and they bring him in for the major shows... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
