Kid Rock [PA] by Kid Rock

I'll admit that Kid Rock isn't my cup of tea. While I was mildly amused by Cowboy, Forever, and Only God Knows Why, and I thought that his duet with Sheryl Crow (Picture) was fine, it's just difficult for me to see him as anything other than a second-rate rock star. Maybe it's his personal life. Hanging around with the likes of Pamela and Carson isn't what I would call image-boosting.

Anyway, I did go into this album with a somewhat neutral stance. I assumed though, especially based upon Kid's first video (Feel Like Makin' Love), that his album would fall completely into the bar category.

You know that category - the one where you expect the songs to show up on the jukebox of your local neighborhood, dive bar? The one that you could probably catch a disease from that is - if you could see through all of the smoke and bodies.

I like bar songs as much as the next guy. In fact, when I was in my prime bar-hopping age, there was nothing like a George Thorogood song to get me to throw back more of that hooch and dance nekkid on table tops. I personally think that the world needs more bar songs. Tabletops. Hooch.

Anyway, this album surprised me. It's almost good. While there are bar songs, Kid also goes into the ballads (that have the look and feel of Picture), and songs I would otherwise categorize as those I would listen to as I drive down a dark highway. There's only one real stinker (Black Bob).

Tracks
Rock n Roll Pain Train (****)
Cadillac P*ussy (***.5)
Feel Like Makin' Love (****)
Black Bob (*)
Jackson Mississippi (*****)
Cold and Empty (****)
Intro (***)
Rock and Roll (***)
Hillbilly Stomp (***)
I Am (***)
Son of Detroit (***)
Do It For You (***)
Hard Night For Sarah (****)
Run Off To LA (****)
Single Father (***)

The Bar Songs:

Feel Like Makin' Love, the song made famous in 1975 by British-bad-rock-boys, Bad Company, is not bad as far as remakes go. Generally, I stear away from those because they seldom sound as good or even top the original. Kid sounds good when he sings stuff from their era. He's got the voice, he's got the attitude, he's got the look. The crunching rock guitars are still there, what he's added is his Beastie Boys screams and some female background vocals.

Cadillac P*ussy is definitely bar material but hey - that's due in large part to the added vocals of Hank Williams Jr.. Kid and Hank take their public reputations for overindulging in everything and anything and put it to a three minute musical arrangement filled with back-slappin' drum beats and toe taps.

I love Run Off To L.A. It features the ever-gorgeous Sheryl Crow and her vocals are a fantastic compliment to Kid's deep, scratchy melody. I'm completely sad that these two aren't an item anymore...

Driving Down Dark Highways:

I love love love Jackson Mississippi. Kid gets everything right with this song. It's dark, it's heavy with guitars, and his voice sounds like a man who owns the room. For just a minute, I'm almost attracted to him. Almost. It's like mixing Pink Floyd with Saliva. Oooooh!

The Ballads/Slower Numbers:

Cold and Empty showcases Kid's voice in a way that makes you almost think of him as vulnerable. Instead of guitars taking the spotlight, a sweet, piano melody dominates the entire song. His lyrics speak of apologies for being who he is and you can't help but wonder if he's singing out to Pam...

Kid records a previously unreleased Bob Seger track - Hard Night For Sarah. Twenty four years hasn't detracted from the beauty of the song. Hasn't aged it either. As I listen to the vocals, Kid's inflections are definitely set-up to mimic Bob Seger's style.

The Song That Should Have Never Been Recorded:

The song, Black Bob, gets on my last nerve. The song starts out fine (sort of a mellow, but electric guitar sound) but then soon turns into a major headache. There's a screeching guitar anthem-type riff that's put on repeat along with the high-pitched vocals of, what I think, is Kid. I really needed the Tylenol after this one.

The End
I never thought that I would recommend an album put out by Kid Rock. I guess there's a first for everything, right? Kid is so adorable, in a cornball way, that it's difficult not to like his collection of music. Sure, you can dismiss it because it's not serious enough, and at times, too commercial sounding, but hey, you can't fault a guy who obviously has a deep love for the music.