Kid Rock proves that you'll never put your finger on him...

Okay, this is another re-write on an old review. My first review on Epinions was on this album; I wrote it and posted it on November 14th, 2003. In 2004, I decided to re-review the album and give some new insight on it. My second version of this review was posted on August 21st, 2004. After listening to the album recently, a lot of my views on this album were changed. In both original reviews, I was sort of biased toward Rock, and didn't actually talk much about the album's shortcomings. So I decided to review the album for a THIRD time, posted on July 29th, 2006. This will without a doubt be my final say on this album.


Kid Rock is an artist that is really difficult to define musically. Throughout his long career, which began in the late eighties/early nineties, Rock's style has amalgamated various music genres, making him a full-fledged jack of all trades. From old school Hip-Hop to classic rock to heavy metal (courtesy of his Twisted Brown Trucker Band), Rock has done it all. In 2001, he added country music to that list with the release of his eighth album, "Cocky", the official follow-up to his 1998 multi-platinum breakthrough hit "Devil Without a Cause". "Cocky" strayed about from the roads that Rock normally took, instead fusing country and southern rock into his repertoire. Unfortunately for him, it didn't work as well as he had hoped. As a whole, the album was unfocused, and it showed that Rock didn't know what direction he wanted to go towards musically. The album also tanked sales wise, until Rock's record label finally agreed to release "Picture", a country duet with Sheryl Crow, as a single. Most of the sales came simply after that song was released. In late 2003, Rock released his ninth album, a self-titled effort. On "Kid Rock", Rock was a little more focused but still found a bit of difficulty deciding what musical style he wanted to do. However one thing was for certain: he was definitely leaning more towards country than Hip-Hop. Many of Rock's trademark subjects are still firmly in place, like the braggadocio, the songs about sex and the pressures of fame, the hard guitar riffs, etc., but it seemed as if Rock was now more influenced by icons like Hank Williams Jr. and Bob Seger than the Beastie Boys. One thing was for certain: this definitely wasn't the same Kid Rock who made DWAC all those years ago. But, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

The album opens with "Rock 'N' Roll Pain Train", an up-tempo southern rock song with some elements of the blues thrown in. Looking back, I believe Rock is an idiot for NOT choosing this as the lead single for that album (better yet, not releasing it as a single AT ALL ... that is, until his Live Trucker album, where a live version was released, but that shit doesn't count). The subject matter, concerning his rise to fame and the troubles he faced along the way, has been covered by Rock before, but you gotta appreciate how well it was done here. Even though he talks about the 'pain train' wrecking and almost ending his career, he gives us a few words of encouragement in the chorus: "Life's been good to me so far / hope it's been kind to you / stand strong in the storms of life / the sun will always shine on you". Rock's vocals carry a scratchy rasp, and for a rocking song of this magnitude, it works perfectly. Rock also shines with his work on the acoustic, steel, slide and rhythm guitars. But he's not the sole star in this song; the licks by Kenny Olsen on lead guitar and the piano work of Jimmie Bones gives it a REAL bluesy feel, which adds to the greatness of this song. We find another 'too much touring' ballad in the album's second single, the beautifully heartbreaking "Cold and Empty". Lyrically, the song is solid, speaking of a painful separation from a former lover of Rock's, who isn't happy about his life on the road as a 'music man'. It's only a guess, but I'd say that the song is about Pamela Anderson, who Rock was engaged to but broke up with shortly before this was released (Rock recently got engaged to her again and they're getting married at the end of July 06). Interestingly enough, if you listen closely, the song also doubles as an ode to his fans that are angry about his style change. This fact shows his genius even more. Like "Only God Knows Why", his first 'too much touring ballad' from DWAC, it's a complete 180 degree turn from Rock's hell raisin' 'American Bad Ass' persona, but it works well, making it one of the album's major highlights.

Being a musical performer myself, I've never been against cover songs, but when they are the selling point of the album, it somewhat takes credit away from Rock as an artist. This can be seen in the lead single, a cover of Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin’ Love". It was kind of hard for me to get into it since I wasn't such a big fan of the song in the first place. While he makes a decent attempt, I can't say it's better than the original, plus Paul Rodgers' voice seemed more suited to sing it. One thing about this cover that really annoys me is when he kicks it up a notch with HIGH POWER metal and basically screams the chorus. While I appreciate Rock's attempt to differentiate from the original, it just doesn't work. "Son of Detroit" isn't necessarily a cover but a revamp of "Son of the South", originally by David Allen Coe. A fast paced southern rock song, this adds to Rock's redneck image even more. The only real difference between the two is the first verse, where the singer's list of influences is changed to include Run DMC and DJ Scott La'Rock of Boogie Down Productions' fame. But since Rock has listed his influence in other songs before, it just makes this song kind of monotonous. It's fun to listen to, if nothing else. And the third cover on the album is "Hard Night for Sarah", an unreleased Bob Seger song. The subject matter deals with Sarah, a woman going through hard times after divorcing her husband of ten years after finding out that he cheated on her. Choosing this specific song to cover which deals with the subject of divorce really shows how Rock has matured over the years. His performance here is great, and while the song is simple musically and lyrically, it works for the better.

As it can be obviously told by the album's title, it's a personal look into Kid Rock's life. Many of the songs deal with the things he has to go through. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. "Jackson, Mississippi" is a ear-splitting heavy metal sounding track, with subject matter reminiscent of two tracks Rock has done in the past: "Fist of Rage" and "Dark & Grey. Musically, it's somewhat similar to the latter, but it rocks even harder. You can practically see his mind state when he wrote this: hung over and high, at the end of his rope with nowhere to go. I love the emotional refrain that basically that takes off from "Picture", when he said he would change his ways: "And I can say I'm trying to change / but that's just another lie". Speaking of "Picture", we have a track written around that same time included here: "Run Off To L.A.", a track about another one of Rock's ex-girlfriends, model James King. You can tell by this song that his relationship with King didn't end on good terms, with a chorus that references Guns N' Roses: "They say 'all we need is just a little patience' / but what do you do when your woman is too high maintenance? / I'mma hating to admit it even if it's your wife / please pack your shit and take the first train out of my life". "Do It For You" and "Single Father" are two more southern-flavored ballads. The former is a dedication to Pam (confirmed by Rock in an interview), basically saying that he'd even kill himself for that woman. It's a decent track, but kinda suffers from below average songwriting. The latter is a heartfelt ballad about his life as a single father, raising his song without a mother. It's better than the previous track, but it's still missing something. However, my favorite track on the album is "I Am", a personal tribute to his fans. This track has Kid declaring he's just as real as the audience he plays for, by shouting out their different states around the country and stating that he's "everything that Hollywood wants to be". The entire album, along with Kid Rock's unpredictability, is summed up with one simple phrase in this song: "you'll never put your finger on me".

Even though Rock has somewhat matured, it's safe to say some old habits die hard. "Rock 'N' Roll " is a piano-driven rhythm and blues track, made to show the old pimp that Kid Rock was isn't dead, as he basically describes a one night stand with a groupie. Rock's rasp is perfectly molded for this honky tonk track, and it turns out to be one of Rock's more underrated tracks (not just on this album, but for his whole career). The same theme is also used for "Cadillac Pussy", which is one of the worst tracks on the album. It starts out decent enough, but it would've been much better if Rock had written a second verse instead of repeating the first. you repeat the first verse, the track gets really old, REALLY fast. Not to mention the lame use of a double entendre in the chorus, the track turns out to be a disappointment. And even though the Hip-Hop influence is mostly gone from this album, though you can still see shades o rock as an emcee. The most prominent example would be "Intro", a two minute brag rap track that should've been named 'Interlude' since it's at track seven (if it was the intro to the album, it should be at track one). The song finds Rock at his old school rap best, quoting Run DMC, referencing the Beastie Boys, and talking about how much better he is than everybody else. We also have "Hillbilly Stomp", which is essentially a redneck sequel to his DWAC hit "Cowboy". Only difference is it isn't as good as "Cowboy" or even fun to listen to. Check this mediocre lyrical sample: "Now people wanna know how to do this dance / lift your legs in the air like you wet your pants / plant your hands on the top of your butt / and stomp around the woods like you're all fucked up!". I swear, with lyrics like this, Rock even makes Chingy look like a legit emcee. And "Black Bob" finds Rock covering another subject he has covered before, the people who've doubted him in the past, but still making it out to be a pretty good track. An old school blues feel is present, courtesy of guest guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd. The third verse, which was originally written in 1997, finds Rock rapping with a slow delivery about himself and his skills.

There is no doubt that Kid Rock has matured as an artist and a human being, and this album shows it. But in the context of his career, "Kid Rock" shows Rock slipping further and further from his roots. But in a sense, that isn't a bad thing. It's no secret that the Hip-Hop community doesn't accept him. Rock has obviously realized this himself, and has decided to leave Hip-Hop behind. I mean just a few months ago, Rock said that he wanted his next release to be a "timeless rock and roll record" with no Hip-Hop on it, and that it would possibly be produced by Rick Rubin. Thankfully, I have come to terms with it, and can say this is definitely an enjoyable album. People may be upset by the change in Kid Rock's style, but sometimes, change is a good thing. However, while this is miles above the mess that was "Cocky", there is still something that is holding him back. The main problem here is the music is somewhat unfocused; not as much as it was on "Cocky", but you can tell that he's unsure about what he's doing. He wants to do his own thing, but he's too worried about how his audience will react to it. With all the emotional ballads revolving around his life, this album appeals to the fans' sympathy factor a little too much. And at times, he wears his influences on his sleeve, making it sound like even his original songs are covers of old tunes. Despite those factors, this album IS a step in the right direction. If Rock really wants to make a 'timeless rock record', he needs to map out his path before he starts writing and recording, and leave the media behind. If he can completely craft an album with one hundred percent creativity and originality, he can make is permanent mark in the annals of Rock History. This self-titled record is a good one, and if he continues in this direction, Kid Rock will finally be able to prove that no matter what you think, he can single-handedly define what true artistry really is.

Final Rating: 4 Stars

Track listing:
1. Rock N Roll Pain Train (5 Stars)
2. Cadillac Pussy feat. Hank Williams Jr. (2 Stars)
3. Feel Like Makin' Love (3 Stars)
4. Black Bob (4 Stars)
5. Jackson, Mississippi (5 Stars)
6. Cold and Empty (5 Stars)
7. Intro (4 Stars)
8. Rock N Roll (5 Stars)
9. Hillbilly Stomp feat. Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top (1 1/2 Stars)
10. I Am (5 Stars)
11. Son of Detroit (4 Stars)
12. I Do it For You (3 Stars)
13. Hard Night for Sarah (5 Stars)
14. Run Off to L.A. feat. Sheryl Crow (5 Stars)
15. Single Father (3 1/2 Stars)

Related Reviews:
Kid Rock - Devil Without a Cause (5 Stars)
Kid Rock - Cocky (3 Stars)
Kid Rock - Rock N Roll Jesus (2 Stars)