Kid Rock
Rock N Roll Jesus
(Atlantic)
One man's sin is another's salvation.
You probably don't need us to tell you which of those men Kid Rock would be. Dude did just get into a sissy-boy slap fight with Tommy Lee over their mutual ex Pam Anderson, after all.
And if you think the man who once put out a disc called Devil Without a Cause has seen the light based on the title of his sixth album, give your head a shake. The self-produced Rock N Roll Jesus carries on in the beer-drinkin', hell-raisin' white-trash redneck tradition of Robert Ritchie's last few outings. It's mostly southern-fried classic rock, spiked with a few country-style acoustic ballads and a dash of rap-metal for the folks who still remember when Rock wanted to be the next Eminem instead of the new JC.
Here's a track-by-track rundown of the gospel according to Kid Rock.
Rock N Roll Jesus 4:29
What would Rock N Roll Jesus do? Well, apparently he would get hisself a fur-collared pimp suit, hire a killer backing band and blast out this funky little number laced with punchy horns, burbling Hammond organ, wah-wah guitar licks, popping conga drums and Afrolicious soul-mama backing vocals. And it is good. Download this bad boy.
Amen 4:40
There's more to Kid Jesus than sex, drugs and rock. On this soulful hick-hop outing, Rock shows his serious side, railing against neglected children, natural disasters and abusive clergy.
All Summer Long 4:56
Rock blatantly gene-splices Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama to Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London -- and comes up with a song that's not as good as either of them.
Roll On 6:12
Again, the Kid follows up a party-hearty rocker with a sensitive cut -- this time a southern-soul ballad about living on borrowed time. We're beginning to sense a pattern.
So Hott 4:06
Right on cue, Rock raises the temperature again with this whomping piece of KISS-style '80s sleaze-rock. Somewhere, Gene Simmons is asking how the hell he didn't write this.
Sugar 3:44
Kid returns to his Detroit rap-metal roots with this fist-pumping bump 'n' grind nookie anthem. But lines like "I roll like Yahtzee" make it clear he might be just a little rusty.
When U Love Someone 5:40
"Can you forgive someone or will you hold a grudge?" asks Rock on another earnest cut that intertwines southern rock, gospel and Memphis soul. See Half Your Age below for the answer.
New Orleans 6:36
This weird hybrid starts off as a bouncy folk-hop country-blues, then gradually morphs into an old-time rock 'n' roll salute to the Crescent City. The jazzy trumpet is a nice touch, though.
Don't Tell Me U Love Me 4:20
Balancing a funky hick-hop groove and searing guitars with twangy licks and gospel vocals, this cut finds Rock attempting to integrate both ends of his musical spectrum.
Blue Jeans and a Rosary 4:35
Sounds like somebody just got a copy of Elton John's Madman Across the Water -- and decided he liked Levon enough to use it as the basis for this lush string-laced pop ballad.
Half Your Age 3:45
"I found someone new who treats me better ... She's half your age and twice as hot," brags a bitter Kid on this outlaw-country kissoff to Pammie. So much for forgiveness.
Bonus Track: Lowlife (Living the Highlife) 4:04
And a bonus it is: This slow-riding piece of Stonesy slide-guitar blues-rock is one of the disc's most enjoyable cuts -- thanks to lyrics that sing the praises of Ted Nugent 8-tracks, KISS tattoos and taking strippers out to breakfast.