| Kid Rock - The History of Rock |
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| Music Disc Reviews Audio CD | ||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Bryan Dailey | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tuesday, 30 May 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||
The self professed "Pimp of the Nation" Kid Rock is back with an album that will let the world know the story of how Robert Ritchie, a young white kid from the Detroit, MI suburb of Romeo, transformed himself from a Kid n’ Play-hairdo-wearing basement party DJ into one of the biggest selling "rock stars" in the last 10 years. ‘The History of Rock’ is not a brand new album, but rather a compilation of tracks from Rock’s previous independent albums and old demos, along with two debuting tracks. This gives people a chance to listen to the evolution of the Kid Rock sound. After Vanilla Ice’s star fell faster than a truck dropped off the Empire State Building, white rappers didn’t stand a chance. Interest from record companies all but dried up for Kid Rock until A&R powerhouse Jason Flom, president of Lava Records, put his faith in the performer and signed him to his label. On the album’s first single, "American Bad Ass," Rock takes the riff from Metallica’s "Sad But True" and adds some of his own rap-meets-Hank Williams Jr. sound to the mix. Those of you who are concerned with the status of Metallica’s checking account need not worry. Kid Rock did not download the MP3 of Metallica’s hit song from Napster for this track. In the album’s liner notes, Kid Rock actually gives thanks to Metallica for letting him use their song. The lyrical content here is not for the weak of heart or those who are easily offended. Drawing inspiration from the likes of 2 Live Crew and NWA, Kid Rock tells tales of women, drugs and partying. With tracks such as "Early Morning Stoned Pimp" and "F**K That," Kid Rock is the kind of musician that frightens parents. The more people object, the more albums he will sell. Probably the funniest element of Kid Rock’s band Twisted Brown Trucker is the fact that he has a three-foot-nine-inch tall, 25-year-old sidekick named Joe C with a filthy mouth and a voice that sounds like a 10-year-old kid. It’s a musical sideshow and Kid Rock is the ringmaster. Music has crossed so many boundaries that when listening to the old Kid Rock tracks on this album, it is hard to believe that it took so long for him to become a star. Early in his career, Kid Rock was told by record companies that he should pick a style and stick to it, because there was no market for a rapper who would combine country slide guitar with rap and heavy metal distortion. Kid Rock is having the last laugh as his last album has sold over seven million copies and is still in the top 50 albums in the country nearly three years after its release. Even though ‘The History of Rock’ isn’t the new Kid Rock album that many people are waiting for, it’s a very entertaining look back at the career of a unique artist and should whet people’s appetites for more new material from the Pimp of the Nation. Like this article? Bookmark and share with any of the sites below.        |
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