| Product Summary | | Label: Atlantic/q Records | | UPC: 00075678368523 | | Release Date: 11/11/2003 | | Buy.com Sku: 60617476 | | Item#: MC9NU5 | | Buy.com Sales Rank: 25079 | Format:  CD |
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Disc 1
| | Song Title | Sample | | 1. Rock & Roll Pain Train ~ Kid Rock |  | | 2. Cadillac Pussy - (with Hank Williams Jr.) ~ Kid Rock | | | 3. Feel Like Makin' Love ~ Kid Rock | | | 4. Black Bob ~ Kid Rock | | | 5. Jackson, Mississippi ~ Kid Rock | | | 6. Cold And Empty ~ Kid Rock | | | 7. Intro ~ Kid Rock | | | 8. Rock 'N Roll ~ Kid Rock | | | 9. Hillbilly Stomp ~ Kid Rock | | | 10. I Am ~ Kid Rock | | | 11. Son Of Detroit ~ Kid Rock | | | 12. Do It For You ~ Kid Rock | | | 13. Hard Night For Sarah ~ Kid Rock | | | 14. Run Off To LA ~ Kid Rock | | | 15. Single Father - (bonus track) ~ Kid Rock | |
| Kid Rock's latest album, the much-anticipated follow up to his 4X-platinum Cocky, proves once again that Detroit's kingpin is here to stay. His last outing, Cocky, remained on the Billboard charts for 88 weeks after arriving in stores, while at the same time Devil Without A Cause was getting certified 11 times platinum. Includes a cover of Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love." Supported by a world tour and Kid Rock's solid track record of three consecutive multi-platinum albums, this highly-awaited collection Rocks.
| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Kid Rock (vocals, acoustic, electric, steel & slide guitars, banjo, mellotron, bass, percussion, programming); Billy Gibbons (vocals); Kenny Olsen, Jason Krause (acoustic & electric guitar); Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Marlon Young (guitar); Bobby East (slide guitar, mandolin); Jimmie Bones (harmonica, piano, Wurlitzer piano, organ, background vocals); Johnny Evans (saxophone); Aaron Julison (bass, background vocals); Andy Sutton (bass); Rob Ebeling, Stefanie Eulinberg (drums); Thornetta Davis, Laura Creamer, Karen Newman, Misty Love, Sheryl Crow (background vocals). | | Recorded at The Allen Roadhouse, Detroit, Michigan. | | Adapter: Kid Rock. | | Personnel: Kid Rock (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, steel guitar, banjo, Mellotron, keyboards, percussion, programming, scratches, background vocals); Billy Gibbons, Hank Williams, Jr. (vocals); Jason Krause (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Kenny Olson (guitar, acoustic guitar); Kenny Wayne Shepherd (guitar); Marlon Young (electric guitar); Bobby East (slide guitar, mandolin); Jimmie Bones (harp, piano, organ, Wurlitzer organ, Jew's harp, programming, background vocals); Johnny Evans (saxophone); David McMurray (tenor saxophone); Larry Nozero (baritone saxophone); Rayse Biggs (trumpet); Stefanie Eulinberg (drums, background vocals); Bob Ebeling (drums); Aaron Julison, Misty Love, Shirley Hayden, Karen Newman, Laura Creamer, Thornetta Davis, Sheryl Crow (background vocals). | | Audio Mixers: Kid Rock; Al Sutton. | | Recording information: Allen Roadhouse. | | Photographers: David Unger; Clay McBride; Dave Dion. | | Kid Rock gained his fame as a white-trash rapper, but he retained his fame as a white-trash rocker, using the breakthrough of 1998's Devil Without a Cause to refashion himself as a modern-day blue-collar rocker, as comfortable with crunching bluesy riffs as he is with heartbroken country. The former Bob Ritchie started this transformation on 2001's Cocky, an enjoyably jumbled album that didn't quite take off until "Picture," his straight country duet with Sheryl Crow, was embraced by country radio, reviving the album and even bringing him nominations from the CMA. Kid was already in the process of abandoning metal and, to a lesser extent, hip-hop, so he seized this opportunity to become a full-out rocker and outlaw country singer with his next album, 2003's Kid Rock. Many of Kid's signatures are still in place -- the bragging, the boasting, the songs about sex, fame, and rock & roll, the hard riffs, the self-mythology -- but it no longer sounds like a mix of David Lee Roth and the Beastie Boys (even if the latter's Rod Carew rhyme from "Sure Shot" is lifted for "Intro," just moments after a "So Whatcha Want" reference); it sounds as if Hank Williams, Jr. and David Allan Coe are his new role models. Both Hank and Coe have a similar sense of inflated ego and penchant for name-dropping that borders on self-parody, and Kid Rock follows the same path here, particularly on the numerous rockers -- rockers that range from the heavy, heavy "Jackson, Mississippi" to laid-back, loose-limbed boogies like "Rock n' Roll Pain Train." He wisely plays up the sensitive side of "Picture," too, borrowing from DAC's soul-searching ballads and Bob Seger's introspective numbers. He even revives "Hard Night for Sarah," a song Seger wrote and recorded in 1979 but never released (something that likely wouldn't have happened if he hadn't switched management to Seger's longtime partner, Punch Andrews), and the tune, along with the similarly effective original "Single Father" (inexplicably listed as a bonus track, when there is no other release of the album without it), gives Kid Rock an emotional underpinning it needs, since so much of this is nothing but good-time music. Of course, there's nothing wrong with good-time music, and Kid is proud to make party music -- which he should be, since he does it well. Song for song, this is better-written and harder-rocking than Cocky, and while it's easy to wish that Kid was still as witty and funny as he on Devil Without a Cause, there's a certain cornball charm to his unabashed silliness and how he treats every rock & roll clich? as if it was a newfound truth. That's the power of Kid Rock's personality -- he may blatantly borrow from his influences, and he may recycle and celebrate shopworn clich?s, but he does it with flair, style, good hooks, and charisma that shines through on each track. It's what makes Kid Rock -- both the artist and the album -- kind of irresistible. As silly, foul-mouthed, and obvious as he is, he does it so well you just can't help but like the guy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine | | Kid Rock's self-titled fourth major-label outing finds him proudly reaffirming his blue-collar roots and love of classic rock and outlaw country music by inviting a bunch of famous friends to join him and his Twisted Brown Trucker Band in kicking out the Detroit-style jams. Any rap nuances are subtle, with turntable scratches sprinkled over the mid-tempo rocker "Rock 'n' Roll Pain Train," a hip-hop cadence pacing "Hillbilly Stomp" (featuring Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top), and the kind of fanfare-laced "Intro" that you'd expect from someone who put out an album entitled COCKY. | | Wielding an impressive array of stringed instruments, this Michigan native moves easily from a straightforward reading of Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love" to resurrecting "Hard Night for Sarah," a previously unrecorded song from the Bob Seger archives. Rock's appealing croon not only works well on the aforementioned Seger song, but on the Harry Nilsson-like "Run Off to LA," his reunion with former paramour Sheryl Crow. Otherwise, he's mixing it up with Hank Williams, Jr. on the lascivious "Cadillac Pussy," recasting David Allen Coe's "Son of the South" as the hyper-boogie of "Son of Detroit," and running through the autobiographical anthem "I Am." |
Producer: Kid Rock; Al Sutton |
Engineer: Al Sutton; Blumpy |
Musical Guests | | Hank Williams, Jr. | | Sheryl Crow |
| | Artist Overview | | Self-proclaimed "King of White Trash" (and proud of it), Kid Rock took his rap-meets-rock-meets-country hybrid to the top of the charts. After opening as a bratty hip-hop artist in the Beastie Boys mode in the early-'90s, Kid came back with a vengeance, diminutive rapper Joe C by his side, on the 1998 smash DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE. With a pimp/stud schtick worked to the hilt, he's an outspoken rock & roll spotlight-grabber the likes of which hasn't been seen since the glory days of David Lee Roth. He even betrayed his mellower side on the trail ballad and 2002 hit duet with Sheryl Crow, "Picture." |
| | Compilation Appearances |
| | Associated Artists and Works |
| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 11/11/2003 | | Original Release Date : 2003 | | Catalog ID : 83685 | | Label : Atlantic (USA) | | Number of Discs : 1 | | Studio/Live : Studio | | Mono/Stereo : Stereo | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00075678368523 |
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| | Professional Reviews | | Rolling Stone (12/25/03, p.107)
- Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Best Albums of 2003"Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.198)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...KID ROCK is a monster: raucous and clever and unpredictable....This album is proof that Kid Rock knows what he's doing..." Q (4/04, p.114)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "Rock's response is to ease off the hip hop and get back to the '70s, and it works." |
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| | Bio | | | His name, of course, is Kid…
The one-and-only Kid Rock struts back into the spotlight with "COCKY," the long-awaited follow-up to his 1998 classic, "DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE." Packed with brash tracks like the swaggering first single, "Forever," "COCKY" sees Detroit's Favorite Son doing what he does best - stirring up a multitude of musical styles into his own unique brand of genre-smashing rock n' roll. After heating up radio and MTV with such hits as "Bawitdaba," "Cowboy," "Only God Knows Why," and "American Bad Ass," Kid Rock now takes that unstoppable, undeniable sound to the next level and beyond. From larger-than-life arena anthems like "Lonely Road of Faith," to balls-to-the-wall rockers like "You Never Met A Motherf***er Like Me," the self-produced "COCKY" burns with rambunctious energy, thanks in large part to the always-brawny backing of the Twisted Brown Trucker band, along with special guest shots from Sheryl Crow and Snoop Dogg. Hilariously funny, powerfully emotional, and utterly unique, "COCKY" is the Bullgod at his rhyming, rocking best - bigger, better, and badder than ever
"Music today is in a big fog," Kid Rock says, "a haze if you will. No one's sure where its going, but I like to think that I've got the best set of fog lights out there."
After nearly three years of nonstop worldwide touring, Kid Rock and his Twisted Brown Trucker band - guitarists Kenny Olson and Jason Krause, keyboardist Jimmie Bones, and drummer Stefanie Eulinberg - settled into their new Clarkston Chophouse studio in early 2001.
"It's a home we purchased on 13 acres out in Sticksville," he says. "We've got a studio with a vintage analog setup, a Trident board from London, all the bells and whistles. We've got a nice live room with all the cool gear we've collected. And we put all the fun shit in, the legendary strip pole, pool tables and pinball machines and karaoke machines, all that fun stuff. There's some bedrooms too in case anyone has too much to drink."
Over thirty songs were recorded at the Chophouse, most of which were penned during the band's stay at the studio. The bucolic facilities - located "north of Detroit, south of Heaven" - gave Rock and TBT a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere where they could still get their kicks while getting down to the serious business of making a record.
"We spent a lot of time there as a family," says Rock. "Cooking food, riding four-wheelers, throwing horseshoes. We usually have some great jam sessions out there, with Aerosmith coming by, Hank Jr., Billy Gibbons and Tim McGraw. It's turned into kind of a cool place, when people are in town they come by and jam. They know it's gonna be a good time - good music, good food. That's what it's all about."
If there's one thing Kid Rock knows about, it's good times. Since the success of "DEVIL…" the Bad Mamajama From Detroit City has partied with a remarkable range of artists and celebrities, from pornstars to pop icons to presidents. "COCKY" shows off Rock's amazing artistic growth - as singer and songwriter, producer and musician (including guitars, bass, turntables, B3, and more) - which he credits to the influence and inspiration of his musical idols.
"It's three years on the road and being exposed to all the people that we have," Rock says. "It's Hank Jr. teaching me how to play an open G; it's Steven Tyler, you can hear some of his influence on how I'm using my vocal range; it's Billy Gibbons showing me that swamp boogie bounce. We've learned so much from all our heroes over the last few years, it's just elevated us. It's like having great teachers."
The elegiac country-flavored "Picture" sees Kid Rock joined by his friend Sheryl Crow, while the album-closing "WCSR" finds the Kid trading lewd and lascivious raps with none other than Snoop Dogg.
"We could've just gone and filled up the album with a lot of guests," Rock says, "but I think it's a lot more challenging to write a record with just you and your band. But this way, it kinda covers what I am. Some days I'm laidback and focused on my talents like Sheryl Crow, and other days I'm just having a ball, kicking sex rhymes with Snoop, just having fun.
"I mean, talk about completely different sides of the spectrum! With Sheryl it was laidback, we drank some beers, played some songs, had a wonderful time together, everyone enjoyed each other's company, became great friends, and did some jams after that. With Snoop it was just chaos! A bunch of rednecks from Romeo and Snoop's whole crew, all having the time of our lives. It was a scene like no one's ever seen, man! It was great, we had a lot of fun hanging out with those guys."
One person who wasn't around for the making of "COCKY" was Rock's usual musical cohort, Uncle Kracker. As the sessions kicked into high-gear, Twisted Brown Trucker's DJ was busy touring his own RIAA platinum-certified smash album, "DOUBLE WIDE." Nevertheless, Uncle Kracker did manage to make his mark on "COCKY," co-writing a number of the album's tracks.
"He's usually the guy that sits there and has a beer with me, I go 'You like that?' and he goes 'Yes' or 'No' and I make my decision," Rock explains. "This time he was touring a lot, but he did make time. We got together as much as we could to write, do different stuff. I'd bounce tracks off him. A lot of Federal Express was involved."
From the kinetic mayhem of "I'm Wrong, But You Ain't Right" and "I'm A Dog," to the sexed-up soul groove of "Lay It On Me," the album finds Kid Rock working with a stunningly diverse musical paintbox. Hardcore punk rhythms, bluegrass harmonies, and metallic riff-o-rama collide and combine to create an utterly original sonic stew.
"I'm just into cool sounds," Rock says, "whether it's a vocoder or a lap steel, man, they both have these phenomenal sounds to them that I really wanted to capture. I like a wide variety of music, and that's cool in a lot of ways - it might expose people to a lot more music. There's a lot more music than just mine out there that I think people should listen to."
While Kid Rock has long been an outspoken fan of such Southern Rock legends as Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band, new songs like "Drunk In The Morning" and the mournful "Midnight Train To Memphis" see him incorporating such down-home instrumentation as harp, banjo, and pedal steel guitar into his twangy hard rock.
"Country and blues is the biggest shit ever," Rock says, "and it always will be. I'm talking about the Stones, Skynyrd, Zeppelin, the biggest bands that ever were had a country and blues influence, that's where it all stems from. Kids might hear my record and not even know what they're listening to. I didn't when I was young, but it became apparent when I became older. This common thread through music was the blues. And country's just the White Man's Blues."
"COCKY" also sees the Pimp Of The Nation styling and profiling with some pumping old school rap-rock. "Forever" and the title track are painted with the spectacular self-aggrandizement and puffed-up braggadocio of such B-Boy legends as LL Cool J and Run DMC.
"I always loved old school hip-hop," Kid Rock laughs. "I just cannot outgrow that. The boasting, the easy-to-understand raps, the very cleverly thought-out words. There's a flow, there's an actual song structure, and a rhythmic structure to the words. There's a lot of new hip-hop I like - like DMX and Jay-Z - but for me, there's just something about that era that I can't get out of."
Like those artists that came before him, Kid Rock's Number One goal is to make music that'll stand the test of time. With the blindingly eclectic "COCKY," he fully delivers on that promise, while raising the ante for the rest of today's rock 'n' roll.
"I want to be making great music that people can listen to in a lot of years," Rock says. "I mean, some songs are the kind that'll be fun for a few years, but then I make other ones like 'What I Learned Out On The Road,' 'Lonely Road of Faith,' songs like that, which I think will last forever. I just want people to know that this record is something I'm really proud of, and I think they are gonna dig it as well."
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"COCKY" is Kid Rock's third label release, following 2000's RIAA 3x-platinum certified "THE HISTORY OF ROCK," and 1998's mega-successful diamond-certified Top Dog/Lava/Atlantic debut, "DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE."
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