CD REVIEW: KID ROCK – First Kiss

Label: Warner Bros Records

Release Date: February 24, 2015

Rating: 9.5/10

Reviewed by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur

Michigan boy made good Kid Rock never ceases to amaze me.  His latest release adds to that amazement.  Disc opener, title track, and first single “First Kiss” kicks this collection off in the right direction.  This perfect blend of rock with a bit of country, and the nostalgia-filled lyrics are the perfect combination for a windows down-radio up summer!  I can’t seem to get this one loud enough or often enough.  “Good Times, Cheap Wine” comes next with a honky-tonk feel courtesy of a funky piano and a perfect blend of electric, acoustic and slide guitars, along with a cool addition of a cigar box guitar.  “Ain’t Enough Whiskey” is a great tune that gets the foot tapping and helps drive the disc from track to track.  The overall feel of this track has more of a blues tint than rock or country, but has just enough of each to keep the song from getting pigeon-holed into any one genre.  “Good Time Lookin’ For Me” shows how much Kid’s music has been influenced by his country friends and contemporaries.  The song takes his good time attitude and puts a great southern spin on it.  “One More Song” adds a bit of texture to the collection with a different vibe and tempo than most of the other tracks.  The lyrics highlight the attitude Kid carries into each live show I have experienced, and I cannot wait to hear this one blasting this summer.

“Johnny Cash” is a cool tune that digs deep and pulls a hip-hop beat into a country song, with hints of bluesy rock and roll.  This vocals stand out nicely against the heavier bottom end and drive the emotion of the track home.  “Drinking Beer With Dad” sounds as backwoods and feel good as the title suggests.  The chorus kicks up and gives the song an injection of good ol’ boy attitude.  “Best Of Me” is a great ballad-like song that gives Rock a little room to spread his vocal wings.  The cool guitar work played against killer electric piano adds depth to the track and the whole disc.  “Jesus And Bocephus” is another fun track that seems to demonstrate more of where Kid is heading, than where he is coming from.  The country-filled music combined with the lyrics and awesome background vocals, seem to lift the lead vocals to the front without drowning anything else in the mix.  Bonus track “FOAD” is the most fun I have had listening to the end of a Kid Rock disc since he declared “the landlord called and the rent is due, I spent it all on a Kiss tattoo” on “Lowlife.”  Listening to Rock declare that a backstabber should just F*ck Off And Die is great, but the eloquent way the background vocals also fire out the refrain adds a touch of class to the entire collection.  Again, I cannot wait to hear some of these tracks this summer when Kid Rock takes the country by storm on another $20 tour.

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Category: CD Reviews