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(More customer reviews)Being a Kid Rock fan since way back when, I was already prepared and pre-warned that what was going to be on this album was not the hip-hop or metal stuff, but a more classic feel. Now, after hearing the album, I can say I'm not overly disappointed, but I feel there was a little too much focus on production rather then making a hit song. Kid Rock stated he wanted to make more songs like "Picture" & "Only God Knows Why" but I honestly don't think anything on this album comes close to being as memorable. I'm not saying the album is bad at all, it's just I think Rick Rubin may have focused on the wrong aspects of the production of this album rather then what really mattered. I first heard Rick Rubin's work back in 1995 when he produced AC/DC's "Ballbreaker" album, and despite what others may have to say about it, I think he did a great job of it. On this album, I'm not sure why Rubin wanted to replace Kid Rock's band "The Twisted Brown Truckers" with other musicians. As someone has already stated in their review too, "why? There is nothing special about the musical aspect of this album" which I couldn't agree more with. Tho I could hear a difference between how what the TBT and this band would have done it, it's not that noticeable a difference, and i'm sure Rick Rubin could have gotten the exact same sound out of them.
"Born Free" is a decent track, starting off sounding country then progressing into somewhere between classic rock and southern blues with a pop element mixed into it.
"Slow My Roll" sounds a bit like a Creedence Clearwater Revival song, then rolling into a ZZ-Top goes countryish. Not bad, but could easily be forgettable.
"Care" - This track I felt didn't belong on the album, the whole hip-hop/rap lyric thing mixed into a country song just didn't work here, at least not in my opinion. I thought i'd heard this song before, and sounded kinda cheap.
"Purple Sky" - Kicks off with a country/blues upbeat, then rolls into something that reminds me of "All Summer Long" re-written into this tune. It's a decent track tho.
"When It Rains", starts off a little slow, but is one of the best tracks of this album to me. I guess we'd all like to forget what we have learned and live back when we didn't know what we know now, so anyone can relate to this song.
"God Bless Saturday" - Kicking off with a low dirty southern guitar riff, then into something that reminds me of "Takin' Care of Business" with more Creedence Clearwater Revival lyrics over it. Not a bad song either.
"Collide" - I know a lot of you love Sheryl Crow, and even Bob Seger, but I do not know what is so special about this song? I think too many people are aware of Sheryl & Kid doing "Picture" so they have skipped to this song for that reason, but I still say, it's no "Picture", it doesn't come close.
"Flyin' High" - Kid Rock stated that this album would not be him screaming out his own name anymore, but quite frankly, I am pretty sick of hearing about his love of Detroit now. It almost seems to be a bit of a rehash of the song he and Uncle Kracker did called "Heaven" which was a lot better.
"Times Like These" - easily forgettable.
"Rock On" - At first I wondered if this was a cover of the classic song of the same title, but it's not. at this point i was also tired of hearing the "1,2,3" intro. I couldn't help but feel this slow, almost balled was just the same song I had been hearing all through this album. Kid wrote on his last album "It's the same old song spinnin' but the same songs always the same" which is evident here. Again, easily forgettable.
"Rock Bottom Blues" - It's still a low down country sound, but with the harmonicas and more upbeat drums, things begin to pick up again. Some parts of this song remind me of previous Kid Rock songs he has done, in particular "Rock N Roll Paintrain" but it's still one of the better numbers on this album.
"For the First Time In a Long Time" - Ok, by now, we get it, OK? Kid Rock's clouds have lifted and he enjoys life. However, this doesn't even sound like Kid Rock. Singing in a rather high key, if someone played this to you, and you had no idea who it was, you probably would not guess it's Kid. But then when the backing vocals of the chorus kick in, you'd probably think it does. It's not a bad song, but not one i'd say is a favorite.
Overall; I just don't hear the stand out tracks, if this was meant to be more "Picture", "Only God Knows Why", "Blues Jeans & A Rosery" then I'm afraid I just did not hear anything on this album that matched up against those classics. There is some decent stuff to be heard here, but I think all the hype I was hearing about this album has just left me feeling a little let down. It's a much better album then a lot of artists 2010 releases i've heard, but I don't think you will find that smash hit by Kid Rock emerge from this album, or hear that this is another Grammy/CMA award winning album.
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Kid Rock will release his 8th studio album, 'Born Free,' on November 16th via Atlantic Records. The record was produced by Rick Rubin and mixed by Greg Fidelman. The first single from the album will be, appropriately, 'Born Free' which hits radio September 14th. 'Born Free' is in many ways a transformational album for Kid Rock. While there is still the edge, wit, and swagger of previous albums, he doesn't rap, there's no metal - there isn't even a parental warning sticker. Says Kid Rock, 'The catalyst for this record was Detroit, and my thoughts on the world through the lens of Detroit. Watching everything go downhill over the past few years, the economy, the loss of jobs everywhere, I wanted to make a record that reflected the times but that still had soul.'The bulk of the album was recorded live in a two week span in Los Angeles with a stellar cast of musicians including Heartbreaker Benmont Tench, Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith, David Hidalgo from Los Lobos and Chavez guitarist Matt Sweeney. Studios in Detroit, Nashville and Atlanta were used to incorporate collaborations with Bob Seger, Sheryl Crow, Zac Brown, Trace Adkins, and in a pairing surely never to be replicated - T.I. and Martina McBride on the track 'Care.' Kid Rock and Rick Rubin, as friends, have spent many hours talking about their respective histories - starting in hip-hop, crossing into and creating new territories - as well as the need for a great new American classic rock record that challenges the field. 'Born Free' is in part the result of those conversations - an album that is meant to be played from start to finish.
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