Kid Rock’s album “Sweet Southern Sugar” is an eclectic mix of southern rock, blues and hip hop with a pinch of electronica. It comes out very naturally in Kid Rock, although it might sound pretentious and strained. Many years ago, I remember watching his video on MTV, where a girl in a cowboy outfit swings on a giant yellow duck at a rodeo and didn’t take this music seriously. Years have passed, Kid Rock hasn’t changed much – the eternal hat, aviators and long hair, and I still can’t take his music seriously. In any case, it sounds cool to him, in all seriousness, and not as a self-parody. It feels like “Kid Rock” gets a lot of pleasure from what he’s doing, and he didn’t care what others would say like “you can’t mix that up,” “it won’t work,” etc. That’s probably the way it should be, and I listen to him and get my own fan base, too, quite like easy listening – a cheerful, energetic rock band that doesn’t tire at all, not like the guitar tediousness of some rockers.
Kid Rock moved to Nashville in the late 90s, and realized that this was exactly the place where he should live. Before that, he had spent many years in Malibu and did not feel that it was worth putting down roots here. “And in Nashville, musicians, roadies, songwriters, record companies are gathered, here you can communicate with people at all levels, have any conversations that you can’t do in other places. Nashville is the largest small city. There are unwritten laws here that allow famous people to live peacefully among ordinary people, no one will bother you with requests to take pictures,” he says in an interview.
American Rock-n-roll is a country rock anthem. Back To Otherside, Kid Rock read out some of his non-intrusive rap. Electronic funk I Wonder. The acoustic ballad Raining Whiskey. Po Dunk is a song about white trash and redneck entertainment.
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch is a pop rock declaration of love. The Greatest Show On Earth is southern hard rock. Grandpa’s Jam is the most hip-hop act. In general, Black music does not prevail here, but complements and diversifies. Overall, it turns out to be a bizarre cocktail of white and black music, interesting and not boring to listen to. The sound of the album is generally rockerish, I would even say rock-soul.
Great music for both gym classes and bar get-togethers.
Listen online to Kid Rock – Sweet Southern Sugar (2017)
Hey, Grandpa’s Jam is really good. With a scratch and a strong chant, just like in the good old days. My favorite kind of Kid Rock, I thought he would never write such tracks again. I took it to the collection.
It turns out that Sugar Pie Honey Bunch is a cover of the Four Tops soul song “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)”. The Kid digs pretty deep.
Damn, that’s some cool information. I’ve always loved listening to a song change over the decades.