by: Charley (@ruperto2106)
Rebel Soul marks the ninth studio album from Detroit native, Kid Rock. By this time you’re either a fan or you’re tired of his act. This album brings the same sounds, lyrics, and musical styling’s we are familiar with. However, as the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”If you were a fan of Kid Rock’s last release, Born Free, you would be a fan and know what to expect from this album. It’s down home, country rock.Opening track, “Chickens in the Pen” gets the album off to an upbeat start. It’s one of those songs you can picture them playing at the nearest country bar. Lead single, “Let’s Ride” is a song Kid Rock wrote for the troops. This is one of the more serious songs on this album and certainly has that “rocking out” feel.One complaint I have on this album is the song called “Detroit, Michigan”. While not being a great song, bordering on the cheesiness from the soul back up singers, we get it, you’re from Detroit, born and raised. We don’t need you to keep shoving it down our throats. It’s not like I write a song about NYC, and the great things that come along with it. No one wants to hear a song that goes “I love the Yankees, Mets suck, Rangers, Knicks, Giants, Jets, Emprire State Building, Pizza, bagels, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge and the Nets, Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall, MSG, 5th Ave, the Village, etc, etc, etc” until I start sounding like a rambling, turrets driven moron! ENOUGH ALREADY!!! I honestly couldn’t take him spewing off at the mouth. I skipped the song half way through. Title track “Rebel Song” is the other standout track in this album. The lyrics are strong and the melody is catchy.If you like Kid Rock’s previous hit “Only God Knows Why” you would enjoy “The Mirror”. It has the same woe-is-me feeling and deep lyrics. “Happy New Year” is exactly what you expected it to be; a song to celebrate. There was nothing else that really stood out differently from this album.This is honestly a slightly better than mediocre showing by Mr. Rock. I give this album 3/5.Below is the official lyric video for “Let’s Ride"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkviZGRp6h0&feature=related