Rock n Roll Jesus
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Rock N Roll Jesus is Kid Rock's sixth album under the Atlantic Records umbrella and his eleventh overall. The album was released October 9, 2007. Rob Cavallo (Green Day & The Goo Goo Dolls) co-produced the album with Rock.[1]. The album was not released onto iTunes, in an act of boycott by Kid Rock. [2] The album is up for two Grammy Awards. Best Rock Album and Best Male Vocal Performance for "All Summer Long".
Musical style
The album sees Kid Rock moving away from rap, into other genres. He still manages to rap on "Sugar" although the song starts off as a folksy Led Zeppelin type ballad. "Roll On" and "New Orleans" incorporate jazz to his sound, the first time he's ventured into that genre since 1996 with "Early Mornin Stoned Pimp " and "Detroit Thang". The album also features the vocals of golfer John Daly on "Half Your Age" and the rock hit "All Summer Long" which has brought the album to double platinum status in the U.S. and gold in Canada.
Reception
Critical reception
Rock N Roll Jesus has received generally poor reviews from critics. The album has a score of 63 on Metacritic, based on 12 reviews. [3] Rolling Stone gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, stating "His good-hearted faith in rock & roll delivers a powerful kick. As he well knows--and Rock N Roll Jesus proves--roaring guitars, truckloads of attitude and an unquenchable lust for life make up for a multitude of sins." [4] Billboard stated "We may be more entertained at times by Rock's extramusical affairs, but the "Devil" should still be given his due as a clever and creative musical force." [5] Allmusic was less enthusiastic, stating "The music isn't as serious: splashy and silly though it may be, at least it gets the basic sound right, even if it's way too polished and precise." [6]
Sales
The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling about 170,000 copies in its first week.[7] It is Kid Rock's first and only album so far to go #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The album rebounded in March 2008 when "All Summer Long" was released as a single climbing back into the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 staying for 17 weeks. It has sold 2.8 million in the U.S. and 3.3 million Worldwide and was certifiied Platinum in Canada and Germany.
Success on radio
The album's first two singles, "So Hott" and "Amen", both did relatively well on the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts despite Kid boycotting iTunes and receiving minimum digital downloads. On the Mainstream Rock chart, the singles peaked at #2 and #11 respectively -- the former one becoming the biggest rock hit of his career. The tracks also respectively peaked at #13 and #27 on the Modern Rock charts.
The album's third single, "All Summer Long", was a massive worldwide hit. It peaked at #23 on the Hot 100 chart and No 4 on the country charts. It went number one in eight countries across Europe and Australia. "Roll On" and "Rock N Roll Jesus" were released at the same time as follow ups to "All Summer Long." "Roll On" would chart at No 40 on the Hot AC charts in Febuary 2009, almost 5 months after its release."Rock N Roll Jesus" was a minor rock hit at #34.
The albums sixth single "Blue Jeans and a Rosary" was released in January of 2009. It debut at No 57 on the country charts. Its moved up 1 spot in its second week of release.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rock N Roll Jesus" | R.J. Ritchie, K. Tudrick, M. Young | 4:29 |
| 2. | "Amen" | Ritchie | 4:40 |
| 3. | "All Summer Long" | E. King, L. Marinell, Ritchie, G. Rossington, M. Shaffer, R. Vanzant, R. Watchel, W. Zevon | 4:56 |
| 4. | "Roll On" | Ritchie | 6:11 |
| 5. | "So Hott" | Ritchie | 4:07 |
| 6. | "Sugar" | B. Ervine, J. Krause, Ritchie, Shaffer, D. Simon, J. Smith, Young | 3:44 |
| 7. | "When U Love Someone" | Ritchie, Shaffer, Young | 5:40 |
| 8. | "New Orleans" | D.A. Coe, Ritchie | 6:36 |
| 9. | "Don't Tell Me U Love Me" | Ritchie, Shaffer, Young | 4:20 |
| 10. | "Blue Jeans and a Rosary" | Ritchie, Young | 4:35 |
| 11. | "Half Your Age" | Ritchie | 3:45 |
| 12. | "Lowlife (Living the Highlife)" | J. Eddie, Ritchie | 4:04 |
Bonus tracks
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Guilty" | 2:45 |
| 14. | "Jackson, Mississippi" (2003 Live Cut) | 6:13 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Cowboy" | 4:22 |
| 14. | "Lonely Road Of Faith" (From CMT Crossroads) | 5:29 |
| 15. | "Behind-The-Scenes Documentary" | --:-- |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "So Hott" (From The 2008 Rock AM Festival In Germany) | |
| 14. | "All Summer Long" (From The 2008 Rock AM Festival In Germany) | |
| 15. | "Cowboy" (From The 2008 Rock AM Festival In Germany) | |
| 16. | "Amen" (Music Video) | |
| 17. | "Roll On" (Music Video) |
Personnel
- Kid Rock - Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, 12 String, Rhythm Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar, Piano, Percussion, Moog Synth, Talkbox, Turntables, Vox Organ
- Marlon Young - Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Mandolin
- Jason Krause - Guitar
- Aaron Julison - Bass Guitar
- Jimmie Bones - Piano, Organ, Harp
- Jeff Gentry - Drums
- Larry Fratangelo - Conga Drums, Timbales, Wave Drum
- Billy Powell - Piano
- David McMurray - Saxophone
- Dan Dugmore - Pedal Steel
- Rayse Biggs - Trumpet
- Paul Franklin - Pedal Steel
- David Campbell - String Arrangements
- Al sutton - Engineer
Charts
| Charts (2007) | Peak position |
Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart[8] | 9 | 35 000 |
| Austrian Albums Chart[8] | 2 | |
| Belgian Albums Chart[8] | 24 | |
| Danish Albums Chart[8] | 40 | |
| Dutch Albums Chart[8] | 19 | |
| German Albums Chart[8] | 5 | 300,000 |
| Irish Albums Chart[8] | 4 | |
| Italian Albums Chart[8] | 27 | 16.381 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart[8] | 9 | |
| Swedish Albums Chart[8] | 8 | |
| Swiss Albums Chart[8] | 4 | |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 4 | |
| UK Albums Chart[8] | 4 | |
| U.S. Billboard 200[8] | 1 | 2,743,425[9] |
| U.S. Billboard Top Rock Albums | 1 |
References
- ^ Billboard Magazine (August 4, 2006) Rap Takes A Back Seat On New Kid Rock Album
- ^ "Kid Rock boycotts iTunes over pay". BBC. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ "Rock N Roll Jesus - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
- ^ "Rock N Roll Jesus : Kid Rock : Review : Rolling Stone:". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
- ^ "Rock N Roll Jesus". Billboard. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
- ^ "Rock N Roll Jesus". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
- ^ Jonathan Cohen, "Kid Rock Rolls To #1 Album Chart Debut", Billboard.com, October 17, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Kid Rock - Rock N Roll Jesus worldwide chart positions". aCharts.us. Retrieved October 23 2007.
- ^ [1]. Billboard 200. Retrieved August 20 2008.