Five Songs I Can't Live Without (At Least This Week)
1. Dream On- Aerosmith
2. Sledgehammer- O.A.R.
3. Deliah- Tom Jones
4. Benny and the Jets- Haley Reinhart
5. Gone- Scotty McCreery
(and back to the present)
This morning I went out to get bagels for Shea and I and I turned on the radio. The station was playing some Pink Floyd (actually I've been noticing a lot of Pink Floyd on the air waves lately) and I thought today might be a Pink Floyd day for the shuffle. This was met with a luke warm feeling. I have to be in a specific mood for Floyd and this morning wasn't it. I don't know what it is but a lot of their music leaves me feeling...dirty? I don't know if that's true either, it just might be the Wall. Either way today wasn't a Floyd like day so I had a bit of trepidation. So I hit the scan button to see what else was out there playing and came across Picture by Kid Rock (with Sheryl Crow), and thought that today was actually going to be a Kid Rock day. As soon as I heard it I just knew. Fast foward a few hours later in the car with Shea, and she hits the shuffle button and what comes on? That's right... Kid Rock. It's scary the connect my ipod and me have. We just know.
Rock'n' Roll Pain Train comes off his self titled album and it's the opening track. This album reminds me so much of my senior year at college. It was near the end of the first semester when it came out (maybe around Thanksgiving) and I was playing it all the time. It usually reminds me of winter and starting to student teach. It's a solid album from start to finish that most people probably wouldn't think to listen to.
I have no shame in admitting that I enjoy Kid Rock. Actually I think he's pretty awesome. Separate the fact that it's Kid Rock when you hear one of his songs, and just listen to his voice. It's pretty good, there's a lot of emotion in it. It's got that country swagger to it with a bit of edge. Come on, in the late 90's who wasn't listening to Only God Knows Why and Cowboy? Those songs are excellent. The metamorphosis of aKid Rock fan became complete when I saw him open up for Aerosmith some years back. The bill was Run DMC, Kid Rock, and Aerosmith and for the encore they all came out together to do Walk This Way, it was pretty badass. It also happened to be the last time that Run DMC ever played together because shortly after Jam Master J was shot and killed. I guess it's a pretty historic show too.
What I learned that night was Kid Rock was a pretty excellent performer. His live show brings a lot of energy and a lot of participation. He just steals the show and has you fully entertained the whole time. He's a showman that's for sure. Look past the cage dancers and all the pyros and you've got a concert that just rocks from beginning to end. After that show I've been a fan ever since.
Rock 'n' Roll Pain Train is a great track because this album is mostly him in his country/rock element. There is only one rap song on the entire record and it clocks in less then a minute. Kid Rock focuses all of his energy on rockin' and singing on this album and the result is excellent. I love the bittersweet nature of the song, yeah it's awesome to be out rockin' but man it kind of hurts inside. It shows the other side of the coin to those of us who aspire to be rock stars. Despite the fame and the women and the sold out shows there's a pain that comes with the territory. Whether it's never being home or not seeing loved ones it doesn't matter, there is a constant pain that comes with being a traveling rock show. I personally think the pain helps to provide better music. When an artist becomes content and pain free then the passion tends to leave the music and they start to mail in albums. If there is pain there's still hunger and that provides us (the listener) with songs worth listening to.
By the way how good is the line "this bus is just a bus"? I love it. Tour buses sound so cool, going from city to city. I'm sure they're decked out with everything one could possibly need, but it's not home. It's just a bus that takes you from place to place. I guess it's like a hotel with wheels. Plus does anyone else think after two weeks that things got to smell pretty rank? I think it's great that you get to see Kid Rock step out of being Kid Rock and just say "hey if things don't slow down then I'm going to burn out". It's a very humble song from a guy who defiantly doesn't come across as being very humble. It adds character and depth to the man who people just see as the dude who married Pamela Anderson once or twice.
Things To Get Excited About-
So tomorrow is the relase of Eddie Vedder's second solo album, Ukulele Songs. The first solo effort being the Into The Wild soundtrack and I found it to be a pretty tremendous album, it fit the mood of the movie perfectly. It's a much different sound then Pearl Jam, it had this woodsy/blue grass type feel to it, just very relaxing to throw on. If I can't have new Pearl Jam music I will defiantly take new Eddie Vedder. I'm hoping that it's a very summer like album that would sound good by the pool or at the beach. I know there are duets with Glen Hansard and Cat Power so there's a lot of things to look forward to here. Although there is a part of me wondering how a full album of songs lead by the ukulele is going to sound. It's a ballsy venture that I hope doesn't turn out like a Tiny Tim record. Very unlikely though, and it's not like it matters it's Eddie Vedder, what could be better? Midnight tonight it shall be mine, oh yes it shall be mine.
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