“Rock and Roll Jesus” is an odd album. I think that’s a bit of an understatement actually.

I remember Kid Rock from the “Devil Without A Cause” days when he toured with Joe C . For a long time I saw him as a heavy rock rapper and pretty much thought nothing of it. Then I heard “Picture“, the duet between Rock and Sheryl Crow, and I went looking for more of the same. Alas at the time (about a year ago) there was nothing but his heavy rap.

Then, one morning I heard “All Summer Long” on radio 1 and stood up and took notice. A brilliant blend of “Werewolves of London” and “Sweet Home Alabama” you could tell it would be a hit. More significantly it showed Kid Rock was outputting music worth listening to.

Rock and Roll Jesus is a mix of two genres. “So Hott“, the first single, is Rock’s usual style. With insightful lyrics including “I want to fuck you like I’m never gonna see you again” it just begs to be laughed at. “Sugar” starts with some promising Bon Jovi style country guitar but goes the same way ending with suggestions like “fuck you in the nose”.

Thankfully, the rest of the album resembles “All Summer Long”. “Amen” and “Roll On” are brilliant pop ballads with excellent lyrics to match. “Blue Jeans and a Rosary” is a lovely track with an excellent orchestral backing. “Half Your Age” is a witty country song clearly targeted at Pamela Anderson. “When You Love Somebody” is again a country track that could easily be a hit.

“All Summer Long” remains the stand out track and deservedly the No.1 single but the rest of the album matches it standards wise (except the heavy rap stuff of course!).