Kid Rock

Kid Rock's classic rock leanings come to the fore on this 2003 return to the charts. Covering Bad Company, channeling Hank Williams Jr. on more than one occasion and borrowing the backup singers from "Night Moves," Rock also confuses by offering up a few personal songs, taking a sort of Wet Willie-on-"Keep Smilin'" worldview and almost never using the P-word to describe females. (Actually, he only makes it to the second song without using it, but who's counting?) It's a reinvention of sorts, with Rock clearly disinterested in playing up to any crowd, critic or record exec.

Turned into Ted Nugent pretty quick, didn't he? Only who told him that meant not being funny? Like a clown who longs to play Hamlet, the fake pimp who got lucky is out of his depth in swamp-rock--especially with this stiff of a drummer, her p.c. points notwithstanding. (Grade: C+)