After nearly a decade of pursuing fame and fortune on the explicit side of conventional, straightforward mainstream rap, Detroit’s Robert Ritchie, henceforth know as Kid Rock, turned his gaze towards Rock N Roll. And in doing so he fully realized a new genre of music, the possibilities of which were first suggested a decade earlier with Run-DMC’s collaboration with classic rock band Aerosmith’s 1986 re-recording of their hit song “Walk This Way”.
This seismic shift could not have been possible without the solid backing of the Twisted Brown Trucker band whose guitarist Jason Krause once described as a country, rock, hip-hop, R&B, funk, soul, blues, jazz, metal band. Instrumental to their sound was the scorching Hendrix infused lead guitar work of Kenny Olson who executed his hired gun duties from 1994 to 2005.
Initially testing the waters with Rocks’ third album, Early Mornin’ Stoned Pimp from 1996 (recorded January 1994 to December 1995), Rock & company sealed their fate with the ultimate blueprint for success, 1998s iconic Devil Without A Cause. And at the helm of this disparate smorgasbord of mayhem, pulling it all together, was producer Kid Rock himself with the assistance of British record producer John Travis. The result? Over 9 million in sales as of 2007. It ain’t braggin’ if it’s true.