Kid Rock has made no secret of his desire to follow in
Bob Seger's footsteps, but it still comes as a mild shock to have
Bob Ritchie deliver an album that feels like it could have slipped in unnoticed between
Against the Wind and
The Distance in
Seger's discography. That's precisely what the
Rick Rubin-produced
Born Free is, a striking re-creation of the waning days of
the Silver Bullet Band, the time when the energy started to dissipate and a fascination with country ballads seeped into the heartland rock. It's a comfortable setting for
Kid Rock, who has slowly abandoned rap for country as he crept closer to middle age, but
Born Free doesn't feel lazy: it's tightly written and crisply articulated thanks in large part to
Rubin's recruitment of an all-star supporting band anchored by
Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith,
Chavez vet
Matt Sweeney,
Los Lobos guitarist
David Hidalgo, and
Heartbreaker Benmont Tench. These pros give
Born Free the suppleness of well-worn leather and
Kid Rock rides their grooves with ease, digging into the grinding
"God Bless Saturday," laying back on
"Slow My Roll," slyly trading verses with old sparring partner
Sheryl Crow on
"Collide" (which also happens to feature
Seger himself on piano), and shuffling along with the three-chord boogie of
"Rock Bottom Blues." Kid Rock demonstrates enough versatility to excuse
"Care," the most apathetic protest song this side of
John Mayer's
"Waiting for the World to Change," where
Kid correctly deduces that the least he can do is care, but even that slight stumble works as sheer sound, drifting along upon the Midwestern rock & roll that
Kid Rock has sworn to keep alive.
Born Free goes a long, long way toward keeping that heartland flame burning bright: it's familiar yet fresh, and song for song it's the best album
Kid Rock has cut since
Devil Without a Cause. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
![Midnights [Jade Green Edition] [Edited]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602448247032_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "Midnights [Jade Green Edition] [Edited]")
