Personnel: Kid Rock (vocals, turntables); Jimmy Bones (vocals, keyboards); Joe C. (vocals); Kenny Olson, Jason Krause (guitar); Mike Bradford (bass); Stefanie Eulinberg (drums).
"American Bad Ass" was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance.
Personnel: Kid Rock (scratches); Jimmy Bones (vocals, keyboards); Stefanie Eulinberg (vocals, drums); Uncle Kracker (vocals, turntables); Kenny Olson (guitar); Jason Krause (electric guitar).
Photographers: Mark Seliger; Clay McBride; Kevin Mazur.
Now a veteran of the rap/rock game, Kid Rock's HISTORY... includes tunes from his out of print albums THE POLYFUZE METHOD (1993) and EARLY MORNIN' STONED PIMP (1996), plus old demos and two new tracks. (The early material has been re-recorded because the master tapes are missing.) Either way, the songs here are strong enough to hold up on their own, while showing the roots of a talented artist.
On "American Bad Ass," Kid proudly proclaims his influences (AC/DC, Limp Bizkit, Korn, The Stones, Grandmaster Flash and David Allan Coe, among others). Over a Metallica "Sad But True" sample, Kid also proclaims his seven-times-platinum status (after 1998's DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE). A straight rap tune, "I Wanna Go Back" has Rock reminiscing and wishing he could change some of his early mistakes, while "Born 2 Be a Hick" is a 50's style rocker, where he proudly displays his trailer park roots. HISTORY... may not be as strong an album as DEVIL..., but his hip hop skills, a formidable band, and great hooks still make it a mandatory listen for fans of this genre.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (6/22/00, p.128) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Collects odds and sods from his past...selling the idea that he was a neglected master back in the day....proof that he's always been able to smell a good line from a mile away....[playing] up Southern rock more than hip-hop..."
Q (8/00, p.115) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...There are a few surprises here: white trash raps hollered over a musical backdrop that sounds like an evil pub rock band..."
Melody Maker (6/6/00, p.55) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...The Kid's personal pick of his early indie releases...[offering] glimpses of what was to come....worthy of your attention is the fantastically grandiose newie 'American Bad Ass'..."
NME (Magazine) (5/27/00, p.40) - 6 out of 10 - "...As essays from high-flying, high, high school dropouts go...[this album] isn't bad..."
