As much as I love music, I can just as easily become painfully annoyed by it. It's been a rough summer in the car, attempting to censor "I Kissed A Girl" from my kids. But Kid Rock's latest is beginning to rival little Miss Katy Perry. Just like this song, I am tricked for a couple of bars, thinking I'm about to hear Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" (and thinking, YEAH, commercial radio decided to play something original!) Then disappointment and mounting aggravation sets in when I realize it's Kid Rock's "All Summer Long." Don't believe me?Youtube them both for yourself.
Maybe I'm just anal when it comes to authenticity in music, but something about Kid Rock telling me about the Summer of 1989 just doesn't ring true. Who the hell was singing, "Sweet Home Alabama" in 1989? Wouldn't 1979 be a little more accurate? Try "Love Shack" for 1989, dude! And I know the guy is from Michigan, but who splashes in the waters of Northern Michigan? I've been there in mid-August and the waters are enough to turn your feet blue.
This whole thing reminds me of how my husband and I used to roll our eyes every time we heard Bryan Adams singing about the "Summer of '69." We'd say, what was he? Four years old at the time? I googled him and found out we were wrong. Bryan Adams was 10 years old in 1969. But I'm still not buying that he had a band, Jody quit and Jimmy got married, nor that those were the best days of his life.
I don't often listen to the radio when driving, but the boys like to, so I'm just now starting to hear this Kid Rock song. While I like a little Kid Rock here and there, this isn't one of my particular favorites.
ReplyDeleteDon Henley's Boys of Summer will be my tried and true 'summer' song, though Love Shack is right up there, too. I wore out that B52s cassette!
i agree, every darn time i get excited thinking it's zevon and then want to scream when i realize it's kid rock. grrrr....so, he has zevon's intor, skynrd's chorus and adams' concept. which part of this is original?
ReplyDeleteRight on. It seems like far to many musicians these days just can't come up with something original. Let's not forget that to add insult to injury they can't write lyrics to save their a@#.
ReplyDeleteNot that I'm all that eager to come to Kid Rock's defense, but in Michigan, it doesn't matter so much how far north as it does which body of water you're talkin' about. I grew up north of the 45th parallel, but it was Lake Huron, and we'd go swimming from late May until early September; same for Lake Michigan. But Lake Superior? You better have a wetsuit, even in August. . .
ReplyDeleteShoot, I've heard "Summer of '69" covered by guys that were born after 1980.
ReplyDeleteI've swam in the northern tip of Huron, near Sault St Marie, in May. Yeah, I was in the water for about two minutes.
FADKOG - the Henley song has always been popular here too. Husband especially likes to sing the lyrics, "Remember how I made you scream" to me when the song comes on :)
ReplyDeleteLime - Thank you! Either he thinks no one born after 1980 is listening to his song, OR it's a way of getting us to listen to it.
Frances - Everything old is new again when it comes to popular music. Reminds me of the "Tainted Love" remake a year or so back. Please!
Desmond & FTN - I can only speak about the waters of Lake Michigan near Sleeping Bear and I saw no one going in past their knees in mid-August.
I felt the same way when the "Under Pressure" bass line started up and then Vanilla Ice started rapping instead of David Bowie's singing.
ReplyDeleteCome back this week for Republican convention coverage.
Trooper - yeah, I hated that Vanilla Ice tune! And don't worry, you are my one and only political correspondent!
ReplyDeleteThese days it's cartoon jingles I've got stuck in my head, but I know it won't be long.
ReplyDeleteYou are too funny... I'd like to hear the version of what he really was doing as the ten year old in '69.
* Stole my brothers play boy while lickin' kool aid off my hand* * My friends and I were squabblin' over who was cooler man.*
Great post. All Kid's song does is make me want to hear Sweet Home for myself.
ReplyDeleteMy summer songs of late have been Carribean based. I've spent the last few summers done there. Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffet, some reggae. Songs to remind me of the clear blue warm ocean...
Zip - your lyrics do make more sense for a 10 year old.
ReplyDeleteMike - nothing puts me in a good mood like the sound of steel drums!
HA!!! - I happen to like Kid Rock... why? cuz he's a BAD BOYYYYYYYYYYY! LMAO!
ReplyDeleteI also like mash-ups and re-makes of old tunes.... good ones, that is. They're just FUN.
Everything doesn't have to be "original" for ya to have a ditty for a good time. ;)
"Sweet Home Alabama" won't EVER go outta style, no matter what year it is. LOL
LB - Ok, I'll give you that he's a bad boy, but I can't get past him marrying miss fake boobs. She's just gross to me!
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