Live Trucker
Kid Rock's first live album is a tight, no-frills set that reminds you how much fun Rock was before he started dating Pamela Anderson and tried to sing for real – and how much fun his shows still can be. Live Trucker is also a de facto greatest-hits set: "Bawitdaba," "Cowboy" and the country coke ballad "Picture" (with Gretchen Wilson filling in for Sheryl Crow) are all here in bright, full-bodied versions, with a minimum of dumb banter and guitar solos. Outfitted with bigger riffs than the studio versions, trailer-hop stuff like "Devil Without a Cause" indicates that Rock is a great showman when his shtick is more Beasties than Ted Nugent. The world doesn't need to hear "Only God Knows Why" again, but between sturdy blue-collar stuff like "Son of Detroit" and muscular grooves from his crack band, Live Trucker maintains an old-school party-rock vibe.