New Album Releases 10/09/07: Kid Rock, Puddle Of Mudd, And Christmas Lead A Slow Week

Following last week's Springsteen-led tsunami of blockbuster new releases, things are comparatively quieter this week on the new music front. That is, if you can call a week where both Kid Rock and Puddle of Mudd will see their new CDs released, "quiet."

Coming off the heels of his Wrestlemania headlining main event cage match with Tommy Lee at the MTV Video Music Awards, Kid Rock hopes to see his once bright star "born again" with his new CD, Rock & Roll Jesus. Said to be a return to the unapologetic white trash rap/metal/country hybrid that was once a winning combination for the Kid on albums like Devil Without A Pause, many are looking at this release as a make or break proposition. Based on some of the early reviews that we've read, all we can say is that Kid Rock better hope his Rock & Roll Jesus can perform miracles in CD stores.

The prospects look considerably brighter for Puddle Of Mudd, who return this week with Famous, which promises another potent dose of aggro/grunge/hip-hop/alternative/metal — or whatever it is they are calling what loud, angry, young, tattooed, pierced, and goateed bands do these days.

With the holiday season looming just around the horizon, this is also the time of year that the record companies start to roll out the Christmas music. This week's holiday fare comes courtesy of two old school R&B favorites in the Isley Brothers with their I'll Be Home For Christmas and Patti Labelle's Miss Patti's Christmas, as well as Euro-pop heartthrob Josh Groban's Noel.

The holiday flood of reissued and repackaged product is also underway in earnest. This week brings several repackages from the classic rock era, including Emerson Lake & Palmer's Brain Salad Surgery and a new collection from Eric Clapton, with a title promising listeners the Complete Clapton.

Perhaps of most interest to collectors however is the first wave of reissues from the long out-of-print catalog of seminal sixties Bay Area psychedelic pioneers Moby Grape. This week sees new versions of Moby Grape, Wow, and Grape Jam, all with bonus tracks.

Rounding out this week's new release highlights are new albums from one-time queen diva Jennifer "J-Lo" Lopez (Brave); indie rock darlings Band of Horses (Cease To Begin) and The Fiery Furnaces (Widow City); jazz bass virtuoso Stan (just don't call him Stanley) Clarke (Children Of Forever); and the late, great Luciano Pavarotti (Pavarotti Forever).

Article Author: Glen Boyd

You'll find Blogcritics assistant music editor Glen Boyd sharing his Thoughtmares on his personal blogs The World Wide Glen, and The Rockologist. In a previous life, Glen was a music professional and journalist whose work has appeared in The Rocket, SPIN, Pulse!, and The Source. …

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