First Kiss is the tenth studio album by American singer and songwriter Kid Rock. The album was released on February 24, 2015, through Warner Bros. Records and Top Dog Records, and is his first and only with Warner Bros. after leaving sister label Atlantic Records in 2014.
Contents
Critical reception
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, First Kiss received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 61 out of 100 from 9 critic scores. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said, "It's a bit bumpy and sometimes sleepy but it finds old Bob Ritchie settling into his comfort zone, knowing that he's in it for the long haul." Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone said, "First Kiss presents few surprises, mostly because Kid Rock's journey from abrasive rap metal to unreconstructed heartland rock has landed him in a sweet spot: big guitars, big drums, big choruses and gravelly vocals." Richard Bienstock of Billboard said, "First Kiss is hardly his most adventurous project, but it is perhaps his most easygoing, tuneful one. The production is crisp and clean, the guitars are sparkling, the vibe is rollicking but relaxed. He sounds better here than he has in a long time."
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, with sales of 137,000 copies in the United States. As of December 2015, First Kiss has sold more than 354,000 copies in the United States. The album also debuted at number two in Canada on the Canadian Albums Chart, with sales of 8,000.
Track listing
All songs were produced by Kid Rock, except "First Kiss" and "Drinking Beer With Dad" were produced by Kid Rock and Dan Huff.
Personnel
Kid Rock
Robert James Ritchie Sr. - drum programming, drums, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, percussion, piano, shaker, synthesizer, tambourine, Turntables, background vocals, wah wah guitar
Additional personnel
Rayse Biggs - horns
Dave McMurray - horns
Barbara Payton - background vocals
Herschel Boone - background vocals
Jessica Wagner-Cowan - background vocals
Laura Creamer - background vocals
Russell Terrell - background vocals
Shannon Curfman - background vocals
Shaun Murphy - background vocals
Stacy Michelle - background vocals
Dorian Crozier
Richard Millsap
Jimmie Bones - piano, background vocals
Rob Mathes - conductor, string arrangements
Larry Franklin - fiddle
David Huff - drum programming
Marlon Young - bass guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Dan Dugmore - steel guitar
Dann Huff - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin
Ed Jurdi - electric guitar, slide guitar
Gordy Quist - electric guitar
Adam Shoenfeld - electric guitar