Bret Michaels Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
It was just a matter of time before Bret Michaels released an album to cash in on his television success on the VH1 reality dating show Rock of Love, so it comes as no surprise that the network's record label (appropriately called VH1 Classics) gave him the opportunity to put out Rock My World, a companion album named after his catch phrase on the TV show. The title won't be the only thing familiar about Rock My World for die-hard Bret fans: of its 12 songs, three come from 2005's Freedom of Sound, and a whopping six are from 2003's Songs of Life, which leaves just three new tunes -- "Go That Far," "Fallen," "Start Again." Not that anyone outside of diehards would be able to distinguish between the old and new tunes, as Michaels pretty much sticks to alternating glammy rockers with country-ish heartbreak ballads, so they all form a consistent body of work. Plus, neither Freedom of Sound nor Songs of Life received much attention, so this is an effective way to rescue the best moments from both and introduce them to a broader audience. And the audience that Michaels has regained via Rock of Love will find a bunch of stuff to enjoy, from the fizzy hooks of "Bittersweet" to the power ballad "Fallen," and the Rock of Love theme song "Go That Far," which is shameless in its pimping of the program. Will Rock My World appeal to anybody who isn't already a fan of Bret Michaels or the show? Oh no, but thanks to his casual charm on VH1, he has a lot more fans in 2008 than he did in 2003, when he really launched his solo career, and those new fans will find this de facto soundtrack about as much fun as they find the TV show. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Copping a stylistic change eerily similar to pro skater Bam Margera (right down to the Old English initials on the cover underneath his full name) and Kid Rock circa 1999, everybody's favorite hair metal filmmaker returns to the fold with something totally not removed from his glory days of Poison. Right from the get-go, Bret Michaels wastes no time doing what he does best: relating to the average working Joe. "Menace to Society" is a beautiful tone poem dedicated to stickin' it to the man, which if it sounds all too familiar, it's because it is. He did the song way back in Poison's heyday and called it "Nothin' but a Good Time." Nevertheless, "Menace" is that song redux with a Green Day or Hot Topic band du jour feel to it. Think of it as "Nothing but a Good Time 2.0" and you'll be all set. Moving on, "Bittersweet" and "Raine" sound like Poison's "Fallen Angel" and your favorite Poison ballad, respectively. Things keep on non-rockin' with "Forgiveness" until the murky "Loaded Gun" comes on in and reminds you what a Bon Jovi B-side could sound like if Jon and Richie didn't care about what they wrote. "Songs of Life" sounds like a horrible musical ode to John Cougar Mellencamp's "Small Town," and the song would be much better if Mellencamp made an appearance. The ballads make their final appearance with "One More Day," and then for a grand -- and I do mean grand -- finale, Michaels does the sensible thing and throws his hat into the antiwar ring with the most intelligent and intelligible song on the whole record, "War Machine." As a bonus track, the tune "Party Rock Band" makes a most welcome reappearance (it originally appeared in Bret's movie, A Letter From Death Row), and by far and away, it's the best song on the album. If you're a fan of Bret, you're no doubt going to enjoy Songs of Life all the way through start to finish. Everyone else should just stick to the Poison greatest-hits records. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
