No Stranger to Shame [Clean] [Edited]

Performer: Uncle Kracker
Artist: Dobie Gray; Mark McGrath
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Contains an untitled hidden track after "No Stranger To Shame." Personnel: Uncle Kracker (vocals); Mike Bradford (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards); Dobie Gray, Mark McGrath (vocals); Dean Parks, Phillip Sayce (guitar); Wanda Vick (dobro, mandolin, fiddle); Dan Higgins, Bill Reichenbach (saxophone); Jimmie Bones (piano, organ background vocals); Richard Baker (piano); Larry Paxton (upright bass); Russ Kunkel, Scott Krause, Jeff "Shakey" Fowlkes (drums). Producers: Michael Bradford, Uncle Kracker. Recorded at Metry And Metry, Mount Clemens, Michigan and Chunky Style Studios, Burbank, California. Personnel: Uncle Kracker (vocals); Mike Bradford (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards); Dobie Gray, Mark McGrath (vocals); Dean Parks, Phillip Sayce (guitar); Wanda Vick (dobro, mandolin, fiddle); Dan Higgins, Bill Reichenbach (saxophone); Jimmie Bones (piano, organ background vocals); Richard Baker (piano); Larry Paxton (upright bass); Russ Kunkel, Scott Krause, Jeff "Shakey" Fowlkes (drums). Producers: Michael Bradford, Uncle Kracker. Recorded at Metry And Metry, Mount Clemens, Michigan and at Chunky Style Studios, Burbank, California. Personnel: Uncle Kracker (vocals); Dobie Gray, Mark McGrath (vocals); Mike Bradford (guitar, keyboards, drums, background vocals); Dean Parks (guitar); Wanda Vick (dobro, mandolin, fiddle); Dan Higgins, Bill Reichenbach Jr. (saxophone); Jerry Hey (trumpet); Jimmie Bones (piano, organ, background vocals); Richard Baker (piano); Larry Paxton (upright bass); Russ Kunkel (drums); Beth Hart (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Mike Bradford. Recording information: Chunky Style Studios, Burbank, CA; Metry and Metry, Mt. Clemens, MI; Ocean Way Studios, Nashville, TN. Photographer: F. Scott Schafer. Kid Rock pal Uncle Kracker (A.K.A. Matt Shafer) may have arrived as yet another white guy fishing off the pier of rap-rock, but it was the sweetly sung smash "Follow Me" off his debut DOUBLE WIDE that put this Michigan native over the top. With his sophomore bow NO STRANGER TO SHAME, Uncle Kracker keeps hip-hop in the mix, but his main thrust is tapping into the rich musical legacy found south of the Mason-Dixon line. Beyond a solid cover of the '70s nugget "Drift Away," (featuring a cameo by its originator Dobie Gray), Shafer's love of country, soul, and blues reverberates throughout. When he's not pouring on the cornpone all over the David Allen Coe-co-written "Letter To My Daughters" or making like Waylon Jennings on the twang-fest "To Think I Used To Love You," Mr. Kracker pumps plenty of Stax-flavored horns into the soulful "I Do." With crunchy guitar, turntable scratching, and an aggressive flow in "Keep It Comin'" making sure the hick-hop faithful return, cuts like the swamp-rock vibe of "Thunderhead Hawkins" and rap-like sing-a-long title track (featuring Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath) ensure they'll stick around. Kid Rock pal Uncle Kracker (A.K.A. Matt Shafer) may have arrived as yet another white guy fishing off the pier of rap-rock, but it was the sweetly sung smash "Follow Me" off his debut DOUBLE WIDE that put this Michigan native over the top. With his sophomore bow NO STRANGER TO SHAME, Uncle Kracker keeps hip-hop in the mix, but his main thrust is tapping into the rich musical legacy found south of the Mason-Dixon line. Beyond a solid cover of the '70s nugget "Drift Away," (featuring a cameo by its originator Dobie Gray), Shafer's love of country, soul, and blues reverberates throughout. When he's not pouring on the cornpone all over the David Allen Coe-co-written "Letter To My Daughters" or making like Waylon Jennings on the twang-fest "To Think I Used To Love You," Mr. Kracker pumps plenty of Stax-flavored horns into the soulful "I Do." With crunchy guitar, turntable scratching, and an aggressive flow in "Keep It Comin'" making sure the hick-hop faithful return, cuts like the swamp-rock vibe of "Thunderhead Hawkins" and rap-like sing-a-long title track (featuring Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath) ensure they'll stick around. On his sophomore effort, Uncle Kracker (born Matt Shafer) steps out from behind Kid Rock's turntable to prove he's a viable artist on his own. The album No Stranger to Shame is a collection of willowy jangle rock with Motown and rap influences thrown in. It kicks off with the Motown feel of "I Do," and continues through a journey of country on "Letter to My Daughters" and funky rap on "Keep It Comin'." No Stranger to Shame is vastly different from his rap-riddled debut, Double Wide. His full-time employer, Kid Rock, is only credited as executive producer, unlike Double Wide, on which the rap-rocker made multiple appearances. Uncle Kracker proves he can sing throughout No Stranger to Shame. His takes on "Drift Away," a duet with Dobie Gray, and "Baby Don't Cry" showcase Uncle Kracker's blues sensibility. No Stranger to Shame should keep radio deejays and listeners busy for quite some time -- most of the songs remain in the listener's mind long after the CD ends. [The clean version of the album cuts the profanity and questionable language from the original release.] ~ Christina Fuoco

Entertainment Weekly (9/27/02, p.86) - "...Kracker serves up a potent strain of soulful Southern rock, tosses in rap tracks to spice things up, and even duets with Dobie Gray..." - Rating: B- Entertainment Weekly (9/27/02, p.86) - "...Kracker serves up a potent strain of soulful Southern rock, tosses in rap tracks to spice things up, and even duets with Dobie Gray..." - Rating: B- Q (12/02, p.114) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Kracker's lyrical mix of sentiment and bragging is undeniably effective..." Q (12/02, p.114) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Kracker's lyrical mix of sentiment and bragging is undeniably effective..."

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25