Freedom of Sound is the third solo studio album by Bret Michaels, lead vocalist of the rock band Poison. Released on August 7, 2005, the album marks Michaels' first fully country-oriented project, blending elements of contemporary country and Southern rock.[1] It includes nine newly recorded songs, two previously unreleased tracks from his 1995 Country Demos sessions, and seven songs drawn from earlier solo releases.
Three singles were released between 2004 and 2005. The lead single, "All I Ever Needed" featuring Jessica Andrews, became Michaels' first appearance on the Hot Country Songs chart, peaking at No. 45.[2] While the singles "Right Now, Right Here" and "Open Road" did not chart, Michaels performed both during the third season of Nashville Star, where he served as a judge.[3][4][5]
Background
Michaels' interest in country music dates back to the mid-1990s.[6] In 1995, while living in Nashville during production of his film A Letter from Death Row, he recorded a set of country tracks with producer Buddy Killen.[7][8] The songs remained unreleased until unauthorized bootlegs surfaced on eBay in 2000,[9] prompting Michaels to officially issue the tracks as the Country Demos EP.[10][11]
By 2004, Michaels' profile in Nashville had grown substantially. He contributed backing vocals to the number-one single "When the Sun Goes Down" by Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker, later appearing with the pair on "Last Night Again".[14][15] He also performed at the CMA Music Festival with Chris Cagle and took part in a related NASCAR promotional event hosted by Kyle Busch.[16][17] In 2005, Michaels produced Forty5 South's album and directed the music video for its lead single "We're Country Because We Can", also contributing guest vocals.[18][19]
In interviews with The Bay City Times and The Buffalo News, Michaels emphasized that Freedom of Sound represented a natural continuation of his songwriting rather than a stylistic break:[20][21][22]
"I'm sort of a mixture of Aerosmith and Johnny Cash. I grew up liking rock, southern rock and country. Each song has a different feel. I never want to get in the studio and make it a job; it just keeps the sound fresh."
"It's not that big of a departure from what I did on the previous record Songs of Life. This album is not a country album; it's a rock record with some contemporary country and southern rock songs on it. 'Open Road' is not that much different from 'Fallen Angel', and 'All I Ever Needed' is not that much different from 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn'."
Release and promotion
In early 2004, Michaels launched a "Country Bret" section on his official website to showcase his Nashville-based projects and signal his intent to pursue a multi-genre solo career.[23] By mid-2004 he announced that his upcoming country album would be titled The Other Side of Me,[24] the name of a song recorded during his 1995 sessions with Buddy Killen.[25] The project was retitled Freedom of Sound in early 2005 to reflect Michaels' desire for creative freedom.[26][27]
The album's lead single, "Right Now, Right Here", was released on February 14, 2004, alongside the announcement of an eight-week solo tour.[28] The tour was postponed on March 5, 2004, after Poison accepted an offer to open for KISS on the Rock the Nation tour.[29][30]
While touring with Poison and KISS in 2004, Michaels previewed several tracks—"Open Road", "New Breed of American Cowboy", and "All I Ever Needed"—via his official website.[31][32][33]
"All I Ever Needed" featuring Jessica Andrews was released on October 9, 2004, as the album's second single. It peaked at No. 45 on the Hot Country Songs chart for the week of October 29, 2004, spending 16 weeks on the chart.[2] The music video later appeared on Billboard's Hot Videoclip Tracks chart in 2008 following its inclusion in season two of Rock of Love with Bret Michaels.[34][failed verification]
"Open Road", the third and final single, was released on April 19, 2005.[35] Michaels performed the song live on Nashville Star on April 26, 2005.[36] Following the album's release, he embarked on the "Freedom of Sound Tour," which ran from early 2005 through March 2006.[37][38]
In 2023, Michaels noted that "Rock'n My Country" originated as a promotional phrase before developing into a full song, describing how its lyrics were later adopted for various event and festival promotions.[41]
Critical reception
Freedom of Sound received mixed reviews from critics. Sleaze Roxx responded positively to the album's blend of country and rock influences, praising tracks such as "Rock 'n My Country", "Driven", and "All I Ever Needed" for showcasing Michaels' versatility and sincerity as a songwriter, characterizing the album as a strong reflection of Michaels' passion for both genres.[42]
Other critics were less enthusiastic. Sputnikmusic described the album as an improvement over Michaels' earlier solo work, particularly in terms of songwriting and production on the new material, but noted that the extensive use of previously released songs made the album uneven. The reviewer singled out "Open Road" and "It's All Good" as highlights, while criticizing the country reworking of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".[43][unreliable source?]
2 Loud 2 Old Music viewed Freedom of Sound as part of a recurring trend in which Michaels paired new songs with re-recordings or tracks from earlier albums, arguing that this diluted the impact of otherwise strong new material. Conversely, later retrospective coverage ranked "All I Ever Needed" as one of Michaels' standout solo tracks, citing it as a career highlight.[44] Overall, reviewers noted that Freedom of Sound contained some of Michaels' strongest solo compositions, but they frequently criticized its structure and reliance on previously released recordings.[45]
Track listing
Track information adapted from Apple Music and Michaels' official website.[46][47]
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