Rock My World

by Stephen Thomas ErlewineIt 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.