Rock legend Mitch Ryder initially released this album in Europe in 2009 as Detroit Ain't Dead Yet (The Promise) and then issued it stateside in 2012. It's his first studio album in the U.S. since 1983. Produced by Don Was, it features the grizzled veteran doing exactly what he does best: muscular rock 'n' roll with touches of blues, soul, and even funk. Since Ryder was always a gritty rocker, his range is hardly affected here. His energy level is way up, and that's what matters most. "Thank You Mama" pays tribute to his mother. "One Hair" touches on a funky gospel groove with backing vocalists acting as a choir. Randy Jacobs' electric guitar is dirty and brutal blues. Electric pianos and Hammond organs shift the mood. "Everybody Loses" is a dramatic midtempo track. Ryder makes uncompromising music that stays true to the influences he pledged allegiance to back in his days with The Detroit Wheels. He even keeps a streetwise strut for the closer "The Way We Were," driven by wah-wah guitar and Hammond organ.