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Topic: Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut (Read 404 times)

Rhune
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Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
« on: Oct 22^nd, 2003, 9:20am »

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Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
By Christy Lemire
Associated Press
Friday, October 17, 2003 Posted: 10:46 AM EDT (1446 GMT)

NEW YORK (AP) -- "Measure of a Man," Clay Aiken's collection of utterly forgettable love songs, should be packaged along with a copy of Lisa Simpson's favorite magazine, "Non-Threatening Boys."

The "American Idol" runner-up underwent the makeover that's de rigueur for serious contenders on the singing competition, but it's still a stretch to accept him as a sex symbol. Despite the stylish new wardrobe and the blond highlights on the tips of his purposely messy hair, he still looks like the love child of k.d. lang and Howdy Doody.

Aiken's handlers couldn't wash off the Raleigh, North Carolina, native's freshly scrubbed image -- and, thankfully, they also didn't tinker with the disarming strength of his voice. The sappy songs on his debut album (on RCA), which came out this week, are more tolerable than they should be, simply because he's singing them.

I never thought I'd want to listen more than once to "This Is the Night," the soaring, occasionally bombastic ballad Aiken first belted out during the "American Idol" finals. Turns out it's the best song on the album.

Aiken should have included his cover of Jeffrey Osborne's "On the Wings of Love," one of his best songs during the competition. (If you're dying to hear it, check out the "American Idol" love songs compilation disc.)

Instead, we have the bouncy but insipid lead track "Invisible," which you could easily imagine on the soundtrack of some cookie-cutter romantic comedy.

"I Will Carry You" strives to be inspirational, but doesn't tell you anything you haven't heard before: "When your world breaks down, And the voices tell you turn around, When your dreams give out, I will carry you."

After a while, it all blends into one long power ballad; the piano-heavy "Shine" and "I Survived You" are essentially interchangeable.

Then comes the highly religious title track, which is ostensibly a love song but could easily be a contemporary Christian hit: "Would he walk on water? Would he run through fire? Would he stand before you when it's down to the wire?" (Aiken, a devout Christian, thanks God at the beginning of his liner notes and Jesus Christ at the end.)

Some (including our music writer, Nekesa Mumbi Moody) have suggested that Aiken is the Barry Manilow of our generation. I like to think Barry Manilow is still the Barry Manilow of our generation -- but I'd also like to hear Aiken sing "Mandy" or "Weekend in New England," or anything else besides the songs here.

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MzWings
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Re: Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
« Reply #1 on: Oct 22^nd, 2003, 12:55pm »

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on Oct 22^nd, 2003, 9:20am, Rhune wrote:

Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
By Christy Lemire
Associated Press
Friday, October 17, 2003 Posted: 10:46 AM EDT (1446 GMT)

Some (including our music writer, Nekesa Mumbi Moody) have suggested that Aiken is the Barry Manilow of our generation. I like to think Barry Manilow is still the Barry Manilow of our generation -- but I'd also like to hear Aiken sing "Mandy" or "Weekend in New England," or anything else besides the songs here.

One day he's described as the next Pat Boone - the next, Barry Manilow. :laff:

Who next?

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"Senility Prayer"...God grant me...
The senility to forget the people I never liked
The good fortune to run into the ones that I do
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luci
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Re: Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
« Reply #2 on: Oct 22^nd, 2003, 4:46pm »

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Whatever or whoever he is, his new album has sold more than any other in TEN years!

So, he's not sofisticated enough for some of those NY'ers, he can still sing!

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"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and
can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

Rhune
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Re: Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
« Reply #3 on: Oct 22^nd, 2003, 6:27pm »

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I would say the judges at American Idol and their production company grossly underestimated the marketability of Clay Aiken.

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Rhune
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Re: Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
« Reply #4 on: Oct 22^nd, 2003, 6:28pm »

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From Billboard.com

Edited By Jonathan Cohen. October 22, 2003, 11:45 AM ET

Aiken 'Measures' Up At No. 1

Second season "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken owns the top position on The Billboard 200 this week with his debut album, "Measure of a Man." In its first week, the RCA set sold 613,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. Among its tracks, "Measure" features a former No. 1 single in "This Is the Night," which spent two weeks atop Billboard's Hot 100 in June.

Aiken follows fellow "Idol" alumnus Kelly Clarkson, the first season winner, in reaching the top of The Billboard 200. But he's off to a better start, as her RCA debut album, "Thankful," bowed at No. 1 with a first-week sales total of 297,000.

Aiken's "This Is the Night," which was sold to retail backed with his cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," has already sold 912,000 copies. Aiken can also be found on "American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics," which debuts this week at No. 72 on the album chart.

"Measure of a Man" has a lengthy lead over last week's chart topper, Ludacris' "Chicken & Beer." The Disturbing Tha Piece/Def Jam album suffered a 55% sales dip to 194,000 copies and falls to No. 2. The album has a two-week sales total of 623,000 copies.

R&B quartet Jagged Edge lands at No. 3 with its fifth release, "Hard." The Sony album sold 178,000 copies, short of the first-week total tallied by 2001's "Jagged Little Thrill." The latter entered at No. 3 with 215,000 copies, and has sold 1.5 million to date.

OutKast's two-CD set "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" (Arista) falls 2-4. Sales were down 10% to 168,000 copies, bringing its four-week total to just above the 1 million mark.

Barbra Streisand's 60th release, Columbia's "The Movie Album," enters The Billboard 200 at No. 5 on sales of 162,000 copies. It's her first non-holiday studio set since 1999's "A Love Like Ours," which opened at No. 6 with 146,000 copies and has sold 1.1 million to date.

Dido's "Life for Rent" falls 4-6 in its third week on the chart. Sales of the Arista album were down about 8% to 101,000 copies. RCA's "Elvis Presley compilation "Elvis 2nd to None" drifts 3-7 in its second week on the chart, the victim of a 55% sales dip to 82,000 copies.

Sting's "Sacred Love" (A&M) drops two slots to No. 8 in its third week on the tally, taking an 18% sales hit to 78,000 copies. Teen sensation Hilary Duff holds at No. 9 with her Buena Vista debut "Metamorphosis," sales of which dropped 8% to 74,000 copies. Dave Matthews' "Some Devil" (RCA) falls 5-10 on a 28% sales decline to 73,500 copies.

"Long Time Coming," the first A&M album from Jonny Lang since 1998's "Wander this World," enters at No. 17 with sales 55,000 copies. "Wander" arrived at No. 28, and has sold 839,000 copies to date.

Other notable entries this week include Mariah Carey's "The Remixes" (Columbia) at No. 26, Simon & Garfunkel's "The Essential" (Columbia/Legacy) at No. 27, Frank Sinatra's "Live & Swingin'" (Reprise) at No. 38, Mushroomhead's "XIII" (Universal) at No. 40 and Travis' "12 Memories" (Epic) at No. 41.

Further down, L.A.-based punk act the Distillers arrives at No. 96 with "Coral Fang," the act's first for Sire and the band's first appearance on The Billboard 200.

The full chart will be posted tomorrow on Billboard.com

-- Todd Martens, L.A.

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Rhune
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Re: Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
« Reply #5 on: Oct 22^nd, 2003, 6:33pm »

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And the Billboard.com review of the album:

CLAY AIKEN
Album Title: Measure of a Man
Producer(s): various
Label/Catalog Number: RCA 82876-54638
Release Date: Oct. 14
Source: Billboard Magazine
Originally Reviewed: October 25, 2003

Clay Aiken's "Measure of a Man" is the best pop album of 2003. Every song, every note is brimming with ambition and glory. Thanks to the bull's-eye A&R talents of RCA chief Clive Davis and a cast of grade-A songwritersincluding Cathy Dennis, Desmond Child, Kara DioGuardi, Gary Burr, Steve Morales, Andreas Carlssonthe "American Idol" hero's debut album perfectly matches his radiantly melodramatic voice with good, old-fashioned power ballads aimed straight for the gods. Throughout, the timeless production focuses squarely on Aiken's immense talent. "Run to Me" is arguably the sweet spot, the quintessential tear-jerker, along with show-stoppers "No More Sad Songs," "I Survived You" and the title track. In another radio era, this album could be the "Thriller" of the day, spawning hit after hit. In any case, fans have plenty to celebrate. "Measure of a Man" is an utter triumph of art and commerce.CT

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MzWings
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Re: Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
« Reply #6 on: Oct 22^nd, 2003, 7:17pm »

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Well - I'm just a simple woman. My daughter asked her hubbie to pick up a copy of "Measure of a Man" yesterday. She said she wanted to support him as an artist. She appreciates him and his music - "Mama, ya gotta get over her to hear this."

So, I did. BabyQuinn and I were outside - me holding him and dancing. It's the first time since I started taking meds, that I've so much as had a watery eye. The baby was mesmerized and swayed with me as we danced.

Yeah Clay! You're quite something, indeed.

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"Senility Prayer"...God grant me...
The senility to forget the people I never liked
The good fortune to run into the ones that I do
And the eyesight to tell the difference."

Rhune
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Re: Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
« Reply #7 on: Oct 22^nd, 2003, 10:31pm »

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Sounds like a wonderful time. Cheesy

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luci
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Re: Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
« Reply #8 on: Oct 22^nd, 2003, 10:49pm »

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....and where is what's his name? Oh yes, Ruben!

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"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and
can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

MzWings
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Re: Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
« Reply #9 on: Oct 24^th, 2003, 3:55pm »

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on Oct 22^nd, 2003, 10:49pm, luci wrote:

....and where is what's his name? Oh yes, Ruben!

~~Do you realllllly care - eh?~~ :laff:

(I came back and struck through that sentence. We all wish Ruben well)

Rhune - it was one of those "moments" - I just wish the baby's other grandpa (Deb's dad) was still alive to see his grandson.

« Last Edit: Oct 24^th, 2003, 4:08pm by MzWings »

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"Senility Prayer"...God grant me...
The senility to forget the people I never liked
The good fortune to run into the ones that I do
And the eyesight to tell the difference."

Rhune
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Posts: 292

Re: Review: Insipid tolerable on Aiken debut
« Reply #10 on: Oct 30^th, 2003, 10:09pm »

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Clay Tops Charts Again
October 30, 2003

"American Idol" runner-up CLAY AIKEN's debut album has topped the charts for the second week in a row. Measure of a Man sold 225,000 units this past week. In second was ROD STEWART's As Time Goes By...Great American Songbook: Vol. II, which sold 212,000 copies. The Very Best of the Eagles sold 161,000 units for the No. 3 spot. Rounding out the top five sellers of the week were OUTKAST's Speakerboxxx and LUDACRIS' release, Chicken *N* Beer.

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