American Idol has had it’s good moments and it’s bad. Whether the people on AI have won or not we have been introduced to amazing pop vocalists like Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, and Lakisha Jones. Through some ups and downs we have watched and laughed and maybe even cried at the best and worst that Idol has had to offer.
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Taylor Hicks, the silver-haired crooner from Alabama received mixed reviews while on American Idol. Let’s face it, Hicks does not appear to be your average pop vocalist. He does not offer the style of Timberlake or Usher or the finesse of any of the other popular stars of today. Instead, Hicks comes off like a Don Ho, trapped in a lounge and unable to get out. His dancing is awkward, his rhythm is just a little bit off (when he claps), and if that’s what they call soul, I’ll skip to the next course. At times, it was said that Hicks was more like a hotel lounge singer. He was someone who lacks the true talent to give the music industry what it is currently missing – originality. Then the unspeakable happened. He won. Well, I say unspeakable only for me because as I watched AI last season, Taylor was my least favorite and he never seemed to manage to change my mind as the weeks and the bad song choices rolled on. |
Despite my thoughts on Hicks, I put the CD in the disc player with an open mind. I had read other reviews previously and heard how good the CD was. I wanted to believe that maybe now that the creative doors have opened wider than AI, Taylor would offer me something new and inventive.
However, what I got out of this CD was minimal, at best. Many of the songs ended up reminding me of something or someone else. The originality that is necessary in a new album for a new artist was severely lacking. You could hear bits and pieces of music style from artists such as the magnificent Ray Charles and the soulful Harry Connick Jr. The problem with that is that if you are going to use music that will remind your audience of other stars then you need to either offer a unique spin on the music or do it better than the original. In this case, I cannot say I feel either statement rings true.
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Songs like "Runaround", "Gonna Move", and "Soul Thing" were meant to bring the house down. The problem is that they end up being forgettable and stale in comparison with house rocking songs. Even "Right Place", which was written for Ray Charles before he passed away and later given to Hicks for this album ends up a sad representation of what could have been an excellent song. |
Bottom Line: I realize that people like Taylor Hicks and I can respect their opinions. While some of the songs were decent, with songs written by Bryan Adams and Rob Thomas, they didn’t match up to anything that, looking back, I would be proud of had I been the one singing them. For me, this CD ended up being boring, tiresome, expected, and ultimately forgettable. I began with hope as the CD player was turned on and that hope quickly faded until I was thankful that the last note was sung.
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Taylor Hicks is a decent singer – his best moment came when he auditioned on American Idol in 2006 to “A Change is Gonna Come”. He then proceeded to be silly on stage and….turn off people that like good music. I think he’s talented, but I don’t think people supported him because of his talent – they were entranced by his awkward stage presentation; I suspect this colors much of his CD as well.
I can totally see where you’re coming from with your CD review. I happen to be one of the more unusual Taylor fans–I fell in love with a voice, hunted down his original music like there was no tomorrow, and eagerly awaited those nights when his performance would be nothing but his wonderful, raspy voice–no dancing, no spazzing, no antics. You note that he lacks the polish or finesse of a Timberlake or an Usher; to that I say “Thank God!” I personally have no interest in watching someone execute pre-choreographed moves to a synthetic backbeat. That’s not music to me or entertainment to me, although like you, I greatly respect the opinion of anyone who thinks otherwise.
As Mervin noted, Taylor has a decent (though I would say excellent) voice. Performances where he just sings really do bring out the colors and texture of his vocals. But, that’s just my opinion. Perhaps next time we’ll all get a better CD, one that can showcase Hicks’ true talents once his image as a “dancing monkey” has faded from the country’s collective memory.
Taylor Hicks does have a good voice, and unlike some, I enjoyed his ‘dancing monkey’ antics just for the sheer ballsiness it took for him to work it on the Idol stage. “Taking It To the Streets” comes to mind. No other contestant has tried to romp the stage like Hicks did and I doubt anyone could follow him.
That said, my favorite performances of his on Idol, were “In the Ghetto”, “Levon” and “Trouble” where he just sang, within those type of songs, his vocals worked beautifully.
I have to agree with you in some aspects regarding the CD. I was disappointed in the overproduction feel of it – present throughout the CD. Absent any even semi-acoustic tunes. “Georgia”, one of his greatest sounding performances; nothing remotely like it on the CD. “The Right Place” one of the best on the CD, and I like “The Maze” for its different sound.
To sum it up, the CD wasn’t what I expected it might have been, regarding composition and musical design.
I didn’t think any of the season 5 people were “stand out” stars as far as singing talent went. I was rooting for Hicks merely because of his crappy dancing and underdog status, though I would have been just as pleased if that one Eddie Monster looking fellow with diabetes had won..Elliot Yasmin or something…last season of idol was terrible. This season has a little bit of promise, but thus far has bored me as well..one of those ladies could end up making things interesting though.