Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Music Review: A Thousand Different Ways by Clay Aiken

My wife got a new CD one week ago today: Clay Aiken's A Thousand Different Ways. There has been a great deal of hype over this CD, apparently, at least among the legions of Claymates out there (of which, I hope, my wife isn't one -- though I fear it may already be too late).

It's his first album in three years, and besides one or two original songs, the album is filled with remakes of love songs from the eighties (and maybe the nineties). Songs such as Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word by Elton John, Everything I Do (I Do It For You) br Bryan Adams (from the Kevin Costner Robin Hood movie), among others.

I'm not a big fan of Clay Aiken, but that's mostly because I'm not a big fan of pop music. In fact, lately I don't listen to much music of any kind at all. But I have heard the album (my wife listened to it several times online before it was even released, and there was no avoiding it). If I speak honestly, I would have to say that Aiken (or, as I often refer to him when teasing my wife: Achey-Breaky-Clay) does a respectable treatment of the songs on the album. While I probably would prefer the originals of the songs mentioned above, I think Clay Aiken does as well as the original on the majority of the rest of album, and probably better on one or two selections.

What fascinates me the most about this album is the Claymates. I can't think of any group of fans so loyal to their idol as these Claymates are since Elvis was causing the girls to swoon while he crooned. These fans eat, breathe, and live everything Clay. Don't believe me? Check out the Clay Aiken forums for yourself. It's like a cult of some kind.

Either way, if you've been wondering whether you would enjoy A Thousand Different Ways, you probably will. If you wouldn't enjoy it, you probably already know that .

Joe

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My wife bought it too. I was prepared to apply the earplugs but was surprised at how good his voice is. The use of Pan pipes in Everything I do (the Bryan Adams song) was refreshing and the Dolly Parton tune was virtually unrecognizable. That's a good thing, believe me. I was impressed that he wrote one of the originals and that it was good. I'd say give it a listen, it's not karaoke by any means.

Mike

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