# 12 An Evening With His Royal Highness Fantasy Fodder

[muskifest]

Well, good morning! Today my two girls are gonna hop on a bus together later and come to my office to help me and coworkers pack up! I'm taking omorrow off so that the family can do a ROAD TRIP! to S. Lake Tahoe for a softball tourney, and when I get back my desk will be in an office about five blocks away...

Claygasm...hope you get into the swing of a new job, new office, new set of coworkers and you LIKE it all! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Okay, ldyj! This is just freakin' funny! BWAH!

Maybe also that he was having a bad arm hair day...

Edited July 19, 2007 by muskifest

[laughn]

Damn, I would have loved LNM for a single. *phbllt* to the powers that be.

BFM...I liked it, but I think I liked the energy in concert more than the actual song. Clay seems to have strong sense of the way he wants this next CD to sound. I just hope it won't take too long. When Clay says something might take awhile, (his 'soon' almost killed me) I get a bit nervous. Does he mean during my lifetime, or his...?

Ahhh, skin, tractors, fading tan and growing arm fur. All's right with the world.

[Couch Tomato]

Ahhh, skin, tractors, fading tan and growing arm fur. All's right with the world.

thread title? heee

eeeeeeeeeee LICKIEST1 posted. How did I miss that the first time. Have fun tonight!!

[bottlecap]

What's a farmer tan?

It's a tan on the arms, cutting off at the mid-biceps where the t-shirt sleeves begin.

And since you asked last night, tan in a bottle goes on like body lotion - used on exposed skin on your arms and legs and whatnot. It's been my experience that you need to be careful around your wrists, palms and the backs of your hands, or else you end up looking like you were wearing gloves. The same thing with your ankles and the tops of your feet. I find it's generally easier to just embrace the pasty look.

[Clayzorback]

Farmer tan also includes the legs. Men, or women, who wear (any fu**ing color) socks and shorts. You can see the tan line at the ankles. Unbecoming.

I haven't seen a fake tan in real life, yet, that wasn't orange in color. Of course I have not seen anyone with the sprayed on tans from salons.

I always liked back For More. Prefer Tears Run Dry, though. Never cared for ATD.

ETA: (*&(&*^^%#$^*(_)

Edited July 19, 2007 by Clayzorback

[playbiller]

I luve me some concert season - another day, another set of clack and controversies - is that like tea and sympathy?

I hope Claygasm is settling in nicely to her job, I gave up my business and took a job when my mother was ill so I could stay close, and what did it do for me? Keep me out of the WTC in the year 2001. If I had not been worried about her, I would have been on the 84th floor. Of course, with my normal work history, I would have been late for work, so I would have been OK. Sometimes life turns out for the best though.You never know.

Album production, some people are more involved than others along the way, I think that today, with the lower sales, that the negotiations on each album are more tense and there is research that the people do on each album that may affect the choices that are made, but then I think that research is only as good at the premises behind it. How many times in science do people miss the solution because it goes against what they expect?

What we know and don't know - I think there is a lot we don't know but so much has settled into fandom lore, we do think we know it all. We don't even know if a finished album was presented. We know that Clay was off choosing his own material, but we do not know why the direction of the album was changed. We know he tried out songs (and many fans ripped every song apart, including BFM), but we did not know how Clay felt about each of them, just more fan lore. We have no idea how albums are named, but we knowthat Clay has some involvement in choosing the names. We know there is a big back channel rumor mill, but we don't even know how much of that is truth and how much of that is fantasy or fan extrapolation. We do knpow there are some fans who do have a problem knowingthe difference, this makes me not want to delve into rumor so much and just stick with what Clay says. We don't even know how an album gets released as Clay appeared (I am using this word loosely and not knowledgably) to delay ATDW. Finally, we don't even know how much Clive Davis is involved in albums, except to maybe sit somewhere and have to OK something. The man is the head of BMG North America, with albums coming out every week and business to deal with, I find it hard to believe the involvement that both Clay and Kelly have alluded to him having. Most likely, he is just reflecting the advice from his A&R and other staff people, so why does not one ever curse them?

Happy Holly, I think that Holly misses Fear already, but she is back in her old habits of barking her fool head off, and we are about to leave for our early walk (as opposed to our midday and evening walks,heh)

These Open Arms I wonder if Clay realized how itchy his arms would be when the hair grew back? I seriously doubt that he has taken a job as an arm model, weddings don't seem to be the perfect place to need to show your arms, I thought you could geta spray on tan while still hairy and, finally, has no one told him about Jergens lotion? So painless, so easy to use, so even, so not necce4ssary to shave, so year round and even will keep him looking young?

Hair sheesh, I thought he came up with a nice compromise on his hair for the hot outdoor summer and he bangsy look. While his hair may not always look perfect like mine (this is a joke, understood only by those who know me and my fussless fashion), but I likethat it is relatively product and fuss free, I like a man that does not fuss too much, never much liked the spikes or the bangsy look, JMHO. Clay never hasto be perfect for me, but at some point he does have to have someone figure out this fandom for him, it is like riding a where you need to carefully keep your balance. You can fall off from time to time though, everyone does.

Embracing the pasty look - I'm with BC, I use 50 SPF and try and stay out of the sun, yet by the end of the summer, I have a modified farmers tan because I can't cover my back with SPF, so I wear a Tshirt while swimming.

I edit and edit and spell check in word and still find spelling and grammer errors.

Edited July 19, 2007 by playbiller

[playbiller]

And to postwhore because I can, ahem

here is the first review I have read, by someone who did not seem to think this was a bad show but tried their damdest to be dissmissive

Decent set with SSO thrills 'Claymates'

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Chuck Klaus

Contributing writer

The appearance of "American Idol" 2003 second-place winner Clay Aiken before 1,600 screaming "Claymates" - well, about 600 or so were screaming - has given your obedient servant new insight into the reviews of earlier days.

I can now imagine myself trying to review the hysteria of the bobby socks and saddle shoes set when young Frank Sinatra first came on the scene, or writing a critique of the hordes when Elvis first appeared, or the shrieks that arose when The Beatles were just getting started.

And much like those fabled critics of yore, I simply don't get it. All of this large-scale Clayemotion confounds me, I fear.

Not to unduly knock Mr. Aiken. His has an interesting voice, fairly well-used within his chosen field of pop ballad singing. There's an interesting combination of elements making up his style: a touch of blue-eyed soul, a bit of modern country, some strains of soft rock and, perhaps the most dominant influence of all, contemporary Broadway. His voice is on-pitch, he treats most of his material in a fairly spacious manner, and his work is pleasant and fairly polished, in an extremely informal way.

This ease on stage, as well as a constant barrage of self-deprecating humor, may be one of the secrets of his success. Aiken, forever putting himself down, can hardly be seen as a threat to his female audience, and they evidently love him for that. He is the beloved singing teddy bear placed near a young girl's flouncy canopied bed.

Aiken, appearing with fellow American Idolers Quiana Parler and Angela Fisher, sang a wide range of music, from covers of Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again" to his early hit "Measure of a Man" and material from his most recent release, "A Thousand Different Ways." He generously gave his "backup singers" - really more like co-singers - solo spots and lots of room for comic byplay, and gave a really nice pep talk on behalf of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, encouraging the enthusiastic audience to become season subscribers of the SSO.

Aiken also was generous in his praise of conductor-pianist - and evidently gifted arranger - Jesse Vargas, who coordinated well and with a minimum of fuss while providing solid piano support.

Aiken had the chance to perform a ballad for which he served as lyricist, which offered the SSO's cellist, Lindsay Groves, the chance to contribute a sonorous solo. Here was one instance where the Clayemotion of the audience paused long enough to allow Aiken to truly be heard, which turned out to be a source of further Clayelation

OK.... so this guy did not get people screaming for Frank Sinatra, Elvis or the Beatles - who does he like, just indie artists?

Clay sang well, and was funny, so is it too hard to say something in not a dismissive way? Broad way, BRoadway - is this guy and idiot, was he at the show or does he only remember 2003 and Simon's one comment?

[ldyjocelyn]

play, I read that review this morning, and while I can see "dismissive," I can also see some really great things in it too. And you know what? The Broadway comment really didn't bother me AT ALL. I think that's another one of those terms that got beat into the ground because of Simon's implication. Sorry, I just don't go there. I really do think that the guy's description of Clay's voice is pretty spot on, actually. And I like this line, even if I don't care for where he took it with his next sentence:

This ease on stage, as well as a constant barrage of self-deprecating humor, may be one of the secrets of his success.

*dusts off rose colored glasses, once again*

YMMV, JMO, all those silly letters.

ETA: Via the CH via the CB, a shot of an interview with Columbus newspaper (clickable):

His answer to the airplane thing makes me love him so much.

[playbiller]

I actually thought the man had nothing bad to say about the show, he just seemed to try reallly hard to be dismissive, yet couldn't quite manage it. I would not call this a rave review, yet he said nothing bad about the show and lots of sort of kind of good things.

I thought the broadway comment was pretty much reaching, like "maybe this will sound kind of bad". I imagine the guy laughed his head off, enjoyed the music and found it so hard to admit he was not cool when he had to write this darn review! It sucks to be a reviewer and have a good time at a not cool place to be.

[KAndre]

I dunno, reading the review I got the impression it just wasn't his cup of tea...but it was good for what it was. Strikes me as fair enough.

[Clayzorback]

And to postwhore because I can, ahem

here is the first review I have read, by someone who did not seem to think this was a bad show but tried their damdest to be dissmissive

Decent set with SSO thrills 'Claymates'

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Chuck Klaus

Contributing writer

The appearance of "American Idol" 2003 second-place winner Clay Aiken before 1,600 screaming "Claymates" - well, about 600 or so were screaming - has given your obedient servant new insight into the reviews of earlier days.

I can now imagine myself trying to review the hysteria of the bobby socks and saddle shoes set when young Frank Sinatra first came on the scene, or writing a critique of the hordes when Elvis first appeared, or the shrieks that arose when The Beatles were just getting started.

And much like those fabled critics of yore, I simply don't get it. All of this large-scale Clayemotion confounds me, I fear.

Not to unduly knock Mr. Aiken. His has an interesting voice, fairly well-used within his chosen field of pop ballad singing. There's an interesting combination of elements making up his style: a touch of blue-eyed soul, a bit of modern country, some strains of soft rock and, perhaps the most dominant influence of all, contemporary Broadway. His voice is on-pitch, he treats most of his material in a fairly spacious manner, and his work is pleasant and fairly polished, in an extremely informal way.

This ease on stage, as well as a constant barrage of self-deprecating humor, may be one of the secrets of his success. Aiken, forever putting himself down, can hardly be seen as a threat to his female audience, and they evidently love him for that. He is the beloved singing teddy bear placed near a young girl's flouncy canopied bed.

Aiken, appearing with fellow American Idolers Quiana Parler and Angela Fisher, sang a wide range of music, from covers of Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again" to his early hit "Measure of a Man" and material from his most recent release, "A Thousand Different Ways." He generously gave his "backup singers" - really more like co-singers - solo spots and lots of room for comic byplay, and gave a really nice pep talk on behalf of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, encouraging the enthusiastic audience to become season subscribers of the SSO.

Aiken also was generous in his praise of conductor-pianist - and evidently gifted arranger - Jesse Vargas, who coordinated well and with a minimum of fuss while providing solid piano support.

Aiken had the chance to perform a ballad for which he served as lyricist, which offered the SSO's cellist, Lindsay Groves, the chance to contribute a sonorous solo. Here was one instance where the Clayemotion of the audience paused long enough to allow Aiken to truly be heard, which turned out to be a source of further Clayelation

OK.... so this guy did not get people screaming for Frank Sinatra, Elvis or the Beatles - who does he like, just indie artists?

Clay sang well, and was funny, so is it too hard to say something in not a dismissive way? Broad way, BRoadway - is this guy and idiot, was he at the show or does he only remember 2003 and Simon's one comment?

I just wanted to accentuate ...The Positive...........Not a bad review, considering it is from from a snobby male reviewer. Clay just isn't angsty enough for some people. That's all.

ETA: I loved that comment ldyjocelyn in that article you posted. Where Clay says. People should concentrate on real news and it isn't him or Paris Hilton.....Bwahaaaaa I love how he is aligning himself with an "A-List" celebrity. Sometimes I just want to smother him with kisses. He CMSU

Edited July 19, 2007 by Clayzorback

[YSRN]

ETA: (*&(&*^^%#$^*(_)

Hee. {{clayzor}}

Bad arm fur day...

These Open Arms....

I have a farmer/gardener tan. Sad, really. Especially my feet. I wear flip flops all summer and I have a ridiculous thick stripe across the top of my foot. So, I'm stuck wearing that style the rest of the summer now. It was important that I share that. Hee.

What's a spacious manner?

[artquest]

I dunno, reading the review I got the impression it just wasn't his cup of tea...but it was good for what it was. Strikes me as fair enough.

Yes! Thanks for putting this into words. He didn't really get it but was willing to appreciate it for what it was. He was also struck by the enthusiasm of the audience, which he didn't get either, but he was a good sport nevertheless.

What's a spacious manner?

Spacious means vast in range or generous in scope, which doesn't really fit the paragraph. Could he have meant "specious manner"? Specious means falsely attractive, which this isn't and doesn't fit the tone of the review either. Who knows. Edited July 19, 2007 by artquest

[sheiladownunder]

hope Claygasm is settling in nicely to her job, I gave up my business and took a job when my mother was ill so I could stay close, and what did it do for me? Keep me out of the WTC in the year 2001. If I had not been worried about her, I would have been on the 84th floor.

A chill just ran through me reading this. We never know, do we, how decisions we make or even that annoying phone call while trying to leave the office early may have kept one out of the 5 car pile up on the freeway.

Nice to finally see a review even though it's written by someone who doesn't get it. Most men don't. I'll take it because I like the line where he said he was like a beloved teddy bear sitting next to the young girl's flouncy canopied bed. Hee! The guy saw young girls - I know Clay make me feel like I'm 12 sometimes.

[Couch Tomato]

I actually think it's a great review. Love it. And it's the first one from this tour!

Read on CH that there's a new song tonight..don't know if it's new as in NEW or one of my babies..Broken Wings, IYDKMBN, or Loneley No more..and how on earth have I been leaving off Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word. Man Clay, LOL..he left out ALL of my favorite songs.

ETA

OMG I didn't even see that. Life is so funny. You never know how one decision can be the difference between life and death. I think I really have only one huge regret in life but then again...who would I be if I made a totally different choice. Probably not the same person at all.

[ldyjocelyn]

Bringing this over from the CH, via anntherese54, who had a M&G last night:

Clay said that there would be a NEW SONG tonight in Canandaigua. I don't know if that means a NEW NEW song....or a NEW OLD song...or another TV theme song. He did not offer any more info than that.

Hmmm...interesting....

And that little shit! Changing the show when he KNOWS I can't attend another one. Harumph. *g*

[KAndre]

That's my Clay - NEW NEW or NEW OLD - how would we determine the OLD NEW or the OLD OLD?

[bottlecap]

Bringing this over from the CH, via anntherese54, who had a M&G last night:

Clay said that there would be a NEW SONG tonight in Canandaigua. I don't know if that means a NEW NEW song....or a NEW OLD song...or another TV theme song. He did not offer any more info than that.

Hmmm...interesting....

Geez, and I was going to try not to listen to the cellstream tonight because it's been getting me too wound up and I have trouble getting to sleep at a normal time.

Starting the "BROKENWINGS-BROKENWINGS-BROKENWINGS" chant again.

Is it just me or does "Canandaiqua" sound like a type of STD you get from a Mounty or a hockey player, eh?

[JennaZ]

Great post, Play! 1 - What you said about the WTC was chilling. Wow! 2 - You're so on point about what we, as fans, know and don't know. Speculation becomes "fact" far too easily.

Rare is the artist who gets everything he wants from a label, even at the very highest levels. That's just the nature of the business. However, he's a smart guy who seems to learn from adversity. He'll be OK.

[Couch Tomato]

what's a monty heee. I'm learning so much today.

And the lord works in wondrous and mysterious ways...mom just called and she's leaving to visit her sister from today until Sunday (in treenut's city! whoo hoot..hey I may go pick her up treenets if you're availabe on sunday!!) . My sister, who lives nearby so I'm normally avaiilabe for babysitting duty at the drop of a hat on the weekends, and her family are going to see her inlaws new home/mansion and will be gone until Sunday. I'll be all alone. hmmmm. YAY. What shall I do.

KAndre, I'm really feeling the pull of minionhood today. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[playbiller]

OK, clarification - I thought that was a great review that was seriously toned down. He seemed to get everything, yet not want to admit it. I still think the broadway came out of left field since I did not hear one braodway song said - and the man had to make up Clay words - likethat is how those words happen - does ne not know about the glacial movement to inbvent noe Clay words that currently exists - and what is wrong with Claygasm she/it/she/it ...er ...er has long been accepted in the fandom - the man just doesn't know!

My feelings is that Clay is neither OLD nor is he NEW - like one of the bear's Porridge, he is just right. I hope he adds a song to the classics in the beginning because, since he gave away LAV, he does not have many songs in the beginning of that medley, i.e. too many songs go to the women at the start.

Acting, Clay acts with every song he sings - cracks me up with the corny acting with the classics though. I want to see him on TV, even if I have to watch Jerico.

Slight clarification, I actually turned down the WTC contract in 2000 (I averaged 3 years per contract) and started the job right then. The real miracle is that 2 weeks later, my Mother had a stroke and I was only 20 minutes from her house, instead of trying to get out of the city and to my car and then driving there,- est. time 1.5 hours. Because of that, I think the stroke was not as bad as it could have been. The ambulance would have taken her to the worst hospital in the state (closest), instead I took her to the best one close to the house and explained what was happening.

[muskifest]

To me that review sounded like an attempt to give Clay his due without being fangirly...the guy probably was pleasantly surprised at both the quality of Clay's voice AND his stage persona, but since it was his town's symphony on stage, he didn't want to seem to effusive.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! :Tour3:

Dang! Glad you've got the weekend alone, couchie, but timing sucks (that seems to be the theme these days in my real life...)...our family is off for the weekend to Tahoe or we could cellcert comment together! :TourExcite: Hey! Shadow will be all alone all weekend! Wanna go play with him, take him for a walk and give him food and water?

just kidding, dear.... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

So...I decide to take the van in this morning to get tires rotated, balanced, oil changed in prep for the road trip tomorrow, only to hear that they won't rotate the tires because the two front tires are worn past the 'legal' limit and if they did and we had an accident because of the tires, they'd be liable. Also, the warranty on the alignment and two new tires we bought only 11,000 miles/14 months ago is void because we didn't get both things checked every 5,000 miles like the fine print says. (I was shocked that I hadn't been back there since May of last year---seems like yesterday---so much happened this past year, though,---my mom's surgery, Alzheimer's diagnosis and move to the assisted living place, Kenny's father's death and mother's breakdown and consequent sale of house and move to an apartment, burst water heater and the beat goes on, donchaknow. Guess the car's alignment and tire rotation just slipped my mind. :glare: )

$590 this morning.

fuck.

On a brighter note, I thoroughly enjoyed Scarlett's video from the Classics last night! He was full of piss and vinegar, wasn't he? The way he struts and throws his hips forward really accentuates his......

tummy, doesn't it?

Last day in this office...kids coming soon to help pack....

Funny how all the seekrit stuff ain't seekrit anymore, huh? Bwah! This fandom CMSU!

Edited July 19, 2007 by muskifest

[bottlecap]

what's a monty heee. I'm learning so much today.

It's a typo for Mounty.

[muskifest]

what's a monty heee. I'm learning so much today.

It's a typo for Mounty.

Heh....I just assumed they were referring to the 'full monty'....

what.

[muskifest]

Okay...this CMSU, too! Even the headline makes me cackle!

Naked Photo Shoot to Draw Attention to Glacial Shrinkage!

Heh....bet if Clay decided to join this group, his 'shrinkage' would still leave him better off than most others....