#31: The Very Handsome Sir Clay of Aiken

[muskifest]

However, if Clay were to have a successful album, and that success was brought to the public eye, I do think that venues all over the country would be more eager to book him. And with enough success, the big promoters and sponsors would return as well. But I don't think it's just about the numbers. It's about perception. They'd have to believe that he is a "hot" and "in-demand" artist, someone who could bring in the crowds.

And who knows? Maybe with this album, it will happen.

JennaZ, I hope so. Unfortunately, the popular culture crowd wields a lot of influence--is a big factor of the 'perception' that will make promotors and sponsors 'believe' that he is a hot artist and...Clay continually fights against the wind in the perception department.

And as I see the People magazine review of OMWH (2 stars) and wonder if other 'popular' vehicles of 'public perception' follow suit, I'll just start stowing away those nickles and dimes for more cross-country travel to catch Mr. Aiken in concert..

SCROLL PAST IF YOU'RE AVOIDING LESS THAN STELLAR REVIEWS OF CLAY'S CD!

People Magazine with Kate Hudson on the Cover

Quote:

Clay Aiken (2 stars)

One can't help but see a little of Clay Aiken in David Archuleta, the 17-year-old frontrunner of American Idol this season. Let's hope that Archuleta does a better job of finind his recording niche than Aiken has. On his fourth effort, the Claymeister continues to pour on the kind of schmaltz that may work on Idolbut sounds hopelessly unhip on CD. Still he's better off doing vanilla ballads than trying to bring a rock edge to "Ashes." Chris Daughtry he's not.

DOWNLOAD THIS: "Something About Us," a lush, jazz-kissed ballad

Of course, this is the same reviewer that gave Ashlee Simpson's cd 3 and a half stars out of four.

[jmh123]

Well Kandre - We spent alot of yesterday talking about why he wouldn't/couldn't/shouldn't tour in the West. We also spent alot of yesterday talking about what's OTT and what isn't and how people view that differently. And then today we start off the morning describing OTT behavior at ticket booths like it's an every-concert occurrence and that's why "some" venues won't book Clay ( maybe!) So I'm sorry if my post was annoying but I still think that pretty much sums it up! Broad generalizations and exaggerations are made here frequently - I guess they just become annoying if you dont' agree with them.

Not trying to start anything here - honest. But I don't think your post was fair.

And now I must leave for work. I'll read about my crucifixion tonite! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

We don't crucify people here. If you are argumentative, chances are you will get an argument. Simple as that.

And I think that's true at any board.

[atinal]

And as I see the People magazine review of OMWH (2 stars) and wonder if other 'popular' vehicles of 'public perception' follow suit, I'll just start stowing away those nickles and dimes for more cross-country travel to catch Mr. Aiken in concert..

SCROLL PAST IF YOU'RE AVOIDING LESS THAN STELLAR REVIEWS OF CLAY'S CD!

People Magazine with Kate Hudson on the Cover

Quote:

Clay Aiken (2 stars)

One can't help but see a little of Clay Aiken in David Archuleta, the 17-year-old frontrunner of American Idol this season. Let's hope that Archuleta does a better job of finind his recording niche than Aiken has. On his fourth effort, the Claymeister continues to pour on the kind of schmaltz that may work on Idolbut sounds hopelessly unhip on CD. Still he's better off doing vanilla ballads than trying to bring a rock edge to "Ashes." Chris Daughtry he's not.

DOWNLOAD THIS: "Something About Us," a lush, jazz-kissed ballad

Yeah, and the word is that "People" gave Ashlee Simpson 3.5 stars. Anyone know if the reviewer is the same? What a crock.

[cindilu2]

Man, I can accept a bad (middling) review of OMWH. But I detest that they find it necessary to mention not one, but two other American Idol people in it. Review HIM and his music. It's just so unfair. I admit I dont read a whole lot of reviews of anything - nothing to do with Clay, I just find myself completely out of synch with their opinions 99% of the time. But 99% of the reviews I've ever read about Clay have little to do with the actual music and everything to do with... well just about anything else.

Ashlee Simpson 3 1/2 stars??? Heheheh. Suddenly I feel better about it all. Hehehehe - allrighty then!

ETA: when I say stuff like that, it isn't that I don't 'get' it. It's that I don't like it. ;-)

[ldyjocelyn]

Regarding the People review: well, first of all, it's better that the review for ATDW. For that one, they didn't even suggest a "Download this," which I thought was a crock. I also like that their suggestion for that was SAU. *g*

Having said that -- I think muski is very right about the battle Clay will probably have for the rest of his life about "public perception." The "cool" media are almost always going to think of him as unhip -- something he readily admits, and something I frankly think he doesn't care about all that much either. I guess it all boils down to this: much of the media will never "get" Clay; Clay will never "get" much of the media. I think he realizes it as a fact of life for him and his career.

cindi, I hear ya on the comparisons -- and yet, unfortunately, that's a fact of life with the media. It's shorthand for the writers, and for the general public at large.

Off to listen to the snippet of FIEKY (that acronym looks WEIRD, heh) a few more times....

[playbiller]

I like someone who only appears on the west coast in small venues, frequently sharing the stage with others. I have not seen him live for 40 years. There is no online fandom, I would not know anyone if I flew out there. I am stilll a fan and if I do go in the vicinity of an appearance, I would go see him. I have all his albums.

I worked with crazy people all the time, one guy who refused to bathe and Iwas forced to hire him because he interviewed well on the phone. Or the woman who screamed when someone was going to take her picture becausethey would steal her soul - she also was not aware that a president had ever been assignated, although she was older than me. She did not know that the USSR had fallen or that there was a war in Korea. After I told the company that she was not worth hiring because she didn't know anything technically, they hired her and put her on my staff (she worked cheap). I was afraid to turn my back on her or to be in a room alone with her, I thought she might murder me, so I always let her leave work early. Crazy is all around - I think they really mean rude, which is also all around.

[atinal]

Well, I'm going to say this and then I'm going to try to let it go.

I honestly wonder if there is a critic out there who has the balls to give Clay a good review. After the last go round, I truly doubt it. It looked to me like the good ole boys and gals hung together on that one. I'm with cindilu, I'm starting to believe it has little or nothing to do with the music.

[KAndre]

A big part of my problem is the "wouldn't/couldn't/shouldn't" meme - the discussion yesterday (and today) I thought was more about giving possible reasons for past tour decisions. For some tours there were a lot of places he didn't go. That's a fact and no one's denying it. I saw reasons to explain "couldn't" - I didn't see anyone here saying "wouldn't" or "shouldn't" and in the context of the discussion came across to me as accusatory. I thought I was clear in saying that was my experience in the one time I dealt with ticket people, and I also thought we were clearly talking about one specific venue and not even close to an "every concert experience" since obviously venues book him. If I wasn't specific enough for you, let me repeat from my first post on the subject:

Well, I'm gonna come down a teensy bit on the side of rohdy's daughter - sometimes money is NOT enough to make up for crazy. Or rude. Or completely and totally unreasonable. It costs money to deal with those people too (ah, the joys of working in a service industry). And from the last Houston concert, I've seen the crazy, the rude and the completely and totally unreasonable - and there was a LOT of stuff I wouldn't have put up with.

And I find lots of things to be annoying whether or not I agree with them, especially broad exaggerations and generalizations that seem to be serious instead of silly. I also find pseudo-matyrdom annoying as well.

As for the review: Feh.

Number of times a People music review influenced me or anyone I know to buy a CD: Let me check this paper here....0. Oh well.

[cindilu2]

Well, I'm going to say this and then I'm going to try to let it go.

I honestly wonder if there is a critic out there who has the balls to give Clay a good review. After the last go round, I truly doubt it. It looked to me like the good ole boys and gals hung together on that one. I'm with cindilu, I'm starting to believe it has little or nothing to do with the music.

Yep. They don't even mention specific songs and then write them off as 'schmaltz' and vanilla. Where a Buble or Grobin would get tongue-bathed for them. I don't know if he can ever get past these kinds of attitudes - I only hope *I* can. Funny, but it does get easier.

As for the review: Feh.

Number of times a People music review influenced me or anyone I know to buy a CD: Let me check this paper here....0. Oh well.

Hee - I think you peeked at my paper there, KAndre. I don't think 'casual' buyers do either (though I know that will be disputed).

[KAndre]

Did someone post the VH1 review the CH found last night?

Even the good reviews seem pointless:

Clay Aiken

Floppy-haired sexually-indeterminate big-ballad emoting American Idol also-ran and former choirboy Aiken is living proof that there's life after Randy Jackson has called you "pitchy." The North Carolina-born singer came in second to Ruben Studdard in the hit show's second season. He successfully rebounded into a lucrative singing career and is currently appearing in Broadway's Spamalot.

[second page]

On My Way Here, 5/6

Aiken's fourth album is also his first to feature all original songs since 2003's chart-topping debut Measure of a Man. The title track was written by OneRepublic/"Bleeding Love" scribe Ryan Tedder, and Aiken even had a shot at writing lyrics himself for the song "Lover All Alone." Tedder has nothing to worry about, though. The singing sprite admits that it took him seven months to finish the job.

I found the whole review, dare I say it, annoying? The "OMG, can you come up with any more crappy adjectives" first sentence - though what really annoyed me was the goddam "pitchy" thing - hell, as bad as Randy was, he never called Clay "pitchy". Feh. "The singing sprite"? And they gave him five out of six stars...

[cindilu2]

Did someone post the VH1 review the CH found last night?

Even the good reviews seem pointless:

Clay Aiken

Floppy-haired sexually-indeterminate big-ballad emoting American Idol also-ran and former choirboy Aiken is living proof that there's life after Randy Jackson has called you "pitchy." The North Carolina-born singer came in second to Ruben Studdard in the hit show's second season. He successfully rebounded into a lucrative singing career and is currently appearing in Broadway's Spamalot.

[second page]

On My Way Here, 5/6

Aiken's fourth album is also his first to feature all original songs since 2003's chart-topping debut Measure of a Man. The title track was written by OneRepublic/"Bleeding Love" scribe Ryan Tedder, and Aiken even had a shot at writing lyrics himself for the song "Lover All Alone." Tedder has nothing to worry about, though. The singing sprite admits that it took him seven months to finish the job.

I found the whole review, dare I say it, annoying? The "OMG, can you come up with any more crappy adjectives" first sentence - though what really annoyed me was the goddam "pitchy" thing - hell, as bad as Randy was, he never called Clay "pitchy". Feh. "The singing sprite"? And they gave him five out of six stars...

Heh, at least they knew enough to change 'spikey haired' to 'floppy haired'.

5 out of 6 huh? Imagine what they'd give him if they LIKED him. Oy! BWAHHHHHHH << and I mean that sincerely. You gotta laugh.

ETA: is that 5 out of 6 stars, or May 6th? (5/6)

[merrieeee]

Err guys I think the 5/6 means the date!!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[KAndre]

I think you're right - it's the date - shows you how carefully I read reviews! At least its on the "Must-Hear CDs: May 2008" thingie.

Well, I'm been going through the other "reviews" - apparently no one being released in May is cool enough for whoever is writing this crap.

[muskifest]

Err guys I think the 5/6 means the date!!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Oh, BWAH! Oh...Oh....BWAH! :lmaosmiley-1:

I love us.

Meanwhile, anybody who can even write 'pitchy' and Clay Aiken in the same sentence or paragraph needs to have a thorough ear cleaning at least, and a freakin' ear implant for good measure! In fact, I was listening to the Broadway duet last night and shaking my head at how consistently Clay HITS.THE.NOTE. and when he wavers a tad sharp or flat? Dayum, but he self corrects almost instantaneously. At least to my ears.

Gibby? What do you think?

Actually, this People reviewer's...uh...expert...assessment of the songs on OMWH makes me think of the recent bruehaha (sp?) around a rocker group calling out a magazine for saying some inane thing about the cd before the band had even made it available! Does anybody remember the details about that one? Crap, my memory...but I know that the response/excuse from the magazine was even more feeble than the review had been...

Well, if People had this to say, dare we even imagine what Clay's 'ole pal' EW will write? You know, sometimes I wonder if Clay had NOT gone on AI and become such a public singer....would his audiences (and you know he would have always had audiences of SOME kind *g*) have labeled him unhip, schmaltzy, etc.? Or would they--not hindered by the pressure to seem hip or cool--- have simply been mesmerized and hypnotized by the VOX?

I've been keeping pretty quiet about what's on Clay's cd to my family, mainly because after listening to the snippets, I actually have a thread of hope that one or more might make it to the radio and I'm looking forward to hearing their surprise when they do. I did tell hubby about EIDN and how it's sorta bluesy (although the name Kipper meant absolutely nada to him Heh). But I haven't talked at all about it to the girls. Last night after listening to the duet with Hannah on my headphones a few times, I thought I'd tell Alex about the song---the event, the skating nun and silliness during the singing, etc. I told her how good Hannah and Clay sounded together (she really likes Hannah's voice), and I thought that she might be interested in watching the blurry video. I said, "Wanna see the clip?" She just got this LOOK on her face--one of infinite tolerance and restraint--and said, "No. I do not want to see the clip. I really don't."

Ok. Message received. Loud and clear. Alex is someone who would read People's review and basically turn the page with a smug "I figured" response--spoken or not. I think there will be many people who will do the same just because that's who Clay Aiken is to them and really nothing's likely to change their opinion.

I AM fucking sick and tired, however, of American Idol being used as any kind of reference when discussing CLay's vocal talents. David A. and Daughtry?Gawd. Yet at the same time, I also know that the more superficial and assinine the reviewer or source, the more heavily laden with AI shit their commentary will be.

And now...my last day in the office before my final Spamalot orgy. I might try to get some work done---just to see what that's like.

Oy.

[Claygasm]

The People review doesn't bother me, nor do the comparisons to others from AI. If it weren'tt hem they were comparing him to, it would be someone else. Happens to everyone.

Since I haven't heard the CD I will reserve judgement but from what I heard, I think its a pretty accurate description of Clay's music - it IS schmaltzy, unhip (by today's standards) and rather vanilla. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Some people - LOTS of people - like schmaltz and don't care about being cool. It just depends whether or not you're cool enough to not care about being "hip" and to admit you like you some schmaltz!

As for the comment about not being a rocker - well, he isn't! And while his more "rocking" songs are fun in concert TO ME they don't tend to work as well on CD.

Againm I haven't heard this CD so that may not be the case here.

As for their choice for Download This: YAY!! I love me some SAU and I love the description - luch, jazz kissed. The only thing the left out was sexy!

The VH1 review bothered me a hell of a lot more than the People review. The first sentence alone made me want to puke!

[bottlecap]

bottlecap reads the oh-so-influential People review and momentarily considers cancelling her numerous OMWH pre-orders. Then she snorts, flips People's anonymous reviewer the bird because she has ears in her head (unlike some writers, apparently) and skips off to lunch singing "Everythang Ah Don't Need".

[luckiest1]

The VH1 review bothered me a hell of a lot more than the People review. The first sentence alone made me want to puke!

You mean this sentence?

Floppy-haired sexually-indeterminate big-ballad emoting American Idol also-ran and former choirboy Aiken is living proof that there's life after Randy Jackson has called you "pitchy."

Heh, just goes to show you how different reactions can be....because I just about spit my chai tea all over the monitor, I was laughing so hard. Not only at the stereotypical descriptions, but also because I thought "ballad" was "balled". I had to read it 3 times before I realized that they hadn't said that.

I don't know, I just can't get too upset over bad reviews. I mean, sure, I wish he'd get great ones, but they don't mean that much to me, they really don't. I don't think they mean much to most people. Who buys a CD based on what some critic says? Most people I know buy a CD based on a song they've heard on TV or radio or iTunes or some other online streaming site, or a song they've heard a friend play....or because it's an artist they already like, and they don't give a shit whether anyone else likes them or not.

[cindilu2]

Bwah!! Who knew you were a perv, luckiest? I'm shocked I tell ya. SHOCKED!!!

That said, I like your version much, much better. Prolly closer to the truth too!

[atinal]

So, let me ask this. Is pop music dead? Because when I hear a lot of these songs (what I've heard of them) I hear pure pop. I do hear some departures the jazzy sound of SAU, and the jazzy to R&B (?) sound of ETIDN. Isn't that a good thing for an artist to expand their style? Help me out here?

And the he's no Chris Daughtry comment, puleeeeze. Let's have Clay have "Aiken" tatooed across his shoulders and the cover of his album to have the band that doesn't even play on it. That would make him so much more "real".

[cagney1950]

OMWH will be played on WROZ between now and 1 PM EST.

Here is the direct link, they stream!

http://www.roseradio.com/

[keepingfaith]

I really hated the VH1 comment about how Clay wouldn't threaten Ryan Tedder since it took him 7 months to write the lyrics to LAA. I do remember Clay saying he put off doing anything with LAA for seven months, but when he did sit down to write the lyrics he did it in a blazing 15 minutes in his LA hotel room. I didn't dream that, did I?

Clay was never once critiqued as pitchy on AI.

What this proves once again is .... same old drumroll .... you just can't rely on the media, print or electronic, for the truth about music, government, sports, or a traffic accident. They're lazy and they have agendas. You have to dig and verify, and even then so many of the jake-leg journalists just truth-stamp each other, so good luck to us in getting past the bullshit, and reiterations of jaundiced information.

These days I'm finding more veracity in a few of the blogs than in the ridiculous spewings of mainstream media. It's beyond pitiful. We're on our own.

ETA: And another thing. I don't get why it's always Clay who can't sing Timberlake, or Clay who can't sing Daughtry. JT and Daughtry couldn't sing a credible version of The Prayer if their life depended on it.

[muskifest]

Let's have Clay have "Aiken" tatooed across his shoulders

atinal...I have a different image in mind...maybe "Achin'" tattooed on a different body part?

And luckiest? Bwah! And 'big-balled' IS more like it, huh? (both literally and figuratively )

[cha cha trusty]

HEY!!! Has anyone heard anything about the alledged PREMIER of On My Way Here on VH1 yet?????

What time would something like that be likely to occur??

OT: The UPS man just dropped off my "Touch & Go Potable Car navigator" from QVC!!!

EYELINER: I like it! I think he looks great with dark eyes.

Aren't there lots of pop stars who wear it every day?

VENUES/TOUR LOCATIONS: I certainly hope the concert venue does not go the way of the radio station in terms of the curse of the obnoxious caller! I have a theory about why this happens. I blame American Idol because we were conditioned to dial in and VOTE and to do it hundreds of times to get the results we wanted. It's all conditioning people, deal with it radio and venue people!!

LOVE the new WalMart snippet!!! Cannot wait to get my hands on this album. I would be overjoyed if the RCA order came a couple days early. However, it'll be just my luck that it will come on Saturday or Monday, and I'll be in NYC unable to access it!!

cindilu - you have done it again - that avatar is too die for!! Please make one for couchie as I see that my attempts just will not do!!!

:::goes to look for some pretty pix to post:::

[Ansamcw]

As soon as I read the word schmaltzy...I knew right away this guy had a bias on the CD and would have a hard time giving clay his due. Its clear this guy is looking for cool hip over produced CDs and and would never look at the lyrical content and the singing closely so I kinda dismiss his opinions in the same way he dismissed Clay. But his comment about Ashes is a good reason why they launched this CD with OMWH... and not a uptempo "rockin'" tracks as some fans wanted... it is a big risk for him cos people may not easily accept him singing "pop/rock" style...although I don;t think Ashes is nowhere near what Daughtry sings.

KF...yup he admitted in one of his interviews lately that it took him like 15 minutes to write the lyrics after putting it off for 7 months.

[ldyjocelyn]

A great response to the People review, from Mandler at getclayaiken (with her permission):

I'm still confuzzled, by the way, as to how "vanilla" has become a dirty word. What's does a chocolate ballad sound like? Are there chocolate chip cookie dough ballads? Moose tracks ballads? Butter pecan ballads?

Mmmmmmmm...ice cream....