I know I mentioned this album briefly before (in the same post with another "genre-bending" artist from Denmark, their common nationality something I didn't even realize until after I'd written that post), but it's been awhile, and as I said about that other artist, this one also deserves its own post, complete with a song sample. (Besides, the artist name is kind-of appropriate ... seeing as how I'm too much of a "lazy boy" to post something completely fresh right now.)
The Danish techno-pop outfit calling themselves Lazyboy basically made all of human culture the subject of its debut album, a collection of chill beats underneath a series of voiced-over trivia tidbits, statistics, and other nuggets of information. Sometimes enlightening, sometimes ironic, sometimes humorous, and always entertaining, the spoken-word snippets are grouped into different tracks by their varying subject matter.
"Facts Of Life" and "We Only Read The Headlines" provide a string of miscellaneous factoids about pop culture and human behavior; "Are You Qualified?" examines our struggle between conformity and individuality; "Man Woman (Yin & Yang)" has the opposing sexes taking jabs at each other's idiosyncrasies; "This Is The Truth" offers philosophical observations for the listener to think about; and "It's All About Love" and "Inhale Positivity" lighten the mood with a feel-good vibe.
This is another of those albums that I can't imagine anyone not liking. And to top it off, the U.S. edition even comes with a companion DVD containing the videos of four of the album's tracks. Such a package at such a low price really makes it worth picking up. In "Inhale Positivity", Patric Allen urges listeners to "go buy a CD with music that you wouldn't normally have bought". Sounds like good advice to me.
I oughta be keelhauled for not mentioning this CD before now, considering its standing as one of my Top 15* favorite albums of all time. But, the main reason I was avoiding blogging about it is that I reviewed it on Amazon back when it came out and have been concerned about copying myself between that review and this one. But, this is as good a selection as any to use as my first try at avoiding self-plagiarism.
I was so excited when I discovered that Michael Tolcher's song "Sooner Or Later" was chosen as the theme for the teen-angst TV drama "Life As We Know It" (out on DVD ... check it out if you never saw it), because I was sure that everyone would discover this beaut of an album and that he would be launched into the stratosphere of success. Unfortunately, the show was canceled halfway through its first season, and neither Tolcher nor this album got noticed, at least to anywhere near the degree that they so richly deserved to be.
Tolcher is from the American South (Georgia, specifically), and his voice sounds like it ... deep and gruff, but also smooth and soulful. His sound is a mix of equal parts John Mayer (brooding singer-songwriter), Jason Mraz (toe-tapping melodies and occasionally playful, clever lyrics), and Mat Kearney (a tiny bit of an urban/hip-hop influence). Every track, from the not-quite-preachy anthem "Mission Responsible" to the downright dance-inducing "No One Above" to the breezy "I Am" to the swaying "Miracle" to the contemplative closer "Waiting", is outstanding.
This is one of those kinds of albums where everything just fits -- it's comfortable, from the very first listen, like an old favorite sweater or pair of shoes. Albums like this come along about once every two years for me (and with the number I listen to, that's few and far between); only Take That's "Beautiful World" and Ferras' "Aliens & Rainbows" have since charmed me like this one did. Go check it out -- I only hope I haven't hyped it up beyond all reason, even though I personally think it deserves to be.
*It's probably in my Top 10, but I haven't tried ranking them in awhile, so I don't want to put myself in the position of being a liar when I do....
A handful of artists out there are instantly recognizable by their sound: Elvis ... Michael Jackson ... The Beatles ... Ray Charles ... William Shatner. Sure, it depends on your definition of "art", but Shatner is unquestionably one of a kind. The man who played Captain Kirk will forever be linked with "The Transformed Man", his bizarre 1968 album of avant-garde recordings, usually spoken-word pieces with musical accompaniment. His renditions of "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" have become legendary for their cheese factor, and raised awfulness to an artform.
Thirty-six years later, shortly after forging a friendship with rock musician Ben Folds (on whose experimental 2001 album "Fear Of Pop" he made a vocal contribution), Shatner returned to the studio, with Folds as producer, and bolstered by the talents of several other established recording artists including Joe Jackson and Aimee Mann. Whereas it was hard to know what to make of "The Transformed Man", Shatner is more straightforward with the material on "Has Been", reflecting among other things his willingness to make fun of himself, which has become his bread-and-butter in recent years.
In his own unique style, Shatner muses on his (and everyone else's) mortality on "You'll Have Time"; our increasingly illogical world on "I Can't Get Behind That" (featuring Henry Rollins); and his love for the ladies on "Ideal Woman". The title track is a shot back at his armchair critics who call him washed-up (this was just as he was about to gain renewed fame -- and an Emmy Award -- as Denny Crane on the TV series "The Practice" and "Boston Legal"); and the closing track, "Real", written by and featuring country star Brad Paisley, is a lament gently aimed at the die-hard Shatner fans who have difficulty separating him from his galaxy-saving "Star Trek" alter-ego.
That's not to say the album is all for laughs: "What Have You Done" is a somber piece in which Shatner recounts the tragic 1999 death of his late wife, Nerine; and in "That's Me Trying", he opens up about his failings as a father. "Has Been" is a brilliantly conceived and well-rounded album (Why didn't Folds get at least a Grammy nomination for producing it?), which paints an often amusing but intimate portrait of the entertainment icon known as William Shatner.
I must be a glutton for punishment, 'cause I'm actually gonna sit through the whole two-hour season finale of "American Idol". Well, I'm still gonna partially distract myself with putzing around on the computer, like I've regularly done with the results shows this season ... although that's got its risks too, as I want to carefully avoid any page displaying news feeds which could spoil the results of the finale thanks to the east-coast telecast three hours earlier. But, the way I see it, I won't be able to think about anything else anyway, and I don't want to chance losing track of the time and let those last 15 minutes of the show slip by, so I might as well make it an "Idol" night.
Oh, how I hate the opening group numbers ... not so much for the songs themselves, but for how cheesy it makes the contestants look (and probably feel). But this one was tolerable, partly 'cause it's one of my favorite Motown hits, plus it reunites the whole Top 12 ... nice to see some of them again!
Hey! It's Seal!! I'm not a huge fan of his, but I'll pay attention to him when he comes around. Great duet with the wonderful Syesha ... and I bet she had a blast getting to do a duet with him!
You'll notice that I'm not mentioning certain parts of the show ... you'll find out why in the near future....
A much more cheesy medley comes along ... obviously a shameless promotion for Donna Summer's new album. Sheesh ... poor Amanda Overmyer looks like she'd rather be having a root canal than be prancing around in these group numbers. (I'd love to hear what was going through her mind before and during tonight.)
Now here's a nice duet ... Michael Johns and Carly Smithson! You know, I'm starting to think they oughta put out an album of studio versions of these performances.
Then again ... there are numbers like this Bryan Adams medley ... yawn. (Not that I have anything against the guy ... he's perfectly okay.) The only thing tolerable about this medley was getting another performance by David Hernandez and Chikezie. Damn, I didn't realize how much I've been missing some of these guys!
Now, I bet David Cook is seriously digging this ... getting to jam with ZZ Top!! I'm kind-of glad the voting stopped with last night's show ... 'cause I'm starting to wish I'd voted for him! (Hey, in an hour, we might find out that I didn't need to...?)
Oooh ... talk about another Idol Top-12'er who's probably loving it right now ... Brooke White performing side-by-side with Graham Nash! She sure looks like she's beaming, doesn't she?!
Have I been missing such a good finale each year on "American Idol"?!?
Hey! The Jonas Brothers!! Too bad the audio mix sucked eggs ... could only hear half the instruments and half the guys' vocals. Oh well, it's a good thing we already know how great they are.
Oh my god ... that's it -- the show can now officially be declared worth watching. IT'S RENALDO LAPUZ!! You just have to wonder if there'd be any more war if the world would just listen to his message: We are indeed brothers forever. *sniffle*
Okay, now seriously ... this DEFINITELY makes the show worth watching ... OneRepublic performing "Apologize" ... with DAVID ARCHULETA!!! I loved the song already, but now...! Okay, "Idol" people ... you really need to think about releasing studio recordings of these performances ... like, NOW.
Okay, a minor electrical problem with my computer's power strip caused me to miss what looked like a funny routine with Ben Stiller and Jack Black. But everything appears to be working now. If you don't hear from me shortly after the envelope is opened, you'll know I've had further problems....
And now, time for another cheesy medley, this time of George Michael songs. At least they decided to feature a couple of artists tonight who didn't have new albums to promote (at least, as far as I know).
The judges' final thoughts were nice to hear, and right on the money. And, most incredibly, Simon Cowell actually admits to a nationwide TV audience that he was too harsh in his judgment of David Cook! Will wonders never cease?!?
And now, ladies and gentlemen, here come the results. Are you as nervous as I am? Granted, we're probably not as nervous as the two Davids are. Here we go....
Okay, sure I'm a little disappointed ... but even I got a little teary-eyed right along with him. Imagine ... the guy auditioned on a whim because his brother egged him on to do so ... and he ended up beating out thousands of other hopefuls. Not only that, but said brother has had a recent bout with brain cancer, which could only have made this victory all the more meaningful for him. Congratulations, David Cook ... you've earned it!!
"It's all come down to this. After thousands of grueling auditions, hundreds of memorable performances, and dozens of hearbreaking eliminations, the final showdown is at hand: David Archuleta versus David Cook. This is truly a neck-and-neck competition -- and this ... is American Idol!"
How was that? Can I try out for Ryan Seacrest's gig? Or at least the guy who writes his stuff? It's sure better than that silly "prize fighter" shtick. I wonder how ridiculous the two Davids might have felt in those boxing get-ups...? (But then, that's a subject I'll touch on in my upcoming "wrap-up" entry.) But for now, let's concentrate on the contest at hand: the big showdown between, as we all know by now, David Cook and David Archuleta. And "little David" ain't no dummy, choosing to go second in the coin toss, 'cause the last contestant is the freshest one in the minds of the voters. Anyway, enough with the chatter ... let's get it on! (The competition, that is.)
Round 1:Clive Davis song choice ... and they're good choices indeed. Let's face it, if anyone has a feel for contemporary pop music, it's Mr. Davis.
David Cook -- As usual, David Cook rocks the proverbial socks!! Excellently done, as we know by now to expect from him, and a perfect example of why he's made it to the final round.
David Archuleta -- Goosebumps ... freakin' goosebumps, already!! The boy took that song and gave it wings. David Cook did well with his song, to be sure, but I just felt that he didn't add the "secret ingredient" that David Archuleta just did to his performance. All I can say is, yay!
Round 2:Songwriting contest choices ... can't say much more than that, really, 'cause I don't know jack about them.
David Cook -- What can I say about David Cook that I didn't say in Round 1? Of course, he's gotta be at the top of his game for the finals, and without a doubt he is. Good song, too.
David Archuleta -- Gotta say ... the kid's got it goin' on! And he was wearing a seriously cool jacket, too. Having praised his performance, though, I'm having a tough time calling a favorite for Round 2. The songs were both good (though no great shakes), but the performances were spectacular -- and we should expect no less for the final "Idol" showdown.
Round 3:The contestants' own choice. We've seen keen song choices from both of them in the past, so let's see if that sense stays with them here ... and, most importantly, if it pays off.
David Cook -- Another smashing performance, though interesting that he chose to end with a softer song. Hmmm ... he's trying not to cry ... was it the song, or the audience's reaction to his performance? It was fantastic, and he's done his best tonight to win the competition.
David Archuleta -- Hmmm ... why did he choose to perform a song again that he'd already done once? The "sentimental" attachment with the audience could work for him, but the non-freshness of a repeat performance could just as easily come back to bite him in his angelic little butt. But then, it was utterly beautiful, as Mr. Archuleta has an almost annoying tendency to be. (Almost ... if he weren't so darn good at it.)
Who I voted for: David Archuleta. Yes, I know that David Cook will have a longer and more successful career as a recording artist (rock always has a longer shelf life than pop, at least in America), but I've gotta go with my favorite.
Who I think will win: In today's "USA Today" newspaper, they ran the results of a poll, and David Cook was the favorite in every age demographic except the teens. So, it's looking good for him. Still, though, it's all about the viewers' reactions to the performances they've just seen, so it really and truly is too darn close to call. Each guy has their strengths and weaknesses, not to mention their armies of adoring fans, and it all comes down to one of the Davids getting more votes than the other.
As of the time on my computer while I'm typing this, the TV audience has three hours and 51 minutes left to vote. But we're not going to know the results for another 24 hours and 51 minutes. Can we wait? Will we go crazy before then? I just might ... but then, they're both gonna be putting out albums, so in a way, both Davids are already winners. Vote, vote, vote!!!
Knowing how fickle the American music-buying public can be, I dread to wonder if Gavin DeGraw might have disappeared into obscurity if he hadn't lucked out in getting his song picked as the theme for a hit TV series (the WB/CW drama "One Tree Hill", for those of you who might have been living under a rock for the last four years), because he's far too good for that to be his only claim to fame. Now, after waiting four long years (five if we don't count the two-disc "Stripped" version of his debut album, "Chariot"), our patience is finally rewarded with his sophomore disc.
Perhaps the most notable change in this album is that DeGraw centers the sound of his songs much more on guitar than on piano, as he did with his debut; consequently it has a slightly more rockish sound. He also gets a bit more socio-political on this set, with a scathing commentary on our prescription-happy society ("Medicate The Kids") and a positively funky anthem for brotherhood ("Relative"). Other standouts include the beautiful ballad "Young Love" (which, with its "combat" metaphor for romance, could be seen as a sequel of sorts to Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield"), the sing-along-inducing "I Have You To Thank" (which I think oughta be the next single, the silly "makeup"/"break-up" rhyme notwithstanding), and the semi-spiritual closer, "We Belong Together".
The album isn't quite perfect -- though the melodies are consistently excellent, the lyrics in songs such as "Cheated On Me" and "Cop Stop" leave me unimpressed -- but it's one of the best I've heard so far this year, and every bit as good as his debut, if not perhaps a bit better. I just hope we don't have to wait another four years for his next album.
Having discovered Ryan Cabrera almost a year before the vast majority of America did (I happened upon an advance promotional 3-track CD at a local store in the fall of 2003) and have met him in-person makes me feel a special fondness for him. Considering that, and the fact that I kind-of pride myself on my awareness of upcoming album releases, it's strange that this one almost slipped by me unnoticed. Of course, Ryan is on an independent label now, so he would naturally fly a bit further under the radar than he used to. Plus, there's the fact that his previous album, "You Stand Watching", was rather disappointing.
Consequently, when I downloaded this album's first single, "Say", from iTunes last month, I wasn't expecting much. But I ended up liking the song and being intrigued enough to pick up the CD, which turned out to be a pleasantly surprising breath of fresh air. Instead of another string of samey-sounding ballads and forgettable mid-tempo tracks, Ryan Cabrera has come back strongly, investing his three-year studio hiatus in writing a batch of songs with a sonic variety and depth that he never reached on either of his two major-label albums.
Energetic tracks like the opener "In Between Lights" and the excellent rocker "The Tango" keep the listener wanting more, and softer moments like the semi-electronic adventure "Rise (The Dog Barks)" and the waltzy "How 'Bout Tonight" make you a little less afraid of him slipping back into an all-ballad rut. Ryan has definitely matured with this album, and while it's different from (and possibly not as universally appealing as) "Take It All Away", I frankly haven't been this excited about him since then.
I'm sorry, but this was one of the most boring, dragged-out hours of television in recent memory -- but it certainly can't be blamed on the lovely lady bidding us goodbye this week. Of course, I probably shouldn't complain, since I did voluntarily sit through the whole thing. I occasionally entertained the fleeting notion that we would be surprised with one of the Davids getting sent home, but it was not to be. Tough as it was to see, it was the least unlikely outcome....
Best wishes, Syesha Mercado. Maybe you came in third place, but you were still the last one standing before the finale, and that's really saying something to have beaten out thousands of other hopefuls. You're definitely going places, and should be proud of yourself!
A neat concept ... three songs for each contestant, one chosen by the judges (bound to be interesting choices), one by the producers (whatever), and one by the contestants themselves. Methinks that a night full of fun and excitement is in store!
David Archuleta -- Okay, why do I totally turn to jelly when this lad sings? Probably the same reason so many other people are under his spell, and why he's in the Top Three. A bang-up job with the Billy Joel song, indeed! "Idol" may technically be a singing competition, but in reality it can't be won without the whole package: not just the voice, but also the likability, the stage presence, the sheer drive to entertain one's audience ... the whole "aura", if you will, of the performer. David Archuleta is a prime example ... he's got bucketloads of what it takes to be a pop star, and it's going to take him very, very far. (Okay, now that I've gone way off on this Archuleta-worship diatribe, what am I going to write about during next week's finale?!?)
Hey, a Chris Brown song (and one co-written by Espen Lind!) ... something different for David ... excellent, but not his best, only because he seemed to hesitate in a couple of places ... almost enough to miss a lyric, but not quite. Still, though, as much as I totally love his way with a soft ballad, it's thoroughly wonderful to see him bust out of that routine and have fun every once in a while! (Hey, was that Gavin DeGraw in the audience cheering him on?) A Dan Fogelberg song is up next for David ... ooh yeah, that one! A pretty song, and I'll be darned if he didn't just make it prettier! I think it goes without saying that this boy is an absolute shoo-in for the finale.
Syesha Mercado -- Okay, far be it from me to be a pessimist, but we all know (barring a massive and unforeseen screw-up by one of the Davids) that Syesha will be voted out this week. Well, what a way to go ... she was fantastic with the Alicia Keys song, and showed us one possible genre she'd make a great album with!
Hmmm ... the classic torch-song "Fever", eh? A formidable song, but I have a feeling she'll do it justice ... and I was right! Gosh ... Paula giving unfavorable criticism and getting booed? We don't see that very often, and it was all the more unexpected with the one contestant you'd think she'd be totally rallying around. Needless to say, I agree totally with Randy. And now for Syesha's final song of the night ... she's going out on an up note, that's for sure ... a tiny bit off on a note or two, but very good for sure.
David Cook -- Roberta Flack?!? I guess if David Cook's going to get a challenge, this would be it ... and if anyone could pull it off, it'd be David. Let's see ... hot damn, he did it! Turning a Roberta Flack song into a tight power-ballad!! The guy's absolutely incredible ... and David Archuleta has something to worry about. Next week's contest is going to be absolutely impossible to call (again, as long as neither David figuratively shoots himself in the proverbial foot).
Aha, let's see which Switchfoot song he does ... I kind-of like them ... well, I wasn't feeling the verses (his voice wandered off a couple of the notes a bit), but he killed on the chorus! Good job. And last but not least for Mr. Cook is ... an Aerosmith power-ballad (and one written by another songwriter I like, Diane Warren)! Not exactly a stretch of a choice, frankly ... but the results were excellent, as usual!
The number I dialed: 1-866-436-5701
I think it's all but official ... next week it'll be David versus David. (Sorry, Syesha ... I'll at least have the decency to not post my "farewell" entry until after tomorrow night's results show.) Tune in tomorrow to prove me right.
A few years ago, if someone had come up to me and asked me if I liked folktronica, my answer (after I had asked, "What the hell is folktronica?") would have been "no". But with my appetite for music slowly becoming more adventurous -- and the list of Norwegian artists I like becoming longer by the month -- I simply had to give this guy a try.
For an artist to combine two genres I don't care much for, folk and electronica, and manage to end up creating something I enjoy, takes some major skill. Magnet, a.k.a. Even Johansen, expertly intermingles the blips and beats of the digital age into the warm sounds of acoustic guitar, banjo, and other standard instruments, to form an appealingly unique sound. Just don't expect any dance or trance here; it's very much a "chill" album, with only the occasional barely-mid-tempo tune ("Duracellia", "Fall At Your Feet") making a ripple in an otherwise calm pond of laid-back, ambient song textures.
If it helps, think of Magnet as two parts Nick Drake and one part Moby. (Drawing that kind of comparison makes me laugh because it reminds me how scattershot my music tastes can be, since I've tried both of those artists and found them rather boring.) I have yet to check out the rest of Magnet's discography, but I probably will, even though I chose this album mainly because it has been described as the most upbeat, and I don't often like melancholy music. As for the Norwegian thing ... all I can figure is that there must be some magic, music-inducing substance in Norway's water supply.
At first, the Jonas Brothers and I -- for lack of a better way to put it -- "agreed to disagree". I had grown (and continue to be) rather bored with the kind of emo-pop made popular by bands like Busted, and when I read the track listing of the Jonas Brothers' now out-of-print debut album, "It's About Time", and saw that three of the first five tracks were covers (two of Busted songs and one of an LFO song), I was completely unimpressed. To be fair, I should point out that my displeasure was directed more at the label and their management, in a "Don't they have enough confidence in these boys' talent to let them do their own songs instead of other people's?" kind of way.
Fast-forward a year and a half: After hearing them on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show and one or two other places, I admitted to myself that their songs didn't seem too bad. I started becoming curious, and began wondering if there wasn't something behind the juggernaut of hysteria about these kids. So finally, in early March of this year, I found myself in Best Buy looking at the track listing of their "Bonus Jonas Edition" CD, and -- thanks to the absence of all but one of the above-mentioned cover songs -- decided to take the plunge and buy it. Now, I can finally say, I get it! I can see what's behind all the Jonas-mania!
To my surprise, I was met with one fun and catchy song after another ... "S.O.S." is a terrific emo-pop single ... "Goodnight And Goodbye" is a bouncy slice of ska ... "Games" shifts effortlessly between its rocking crunchy-guitar chorus and swaying reggae verses ... "Just Friends" is a classic anthem of unrequited teen love ... and "When You Look Me In The Eyes" is the best power-ballad I've heard in a good few years ... and those are just the highlights! I was even more impressed when I found out that the boys did almost all of the songwriting themselves. (That's the one thing I hate about the album's packaging: there are no liner notes, so I had to go online and look up that fact for myself.)
Bottom line: Joe, Kevin, and Nick Jonas are some seriously talented young men, destined to become the next Hanson -- as if they haven't already. Their next album is due out later this year; with a little luck, they'll maintain their popularity while being given the chance to mature as songwriters and performers ... something I look forward to watching. Now, if only I could get my hands on a time machine so I could go back and buy the DualDisc edition of "It's About Time" at retail price....
Okay, not to sound cruel, but it happened exactly as it should have. And I think he knew it, because he didn't look the least bit surprised or disappointed.
Take care, Jason Castro. Even though I felt you deserved to go, I still really like you, and may very well end up picking up your album.
Sigh ... there are only a precious four contestants left, and it's getting a bit scary. As Ryan said, anything can happen, and each contestant's fate can hinge on a single performance or choice of song. But on the bright side, I'm looking forward to what songs we might hear tonight, the theme of the show being "The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame" ... there's definitely no shortage of fine songs to pick from. (As with last week, I've sorted my comments by performer.) On with the show...!
David Cook -- Uhmmm ... maybe it's the fact that I'm too much of a Duran Duran fan, or maybe it's the fact that I could barely hear the band (the sound mixers seem to have forgotten to bring them into the mix ... it almost sounded like David was singing a cappella), but I wasn't very impressed ... as Randy said, it was "just okay for me." ... And now for his take on The Who ... now THAT'S more like it, David! I was a bit concerned for him in round one, but now I know he's still in the running. Rock on, David Cook!!
Syesha Mercado -- Yeah! "Proud Mary" is one of those songs that I can't hate, regardless of who performs it ... and Syesha sizzled!! If there were only one performance from each contestant tonight, I'd be afraid for David Cook right now. ... And her second song wasn't too shabby either ... I think this has been Syesha's best night in weeks!! As it stands now (having yet to see Jason's second performance), I think we're gonna see her come back next week, and Jason will get shown the door. Oh my dear ... did Simon just agree with Paula?!?!?
Jason Castro -- Yes, it's all about song selection, and I'm not so sure about Jason doing Bob Marley. (Of course, I'm not a big reggae fan to begin with, so perhaps I'm being a bit unfair.) It also doesn't help that he was being rather breathy into the microphone. ... As for "Mr. Tambourine Man", I thought it was an improvement, but a small one -- and we simply can't ignore his flub over the lyrics (what kind of serious musician can forget a line like "in the jingle-jangle mornin'"?). I still like Jason, and I'll still probably buy his album, but let's stick the proverbial fork in him.
David Archuleta -- Yet another totally yummy performance by David! Needless to say, he did a much better job with "Stand By Me" than poor Josiah Leming did. As Simon said, an excellent song choice, but then what else is new with this kid? Like I said before, if each finalist were only singing once tonight, David Archuleta would be a lock (and maybe he is already...!). ... And still another one with his gorgeously smooth take on "Love Me Tender". I was worried about him taking on such an iconic Elvis song, but he really made it his own with that delicate piano-ballad rendition. It's unquestionably David Archuleta's night!
Who I think will be eliminated: Jason Castro ... as I said, I'd hate to see any of them go, but I'm pretty sure he'll be the one. I think Syesha will be the other one in the bottom two, but if she's eliminated this week I'll be disappointed.
Who I voted for: If you don't know by now, you simply weren't reading very carefully.
Legendary jazz musician Herbie Hancock, who started out as a member of Miles Davis' quintet in the 1960s, has dabbled in rock and pop music from time to time, most notably with his huge crossover hit, "Rockit", in 1983. Since jazz hasn't been a favorite genre of mine for quite a few years now, I admit that I've never paid much attention to him before. But as soon as I happened upon this disc and read the list of guest artists -- a veritable who's-who of the rock and pop music world -- I knew I had to have it.
Much like Santana's recent albums, this is a collaboration project, but whereas Santana brings his guest artists into his enchanted world of Latin music, Hancock allows the featured players on his album to mostly stay in their familiar genres, but injects a bit of his trademark jazz arrangements and magical piano work into them. The result is a more free-flowing and relaxed album -- though no less enjoyable -- than Santana's last few.
Christina Aguilera shines on the sultry, torchy "A Song For You" (which earned a Grammy nomination); gifted young Latin guitarist Raul Midón breathes beautiful new life into Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You"; soul-singing powerhouse Joss Stone and blues prodigy Jonny Lang are an explosive combination on "When Love Comes To Town"; and the vocals of Grammy-winning Beninese chanteuse Angélique Kidjo along with the Latin guitar mastery of Carlos Santana make "Safiatou" a true world-music tour-de-force. And that's not even mentioning the equally fantastic tracks featuring John Mayer, Annie Lennox, Sting, and Paul Simon!
I recently happened upon a documentary film (which I didn't know existed) about the making of this album, showing how each of the tracks came about. The movie gave me a new appreciation for the album. Suffice to say, if I hadn't known about the album before I'd seen the documentary, I would have run out and grabbed it immediately. I don't remember exactly how I found out about the album, but boy, am I glad I did.
I could almost curse myself for once thinking that no good music ever came from the "Idol" shows. Of course, I still have yet to glom onto any of the American Idols, but that's sure to change now that I'm watching it intently this season. Also, there's the fact that Kurt Nilsen is from Norway, a country for whose taste in pop music I've gained a lot of appreciation lately. I like Erik Faber so much that, despite having been introduced to all three of his albums in just the past year, I'm already feverishly anticipating his next.
But thankfully, now I've got this gem of an album from Norwegian Idol (and World Idol) Kurt Nilsen to tide me over. While it reminds me quite a bit of Faber's more recent albums, it's also unmistakably Kurt Nilsen, with his rich baritone voice -- though not as distinctive as I remember it being on his debut -- radiating through the sophisticated lyrical and melodic arrangements. There's a perfect balance between energetic, upbeat tunes ("Push Push", "Tearing Me Up Inside") and soft, sweet ballads ("Every Once In a While", "Dance With Me"), with a couple of mid-tempo tracks thrown in as well.
I really liked his debut, "I" (partly because he covered both a Tal Bachman song and a Duran Duran song on it, a sure way to win me over), but he has shown tremendous growth with this album. I don't yet have Nilsen's sophomore album, "A Part Of Me", fearing it might be a little too acoustic/singer-songwritery, but the way this album has won me over is really making me consider picking it up ... and heck, maybe even his newest album, a country collection, too!
I'm a ravenous devourer of aural delicacies, mundane and obscure, from far and wide. I live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. This might be the most powerful nation in the world, but it's definitely got some of the suckiest music.
LAZYBOY
