"American Idol" season 7 winner David Cook is back with a standout sophomore album.
In this age of singles, singles, singles, and the ability on itunes to download tracks a la carte, David Cook has given music lovers a reason to go for the whole enchilada. Cook hesitates to call This Loud Morning a “concept album” because he wants listeners to interpret its theme and songs their own way; but the theme is so strong, and the flow so carefully layed out, it really is best to listen to the album in order - start to finish - in one sitting. This is the closest I’ve seen anything come to a classic 70s/80s-style concept album in two decades. Don’t let that scare you. No single track relies on another for a great listening experience. Play any one of them and you’ll have a winner for 3 to 4 minutes in your head. It’s just that played in order, as a whole, the experience is enahanced 10-fold. The musical connection between first track Circadian with last (non-bonus) track Rapid Eye Movement is a stroke of genius. They are bookends that tie the whole album together. It truly is like falling asleep and into a melodious and intense dream… before you go under for that deep sleep.
Lyrically, This Loud Morning shows great progression on the part of Cook. Musically, it further establishes his style and voice, but it is far superior to anything he has created in the past. Producer Matt Serletic (Ryan Star, Matchbox 20) took these great songs and worked magic on them. The instrumentation and arrangements are brilliant, but best of all, Serletic did what he’s known for: he let the singer’s voice remain front and center. With Cook’s last album, my only (minor) complaint was that too many of the tracks had a wall of sound that didn’t let his amazing voice shine through. This time, David’s voice is the star, and the instrumentation and effects are superb supporting players.
Standout tracks for me are Circadian; Right Here, With You; Take Me As I am; Paper Heart; Goodbye to the Girl; Rapid Eye Movement and bonus track Let Me Fall For You. I’m just waiting for NBC to use “We Believe” for the Olympics (the way they’ve used Cook’s “Heroes” on NBC Sports for the last two seasons).
If you order through Cook's online store at his website, you can get a fanpack that includes the deluxe 14 track edition of the album, a t-shirt, a poster, and an acoustic EP called "This Quiet Night." It contains five tracks (The Last Goodbye, Right Here With You, Take Me As I Am, Goodbye To the Girl and Paper Heart), recorded unplugged by David and his band with just piano, acoustic guitars and soft drums. It's a gem.If you just want the music, I highly recommend the deluxe version which includes the two killer bonus tracks and a "making of the album" DVD (it's included on iTunes as a video download).
If I had to rate This Loud Morning, I would give it ★★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Here is the lead single from the album, "The Last Goodbye"
If there was an award for hardest working man in show biz, Ryan Star would certainly be a top contender. Over the past two years on tour, the 32 year old singer-songwriter opened for some big rock acts, including David Cook, Collective Soul, Rob Thomas and currently Thriving Ivory. In between he's headlined at some of the hottest clubs across the country. Last week his first major label album, 11:59, debuted at 31 on the Billboard 200 chart (#10 on BB's Top Rock Albums chart).
Star's rise to fame began as a standout contestant in the CBS reality show Rock Star: Supernova in the summer of 2006. Although he didn't win that competition, he caught the attention of the show's executive producer, Mark Burnett, who set up Star and the show's house band to record a live album, to help jump start his career. He returned to the show on week 11 (with the help of his fans through voting), to do an encore performance of the song "Back of Your Car." He was awarded a Honda CRV.
Star grew up in the Long Island, NY, town of Dix Hills. When he was 14 he formed his first band, Stage. When the band parted ways, Star went solo. A year before Rockstar: Supernova Ryan put out an album called "Songs From the Eye of An Elephant." It's a sensational collection of mostly stripped down piano and guitar backed vocals.
After Rock Star: Supernova Star signed with Atlantic Records and began working on 11:59. The label wanted to develop Ryan as an artist with a fanbase before releasing the ablum - a process that took nearly four years. During that time, several of the songs found life on television and in the movies. "Brand New Day" became the theme song for the Fox hit series Lie To Me, "Last Train Home" appeared on the soundtrack of the movie P.S. I Love You, and "This Could Be the Year" was used by HBO to promote the network's 2010 season. To get these songs to fans in 2009, Atlantic released an EP containing those three songs plus the hit radio single "Breathe" and ultimate up-tune "Right Now."
Since The Flaming Nose focuses on TV rather than music, I won't give a full review of 11:59, except to say that it is superb and I highly recommend it. If you like rock, pop-rock and rock ballads, with passionate vocals and brilliant lyrics, then this album is for you. The themes range from optimistic to sexy. And they are sung from the heart, with deep conviction. I highly recommend the deluxe version on itunes since it contains three additional tracks plus three music videos.
"Enjoy The Silence" cover from "Rock Star: Supernova"
"Breathe" live at 11:59 CD Release Show in NYC, 8/4/10
"Start A Fire" live at 11:59 CD Release show in NYC, 8/4/10
11:59 is available at all major retailers (Target, Best Buy, Walmart etc), on amazon.com and on itunes.
Ryan's website has an activie community forum and provides up-to-the-minute news and information about Ryan, his appearances and his tour. Tons of great photos too. http://rstar.net/
A thoroughly enjoyable but exasperating night on American Idol has prompted me to post this morning! The good news is that, like many viewers, I finally know what kind of record Adam Lambert should (and probably will) make. Yes, as the judges said, he needs to go the Led Zeppelin mixed with glam-rock route. There are, however, some big problems with that and I will elaborate in a moment.
First I must vent because the judges really pissed me off by going overboard in their obvious attempt to save Mr. Lambert after last week's bottom two "scare." Whether Lambert is your cup of tea or not is irrelevant because he turned in a stellar performance last night and didn't need extra pimpage from the judges. Allison Iraheta came out and gave one of the best performances anyone has given all season, and they picked it apart over what seemed like the lamest of reasons. Non-reasons. It smacks of manipulation. I would still buy Allison's record before Adam's. But that's me. Kris Allen and Danny Gokey did the best they could with the material but they are not this year's rockers and it showed. Gokey's fan base will keep him safe.
So let's get back to rock music. Here's where Adam Lambert faces a challenge. If he takes the judges' advice and goes the pure, classic, bring-the-house-down rock route he's going to have post-Idol troubles. There's much talk about filling the current empty void of arena rock but I've got news for you and I will put this in bold typface: an American Idol contestant, whether a winner or runner-up, is not going to be the one to single handedly bring back rock. Mr. Lambert, good luck getting on rock radio, because you better line up behind 5 x platinum Daughtry and newly platinum David Cook. Their "tainted" American Idol history still has them waiting for spins on the all-too-snobbish rock radio format. The pair are ruling Hot Adult Contemporary (aka Adult Top 40) and they both do well on Top 40, but cracking into the rock radio format is an uphill challenge. Daughtry's sophomore album is due out in July, and it remains to be seen whether he's paid enough "rock dues" to get onto rock radio. If so, it will have been three long years since he left American Idol, and he didn't even have the "stigma" of winning the show!
Adam Lambert faces other big challenges, especially if he wins and is signed by 19 Recordings and managed directly by the boss, Simon Fuller, himself (as is the case with Daughtry and Cook). They'll likely hook him up with RCA Records (again, like Daughtry and Cook, both 19/RCA) and there's no way he'll put out a hard rock-Led Zeppelin-Guns & Roses type of album right off the bat. David Cook, who was given unprecedented creative freedom post-Idol, and is by far the Idol success story with the most extensive indie-rock resume, put out a superb but fairly commercial rock album that crosses several radio formats (HAC, Top 40, Adult Contemporary). Daughtry's debut album has similar characteristics. The difference between Lambert and his two Idol predecessors is that it's unclear whether Lambert can shine in the dialed-down rock ballad category. Daughtry's crisp, clear understated angst-driven vocals have made him a rocker who gets played on pop radio. Cook's power and pipes go into Lambert's territory, but Cook is also brilliant at dialing it back and putting in a vocal performance that can bring tears to your eyes. Both Daughtry and Cook write and sing songs with pop-rock hooks that stay on your brain all day, but never stray from their rock roots. I'm not convinced Lambert will have me buying his entire album. Cook and Daughtry are seasoned musicians but I have no knowledge of Lambert being anything more than a performer, and that can be another handicap for Lambert in the rock world.
As an American Idol fan, I hope that Lambert succeeds as a rocker. Daughtry opened the door. Cook practically broke the show last year and proved you can be a successful rock winner. I think both Daughtry and Cook have allowed the judges and the fans to embrace rock on Idol, and as someone who prefers rock to pop, it makes me happy. Slash's involvement with the show might also help keep rock alive on Idol, and open some rock doors for Idol alumni. The sad news for me is that, in the real world, when you look at current radio, it's clear that rock has taken a back seat to R&B and Hip Hop oriented pop, so when a rocker does well on American Idol, expectations for him/her need to be managed. Versatility is the key to success, and I'm not convinced that Adam Lambert has the level of versatility that has helped David Cook succeed on HAC, Top 40 and Adult Contemporary. I would love to hear all four Idol rockers - Cook, Daughtry, Lambert and Iraheta, on rock radio - and soon!
Contestant duets are a welcome addition this season. Last night's performance of Foghat's "Slow Ride" by Lambert and Iraheta was a highlight of the show.
Two powerful forces come together on November 1st: an up-and-coming rock star and the NBC institution known as Saturday Night Live.
The American Idol season 7 champ demonstrates once again that he's fearless. And ambitious. Just last week he announced his newly formed band. In their very first public gig together, they will perform the brilliant and very hard-to-sing new single, "Light On." Think about it. Just three weeks after they formed, and 4 1/2 weeks after the single dropped, Cook and his boys take on live television, on what will likely be the highest rated SNL all season. It's the Saturday before Election Day, Ben Affleck is hosting (he's one of the show's best hosts), and Tina Fey will likely make her last appearance as Gov. Sarah Palin. Even though Cook is the musical guest, look for him to appear in a sketch or two.
So let's meet David's new band (they're a bunch of lookers!). Some fans have dubbed them "David and his boy scouts..." David, Neal, Andy, Kyle & Joey... don't you just love the names! Don't let that fool you; these guys are hard core rockers. And two of them are David's closest friends and bandmates from his time with The Midwest Kings (MWK). That David was able to get RCA to sign them is more evidence of his clout (and how good they are).
Neal "Dr." Tiemann (middle, with Andy & David) - Lead member of MWK (he managed the band and played lead guitar). He's a kickass guitar player and will continue in the role of lead guitar with David. He was the first to join David's band and is the one band member who played on every track on the soon-to-be released album.
Andy Skib (right, with David) - keyboards and backup rhythm guitar (David will play primary rhythm guitar). He will also do backup vocals during live performances. Andy was the lead vocalist for MWK; he also performs (sometimes with Neal) under the solo project "To Have Heroes." He has an amazing voice.
Joey Clement - Bass guitar
Kyle Peek - Drums
No other AI contestant has ever been given this much creative control. Rock producer extraordinaire Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Kid Rock) was tapped as producer of Cook's new self titled album, which drops on 11/18. Cook wrote or co-wrote (with some big name rock stars) 11 out of the 12 tracks. "Light On" was written by Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave) and Bryan Howes (Hinder). Very smart of Cook to go the band route instead of purely solo with studio musicians. This will help him build "rock cred."
This SNL gig is just the first of several TV appearances to promote the new album. Cook and his band will also appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "The Ellen Degeneres Show," "Regis & Kelly," "Good Morning America" (11/17), and will headline a huge fundraiser thrown by NY Mets star David Wright on 11/12 (the two have become fast friends).
Sample the new single "Light On," now avaialble on itunes & amazon.com:
Great television this morning in the Tampa/St. Petersburgh area. The local Fox station captured the moment when 7 year old leukemia patient (and uber-David Cook fan) Lindsey Rose met her idol. Grab a box of tissues first!
For those who don't know, a couple of weeks into "American Idol" Season 7, David Cook met Lindsey's father Charlie Belcher, a reporter for WTVT MyFoxTampaBay. Belcher told David about Lindsey Rose and how she picked him to win the moment she saw him. He told David about orange wristbands family and friends are wearing to show their support for her. David asked for one, and has worn it during every performance since - through the rest of AI Season 7, during his TV appearances after his big win, and on the AI Live Tour this summer. Belcher says during each performance, Lindsey Rose would completely forget about her illness. I will post some links so you can read more about this heart warming story.
Yesterday David kept his promise to meet her when the AI Tour stopped in Tampa. She spent the afternoon with him, saw the concert (he dedicated "My Hero" to her) and then hung around with him after the show. Tears.
Left: Lindsey Rose with David during afternoon fan "meet & greets."Right: Lindsey is thrilled to sign autographs!
This clip from a Mavid fan named Kristen has gone viral because it is a wonderful compilation. It covers the first Mavid Dance (early July) through 8/10/08 (the last one before they we're told to stop it), plus some extras!
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For those who don't know, Mavid is the combination of singers David Cook and Michael Johns. Michael+David=Mavid. The two became fast friends during Hollywood Week of American Idol season 7. By the midpoint of the season, their friendship had blossomed into a full fledged "Bromance." MJ is the jokester of the group (some of his fellow Idols say prankster is more like it). Cook, of course, is the AI winner and brainiac. Together they took it upon themselves to turn what would normally be the worst part of the AI Concert Tour into one of the most anticipated each night. At the same point each night, about 3/4 of the way through the cheesy group number "Please Don't Stop the Music," Johns got the idea of taking 7 to 10 seconds and doing a "routine" with David. It started the second week of the tour with them doing "the robot" and then it just took off.
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So how did this become an "internet thing?" The concerts on this tour are among the most taped and posted events in web history (you can thank the high number of insane Cook and David Archuleta fans). With 11,000+ registered members at david-cook.org and hundreds more on rickey.org and mjsbigblog.com, every night fans gather together online to virtually experience the concerts via "cell-certs" (fans attending the concerts actually sign up and volunteer to do a live audio-cast with their cellphones), and then wait patiently for audience members to get home and post their videos on youtube. After several hilarious routines by Mavid, fans started calling it the "Mavid Dance" and the "Brodance" (to rhyme with bromance). These "bits" caught on and all of the Idols quickly became aware of how the fans not only got the joke, but looked forward to it each night. Mavid got more and more elaborate, and last week they went so far as to do a takeoff on "Titanic" with Michael holding David, with David's arms out like Kate Winslet. Then they did ballet pirouettes (a takeoff on "So You Think You Can Dance"). Then they got in trouble!
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The Powers That Be told them to knock it off, thinking it mocked the show. They also claimed some fans were not amused. Turns out 99% of the fans WERE amused... to the point they got pissed off and started petitioning TPTB to bring back the "Mavid Dance." In Manchester, NH, many held signs during the concert saying "Please Don't Stop the Mavid." Mavid and the 10 Idols played it cool... sticking together and putting on a lifeless group number. Within two days Mavid and their fans won the battle and the "Mavid Dance" returned in Baltimore last night to the roar of the crowd.
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It was fitting that the Baltimore "Mavid Dance" (Tuesday, 8/12) had MJ and Cook boxing like Rocky. Victory! Here's a clip from last night. The "Mavid Dance" starts :25 seconds in:
I've been trying to get a handle on what it is that has me a little obsessed about David Cook. It's led me to realize why America has fallen in love with him, which in turn leads to a dissertation more about manners than about the talented young singer. Do a Google search of Cook and you will see some common themes in the rather substantial number of blog posts, message boards and articles about Cook. It turns out most of us value good manners and integrity as much as we do musical talent and sex appeal. Cook delivers on all fronts. He proves that being a hip, high-energy rocker, and a man who shows humility and decorum, are not mutually exclusive.
I'm 48. My slightly older sister and our friends (including fellow "The Flaming Nose" bloggers Jane & Lisa), my closest female friend Randy, and my partner Harry, are "second half" baby boomers. Not the folks heading into retirement now... the younger, recently middle-aged ones who came of age in the 70s and early 80s, and rocked to the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd... well you get the idea. We refuse to become old fuddy-duddies but we've definitely grown up. We also have parents who did a pretty darn good job of bringing us up. My group of contemporaries all have, and appreciate, good manners.
Which leads me back to Cook and the reasons why we love him:
First and foremost is his talent. A truly great vocalist, energizing performer, and as we're learning, accomplished songwriter and guitar player. Without that, we wouldn't know him, or care, right?
Second, those good manners. He always says thank you. He's the first to offer a hand shake. He brought the flowers to his first music teacher and gave her a hug and a kiss. He demonstrated humility on his trip home. It all comes across as sincere to me.
Third, his charm. Calm, cool and collected but with a slight smart alecky sense of humor. Confident but not cocky (he really dialed it back after that early exchange with Simon - being called arrogant clearly mortified him). All together it adds up to charm. Charm is sexy.
Fourth, authentic family values. From what we've seen, he's a devoted brother, with parents who've clearly done a good job raising their kids.
Fifth, he's smart. Our "word nerd" and forensics team competitor also knows how to present himself appropriately, which has served him well on AI. We have also seen him make great song and arrangement choices 90 percent of the time. He's a thinker and that's also sexy!
It may sound like I'm gushing but I’m really just trying to make point here. It comes down to something I've been saying for years. I may be a progressive, even liberal-leaning guy who embraces the "do your own thing" creed of my generation, but there’s an old fashioned part of me that really wishes more people these days had better manners. It’s not something that can or should be legislated. I oppose state censorship - but not self censorship. It would be a more pleasant world if we, as a society, just flat out demonstrated better taste. David Cook does just that. He is a young man who is, plain and simple, a class act. If you do a little research online you will come across some outstanding acts of kindness on his part. They involve him wearing two different wrist bands during American Idol performances, to support two different girls who have cancer; you will also learn he has made personal phone calls to the girls to offer them words of encouragement. He's what my mother would call a "mench." There may be lots of menches out there but too few of them have become celebrities.
A night that could have been quite predictable with guest artist Neil Diamond actually turned into quite weird and wonderful TV when one of the judges (Paula) got discombobulated and started talking about things that the viewers had not seen yet. Yes Virgina, there really is a Santa Claus. But no, America, this program really is not live as we could see tonight if we were paying attention. The five finalists each had to do two songs; the judges were to review them after all songs were done towards the end. Paula jumped the gun and reviewed both songs for one of the contestants, before they had even sung their second round. I thought it was charming, and loved seeing the 4th wall broken on event television. Obviously FOX loved it too, because it was not edited out.
So what happened? Here is my ranking after tonight:
#5--Jason. Pretty and nice but not enough to compete as a finalist #4--Brooke. Renditions of Neil Simon songs were surreal in their inappropriateness for a major TV competition. Brooke would be perfect at a children's birthday party singing "I'm a Believer". But Barney the Dinosaur would be better. And the Monkees would be best of all. #3--Syesha-I don't care what Simon says (and I am usually lock-step in agreement) but he is all wrong about this lady. She has major Broadway star quality. Send her straight to Times Square and the Tony's about 2 years from now. #2--David A.--The kid really pulled it out of the fire tonight with "Going to America". Beautiful, patriotic, and the audience loved it. He's got something. I'm still not quite sure what, and it's getting down to the wire. Keeps me coming back for more. #1--David Cook, of course--What a surprise. Just when you think he can't possibly take it up a notch again, he does it. His rendition of little known Neil Diamond song, "All I Really Need is You", was stunning and I've posted it above. Ready to become a hit right this moment. Neil, get ready to get some residuals from a song you thought was dead. Note to Jane, head over to iTunes and get this song on your iPod immediately so help soften the commute into L.A. tomorrow morning.
That's all, folks! Well done, for a wild and unexpected night, American Idol!
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