I Really Want to Hate Clay Aiken…
…for absolutely no reason whatsoever. I mean, he’s a good old Raleigh boy, much like me. We share the same favorite restaurant. We’ve shared the same theatrical stage - oh wait - his was Memorial Auditorium, mine was the church fellowship hall, but I’m not here to debate semantics. Bottom line is I don’t know the guy, but I was fairly well convinced that he was a one shot, flash in the pan, American Idol almost -winner who desperately needs to get his hair fixed. Lose. the. Bangs.
Then I listened to his new album. DAMNIT. I really wanted to hate this album, just to prove that my theory was correct. I wanted to be able to say I told you so. I wanted it to be full of the same forgettable pop drivel that his first album had - which I granted him a pass on because of the American Idol “handling”.
OK, it’s pop love song drivel - at first glance. 10 covers (of “love songs we grew up on”) and 4 new songs. I’m astonished with what he’s done with the covers. “Because You Loved Me” - that god awful Celine Dion song, which I’ve heard done well well, by a gospel group - is a subtle treatment of a song done a great disservice by the original artist. SUBTLE! Who’d a thunk it. Amazingly interesting arrangements of old pop love songs.
Clay’ll be around for a while longer. And I’m glad.