I am a die-hard Clay fan, but what is there not to love about Ruben
Studdard? I can’t think of two nicer guys to win this competition. I
have also liked Ruben since the competition began, and I can’t be too
annoyed that he got the crown instead of Clay. How could I scowl in the
sight of those dimples? Ruben has a very smooth voice and a shy,
gentlemanly manner, both of which endeared him to me quickly. He and
Clay will both go far.
Flying Without Wings is a nice
track, coming off sounding inspirational with the backing of the choir,
though their participation is much subtler than on Clay’s single. I
think the producers did a better job with this song, allowing Ruben’s
voice to shine at all times. Some of the lyrics sounds just a tad
cheesy, but I can deal with that. It’s a sweet song, and Ruben delivers
it beautifully. I am a bit perplexed as to why Ruben doesn’t get an
original song on his single. It seems a little unfair for Clay to have a
song written just for him while Ruben, the declared American Idol, has
to settle for another cover. But he makes it work so I guess it doesn’t
matter.
Superstar is the song with which Ruben secured
his spot in the Top 12, as if there was any remaining doubt he would
make it. He did such a soulful job that he managed to bump Clay, with
his top-notch performance of Open Arms, into third place and
temporarily out of the competition. He delivers a similarly enthusiastic
performance on the single, and his velvet voice sails through the song.
Ruben is the official American Idol, though with a margin of
.5 percent and an impractical voting system, they ought to have just
called it a tie and been done with it. But Ruben deserves the accolades
he has received. Congratulations to the Velvet Teddy Bear. American Idol
may be a sometimes corny, sometimes decadent, sometimes inaccurate show
– and don’t get me started on Ryan Seacrest – but it has brought to the
forefront two tremendous young talents. For that, I am grateful.
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Clayton's Time Has Come to Shine
This spring was my final semester of college, and so I did not expect
that I would find any time in my busy schedule to devote to American Idol.
Besides, I figured, it won’t be much good the second time around. And
then there was Clayton. When he walked into that audition looking for
all the world like the nerdiest guy on the planet and flummoxed the
judges with his powerhouse voice, I cheered. “No way he’ll make it
through,” I thought. “But I hope he does.” And after his Top 32
performance, coupled with the biographical information I’d managed to
track down, I was utterly hooked.
This from a gal who has spent her life listening to Simon and Garfunkel, John Denver, Billy Joel, Gordon Lightfoot, Dan Fogelberg, The Irish Rovers, Don McLean… you get the picture. I suddenly knew exactly how those screeching Beatle-maniacs felt. I believe Clay is the most refreshing voice to come out of my generation in my experience, and his out-of-this-world voice is only half the story. It is his personality – his faith, his devotion to children, his compassion, his sense of humor, etc. – that seals the deal. This guy is one of a kind. Please pardon my gushing.
As I glued myself to the television week after week, I entertained the whimsy that perhaps Clay would sing what is perhaps my favorite song, Bridge Over Troubled Water. It would certainly be a good fit, but I’d never heard Simon and Garfunkel on American Idol and didn’t expect to. When he belted that one out on the final night, I think the whole neighborhood heard me squeal. I was similarly thrilled to hear that he would be recording this song for his single.
Clay does a super job with Bridge, though this is a very different version than Simon and Garfunkel’s. In all honesty, I do prefer that version. Art’s vocals are absolutely transcendent, the orchestration is gorgeous, and I love the buildup of the verses from sadness to anger to triumph. The triumph is present throughout, but it remains shrouded until the third verse. Clay is jubilant throughout, maintaining a consistent loud and joyous tone. Even louder, however, is the choir, and while this provides power and some nice harmony and makes the song very hymn-like, the chorus of voices has a tendency to drown Clay out. This is problematic for a song that is supposed to be showcasing Clay’s voice; I wish they would have toned the choir down just a tad. Nonetheless, the track sounds terrific, and it’s very gratifying to see this song I love so much topping the charts once more.
When I first heard This is the Night, I thought, “Hm, this sounds like A Moment Like This all over again.” And while the two songs do seem to be saying pretty much the same thing, I guess I don’t mind all that much. Clay really throws himself into the song, and he actually gives it a lot more dynamic variation than he gives Bridge. The background is a lot more balanced on this song, and Clay’s voice is never obscured by anything else. He does an especially nice job towards the end, when he begins the chorus again in a very soft voice with minimal accompaniment, only to switch to full blast a couple lines later. Very nice.
Clay has certainly come out a winner in this competition, and I can’t wait to listen to his full album. No matter what, I am certain he has a long and successful career ahead of him. Nicely done, Clayton.
This from a gal who has spent her life listening to Simon and Garfunkel, John Denver, Billy Joel, Gordon Lightfoot, Dan Fogelberg, The Irish Rovers, Don McLean… you get the picture. I suddenly knew exactly how those screeching Beatle-maniacs felt. I believe Clay is the most refreshing voice to come out of my generation in my experience, and his out-of-this-world voice is only half the story. It is his personality – his faith, his devotion to children, his compassion, his sense of humor, etc. – that seals the deal. This guy is one of a kind. Please pardon my gushing.
As I glued myself to the television week after week, I entertained the whimsy that perhaps Clay would sing what is perhaps my favorite song, Bridge Over Troubled Water. It would certainly be a good fit, but I’d never heard Simon and Garfunkel on American Idol and didn’t expect to. When he belted that one out on the final night, I think the whole neighborhood heard me squeal. I was similarly thrilled to hear that he would be recording this song for his single.
Clay does a super job with Bridge, though this is a very different version than Simon and Garfunkel’s. In all honesty, I do prefer that version. Art’s vocals are absolutely transcendent, the orchestration is gorgeous, and I love the buildup of the verses from sadness to anger to triumph. The triumph is present throughout, but it remains shrouded until the third verse. Clay is jubilant throughout, maintaining a consistent loud and joyous tone. Even louder, however, is the choir, and while this provides power and some nice harmony and makes the song very hymn-like, the chorus of voices has a tendency to drown Clay out. This is problematic for a song that is supposed to be showcasing Clay’s voice; I wish they would have toned the choir down just a tad. Nonetheless, the track sounds terrific, and it’s very gratifying to see this song I love so much topping the charts once more.
When I first heard This is the Night, I thought, “Hm, this sounds like A Moment Like This all over again.” And while the two songs do seem to be saying pretty much the same thing, I guess I don’t mind all that much. Clay really throws himself into the song, and he actually gives it a lot more dynamic variation than he gives Bridge. The background is a lot more balanced on this song, and Clay’s voice is never obscured by anything else. He does an especially nice job towards the end, when he begins the chorus again in a very soft voice with minimal accompaniment, only to switch to full blast a couple lines later. Very nice.
Clay has certainly come out a winner in this competition, and I can’t wait to listen to his full album. No matter what, I am certain he has a long and successful career ahead of him. Nicely done, Clayton.
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