Measure of a Man's Overproduction Strives to Make Clay's Voice Invisible

Back when Clay Aiken’s debut album came out in October, I went to my local Media Play at midnight to snag a copy. Whatever expectations I had of a Harry Potteresque release party were soon crushed when I arrived to find myself one of only half a dozen people there – and the rest were there to pick up a copy of The Matrix Revolutions. Still, I was satisfied to have my long wait come to an end that night. I intended to review it as soon as I bought it, but I was disappointed to discover I wasn’t crazy about the album. I wanted to give myself some time to warm up to the album. I have since heard Clay perform several of these songs on various television programs, and in every case I preferred his live version. Most of the songs are still a bit contemporary for my taste, but they’re not bad. But they’re much improved when Clay’s voice is allowed to be in the forefront.

Invisible - After singing Bridge Over Troubled Water and This is the Night on television appearances for three months, it probably was a bit of a relief for Clay to be able to sing something new. I’ll wager he soon grew rather tired of this little number too, though. I first heard it at the American Idol concert in Cleveland in July and it failed to capture my imagination. After listening to it dozens of times, it’s grown on me, but I think I still like This is the Night better. It’s a catchy number in which the narrator bemoans the fact that the girl he adores doesn’t seem to know he’s alive. The chorus gets a bit stalkerish as he imagines himself being invisible and watching her in her room before it switches to the realization that, in a metaphorical sense, he truly is invisible. There’s all kinds of weird effects on this one that, to my mind, detract from the overall listening experience, but it’s a pretty solid song and certainly has gotten a decent amount of airplay.

I Will Carry You - This inspirational tune follows right on the heels of Bridge. It’s the exact same type of song, in which the speaker promises to support the one he cares about, and Clay carries it out in the same grandiose manner in which he handled Bridge. Of all the tracks on the album, I think this one seems to most reflect what Clay is all about. Definitely one of my favorites.

The Way - Clay’s been singing this one on television quite a bit lately. Co-written by Enrique Iglesias, it’s the album’s romantic standout, a nice slow song describing all the things that he loves about the object of his affections. It’s a funny thing that Clay seems to specialize in love songs when he claims to have never been in love himself. You’d never guess his inexperience from the passion he brings to his renditions. This tender ballad is another of my favorite tracks.

When You Say You Love Me - A pretty up-tempo number with just a touch of a country feel. The speaker states his affection for a girl he admires but insists he is interested in her for the long run. No no-one-night-stands insistence sounds very Clayish. An all right song, but it doesn’t really grab me.

No More Sad Songs - Possibly my favorite track on the album, this piano-driven ballad has heavy echoes of Elton John, an artist whose material Clay has covered with mastery before. Aside from the slightly distracting presence of the phrase “the way” in the opening line after the song of the same title two tracks earlier, this is a very strong song which allows Clay’s opportunity the chance to shine the way it should.

Run to Me - Another nice ballad in which the objects of the speaker’s affections has been bruised by a prior relationship and the speaker wants to assure her that he can wait for her to heal. Not bad, but not a particular standout for me.

Shine - This is another sort of inspirational song, and it’s got kind of a nice message, but it doesn’t do much for me musically. It’s got a bit of a techno feel to it and is one of the most overproduced tracks on the album – and every track is overproduced.

I Survived You - This is an interesting song, because it seems to be either the favorite or least favorite track of most everyone who listened to this album. I didn’t like it much at first, and though it’s grown on me somewhat, it’s still nowhere near the top. Clay sounds uncharacteristically bitter here, leading to speculation that he may really be thinking of his estranged father in his delivery of the song. The speaker has clearly been scarred by this relationship but is going to rise above it. It’s inspirational in a way, a song of survival, but it’s a little too acidic for me. The pace is a little strange, too; he often seems like he has to rush to get all the words out before the music moves on to the next line. And for all the emphasis on Clay’s valiant fight to keep this album clean, these lyrics include a mild but unnecessary bit of profanity. It’s easy to miss, though; I didn’t even catch it until the third or fourth time listening to it.

This is the Night - Ooh boy! A bonus track of a song that everybody who bought this album already owns! I know I’m excited. Oh, well, it’s still a good song, but if they’re only going to give us twelve songs, couldn’t they have given us something we haven’t heard before? Aside from the overproduction, my biggest disappointment with this album was the fact that I had heard it was going to be very cover-heavy, drawing from such sources as Elton John and Neil Sedaka. I guess they wanted to move Clay away from material that is firmly established in the realm of more experienced artists, but those are the types of songs I love and Clay performs them so well, I would have been happy with a whole album full of classy covers. As it was, none of the promised standards survived the final cut. A much more satisfying bonus for me would have been the inclusion of Solitaire or Can You Feel the Love Tonight?. I’m still waiting for those…

Perfect Day - There’s an enjoyable exuberance to this track, a demonstration of that on-top-of-the-world just-fell-in-love feeling. It’s kind of fun, but a little loud for me.

Measure of a Man - Another standout song, and an appropriate choice for title track. Like I Will Carry You, this seems to be a song very much in keeping with Clay and his values. It’s particularly appropriate to him now that he has achieved such star status so quickly. He’s got thousands of girls who would give anything for a date with him. But what if all the glitz and glamour was gone? All the fame and prestige? And what if they discovered that the angelic Mr. Aiken has a few faults of his own? Would he hold up when the pedestal of their unrealistic expectations begins to weaken? This is one of my favorite songs lyrically and vocally, except for one baffling moment towards the end when his words are engulfed by what sounds like a sonic boom. I always forget about it until that part comes along and it scares me silly. What were they thinking?

Touch - Definitely my least favorite. This, like I Survived You, is favored by many who have the album, while others find it out of keeping with Clay’s style. For one thing, if Shine had a touch of techno, it’s out in full force here. I would say it’s the least musical of the tracks, and also the least G-rated. As hard as Clay worked to keep inappropriate innuendo out of his album, this is an awfully steamy song for my tastes. True, it’s not describing a one-night stand, but it still seems out of keeping with Clay’s persona. I usually shut the album off after Measure of a Man.

So is it a good album? As good as can be expected, I suppose, when he’s tethered to this company. It has grown on me since I first bought it, and most of the songs are pretty good, even very good when Clay sings them live. But for some reason, the producers seem to feel the need to drown out that gorgeous voice in the studio. A lot of contemporary pop is overproduced because the singers can’t make the grade on their own. That’s clearly not the case with Clay. So let his voice stand on its own already!! I’m thrilled the album went double platinum and hope that this means Clay will have greater creative control over his next album. I want a return to the quietude and vocal clarity of his exquisite demos. Until then, I’ll have to satisfy myself with the knowledge that he did the best he could with what he had to work with. I’ll give it a five on the strength of Clay’s voice, but it’s taken me three months to feel it merited that. Support Clay by picking up a copy, but if you really want a sense of what he can do, hunt down Look What Love Has Done and Redefined.