ClayManiacs

I was privileged to listen to Clay's album today and I have to say he's got a winner on his hands. I was a bit put off by the idea of another covers album but he's pulled it off nicely. A classic track such as Bryan Adams "Everything I Do" which I felt couldn't be redone properly is completely retooled and sounds amazing. I'd say the best reinvented track has to be the Celine Dion song "Because You Love Me." I didn't care for the original version but Clay sped up the song and added his own flavor to it making it his own. Now when I first heard about this disc the one song that stood out to me was the Bad English song "When I See You Smile." I read some pretty harsh comments from some fans that in a nutshell said that Clay couldn't pull off this classic track. While it's not quite was redone as other songs, Clay's vocals fit perfectly and with a violin backing really allows the song to breath a bit more. To me Clay pulled this track off with no issues at all.

 

Honestly, I'm shocked over how good this disc turned out. 17 days to go until it's release but I'll have an album review up before it's release. Everyone is in for a real treat with this release. - Tony

Clay Aiken - Without You
The Bottom Line - 4 stars out of 5

Simply said, Clay Aiken's "Without You" is a triumphant return. While it would be easy to think that Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey had wrung all the possibilities from this pop chestnut, there are some fine elements here and a bravura vocal performance.

Pros
The beauty and clarity of Clay Aiken's voice
Very nicely propulsive instrumental arrangement
The emotion is restored to this classic song
Cons
Please, enunciate - We can do without "Without 'ooo"

Description
Simple piano-focused intro
Instantly recognizable vocals
Impeccable pop arrangement with welcome percussive elements missing in previous arrangements
Guide Review - Clay Aiken - Without You
If you are unfamiliar with the song "Without You," you have not been listening to pop radio for the past 35 years. The song, written by Badfinger's Pete Ham and Tom Evans, first appeared as a Badfinger album cut on No Dice released in 1970. Idiosyncratic pop singer Harry Nilsson released a version of the song in 1971 featuring the signature piano intro that would be the standard for future recordings of "Without You." The song became a #1 hit for Nilsson and the biggest pop hit of his career. Mariah Carey took the song back into the pop charts in 1994 with a surprisingly plastic sounding interpretation.

Clay Aiken has chosen the instantly familiar tune as the lead-in for his first proper studio album in 3 years. I count myself as one of the skeptics when I first heard this would be the opening single, but "Without You" is a good choice and will tremendously please his many devoted fans while quite possibly gaining a few new converts.

The pure beauty in Aiken's voice is abundantly showcased here, and the arrangement gives a contemporary twist on the song. The mix is pleasantly propulsive and percussive which will sound great on pop radio. Mainstream pop radio should give this track a chance. It's popularity may surprise more than a few radio programmers.

A Thousand Different Ways To Say “Uggh.” Clay Aiken’s sophomore effort is dripping with overdone love ballad covers.
By Shauna Stuart September 18, 2006

There truly may be a thousand different ways to say “I love you,” but Clay Aiken can just stop at the first one — there really is no need for the next 999.

American Idol Season Two runner up Aiken is back with his long-awaited sophomore release, A Thousand Different Ways. As you can imagine, the theme of this album is love. It features 10 remakes of album covers from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s — all ballads handpicked for the project by Aiken.

It begins with a breathy, heartfelt rendition of Richard Marx’s 1989 Grammy nominated “Right Here Waiting,” which is sure to get the hearts of Aiken fans nostalgically pumping as he belts out the ever-famous “Wherever you go, whatever you do, I will be right here waiting for you.”

But even for the sappiest of ballad lovers, over 128 minutes of pure sentiment may have some fans go from holding their beating hearts to clutching their convulsing stomachs.

In 14 tracks, Aiken keeps it personal with covers such as “Without You” and “Every Time You Go Away.” True to the album title, each rendition touches all types of love from friendship, to courtship to unconditional love and devotion.

Eventually, Aiken may need to trade in the bouts of emotion and sincerity for a little more originality and innovation. An artist always takes a risk when remaking a well-known song, especially a ballad. In this case, Aiken just happens to take 10 of those risks — and fails a little.

Perusing through the album, Aiken’s A Thousand Different Ways may leave listeners thinking “Oh! I Love that song!” but still preferring to hear the original version. Yes, we know Aiken can sing, but then again, so could Bing Crosby, Paul Young and every other artist whose song he remade. His album shows no lack of talent, but no style or creativity.

Aiken did attempt to put his own spin on a few tracks, such as Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” which he sings in slower, more laid-back tempo than the original. His aim is to come across as sultry and seductive, but he really just sounds sleepy.

Along with the redone, the album features four original songs by Aiken, but even those have us longing for something fresh.

A Thousand Different Ways just does not have the same “Claymation” and flair that “Measure of a Man” had back in 2004.

When Aiken belted out “I wish I could be a fly on your wall/ Are you really alone?” on “Measure of a Man,” it kind of freaked people out in an invasive, stalker kind of way, but it at least kept our attention. This album just leaves us bored.

In summary, Aiken’s vocal talents are not really what is on trial here. It’s his originality. A Thousand Different Ways is really just an emotional jumble of oldies. We’ve heard them all before and, frankly, we liked them better the first time around.

Clay Aiken, "A Thousand Different Ways" (RCA). A few new songs but the "Idol" runner-up's second studio CD is mostly covers of overblown ballads such as "Because You Loved Me," "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" and "Right Here Waiting." Because we love Clay, we were hoping for something a bit more . . . exciting and original, perhaps?

Clay Aiken: Thousand Different Ways

American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken continues to bring home the gold with sold-out shows, and now he rewards fans with A Thousand Different Ways, which features his powerful pipes on songs such as Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is."

Reviewing Clay
I've often said that Idol Chatter would be nothing without the support of you loyal readers and commenters. Like my old virtual friend Jim in Nashville, who posted this encouraging note: "Ken, I can't wait. (Both for the review, and the reactions it will elicit.) Do you have Armani in Kevlar in your wardrobe closet?!"

Thanks a ton, Jim. Now I feel a whole lot less nervous about posting my review of Clay Aiken's A Thousand Different Ways album. But seriously, all I can do is call 'em as I see 'em (the "Coliseum" theory of record reviewing). I can't worry about how Clay lovers or Clay haters are going to react (at least I can't worry about that while I'm writing the review; I'll have plenty of opportunity to worry later). I'll just give you my take. So, in pleasant anticipation of receiving the "kickbacks from the music industry stars that have to use filth, sex and video porn to get ahead" that Summersky seems to think are responsible for critics' negative reviews of Clay (please, get a grip), here goes:

Overall, I just don't understand the reasoning behind this album. In the immortal words of Carl Wilson describing the Beach Boys' modest Smiley Smile album salvaged from the ruins of the ambitious Smile, it's a bunt instead of a grand slam. The label had an artist coming off a highly successful first album, in easily the best position for growth outside of Kelly Clarkson before her second album (and maybe even stronger than that, considering the intensely loyal fan base Clay had generated).

They encouraged Kelly (or agreed at Kelly's insistence) to branch out in a new direction, add more contemporary rock to the Idol pop/pap formula, write more songs, etc. -- and saw a huge payoff. Kelly's sold more than 5.5 million, gets Grammy nominations and is taken seriously as a leading artist now -- a considerable achievement for someone who had to overcome the "manufactured pop star" image of an Idol winner.

So why not try something similar with Clay? I don't mean he should have hired the guy from Evanescence to co-write songs and set the decibels blasting (although he does have Jon Bon Jovi, Mick Jones and former rockers Desmond Child and Aldo Nova in his songwriting credits). But a contemporary pop album, minus the hip-hop trappings Justin Timberlake adopts but a mix of uptempo songs and ballads with a modern sound, would have given Clay a chance to catapult to the top ranks of today's hitmakers.

Instead, he releases an album with 10 covers, leaning heavily toward middle-of-the-road ballads of a certain age, plus four new songs, all of which are ballads. I could be wrong on this, but I don't hear anything on the album that a top 40 station (Kelly's main bastion of radio support) would be likely to play.

I just don't get it. I've mentioned this before, and so have some of you, but it seems as if Clay's almost being abandoned. Instead of having him record an album that could be his springboard to general superstardom (as opposed to cult idol status, however massive his cult is), it's as if he's doing a side project at a crucial juncture of his career. This album is the kind of thing he should be doing in 2014, after he has five big contemporary albums under his belt, not now. There's no need to consign Clay to the nostalgia market so early in his career. This feels like an aging, or past-his-peak, artist's album.

Well, if you've read this far in this mini-epic, I imagine you can read some more. Track-by-track impressions follow, with clips available for those of you who haven't heard the songs.

1. Right Here Waiting (originally Richard Marx, 1989): Clay sings it with commendable restraint, almost too low-key at times, but overall, perfectly pleasantly. Unfortunately, this ballad's just as sappy as it was at the end of the '80s, and quickly fades from memory.

2. Lonely No More (new song, Clay's sole co-writing credit): Mildly pretty moments crop up intermittently on this gooey ballad , but the overuse of the key phrase "unbreak my heartache" (Toni Braxton says thanks!) begins to irritate, and by the time the predictable "dramatic" modulation artificially ratchets up the drama, all hope is lost.

3. Without You (Badfinger, 1970; covered by Nilsson, 1971; Mariah Carey, 1994): Nilsson's is the definitive version; if Mariah's was superfluous, what would you call this? Swaddled in strings and considerably less emotional than Nilsson's, Clay's version, although technically solid, adds nothing to a song several generations have heard their fill of.

4. Every Time You Go Away (Hall & Oates, 1980; covered by Paul Young, 1985): In the notes accompanying copies sent to the dreaded media, Clay states about Bryan Adams, whose Everything I Do (I Do It for You) he covers further on in the album, "That gravelly voice is so well-known. I didn't know if I could do the song justice." Apparently he was unconcerned about Paul Young's equally gravelly voice, because he gives this version neither a particle of grit nor a scrap of soul. To judge from Clay's apparent level of anguish, it sounds as if his love object is going away to the market to pick up a frozen dinner.

5. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word (Elton John, 1976): Similarly, compared to the richness and passion of Elton's original, this just seems lightweight. I do admire the way he hits the high notes at the end, but that's a long time to wait.

6. When I See You Smile (Bad English, 1989): The original singer, John Waite, had enough gravelly gravitas to deceive the listener into thinking the song wasn't a schlocky Diane Warren ballad. Clay's bland, featureless treatment is like an X-ray revealing the tune's jello-like innards. Also not helping: Clay's thinness of tone when he goes up into power mode.

7. A Thousand Days (new): The quasi-"title track" (sorry, Elysa) sounds about as anonymous as a by-the-numbers power ballad can. Does Clive Davis have a secret sweatshop where songwriters churn this stuff out on the clock?

8. Everything I Do (I Do It for You) (Bryan Adams, 1991): This is more like it (eight songs in). Up to a point (that point being Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?, the one Chris was saddled with during the Idol season), Bryan Adams had a skillful touch with a power ballad, and this one, though overexposed, was one of the distinctive ones. I'm not sure why the producers added those hackneyed, Titanic-style Celtic touches, but Clay's vocal is effective and assured and works well on the material.

9. Because You Loved Me (Celine Dion, 1996): There are Celine Dion songs that sustain musical interest (1999's That's the Way It Is, for one). This isn't one of them. It's so bland, it's unlistenable, a song only a mother could like -- and, not to impugn mothers as a class of listeners, only a mother with low standards. A low point.

10. I Want to Know What Love Is (Foreigner, 1984): A high point. Maybe the duet vocals of Rock Star: INXS finalist Suzie McNeil inspired to Clay to kick it up a notch, because his vocal has some heft and a bit of grit to it. Bonus: No overbearing choir as on the original.

11. These Open Arms (new, written by Desmond Child, song doctor to the stars, and Jon Bon Jovi): It might not rank with the best Bon Jovi anthems, being kind of an off-the-rack power ballad, but Clay's performance is solid. Bonus: It's not Journey's Open Arms, as inflicted upon Elliott during the Idol season.

12. Here You Come Again (Dolly Parton, 1977): The original was almost insufferably bouncy, so Clay and his producer on this track (there are 11 listed on the CD's back cover) get points for a radical rearrangement, turning it into a ballad. This concept works pretty well on the verses, but the bridge just sounds antiseptic.

13. Everything I Have (new): I find this sort of sentimental ballad unforgivably sappy, but I credit it for some pretty moments and a fine vocal performance.

14. Broken Wings (Mister Mister, 1985): The song walks the maudlin tightrope precariously already, so the idea of adding poetry recitations sends it plunging over the edge without a net. Distracting, too. Not a good idea.

Clay can sing, with power when he needs it (although this quality is somewhat underplayed, perhaps surprisingly, on the album) and control and a certain grace at other times. But for the most part, these covers do not serve him well -- his voice generally sounds thin compared to the originals, and the arrangements tend to smother the songs in stringy goop. And the originals are too similar and too sappy.

Clay Aiken - A Thousand Different Ways
From Bill Lamb, Your Guide to Top 40 / Pop.
Holding Pattern

There are gems here, but this album is unlikely to hold the attention of the casual listener all the way through. Clay Aiken fans will find much to like here, but he needs to start thinking about how to reach toward a broader audience and catch their attention. A number of ingredients for long-term pop stardom are evident, but A Thousand Different Ways is merely a holding pattern on the pathway there.

Playing It Too Safe - The Perils of a Covers Album
Putting together an album that is primarily covers of songs popularized by other artists is often a perilous enterprise for a mainstream pop musician. The songs can be interpreted in ways that range far enough from the original that they anger those who treasure the classic version, or they may be interpreted in a way so close to the original that it renders the new recording superfluous. The rare occurrence is striking a middle ground that pleases everyone.

Unfortunately for Clay Aiken, on his album A Thousand Different Ways, he frequently falls in the latter camp playing things so safe on a number of songs that a listener wonders why we really need his version as well. "Right Here Waiting," "Everytime You Go Away," and "When I See You Smile" are all competent performances, but they add little that is revelatory.

Clay Aiken's Impressive Voice
As it has been since American audiences were first introduced to him auditioning for American Idol, Clay Aiken's voice remains a marvelous instrument. His most successful tunes here resist temptations to over-emote and simply allow the song to shine through with his clear, resonant voice. Without the bombast of Celine Dion's performance, Diane Warren's "Because You Loved Me" reveals itself as an irresistibly romantic pop classic. A stripped down and reduced tempo version of "Here You Come Again," originally a top 10 pop hit for Dolly Parton, reveals a melody that instantly sticks in the mind sounding like it was written for Clay Aiken.

Top Tracks on 'A Thousand Different Ways'

Because You Loved Me
Here You Come Again
A Thousand Days
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
Without You

The Future Is an Open Book for Clay Aiken
There is nothing painful to listen to here, although I would have nixed the ill-advised voiceovers on "Broken Wings." Unfortunately, there is too little that is truly memorable either. What we are left with is Clay Aiken treading water and still looking at a career without a specific direction in the pop music realm. Beyond the covers, the original songs here, outside of the power ballad "A Thousand Days," also fail to stick.

Clay Aiken seems in need of connecting with a key songwriter and/or producer with whom he can collaborate to formulate a project that defines him as a performer (the synergy between Christina Aguilera and Linda Perry is one model which comes to mind). Without this definition, it will be increasingly difficult for Clay Aiken to move beyond the status of a treasured national talent show competitor to widespread recognition as a gifted pop artist.

Our Review:
The title of Clay Aiken's latest album is clever but confusing. If there are a thousand different ways to do something, like, say, sing dusty old power ballads, then why did the American Idol runner-up stick to just one way--that is, his patented soaring falsetto histrionics? While Aiken has at least found a new way to do his hair, he should have tried out some new song stylings as he updated a host of saccharine, lite-rock classics, such as Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting," Paul Young's "Everytime You Go Away" and Mr. Mister's "Broken Wings." If those titles alone don't scare you off, then you are clearly a fan, and there is no rationalizing to be done. Enjoy it, Claymates; the rest of us will just be Aiken for some relief.

Editorial Reviews Amazon.com
A Thousand Different Ways, the follow-up to Clay Aiken's chart-burning debut Measure of a Man, trots out the kind of material a fleet-voiced former American Idol contestant can't help having a field day with: Aiken's version of Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting" is bathed in a smoothness that renders it arguably better than the original; his step into Celine Dion's shoes for "Because You Loved Me" sees nary a stumble (no easy feat, considering it's a vocal obstacle course of a song); and his cover of Paul Young's '80s classic "Everytime You Go Away" comes across as a clean-sounding, much-needed update. More proof that Aiken ain't fakin' when it comes to being a stylish interpreter comes courtesy of his convincing carry-off of Dolly Parton's sweet "Here You Come Again," but where he'll earn the most merit points for this disc is with its four originals--"A Thousand Days" especially. Aiken has the kind of voice that makes listeners want to scoot close to the speaker. He may be a softy, but when it comes to trapping raw emotion in song, he's become a mop-topped man of steel. --Tammy La Gorce

Product Description
The project, Aiken's first outing since 2004, combines 10 cover versions of well-known songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s with four brand-new songs. The album is a follow-up to Aiken's debut set, "Measure of a Man," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart and is certified triple-platinum, as well as the platinum-selling "Merry Christmas with Love," the best-selling holiday album of the 2004 season.

"Idol" Clay Aiken releases 'A Thousand Different Ways'!
By Tim Jaramillo

CLAY AIKEN proves that his star is still rising with his latest album, A Thousand Different Ways. The new record features 10 classic covers plus four all-new tracks!

Different Ways kicks off with Clay's breathy vocals on the RICHARD MARX hit, "Right Here Waiting." And he pours his heart out on the tender track, "Without You."

The young crooner's vocals soar on the BAD ENGLISH tune, "When I See You Smile." His voice reaches a beautiful falsetto on BRYAN ADAMS' "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)."

Other highlights include Clay's intimate take on "I Want To Know What Love Is," and the sublime duet "Broken Wings," which closes the album out.

"This is an album of love songs," says Clay, "but they are about all different kinds of love; romantic love, friendship, unconditional love. There are a thousand different kinds of love; a thousand different ways to tell someone you love them."

A Thousand Different Ways is in stores now!

OK, Claymates, I know that your hero is funny and kind and talented and usually off feeding the children, helping the needy and sheltering the homeless when he isn't recording or touring -- believe me, I know he's an infallible human being because you keep telling me -- but for the second non-holiday album of his career, he chooses to make it 70 percent cover songs? Is that lounge singer job calling him already?

Hey, I happen to dig Aiken's new k.d. Lang/Annette Bening bangs and could really care less what antidepressants he is or isn't on and who he chooses to hang with when the lights are out. But if I want to hear "Right Here Waiting," I'll pull out Richard Marx's "Repeat Offender" CD (coincidentally, Mr. Iglesias covers that song, too). And, just for the record, no one should ever cover Bryan Adams or Celine Dion. Ever.

I agree with Aiken's reasoning that while recording the album, "We slowly discovered that it's harder these days to come by songs that are as superb as the songs that I grew up on." But, um, Clay, isn't it part of your job as an artist to perhaps try to write something meaningful, or at least work with new, talented songwriters? Are you seriously telling me that Mr. Mister's "Broken Wings" is as good as it gets?

Eh, maybe he's right. Maybe our musical future consists of nothing more than Foreigner songs sung a thousand different ways. Seems that way sometimes, doesn't it?

Reviews
Barnes & Noble
Clay Aiken may be sporting a fashionable shag haircut these days, but on his third studio album, he sticks with his now-familiar -- and endearing -- earnest and squeaky-clean sound. In keeping with his image as a romantic crooner, the American Idol runner-up is in full ballad mode -- 8 of the album's 14 songs are covers of seminal love songs from the past few decades. Aiken turns in an impassioned vocal on a lushly orchestrated version of the Bad English smash "When I See You Smile," gently rocks his way through Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting," and delivers an emotive interpretation of Elton John's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word," spiced up with electric sitar nuances. Elsewhere, Aiken shows his vulnerability via a strings-soaked reading of Dolly Parton's country-pop nugget "Here You Come Again" and an ethereal rendition of the Mr. Mister hit "Broken Wings," featuring spoken-word vocals by poet Erin Taylor. Equally notable is a duet with vocalist Suzie McNeil on an uplifting reading of Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is," sans gospel choir. The album's newer material also impresses, from Aiken's collaboration with David Foster acolyte William Joseph on the beautiful, piano-driven "Everything I Have" to "These Open Arms," an epic Jon Bon Jovi/Desmond Child-penned cut that packs the punch of a Bon Jovi power ballad. This unlikely heartthrob continues to march to the beat of his own MOR drummer, making wholesome, tastefully presented pop that nostalgic moms can enjoy alongside their tween daughters. Dave Gil de Rubio

For those who love Clay
Aiken's new album aims to please but ...
David Menconi, Staff Writer

Good news, Clay Aiken fans! "A Thousand Different Ways," the new album from Raleigh's "American Idol" homeboy, rivals such classic works as "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "King Lear," "Citizen Kane" and possibly even "Measure of a Man." What can be added to the listener comments at cdnow.com ("arguably the greatest voice of this generation," "timeless masterpiece") but amen?
So what are you waiting for? Run, don't walk, to the nearest establishment that sells recorded music and purchase multiple copies for yourself and everyone you know! Go right now and start playing the CD from dusk to dawn.

Are they gone? They are? Good. Now the rest of us can talk about this record.

It's hard to imagine how "A Thousand Different Ways" (RCA) could make much of an impression on anyone but the most devoted Clay Aiken fan. The album is not bad so much as blank, which seems like an odd thing to say about such a busy recording.

Scores upon scores of people are credited for writing, producing, engineering, mastering, editing, Pro Tooling and playing on this album. Every last microspace is crammed to bursting with sonic data.

All that effort goes for naught, because the album's 14 songs pass in a bland, unmemorable blur. Aiken huffs and puffs in his distinctively theatrical voice, yet no discernible personality comes through.

Which isn't an insurmountable problem. Elton John, for one, has made a virtue of being an all-things-to-all-people blank slate. But it's a disastrous problem when you pick the worst hit in John's catalog, "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word," and turn in a cover that's drenched in even more bathos than the 1976 original.

Most of the track list consists of cringe-inducing radio hits that were nevertheless wildly popular -- Paul Young's "Every Time You Go Away," Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting," Mr. Mister's "Broken Wings" and others popularized by Dolly Parton, Bryan Adams, Foreigner and Harry Nilsson. Like the songs themselves, Aiken's versions are long on treacle and short on substance.

One of his odder decisions was to change the lyrics of Nilsson's 1971 smash "Without You" (which was also a hit for Mariah Carey in 1994), alternating the pronoun in the chorus back and and forth between "you" and "her." That makes it sound as if he can't make up his mind whom he can't live without.

But he's full-on committed to Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is," turning the gospel-inflected original into a power ballad that wouldn't have sounded out of place on the "Top Gun" soundtrack. And that's about the riskiest move to be found on "A Thousand Different Ways."

Hard-core Aiken fans will eat this up, so for them an over-the-top star rating is accurate. For everyone else, I'm afraid, "A Thousand Different Ways" is a one-star record.

Regular readers of this blog know that I'm not exactly Kathy Bates to Clay Aiken's James Caan, and that I had some reservations about the American Idol runner-up's choice of the oft-covered "Without You" as the first single off his long-awaited  new disc, A Thousand Different Ways. Yet even with lowered expectations in tow, I'm still finding myself disappointed by Clay's adequate yet utterly predictable interpretation of Badfinger's ballad, which is now streaming for free at his official website (click here). (http://www.clayaiken.com)

Sure, the dude can sing -- and in an era where Paris Hilton is a top 20 act, actual vocal ability is, well, hot -- but Clay's "Without You" sorely lacks the anguish of Harry Nilsson's Grammy-winning rendition, nor does it have the sheer melodrama of Mariah Carey's. Worst of all, though, Clay doesn't take any chances with the song's phrasing or melody or arrangement (the way Kelly Clarkson did when she tackled "Without You" during the first, Dunkelman-assisted season of Idol); as a result, Clay fails to (in the words of Paula Abdul) make the song his own. I wish Clay had tried stripping it down and slowing it down -- to turn it into a heartbreaking dirge. Or perhaps attempted to infuse it with an ambient, loungey vibe. As it stands, though, his "Without You" inspires neither love nor loathing, just a shrug of this blogger's shoulders. What do you think of Clay's new single? Let 'er rip in the comments section below.

Posted by Michael Slezak | 09. 7.06, 10:42 AM

Believe it or not, Clay Aiken’s new album of schlocky tunes for blue-haired ladies, "A Thousand Different Ways," looks as though it just outsold Justin Timberlake’s "FutureSex/LoveSounds" and took the No. 1 spot. It was Aiken’s debut week and Justin’s second week. Weird, huh?

Justin tried to bring “SexyBack,” but Clay took it away, and all in the space of a week. I have some quibbles with Justin’s album, but his “What Goes Around ...” with the Benjamin Wright Orchestra is sheer genius.

Aiken’s songs, on the other hand, are offensive pablum. He should be arrested for his cold-blooded murder of Harry Nilsson’s classic “Without You.” It’s a horror …

OK, Claymates, I know that your hero is funny and kind and talented and usually off feeding the children, helping the needy and sheltering the homeless when he isn't recording or touring -- believe me, I know he's an infallible human being because you keep telling me -- but for the second non-holiday album of his career, he chooses to make it 70 percent cover songs? Is that lounge singer job calling him already?

Hey, I happen to dig Aiken's new k.d. Lang/Annette Bening bangs and could really care less what antidepressants he is or isn't on and who he chooses to hang with when the lights are out. But if I want to hear "Right Here Waiting," I'll pull out Richard Marx's "Repeat Offender" CD (coincidentally, Mr. Iglesias covers that song, too). And, just for the record, no one should ever cover Bryan Adams or Celine Dion. Ever.

I agree with Aiken's reasoning that while recording the album, "We slowly discovered that it's harder these days to come by songs that are as superb as the songs that I grew up on." But, um, Clay, isn't it part of your job as an artist to perhaps try to write something meaningful, or at least work with new, talented songwriters? Are you seriously telling me that Mr. Mister's "Broken Wings" is as good as it gets?

Eh, maybe he's right. Maybe our musical future consists of nothing more than Foreigner songs sung a thousand different ways. Seems that way sometimes, doesn't it?

Reviews
Barnes & Noble
Clay Aiken may be sporting a fashionable shag haircut these days, but on his third studio album, he sticks with his now-familiar -- and endearing -- earnest and squeaky-clean sound. In keeping with his image as a romantic crooner, the American Idol runner-up is in full ballad mode -- 8 of the album's 14 songs are covers of seminal love songs from the past few decades. Aiken turns in an impassioned vocal on a lushly orchestrated version of the Bad English smash "When I See You Smile," gently rocks his way through Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting," and delivers an emotive interpretation of Elton John's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word," spiced up with electric sitar nuances. Elsewhere, Aiken shows his vulnerability via a strings-soaked reading of Dolly Parton's country-pop nugget "Here You Come Again" and an ethereal rendition of the Mr. Mister hit "Broken Wings," featuring spoken-word vocals by poet Erin Taylor. Equally notable is a duet with vocalist Suzie McNeil on an uplifting reading of Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is," sans gospel choir. The album's newer material also impresses, from Aiken's collaboration with David Foster acolyte William Joseph on the beautiful, piano-driven "Everything I Have" to "These Open Arms," an epic Jon Bon Jovi/Desmond Child-penned cut that packs the punch of a Bon Jovi power ballad. This unlikely heartthrob continues to march to the beat of his own MOR drummer, making wholesome, tastefully presented pop that nostalgic moms can enjoy alongside their tween daughters. Dave Gil de Rubio

Snap Judgement: Clay Aiken's New Single

Regular readers of this blog know that I'm not exactly Kathy Bates to Clay Aiken's James Caan, and that I had some reservations about the American Idol runner-up's choice of the oft-covered "Without You" as the first single off his long-awaited  new disc, A Thousand Different Ways. Yet even with lowered expectations in tow, I'm still finding myself disappointed by Clay's adequate yet utterly predictable interpretation of Badfinger's ballad, which is now streaming for free at his official website (click here). (http://www.clayaiken.com)

Sure, the dude can sing -- and in an era where Paris Hilton is a top 20 act, actual vocal ability is, well, hot -- but Clay's "Without You" sorely lacks the anguish of Harry Nilsson's Grammy-winning rendition, nor does it have the sheer melodrama of Mariah Carey's. Worst of all, though, Clay doesn't take any chances with the song's phrasing or melody or arrangement (the way Kelly Clarkson did when she tackled "Without You" during the first, Dunkelman-assisted season of Idol); as a result, Clay fails to (in the words of Paula Abdul) make the song his own. I wish Clay had tried stripping it down and slowing it down -- to turn it into a heartbreaking dirge. Or perhaps attempted to infuse it with an ambient, loungey vibe. As it stands, though, his "Without You" inspires neither love nor loathing, just a shrug of this blogger's shoulders. What do you think of Clay's new single? Let 'er rip in the comments section below.

Posted by Michael Slezak | 09. 7.06, 10:42 AM

Clay's latest clunks, Beyonce's sparkles

CLAY AIKEN

"A Thousand Different Ways" (RCA)

If he only had a twisted psyche and a smart manager, Aiken, with his boyish looks and grandma-pleasing persona, could finish the job of cultural subversion the Sex Pistols started. It hasn't happened yet.

On his third album, the peppy "American Idol" runner-up applies his robust pipes to 10 saccharine spoonfuls by such treacle peddlers as Elton John, Foreigner and Celine Dion. This bland parade comes with a short reprieve in the stark "Everything I Have" and a reimagined "Here You Come Again" (a '70s hit for Dolly Parton), but we just wish Aiken would get hip to Karl -- not Richard -- Marx. -- Los Angeles Daily News

Clay Aiken
"A Thousand Different Ways" (RCA)
Richard Cromelin, Times Staff Writer

Aiken's mixed-up remake repertoire

Faced with the follow-up to Clay Aiken's 2003 debut, it's hard not to think of Bob Newhart's classic comedy routine in which he listens on the phone as Abner Doubleday explains his absurdly complicated new game, baseball.
 
"Is this a rib?" Newhart finally asks through mounting laughter, figuring that the call must be prank by the guys in the office.

The makeup of "A Thousand Different Ways" sounds like the result of a contest among music fans to devise the most ridiculously awful repertoire possible, if the pint-size singer with the mighty pipes decided to remake some love songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s.

How about Richard Marx? Obvious, but perfect. Foreigner! That's downright evil. Celine Dion? Bryan Adams? Check and check. How about Bon Jovi — but instead of a hit, get this — have Jon write a new song. With Desmond Child!

Well, no one is likely to buy this by accident, so it won't do much harm, and it does have some hits from Dolly Parton, Elton John, Badfinger and Harry Nilsson, so maybe someone will be inspired to look up the originals to see how they sounded before Aiken mowed them down.

Clay still has a 'Ways' to go 
 
CLAY AIKEN "A Thousand Different Ways" RCA

Clay Aiken wasn't taking any chances with "A Thousand Different Ways," his second solo album (not counting a holiday CD). It's the most deeply "American Idol"-like CD ever issued by one of that show's beloved alums.

Instead of risking releasing original material, "Ways" follows the show's canny strategy of centering on songs everyone and their grandmother has already spent years humming. (And, in a world gone Clay, the grandmother quotient holds special resonance.)

To make matters even more focused, "Different Ways" fetishizes tear duct-sucking ballads - from Elton John's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" to Diane Warren's "When I See You Smile" to Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting."

It's as if the producers called up the biggest song publishers in the land and asked them which songs from the last 20 years have been the most performed at weddings and bar mitzvahs, then recorded the top 10.

Small wonder the CD is projected to debut at No. 2 when Billboard's new Top 200 album chart comes out tomorrow.

A virtual godsend for lovers of goo, the CD milks even more sentimentality from the songs than did the originals. Vocally, Aiken stresses the most adenoidal side of his instrument, mistaking whininess for sincerity. His phrasing takes special pride in smarm, overselling every lyric in a way even Las Vegas performers shy away from these days. Think Bill Murray's lounge satire at its oiliest.

The album's arrangements seem to be locked in a perverse competition for who can come up with the most florid embellishments possible. Hands down winner: Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do," which was gushy enough before someone thought to add a pan flute.

Other than the overblown take on Dolly Parton's formerly spare "Here You Come Again," none of Aiken's versions can be called desecrations. Songs this sappy get what they deserve.

Of course, the gushiness serves Clay's persona brilliantly. Of all the show's graduates, Aiken's proud geekiness makes him the one viewers don't so much want to idolize as protect. The manner in which Aiken milks that character here may make nonbelievers gag. But fans will swoon. 

Clay Aiken - A Thousand Different Ways
Thursday, September 28, 2006 -
My first rule of thumb when it comes to evaluating music is to put heavy stock into a first listen.  That’s the true test.  Because the “good” you think you’re hearing after repeated plays may only be a tendency we humans have to latch onto that which is familiar. 

Case in point:  How many times have you sneered the first time you heard something on top 40’s radio, just to start gyrating to the rhythm later and find yourself singing along simply because it’s played night and day on your favorite station?

In the case of ATDW, there may be no specific risk for this to happen. In the past, despite huge sales, Aiken’s records just haven’t gotten much airplay.  Maybe the powers that be in radio land will surprise us this time.  If not, you’ll have to go out and buy the disc to play it the first time through to see if you agree with me.  And if you do, I think you’ll find that for the most part, the album of primarily top 40 covers Aiken sings this time around is a well executed feat that finds the RCA recording artist in excellent voice and rare form (even if it did take him a mere 12 months to complete!)

If you love and listen to popular vocalists, your “first time” with A Thousand Different Ways will probably be “as good for you as it was for me” (yes, the pun is intended) and you’ll want to grab it from your home player and get it into your car so you can hear it repeatedly, be settled by its soothing sounds sometimes, and be energized by its inspirational quality at others.  Aiken’s voice is undeniably great.  Whatever criticism you may have for other elements of the album’s worth, no one can say that it is not a prime example of the crooner’s keen vocal ability.  He could possibly be one of the greatest singers of our time.

But what about arrangement, production, direction, mix, song selection, backup vocals, style, variation, and plain ‘ol appeal for the contemporary music audience?  After all, we well know that vocal chords alone do not a popular CD make.

In my opinion, ATDW basically shines in all of those areas with just a few exceptions. The biggest mistake that was made was the choice for the opening song. Right Here Waiting should have been left on the shelf and another put in its place.  One of the others would have been a better lead-in.  This one is a bit inane, with Aiken tweaking his full-throated voice to sound a tad more contemporary and boy-band pop-ish (in much the same genre of sound we heard on his Measure of a Man CD.)  When the new album starts this way, one tends to begin to worry a bit.

The only other problem we get along the way is a bit of overproduction with instrumentation that penetrates and compromises Clay’s vocals.  Not that it overwhelms his voice, it just seems to infiltrate and detract when it’s not needed. This happens on the otherwise beautiful rendition of Here You Come Again.  The simple Dolly Parton song should showcase Clay’s sweet serenade with unpretentious instrumentation.  Instead, we’re confused with the dramatic sound of violins accompanying the down-to-earth ditty. The big sound seems to look down its nose at the lyrics--“here you come again . . .and here I go!”  It doesn’t match up for me.

Yet, beginning with the second song selection we do get down to business, and it becomes obvious why there will be hoards of people chasing Clay around the country when he tours with this album. Each song is better than the next (with one other exception—*see my note below) and the full, deep drama of Aiken warbling his heart out fulfills the unspoken promise he made three years ago when he began his career. It was the assurance that upon hearing that inimitable sound, one’s chakras will open up like floodgates and not close until the last note of the final song resounds in our ears. 

(*Every Time You Go Away—the Hall and Oates original was not a favorite of mine back in the day, and in this version, I dislike the 80’s synthesized sound of the instruments and backups.)   

Make no mistake--Aiken himself delivers his promise in a thousand different ways on this CD and it makes it difficult to choose one favorite song from all that he offers.  Which are my favorites? Lonely No More, Without You, Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word, Everything I Do, Because you Love Me, I Want to Know What Love Is (Duet with Suzie McNeil), and Everything I Have. 

A Thousand Different Ways--familiar pop/rock song selections from recent yesteryears made new, made better, by a man who has an incredibly amazing set of pipes.

More News for Clay Fans!!!!
Artist:  Clay Aiken A Thousand Different Ways Bonus Tracks

May the Lord (and the myriad of Clay fans) have mercy on my soul.  I don’t know how I could have overlooked the two bonus tracks Aiken recorded for iTunes and K-Mart, but I just hadn’t listened to them. In my opinion, they ironically turned out to be the best of the offerings associated with A Thousand Different Ways.

Lover All Alone
iTunes

First, Lover All Alone is co-written by Mr. Aiken (lyrics) with music by David Foster.  Sit alone in the room, turn up the volume, and be prepared to have an emotional experience.  If this doesn’t touch your heart, nothing will.  Here’s an example of an original song that should have been chosen for the album.  Why it was given secondary bonus track status is beyond me.  Aiken recently said in an interview that he doesn’t think there are many great songs written nowadays.  I thought he was going out on a limb to make a comment like that, but what I gleaned was that he may have been referring to the fact that it takes one hell of a tune to really be special for his style, his voice, and his talent. Unique and exquisitely talented singers need exceptional songs.  And I thoroughly agree with him.   

So what did Aiken do?  He combined his own talent with musician/songwriter/producer extraordinaire David Foster and they came up with the kind of song that is perfect for Clay.  He finally got the right idea—if you can’t get what you need, then get what you really want by doing it yourself.  Lover All Alone is the pure essence of Aiken, so if you want the epitome of the man, then get the iTunes version of the CD and receive the best of Clay Aiken.

If You Don’t Know Me By Now
K-Mart

But wait—this is what I have been waiting for since I began listening to Clay Aiken.  This is the kind of song I knew he could perform but that he always seemed so reluctant to attempt.  In a review of a Kelly Clarkson CD I wrote last year, I discussed Clay’s resistance to tread new waters and try some “edgy” sounds with his voice.  All hell broke loose over that one.  How dare I suggest that Clay should be or do something that is just “not him!”  This I received from a multitude of adoring fans.  They didn’t understand that the “edgy” I was referring to had nothing to do with demeanor, persona, values, philosophy, or attitude.  My “edgy” had to do with style and with pushing the envelope as an artist to its utmost limits because I knew Aiken could do it and be successful at it.  When he sings If You Don’t Know Me By Now, Clay pushes that envelope and shows us that he can be that kind of stylist.  When he exhibits this amount of versatility, he creates new interest and develops a whole new facet to his vocal ability.   

It wasn’t only me that was screaming the sentiment last year, there were many others. This song is evidence that Aiken was listening.   

If you would like to witness Clay entering a whole new musical realm with his voice and style, then get the K-Mart version of A Thousand Different Ways and you’ll consider him in a way that you’ve never considered him before.
Dianne Austin

A thousand ways to pure boredom
By MICHELLE FLOYD
Published , September 29, 2006, 06:00:01 AM EDT 
 
Apparently Clay Aiken misses singing songs from “American Idol.”

He decided to make an album filled with them.

But “A Thousand Different Ways,” Aiken’s latest release, also has a few new songs on it.

And that may be even weirder than his new hairdo.

On the album, Aiken covers such songs as Richard Marx’s “Right Here Waiting,” Mariah Carey’s “Without You” and even ’80s classics “When I See You Smile” and “Every Time You Go Away.”

And looking at the tracks, “Lonely No More” would seem like a cover of Rob Thomas’ song, but it’s not.

It’s even a bit different — and boring — from Aiken’s previous original music.

But another original track on the new album, “A Thousand Days,” is more fitting of Aiken, complete with his powerful voice and catchy lyrics.

Aiken doesn’t do a bad job at covering the songs — although he doesn’t really give them a twist of his own style — and even the few original tunes are enjoyable to most of Aiken’s fans.

But combining covers and originals on one album doesn’t seem like a smart move of Aiken’s behalf.

It’s the only album with original music that follows up 2003’s “Measure of a Man.”

That’s three years of no new music.

And that may be too long of a time span for even fans to be happy with this release.

‘A THOUSAND DIFFERENT WAYS’
Artist: Clay Aiken
Grade: C-
Verdict: The album will be a disappointment for fans who were waiting for new music.

CLAY AIKEN
A Thousand Different Ways
RCA

No stars

Eleven producers, plus an executive producer, were behind the boards for Clay Aiken's new pop covers CD, A Thousand Different Ways. Unfortunately, not one of these 12 individuals can make any of the CD's 14 saccharine ballads stand out from one another.

All the selections are overproduced, poorly arranged and synthetic. Some of these once were fine songs by the original artists (Elton John's Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word, Foreigner's soulful I Want to Know What Love Is); most, however, were already sappy schlock before Aiken found a way to make them even less appealing (Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me, Bryan Adams' Everything I Do (I Do It For You)).

Aiken and company even manage to obliterate any trace of personality from Dolly Parton's delightful Here You Come Again -- rendered here as a melancholic dirge. Worse, none of these people were able to eliminate the nagging quality creeping into Aiken's voice these days. He sounds like a neutered Boy George.

Claymates may swallow this swill -- they accepted his new k.d. lang hairdo, after all -- but this is mind-numbingly bland middle-of-the-road music made for people for whom a gourmet meal means pressed turkey and mayo on Wonder Bread and a bowl of hospital cafeteria tapioca.

Pod Pick: Only if you hate your iPod.

Clay Aiken stuck in idle; Audioslave hitting its stride
CLAY AIKEN

"A Thousand Different Ways," Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Reviewed by Richard Cromelin, The Los Angeles Times.

That worn feel: Clay Aiken's "A Thousand Different Ways" is loaded with warmed-over love songs. - Sony BMG Music Entertainment   

Faced with the follow-up to Clay Aiken's 2003 debut, it's hard not to think of Bob Newhart's classic comedy routine in which he listens on the phone as the alleged father of our national pastime, Abner Doubleday, explains his absurdly complicated new game, baseball.
"Is this a rib?" Newhart finally asks through mounting laughter, figuring that the call must be a prank by the guys in the office.
The makeup of "A Thousand Different Ways" sounds like the result of a contest among music fans to devise the most ridiculously awful repertoire possible, if the pint-size singer with the mighty pipes decided to remake some love songs from the 1970s, '80s and '90s.
How about Richard Marx? Obvious, but perfect. Foreigner! That's downright evil. Celine Dion? Bryan Adams? Check and check. How about Bon Jovi -- but instead of a hit, get this -- have Jon write a new song. With Desmond Child!
Well, no one is likely to buy this by accident, so it won't do much harm, and it does have some hits from Dolly Parton, Elton John, Badfinger and Harry Nilsson, so maybe someone will be inspired to look up the originals to see how they sounded before Aiken mowed them down.

Aiken puts his spin on classic pop songs
Published in the Home News Tribune Teen Scene 10/2/06
By SHANNA KELLER CORRESPONDENT
Clay Aiken's highly anticipated new release "A Thousand Different Ways," which was released Sept. 19, was well worth the wait.

The album consists largely of cover songs, but Aiken's interpretations and personal flavor makes some of them nearly unrecognizable.

The track list re-introduces readily-known hits such as Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me" and Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)," as well as bringing light to lesser-known gems such as Bon Jovi's "These Open Arms," which was previously only released overseas.

Aiken also puts his own spin on Elton John's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting" and Paul Young's "Every Time You Go Away."

"Here You Come Again," which was initially recorded by Dolly Parton in the late '70s, undergoes a tremendous transformation on this album. Originally a country/pop crossover single, Aiken's performance is a much smoother, more relaxed arrangement. The general melody survived the makeover, but otherwise the resemblance is hazy.

A Thousand Different Ways
Clay Aiken

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Don't call it a comeback — and don't call it a retreat, either. Actually, it's hard to know what to call A Thousand Different Ways, Clay Aiken's second proper album, endlessly delayed and long-awaited, at least by the hoards of fans enthusiastically calling themselves Claymaniacs, of which there are many. There were enough Claymaniacs to make the American Idol season two runner-up one of the two biggest stars the show has produced to date — the other, of course, being Kelly Clarkson — propelling his debut album, Measure of a Man, to number one upon its 2003 release. Chart success means a lot, particularly for an American Idol, and it would seem that blockbuster success would embolden a pop star. That certainly was the case with Kelly Clarkson, who came on strong with her second album, forever banishing the specter of AmIdol as she swaggered through the irresistible "Since U Been Gone." (snip)

 This record has a couple of new made-to-order tunes for Clay, but for the most part it consists of songs you know by heart, equal parts popular standards and adult contemporary schlock. Clay sings Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting," does the billionth version of Badfinger's "Without You," copies Paul Young's take on Hall & Oates' "Every Time You Go Away," gallantly tries to give Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do (I Do It for You)" some momentum, does a really nice job with Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again" (the closest thing to a genuine surprise here), rivals Celine Dion on "Because You Loved Me," is as mawkish as Foreigner on "I Want to Know What Love Is," stumbles through Mr. Mister's "Broken Wings," and naturally does a pretty good job with Elton John's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word." The cumulative effect of all these covers plus three undistinguished new songs is like a season of American Idol in microcosm: it's uncannily like listening to outtakes from the show. And it's the first album from any American Idol contestant to sound exactly how they did on the show. Justin Guarini, George Huff, Josh Gracin, and even William Hung sound different on record than they did on the show — but not Clay, one of the few genuine superstars from the show. He sounds exactly how you remember him from TV, which only means that he must have been scared that he'd lose those legions of fans he won way back then. And A Thousand Different Ways will satisfy those fans — but the truth is, they probably would have stuck with him anyway, even if he did something more interesting than this, which is as predictable and slick as a latter-day Barry Manilow album. At least it is better sung than a recent Barry album, and Clay's bizarre gossip-page psychodrama does lend his music a certain fascination. After all, how can somebody release an album this safe and then wrap it up in a photo of himself where he adopts k.d. lang's haircut from Ingénue? Only Clay, and that's why he has Claymaniacs — plus plenty of other pop culture junkies — following his every move.

ONLY LOOKS NEW

A THOUSAND DIFFERENT WAYS
CLAY AIKEN; RCA/SONY BMG

Clay Aiken may be sporting a shaggy new hairdo and a more rumpled, raffish look, but the American Idol alum's sound is still pure vanilla custard. This third CD is dominated by covers of adult- contemporary pop staples, from a relatively sure-footed reading of Elton John's Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word to sappier takes on Harry Nilsson's Without You (Aiken's single) and the Dolly Parton hit Here You Come Again.

Sincere Aiken follows bland formula
By JOHN WIRT
Music critic
Published: Oct 6, 2006

Clay Aiken
A THOUSAND DIFFERENT WAYS
American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken’s third album follows the TV talent show’s recipe of contestants singing chestnuts. Aiken, who placed a close second to Ruben Studdard in May 2003, goes for big pop-song moments in a collection of love songs originally recorded by the likes of Celine Dion, Richard Marx, Elton John, Bryan Adams and Paul Young. Emoting in arrangements thick with strings and programming, his sincere but bland singing is electronically altered at least some of the time. Despite the promise in A Thousand Different Ways’ title and the record’s various producers, the disc is inflexibly formulaic. But Aiken is the bestselling second-place American Idol contestant yet. His new music product made another impressive entry into the Billboard 200 album chart last week, debuting at No. 2.

www.shipwreckislandstudio...ntways.htm (http://www.shipwreckislandstudio...ntways.htm)

A Thousand Different Ways - Clay Aiken

Genre: Covers/Pop/Classical

Review By: Tony

Album Specs:

1. Right Here Waiting 8. Everything I Do (I Do It For You)
2. Lonely No More 9. Because You Loved Me
3. Without You 10. I Want To Know What Love Is
4. Every Time You Go Away 11. These Open Arms
5. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word 12. Here You Come Again
6. When I See You Smile 13. Everything I Have
7. A Thousand Days 14. Broken Wings

Track By Track Breakdown (New Original Tracks Only):

2. Lonely No More - The first new original track from Clay to appear on this album. While it starts off a bit slow and soft the song does pick up quickly. An extremely well crafted track and why shouldn't it be after all it was written by 4 people which is something you don't see a lot of these days. A straight forward song that is backed by acoustic guitars, though to some will be hard to pick out but they are there. In true Clay form he doesn't over power the soft mood being portrayed. His vocals have changed, but for the better. To me he sounds a bit more involved in the song then previous works. While not the best song he's done, it is certainly one of his finest.

3. Without You - Another soft ballad type track from Clay. There's a theme to this point as far as new songs go, their slower and show the true heart and emotional strength that Clay has. There's a hint of pop here but overshadowing that is the use of orchestra instruments backing Aiken all the way. This is also the first track where you can hear Clay's full vocal range. As soon as he hits the high notes there's no question that this kid has the vocal range to reach heaven and beyond. The only thing I didn't care for was the ending of the song, the use of a fade wasn't needed.

7. A Thousand Days - Now I was shocked when I heard this version as the first time I heard this song it wasn't this polished. All the additions from the smoother transitional areas to the addition of violins and other orchestra instruments have allowed this song to grow. If you've heard the radio version of this song get ready for a shock because it's completely different and much more laid back which fits the overall design of this album. There's no doubt in my mind that this is one of, if not the finest song Clay has recorded in his already amazing career.

11. These Open Arms - Is this a new Clay song? No it's not, this is a cover of a Bon Jovi song though some may not know. I read many websites & press releases that are claiming this is a brand new original song. Their information is incorrect, this is a cover but done very well. Clay makes this song his own by really slowing the song down. Not at all like the original version and that's a great thing. It seems that Bon Jovi is allowing some of his material to be redone by American Idol contestants. Clay isn't the first to cover a Jovi song, Bo Bice covered Jovi on his debut album as well. I wanted to mention this song here because others have had misinformation about it's origin.

13. Everything I Have - I got a sense that this song was a lost Chicago/Peter Cetera song. Everything seemed as if it was a cover tune but in fact it's a newly penned Clay original. Major piano movements throughout the song really drawing the listener in was a plus. Aiken's vocal range here doesn't really open up as much as I would have liked but he holds true to the overall style and emotional sense that pours out from the song making his performance unforgettable.

The Rundown:

Clay's back with 10 covers and 4 new songs but will fans go for a covers disc?

+'s (Positives):

+ New Material: Though there's only 4 new songs Clay didn't hold anything back. Not only are the 4 songs exceptional work but the cover material was elegantly done.

+ A+ Vocals: Clay sounds better then ever. Many will just assume he sounds the same but to me he's grown to the musician he wanted to be.

-'s (Negatives):

- Not Enough Original Material: Not exactly a bad thing here but it would have been nice to hear at least 1 more original pop type track to round things out.

Overall:

Where do I begin here? I suppose I should start with the cover songs. If you want to make a great covers album the songs you cover have to be changed, it's that simple. If you just cover the song in the same vain as the original version then what was the reason for releasing your disc? Clay has done a brilliant job not only covering some very difficult songs but also making them his own. That is another thing that is hard to pull off though Clay has managed to do it. Every song covered (Minus The Bon Jovi Track) was popular at one point in time yet Clay not only does the original version justice but truly enhances the original vibes which made the songs popular in the first place. Here's an example of what I'm talking about. In my initial reaction I mentioned that the best reinvented track was "Because You Loved Me." I still believe that's the best reinvented track on the disc because he left the original vibe in tact but he changed the overall rhythm of the song allowing the material to breathe new life. There's really nothing more I can say about the cover tracks, basically as a listener you have to decide weather or not he managed to capture you through these songs. Personally I find these songs to be a real breath of fresh air because there's been a ton of cover discs that have been released in the past 2 years and frankly there's only been 2 or 3 that have really been done well. This album is in fact one of the better cover discs because of how Clay was able to reinvent the original songs.

Now to focus on what people really want to know about. How are the original songs? Honestly there was only 1 issue and that was on 1 song. The use of a fade at the end of the track was simply not needed why do I say that? Let me put it this way, when you go to a concert do the artists use fades at the end of their songs? I didn't think so. While I understand the use of a fade on a studio release, it just wasn't needed here. It's obvious Clay is going to sing these new songs live and frankly it should have had a real ending rather then the fade. Are the new songs any good? I'll go one better, these songs are going to set the tone as to how Clay's career goes. I firmly believe that if he sticks with this soft blend of material and intertwines a few pop tracks he'll be one of the most successful singers in music history. There are very few mainstream musicians that capture me the way Clay does. He's a musician that when there's word of new material on the way people go crazy, that's a good thing. With songs like Without You & A Thousand Days Clay has opened the door to greatness. Some might be put off by this album's soft tones and if that's the case your not following what Clay is trying to accomplish. This disc is all about not only reliving the past but reviving it. Clay has set a course toward the future and with time I think fans of all genres will notice this release for it's original material as well as the reinvented cover tunes.

This is a career setting album for Clay but not his best, as his best is still to come. You could hear throughout this release how completely in love he is with the classic material and as a listener it's nice to hear an artist actually appreciate the material being put forth.

Hopefully with the right push from his label and fans this disc will see success not only in sales but in terms of overall play. I am hoping some of these songs show up on Movie/TV soundtracks.  

The only thing missing was 1 more original song. I say that because I'm sure some fans were looking for a full pop album from Clay. There are hints of pop throughout the disc on the cover tracks that should keep those fans happy but I do see the point as some are looking for something that was a bit more familiar.

Overall this is a brilliantly done album that one can sit back, listen to and just drift away. Clay is much more then just some kid from a realty show, he's a musician in every sense of the word. The best is still to come and what is scary is that this disc is so good how can he possibly top it?

A Thousand Different Ways (New Original Songs) receives a 3.95/4

A Thousand Different Ways (Release Overall) receives a 4.95/5

My Initial Reaction (Posted September 2nd, 2006):

I was privileged to listen to Clay's album today and I have to say he's got a winner on his hands. I was a bit put off by the idea of another covers album but he's pulled it off nicely. A classic track such as Bryan Adams "Everything I Do" which I felt couldn't be redone properly is completely retooled and sounds amazing. I'd say the best reinvented track has to be the Celine Dion song "Because You Loved Me." I didn't care for the original version but Clay sped up the song and added his own flavor to it making it his own. Now when I first heard about this disc the one song that stood out to me was the Bad English song "When I See You Smile." I read some pretty harsh comments from some fans that in a nutshell said that Clay couldn't pull off this classic track. While it's not quite was redone as other songs, Clay's vocals fit perfectly and with a violin backing really allows the song to breath a bit more. To me Clay pulled this track off with no issues at all.

Final Rating For "Clay Aiken - A Thousand Different Ways":

0.95 Points = Transitions / Order
1 Point = Fun Factor
1 Point = Instruments / Vocal Sound
1 Point = Writing / Lyrics
1 Point = Overall Design / Feel


Overall Total: 4.95/5

Favorite Songs: Right Here Waiting, Lonely No More, Without You, When I See You Smile, A Thousand Days, Everything I Do (I Do It For You), Because You Loved Me, I Want To Know What Love Is, These Open Arms, Broken Wings


For more on Clay Aiken visit his official website www.clayaiken.com (http://www.clayaiken.com)

I picture two different groups of songwriters lining up outside Clive Davis' office, begging for a chance to be covered by Clay Aiken: those who have written new sterling ballads that deserve masterful delivery, and those who wrote classic pieces in another time that Clay can carry up the charts again in 2006.

These two groups feed right into Clay's third album, A Thousand Different Ways. This 14-track collection of memorable love songs from the past 30 years receives the classic Aiken touch of tender rearrangements, lilting melodies, and a voice from heaven that continues to grow and dazzle. Which is a good thing: For this effort Clay leapt off the cliff to cover songs by icons (Celine Dion, Elton John, Jon Bon Jovi, and Dolly Parton) and a host of former chart-toppers by familiar names among the over-35 crowd (Foreigner, Bryan Adams, Paul Young, Harry Nilsson, Richard Marx and Mister Mister).

Numerous songs stand out on this CD. Clay's rearrangement of "Everything I Do, (I Do It for You)" caught my ear because instead of trying to emulate Adams' raspy voice, he deepened the feeling with a wonderful Celtic sound. His rendition of Dion's "Because You Love Me" serves the song very well, while he gives us plenty of range in terms of both sensitivity to material and vocals with "Everytime You Go Away", "When I See You Smile", and "I Want to Know What Love Is". These songs might have started out in your parents' collections, but Clay just made them your songs. Buy them now.

- Mitch Velez