ClayManiacs

On the front page, we've posted a new feature article called We Love This Album A Thousand Different Ways! (http://www.claymaniacs.com) in which your moderating staff here share our favorite two songs from the CD, including bonus tracks of course!  Be sure to check it out, but be warned - it's a long one!

You've probably had time to listen to the CD yourself a few times by now.  :slick So now we'd love to know your favorites as well.  Which song do you hit the repeat button for? And are there any you just have to skip? And....why?!?

How about the bonus tracks - If You Don't Know Me By Now, the KMart bonus, and Lover All Alone, the iTunes bonus.

Do you think these tracks should have been on the CD? We're pretty lucky to get 14 tracks, so remember something would have to go if anything else was added!

Do you like the choice of songs, covers and originals? How about the sound, the production, the arrangements, the orchestration?

And how about the songs that were previewed on the Jukebox tour last year - Just You, Back for More, Tears Run Dry and A Thousand Days.  A Thousand Days made he cut, but the others did not.  Lots of us liked Back for More, but would the song have fit on the final version of the album?

That's a lot of food for thought. So, dig in!

(Don't forget to show support by saving wear and tear on your copy and streaming the audio at AOL Music! (http://music.aol.com/artist/clay-aiken/559598/main))

Am I the first one to reply????????  Okay be kind to me and do not throw tomatoes at me!!

My favorite song is "CAN'T LIVE", this song really showcases CLAY's range and power.  Second best for me,  "A THOUSAND DAYS" a very catchy tune.  It is very rare that I like a brand new song until I have heard it several times but this one I liked right away.  I love "BROKEN WINGS", "BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME" and "LONELY NO MORE".  My least favorite (I am ducking right now) is "OPEN ARMS" and "HERE YOU COME AGAIN".  I am sorry but I keep hearing Dolly Parton sing that one.

I would have loved to have had "IF YOU DON"T KNOW ME BY NOW" on the CD and would have sacrificed one of the songs for this one also WAMLAW should have been on the CD.  If CLAY'S people watch the fan sites that should have known fans went crazy when he sang that song.  Oh well the next CD I think they should have the fans submitt songs to pick from and go by the numbers.

Pepe - I think that a lot of the songs Clay sang for us during the Juke Box Tour should be on future Cds, but only a couple at a time! WAMLAW - definitely! Hopefully, the next Cd will be almost all original songs.  I'm still sorry that "Back For More" got dropped - I think it could have been classified as a love song. There was another thread about this subject earlier in the week, but I will repeat what I have already written. My favorite song on the Cd is "Lonely No More" - the words to the song - the way Clay uses his voice - everything about the song. And I love knowing that he wrote at least part of the words - he needs to let us hear what other songs he has written! As I said before, I think that almost everyone could relate to "Lonely No More", because I do not know of many people who have not been lonely a time or two in their lives.

Of the 14 tracks, I love 10. The other four, while I like, I do find myself passing over them - and that's a lot of songs to be skipping! My favorite is Because You Loved Me. I wore out my Celine CD listening to that song and I wasn't sure I was going to like Clay's version, but I fell in love the first time I heard it. :bigsmile Right Here Waiting occupies the #2 spot. I'm not sure what it is about the four I skip - Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, Everything I Do, Here You Come Again and Everything I Have. With the exception of Everything I Do, those are probably the slowest tracks on the CD, which probably speaks to my love of Clay singing uptempo songs. Everything I Do was another song I was really worried about and, unfortunately, it didn't win me over. Although a lot of people really like it, I'm not a fan of the "celtic" sound.

I'm quite comfortable in saying I wouldn't mind having If You Don't KNow Me By Now replace something on the CD, but I'm not sure it would fit the "theme" of the CD. Same goes for Lover All Alone, even though they are love songs. However, both are outstanding and I'm so glad they were offered as bonus tracks. Lover All Alone is one of those that really hurts you, but in a good way. Makes me think of all those growing pains where I wanted so desperately to be "in love" like those around me, but it was one dead end after another.

For the most part, I like the song choices. :smile I don't know anything about production, arrangement and orchestration, but I can tell a HUGE difference between MOAM and ATDW. I'm not sure of the proper lingo, but the songs don't sound as processed (?) as they did on his first CD.

As far as the other songs previewed on the JBT, TRD and BFM don't fit on the CD. I wouldn't mind hearing them on the next album, though. What snarky fun the first line in BFM would be. :lmao I was never a fan of JY, so I don't mind that it didn't make the cut either.

Thanks for the great topic, Pam! Great work on the article as well!  :thumb

I ALSO LOVED BFM AND TRD, I AM HOPING THAT THEY WILL MAKE THE NEXT ALBUM

ON ATDW, ABSOLUTELY LOVE Lonely No More. ITS JUST SO GOOD, AND I THINK BECAUSE IT IS AN ORIGINAL I LIKE IT EVEN MORE. I FIND IT GOING THROUGH MY HEAD A LOT. THIS WOULD MAKE A GOOD RADIO SINGLE, IMHO

I ALSO CAN HEAR Everything I Have AS A MOVIE SOUNDTRACK, POSSIBLY A DISNEY MOVIE.

These Open Arms- ITS GOOD, BUT I THINK ITS MY LEAST FAVORITE ORIGINAL

A Thousand Days- I ALWAYS LIKED THIS (ALTHOUGH NOT NECESSARILY THE LYRICS) BUT WHEN I HEARD HIM ROCK IT OUT ON GMA I COULD SEE THIS AS BEING A GOOD RADIO HIT (ESPECIALLY LOVED THE GROWLS!!)

I LOVED Everything I Do BECAUSE I JUST LOVE CELTIC MUSIC, AND CLAYS ETHEREAL VOICE WOUND THROUGHOUT THIS MUSIC. LOVE IT

Broken Wings- SUSY KEPT PUSHING ME TO REALLY LISTEN TO THIS. AND IT HAS ENDED UP AS ONE OF MY TOP FAVORITES- I LOVE THE SPOKEN POEM- BUT I ALSO LOVE CLAYS VOICE IN THIS- ITS DIFFERENT- BUT IT IS HAUNTING.

I REALLY DO LIKE Right Here Waiting, When I See You Smile, Every Time You Go Away- THEY ARE FASTER PACED AND I LOVE HIS INTERPRETATION OF IT. (wow, i sound like an AI judge!!)

I LOVE IWKWLI- THE WAY THEIR VOICES COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER.

AND Because You Loved Me- WHEN THOSE DRUMS KICK IN- WOW- AND I FEEL THAT CLAY IS SINGING TO US AS HIS FANS.

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word AND Here You Come Again- I DO LIKE CLAYS SOFTER RENDITION OF THESE SONGS- MAKING THEM DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINALS AND HIS OWN.

BUT.........Lover All Alone........WHAT CAN I SAY? THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE CD (THEY COULD TAKE OFF These Open Arms) THIS SONG JUST PULLS AT YOU EMOTIONALLY- I WOULD SAY IT SHOULD GO TO RADIO BUT THE STREAMING MASSES WOULD BE A PILE OF MUSH AFTER HEARING IT. THE MELODY CATCHES AT YOU- YOU REMEMBER IT FOR A LONG TIME AFTER. AND THE WORDS ARE SO VERY HAUNTING AND SAD. AND YET I CANT STOP LISTENING TO IT.

I HAVE PURCHASED THE KMART CD FOR If You Don't Know Me By Now BUT I HAVE NOT YET DOWNLOADED IT- EVERYONE SEEMS TO HAVE A PROBLEM AND I AM SKEERED.

Okay, I'm a diehard fan, I'm so happy to hear Clay's voice again( besides listening to the old stuff over and over).
As said before, Clay can take a song I would not normally like and make me like it.
I seem to be the only one so far that loves sorry seems to be the hardest word.
I like a thousand days and as others have said I love lonely no more.
I'm going to try and make it to Kmart today .
Can't wait for the tour!

 :cry :cry   I've not had the pleasure of hearing either bonus track, so can't say on those.

My two faves are "Everything I Have"  tender gentle...sigh   and "These Open Arms"  I think this would be a good radio song.

I anxiously await THE tour!!!!

I was late getting my hands on ATDW, so I really did pick my favorites on my first impressions. I warned Pamela that I would probably change my mind after a few more listens. :lol

Actually, I find I like ALL the songs the more I listen to the new CD.  I like them all for different reasons. I haven't been skipping any yet, which is unusual for me. 

Being an old soul, I was familiar with all the 10 cover songs.  I think this is a HUGE pull for me.  No one else has mentioned this yet, so here goes:

I like the covers because I already knew all the words and I can sing along every time!!!!  :bigsmile

I don't dislike the covers - they are all beautiful songs, and, I think, that once Clay sings a song, the original artist loses it forever! (As Neil Sedaka said about "Solitaire - "I've just lost my song!"). I'm sure that everyone familiar with the songs loves Clay's versions, and maybe the covers are new to  some of Clay's youngest fans. I do love this CD.

However, I just made a copy of one of the Juke Box Tour concerts for someone, and as I was making sure that it burned O.K., I was watching the "future" section. I think "Back For More" would have been popular with the younger fans, and I think it would have gotten a lot of radio play.

That said, I'm still happy with what we have been given on this CD - almost everyone is. The number of reviews on Amazon is up to 190, and almost everyone writing a review has given the CD 5 Stars. I have enjoyed reading those reviews so much - every person has a different slant on things, and many bring out points that I never thought about.

DRIVING HOME FROM THE CD PARTY
BOCA AND I PLAYED THE CD FOR THE FIRST TIME
I WAS NOT TICKLED AT ALL..
SHE WAS NOT  MESEMERISED EITHER

IT  SOUNDS   THE SAME TO ME...BORING..

I AM OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER SOME
OF THESE SONGS..FROM  YEAR 1AD  :lmao

I LIKE 2 ..TRACK 3+10
WITHOUT YOU...I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS
THESE  TO MY EAR HAVE A BIT OF LIFE TO THEM...
THE DOLLY PARTON SONG SOUNDS  BORING...

I HAVE PLAYED 1000 DAYS ALL YEAR LONG
THIS ONE IS NOT NEW TO ME
MARILYN GAVE ME A CD OF THE BEST JUKEBOX SONGS
I AM DISAPPOINTED THE BONUS TRACKS
ARE NOT ON THE 6CD'S I ALREADY PURCHASED

I  GAVE A CD TO MY COUSIN
SHE DID NOT LIKE IT
TOLD ME IT WAS A DEAD CD ...NO LIFE TO IT

LOVE SONGS DON'T HAVE TO BE SLOW BALLADS
MANY HAVE A CATCHY BEAT...
THIS IS WHAT IS MISSING HERE FOR ME
WELL....NOW WE WAIT FOR NEXT CD..TO BE EVEN BETTER...

AM CURIOUS WHAT KIND OF A TOUR HE WILL HAVE..





 

Hello everyone. :wave

I feel like I've been hiding in a hole all these years because most of these songs seems original to me. I should explore other artist often. :bigsmile The only song that I'm familiar with in this CD is Celine Dion's Because you loved me.

The first time i listened to it, I feel in love with "Everytime you go away." But the more I listened, the more I realized  that  I actually love them all. Of course I  have a favorate but all in all, I love tha whole CD. Thanks Clay!!

Lolita

What a great topic.  I have loved reading all of the responses. 

I love the CD.  I have not had time to listen more than a dozen times, but here are first impressions
from me.

I will begin with what I don't like.  The only song I really don't like is Everything I Do.  It has nothing to do with the way Clay sings it.  I just don't like the song.  I skip it every time.

Now....my absolute favorite is Sorry.  It grabbed me the first time I heard it on the snippets and the whole version just blows me away.  I hope that someday I will get to hear Clay sing it live.

I love Right Here Waiting, Lonely No More, Without You, Because You Love Me, I Want to Know What Love Is, These Open Arms (which I love more and more each time I hear it), and Broken Wings (which I also love more and more each time I hear it).

I like Every Time You Go Away, When I See You Smile, A Thousand Days, Here You Come Again, and Everything I Have and will probably grow to like them more and more with more listens.

I have downloaded Lover All Alone.  I was not as excited about it as many fans are, but it is growing on me.  Clay sounds beautiful and as the words become more familiar to me, I am sure it is one that I will want to listen to often.

I do not have the KMart song nor have I heard it.

I am sorry to see so many people disappointed, but I am not.  Would I like to see Clay stretch and grow with new original materal...sure, but there is time and I'm sure he will.  For now, for me, I was ready to hear his voice again, and I am happy.

HAVEN'T READ WHAT THE MODS THINK YET.  I'LL GET TO THAT.

I LOVE LONELY ALL ALONE THE BEST OF ALL.  IT IS JUST GORGEOUS.  I TALKED ABOUT THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES ALREADY.

MY FAVORITES ARE BROKEN WINGS, EVERYTHING I HAVE, BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME, AND HERE YOU COME AGAIN.  THE ONLY SONG I DO NOT LIKE IS RIGHT HERE WAITING.  EVERYTHING I DO IS NOT A FAVORITE EXCEPT FOR THE CELTIC FLAVOR.

THE BONUS TRACK FROM KMART IS HOT.  SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE CD AS SHOULD WAMLAW.  DEFINITELY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE CD.  THAT WAS A HUGE MISTAKE.

THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOME MORE UPBEAT THINGS ON THE CD.  CLAY CAN SING AND SELL ANYTHING.  I LOVE THE CD, BUT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN UP TEMPO SONGS.  I AM SURE THERE WILL BE ON THE TOUR.

WE ALL WANTED A CD OF ORIGINALS.  WE ALL KNOW CLAY LOST THAT BATTLE.  SO WHAT?  THERE ARE LOTS OF CD'S IN HIS FUTURE AND I KNOW WE WILL GET WHAT WE WANT.  THE CRITICS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET PAST THE COVERS THING, BUT I CAN.  I KNOW THE SONGS, BUT NOT WELL, SO THEY ARE KIND OF NEW TO ME.  CLAY SOUNDS WONDERFUL.

THE PRODUCTION IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN MOAM.  HIS VOICE IS HIGHLIGHTED MORE.  I COULD DO WITH A LITTLE LESS ORCHESTRATION ON SOME SONGS, BUT EVEN IN CONCERT, I THINK FELIX COULD BANG ON THOSE DRUMS A LITTLE LOWER.   :bigsmile 

CLAY IS SINGING TO ME AND MAKING ME FEEL SO GOOD.  THAT IS ENOUGH FOR ME.

GWENN

GREAT TOPIC PAMELA... :clap

I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT MY FAVORITES SONGS ARE THE DOWNLOADS THAT ARE NOT ON THE ALBUM.

"LOVER ALL ALONE" TRULY DESERVES TO BE ON THIS ALBUM...IT'S HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL, YOU CAN FEEL THE ACHE IN HIS HEART WHEN HE SINGS...AND LET'S FACE IT, SOMETIMES LOVE IS A BUNCH OF PRICKY THORNS...AND LOVE CAN BE UNREQUAINTED..  :thud


"IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME BY NOW" IS ALL SO SEXY! IT KIND OF UNNERVES ME, BUT IN A GOOD WAY... :wink

NOW, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I DO LIKE THE ALBUM, I JUST WISH THERE WAS MORE ORIGINAL SONGS... I TRULLY LOVE "EVERYTHING I HAVE AND LONELY NO MORE"

OUT OF THE COVERS,  MY FAVORITES ARE HERE YOU COME AGAIN AND BROKEN WINGS!  :thud

PLUS, I DID HAVE MY HUBBY MR. PHILLY LISTEN TO IT... FOR MALE'S PROSPECTIVE...HE LIKED "HERE COME AGAIN" AND HE WAS SHOCK SINCE HE CAN'T STAND DOLLY PARTON. HE LIKED HOW CLAY SLOWED IT DOWN.  BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HIS FAVORITE SONG TO IS "LOVER ALL ALONE" TOO!

PERHAPS, THEY WILL RE-ISSUE THE CD WITH "LOVER ALL ALONE" AS THE BONUS TRACK!  :bigsmile

LOVE YA

PHILLY

I love all the songs on the CD and listened to it every night before I go to bed. I actually couldn't wait to hear before you brought it so I listened to it on the internet a lot before it was out Tuesday.

My favorite song is Lonely No More. I play it more then anything. I turn it up and sing it loud. You can relate to the song. Clay sings it beautifully.

I really like how Clay made all the covers into his own and we all know he can sing covers better then anyone else. They sound fresh and new. I also like the arrangements to them.

My favorite cover song is Because You Love Me, Here You Come Again, When I see You Smile, Open Arms and Broken Wings.

Starting to love Everything I Have too.

I love how Right Here Waiting is up-tempo.

Broken Wings and the poem in the background is beautiful.

Here You Come Again is sexy.

I like the background music on Everything I do, I do It For You.

I love how all the songs showcases more of Clay's voice. I like this album better then MOAM.

I agree that I wish some songs from the JBT could had been on there and want to hear all the songs he recorded that had been cut from the CD. I know one of the songs is Glory of Love that could had been on it. I would love to hear Clay sing it.

Love 1000 Days since the JBT and glad it made it on the CD.

Maybe there could be some of those songs that could be on his next CD. We can only hope.

I wish I could hear the bonus tracks but haven't heard them. Maybe he can sing them on tour.  :smile

Great discussion topic !  :clap

The only song I have not heard yet is the K-Mart extra - If You Don't Know Me By Now . . . but I want it.

Favorites Immediately Category:   Without You, Lonely No More, A Thousand Days, Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word & Everything I Have.

Grew On Me Very Quickly Category:   Broken Wings, Here You Come Again, I Want to Know What Love Is.

Out of the Ball Park Category:   Lover All Alone!  Heard everyone's description of how much they loved it   . . . . but then I downloaded it and heard it ~ over and over.  That song has something so uniquely heart breaking.  The lyrics and the melody are outstanding.  I have never heard this level of emotion in Clay's voice! 

This song HAS to get to the general public somehow!  I must "see" Clay sing this one!  Since the first moment that I heard it, I have wondered how/why the decision was made not to include it on ATDW.  :para

I love Clay no matter what he sings , however in my opinion, Clay needed BRASS INSTRUMENTS  in his CD.

Can this Argentine fan, who has not been posting for quite a while but is a devoted lurker, give her humble opinion?



Do I hear a "yes"?



Thank you.

Let me explain that I'm no expert. I just like music or I don't. It touches my soul or it leaves me indifferent.

My absolute favorites from the start: Without You, A Thousand Days, Everything I Have and If You Don't Know Me By Now. (Why isn't this song in the CD?!?!?!?!?! Clive Davis... you've failed me!)

I loved the song but was a bit disappointed in the rendition: Here You Come Again.
(Let me explain: I had downloaded Maureen McGovern's version and it blew me away. I expected something more... more... dramatized, I guess. Kind of I Survived You, live.)

I just heard (twice on live365.com) and absolutely ADORED: Lover All Alone.

I didn't like the song but really liked Clay's rendition: Right Here Waiting.

I don't like the song and it breaks my heart because I love Jon Bon Jovi: These Open Arms.

I enjoyed all the other songs, but the fact that I've heard most of them sooooo often (my favorite radio station plays them very often) takes some of the excitement out of them. Anyway, I love listening to Clay singing them.

Even though I think the CD is very good, I believe that Clay live is so much better than  recorded Clay. I'm sooooo looking forward to clack, my sole provider of live Clay. (I can't thank enough all the wonderful fans that uploaded Clay's TV appearances.)

I hope real life will allow me to come back more often.

Hugs, hugs, hugs,

Clara

P.S. In case you're wondering how I got the CD... I haven't yet. I've just been listening to it on line. A friend is buying one for me next month when he goes to the USA. I'm still hoping (against hope???) for Clay's CDs to come to Latin America. Life is hard for alien fans...

WHERE IS LIVE365.COM? I DIDNT THINK CLAY'S BONUS TRACK WAS ON ANYTHING BUT THE SPECIAL ITUNES DOWNLOAD.

Hi, Marilyn!!

www.live365.com/stations/kenndawg316

It seems they're playing Clay all day. Songs from every CD and demos.

Enjoy!!!

Okay Pamela, you asked....here is my take on ATDW :)

I am disappointed overall. When the concept was first announced, I had my doubts....I just hoped that they would pick songs that would go well with Clay's voice and they would do something really great with the arrangements. I saw the song list finally and thought....yes...they DID pick wonderful songs! Then after waiting for what seemed like eons...the CD arrived and I felt very let down while listening to it. I have listened to it at least three to four times a day, every day since Tuesday and while it has grown on me somewhat, it was just not what I had expected. Let me try to explain:
1) The arrangements- basically simple and somewhat "cheesy". I now wish that David Foster had produced/ararnged the songs on the CD.
2) I felt that they had held Clay's voice back a lot. Someone wrote on a blog (I think on USA Today) that if you had ever seen Clay in concert, you would understand that he seems subdued on this CD. I agree with that totally.....after seeing Clay live so many times, I expected more greatness in the use of his voice. He has such range and style- it seems like the producers toned him down a lot.
3) Bad mixing!!! There are actually areas where you can tell where the vocal has been spliced in- the timbre of Clay's voice changes radically- and you can hear more tape noise in some areas of the CD. Not at all what I expected with David Foster's sister overseeing everything. I had expectations of Jaymes Foster having a little of the same ear that her brother has, but it is apparently not so.

What I like : Like I said, the songs are growing on me, and I am sure I will always listen to it- I will not put it off to the side and say no more!
It is something new from Clay- so of course I treasure it :)

The one song that stands out for me is "Everything I Have" with William Joseph. It is about as close to perfect for a love song as you can get. The beautiful oboe running through with a countermelody...and William Joseph's accompanaiment is sheer joy to the ear. Clay's voice is beautifully nuanced for most of this song, although I would have preferred to hear him be stronger at the end.  Melody and verse both- just gorgeous! The orchestral arrangement is more of what I had expected to hear on the rest of this CD!

So, I know I am not the majority here....it just was not the greatest CD I have heard. There was nothing basically new about the covers really....a few gimmicks here and there- but no new breaking ground as we have heard Clay do with songs on his tours- where he really puts a new spin on it for us.  I kept telling myself I am being too picky since I have done sound engineering and I have a background in music...but it is more than that- I am just not crazy about this whole CD! I went back and listened to Merry Christmas With Love- and actually prefer that CD, as Clay's voice soars on that one and the arrangements and mixing are superb! THAT is the level I was looking for, so I guess I can understand why I was disappointed with ATDW.

- Char

Well, for me I am really enjoying the CD.  To me I think he did a great job with most of the songs and I've enjoyed playing them over and over.  And I have to agree with Deanna.  After submitting my 2 fav songs for the article written by Pamela which was a tough decision, I think my favs will change over time.  I do still like the 2 I chose, When I See You Smile and Everything I Do.  I actually changed to Everything I Do from Because You Loved Me.  Those 2 are pretty equal but after listening more closely to Everything I Do in my headphones I really enjoyed it!  The only song I would say I'm having trouble enjoying is Here You Come Again.  I still can't get Dolly's version out of my head everytime I hear it. 

The bonus tracks are great!!  Especially Lover All Alone is quickly becoming a favorite and I enjoy listening to it over and over.  Clay seems to be singing that from his heart and I'm looking forward to hearing more original material from him.  I think he did great on the 2 songs he helped write on this CD and I hope he comes more comfortable with it so we can hear more on the next CD!

:clap  Great job Clay!  I think you did a great job with ATDW and look forward to the tour!  :thumb

THANK YOU!!

It is interesting that all of these songs leave people with differing impressions.

Overall, I love the album, there isn't one song on it that I hate.  Unfortunately, I can't add any technical feedback, I usually just like a song or I don't.  Prior to Clay announcing what this album would be, I hoped for some upbeat, rockin' songs, but it was not meant to be for this album, for whatever reason.  Even though it is not what I hoped for I still love it just the same!!  It is Clay's voice and that is always glorious to me!!


Songs most looked forward to listening to:  Right Here Waiting and Lonely No More

Most Favorite Song:  Everything I Have

Other favorites: Here You Come Again, These Open Arms, Right Here Waiting, A Thousand Days

Get stuck in my head:  Lonely No More, Everytime You Go Away

Have Skipped a few times:  Broken Wings

Made me cry on first listen:  When I See You Smile, Because You Loved Me, and Everything I Have - These really suprised me because I have only cried on two occasions when hearing Clay sing, and those were both the first times that I heard BOTW and Solitaire LIVE in Concert.

Again, over all - Love it, Love it, Love it!!!!   :shappy

I liked most of the songs on the CD, but I would have preferred different arrangements on some of them.  But there were couple of songs that I really liked - Sorry seems to be the hardest word and Everything I have.  You can really hear his emotions.  My husband, who is very picky about what songs he likes (he loves Josh Groban, Il Divo, Eagles, etc), and who doesn't particularly into AI, actually turned up the volume when I was playing Sorry Seems to be the hardest word and said it's much better than Elton John. :bouncy

I am familiar with all the cover songs on the CD and I think Clay has done a great job with them.  My cover favorites are Everything I Do, Broken Wings and Sorry Seems to  Be the Hardest Word.  My new song favorites are These Open Arms and 1000 Days.

According to an interview I read, Clay stated the intention for this CD was to be more subdued (not exactly his words).  It is more about him singing and not belting out the power notes as we all know he can do. 

First the critics blasted him for his power notes, now they are criticizing the album because the power notes are not there.  There's no winning here.

Oh critics are stupid  :bduh

His voice is as beautiful as ever, just as much as on MOAM. Wish they would mention something like that.

Always late.....   After several weeks of listening to ATDW, I wanted to see what others liked/disliked and ILClaymate pointed me here. ((ILClaymate)) It is fun to read all the different opinions. There are some interesting combinations of favorite songs by prior posters here.

This CD is awesome. The first play through, it did sound mostly the same to me. Not any more!!!!!

Favorites:  Lonely No More, Without You, Sorry, Here You Come Again, and Everything I Have

Least Favorites:  I Want to Know What Love Is and These Open Arms

The others are good, and I find myself singing them while doing real life things.

Lover All Alone is better than everything on the CD, and that's really saying something. It is beautiful and Clay is really putting himself into it.

If You Don't Know Me By Now is performer Clay. He is letting it all out and I can picture him wailing on stage.  :bouncy

Can't wait to see him at Christmas and especially touring "soon".  :roflmao



Has anyone changed their favorites now that we've had the CD for several weeks?

I'm REALLY late in getting my two cents in on this discussion.
I've been listening to ATDW every day since its release.  The bonus tracks ('Lover All Alone' and 'If You Don't Know Me By Now') are amazing!!  I wish they had been included on the "regular" CD.
My favorite song is still 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word' with 'Everything I Have' a close second.

Some people at work have told me they've heard 'Without You' on the radio and they like Clay's rendition.  YAY!!

But when it comes right down to it I enjoy listening to all the songs because I love listening to Clay's voice!!