A THOUSAND DIFFERENT WAYS MEDIA REVIEWS

[clayMaine-iac]

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. 

NYDAILY

[clayMaine-iac]

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

ENTERTAINMENTWORLD

[clayMaine-iac]

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.

REDANDBLACK

[clayMaine-iac]

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.

MIAMI

[clayMaine-iac]

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.

INDYSTAR

[clayMaine-iac]

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.

THNT

[clayMaine-iac]

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.

ALLMUSIC

[clayMaine-iac]

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.

LONDON FREE PRESS

[clayMaine-iac]

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.

THE ADVOCATE

[grammaof6]

Album Review 2006

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

[Pamela]

ATDW Review

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

No link. From the print edition of American Idol magazine, Vol 3 Issue 1.

[clayniac4ver]

i love that song that he does

i want to know what love is

alyse