Clay Aiken Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
Clay Aiken dragged his feet on his sophomore effort but took little time to deliver his third, On My Way Here. By the time this appeared in stores in May 2008, it had long been established that Clay had little to do with any styles or sound that could be pegged as "contemporary," carving out his own little world for his Claymates, but this didn't stop him from attempting a makeover on On My Way Here, moving him out of the freeze-dried karaoke of A Thousand Different Ways and into something that feels a little bit more modern, drafting in OneRepublic singer Ryan Tedder to pen the title track and even dipping into some stiff, strange funk on "Everything I Don't Need." These two cuts are the exception to the rule, as the rest of On My Way Here sounds as if it could have competed with Jon Secada's singles for space on adult contemporary airwaves in 1991. This is an entirely welcome development for Clay, as he sounds at ease here in a way he never did on A Thousand Different Ways, where he was covering so many hits it seemed as if he was still suck on American Idol's big stage. That's surely not the case here: no songs are familiar, most feel tailored to Aiken's strengths, and he even bears a writing credit on the closing "Lover All Alone." All the songs are either about love or are inspirational in nature (which isn't the same thing as being Christian music, as this most assuredly is not, despite titles like "Grace of God") and everything is given a glossy veneer that reflects whatever the listeners brings to the record; if they're a Claymate, they'll find the songs inspiring; if not, this all will sound like well-crafted calculation. This time around, it's certainly easier for the non-fans to appreciate the craft in the record or the range in Aiken's voice for the very reason that this album feels crafted, not slapped together like the last, and that's a development that's easy to admire. Still, On My Way Here is totally, completely for the fans, for the Claymates who love unconditionally, and for those listeners, this is the opposite of A Thousand Different Ways as it rewards their devotion instead of taking advantage of it. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'A Thousand Different Ways'
Release Date 9/19/2006
Tracks 14
Label RCA
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The endlessly delayed A Thousand Different Ways, Clay Aiken's second proper album, was long-awaited, at least by the hoards of fans enthusiastically calling themselves Claymates, of which there are many. There were enough Claymates 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." Given Kelly's example, it would seem that Clay could have come out swinging with A Thousand Different Ways and do something interesting, but A Thousand Different Ways isn't risky: it's an album made directly for fans and makes Measure of a Man seem daring. 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. Clay sings Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting," Badfinger's "Without You," Hall & Oates' "Every Time You Go Away," Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do (I Do It for You)," Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is," and Mr. Mister's "Broken Wings." He 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," 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 the 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 American Idol superstars. He sounds exactly how you remember him from TV, which means that A Thousand Different Ways will particularly satisfy the Claymates -- but the truth is, they probably would have stuck with him under any circumstances. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Merry Christmas with Love'
Release Date 11/16/2004
Tracks 12
Label RCA
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Clay Aiken is a show-biz creature, so it's only appropriate that the sequel to his hit 2003 debut, Measure of a Man, is 2004's Merry Christmas with Love -- after all, there are few things quite as show biz as a holiday album. Aiken is a rarity in the new millennium: an old-fashioned, unironic middle-of-the-road singer. Those are the kinds of vocalists that always fare very well on Christmas records, so it should be no surprise that Aiken turns in a good holiday album. Actually, there are no surprises on the album -- the song selections are all standards, the arrangements are traditional and unobtrusive, always emphasizing Clay's voice, and the record is given a safe, high-gloss sheen ideal for adult contemporary radio. If there are any surprises with Merry Christmas with Love -- well, apart from Clay's impish, elfin look on the front cover -- it's that his singing is better, more assured here than it was on Measure of a Man. Then again, that debut was released a little over four months after he came in second on the second season of American Idol. He's had more time to work on Merry Christmas with Love, and it seems to benefit his performance, which bodes well for his second proper studio album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Justin Guarini, the runner-up on the first American Idol, released his album ten months after the competition ended and two months after Kelly Clarkson, the winner of the competition, released her debut. Clay Aiken, the runner-up on the second American Idol, released his first album, Measure of a Man, a mere five months after the close of competition and two and a half months before the winner, Ruben Studdard, released his record. Clearly, Clay was something more than a singer that came in second -- he was a bit of a pop phenomenon, capturing the hearts and minds of American Idol's core audience of preteens and housewives. To those not part of either demographic -- including those who faithfully watched AMIdol -- his appeal is a little puzzling, since he's hardly the cutest teen idol, looking a bit like Thom Yorke as a Southern-fried theater nerd, and his voice his better-suited for show tunes and his musical taste is thoroughly middle-of-the-road. Whenever he tried to tackle dancier material he seemed like he was singing a foreign language, and he never seemed at ease wearing or doing anything remotely hip; at least Kelly and Justin seemed somewhat comfortable doing teen-oriented material. Clive Davis, smart man that he is, decided to play up Clay's MOR bent on Measure of Man, never pushing Aiken toward club-ready dance cuts like "Miss Independent," or trying to approximate the sound of the Matrix or Neptunes on any cut. Instead, this is firmly pitched at adult contemporary radio, thanks to the cleanly professional production and the selection of self-consciously mature songs, written by such industry stalwarts as Desmond Child and Cathy Dennis (early-'80s metalhead Aldo Nova, of all people, gets in on the action, too, with "This Is the Night," the single that preceded Measure of a Man; it's included here, inexplicably called a "bonus cut," even though it's inserted at track nine of a 12-song album and there's been no version of the album without the song). Clay's earnest delivery -- somewhat sweet and expertly coached -- gives these songs a bit of innocence and believability, but the slickness of the whole enterprise overshadows his voice, particularly because his voice isn't all that remarkable on record. Perhaps it's due to the rushed release schedule of the album (to everyone's credit, it doesn't sound rushed), leading to Aiken overworking his voice, but his voice doesn't dazzle the way it occasionally could on the show; isolated from the visuals and his competitors, his voice sounds diminished. Even so, it's perfectly suited for this safe MOR album, and while none of the songs really catch hold, it doesn't matter since the sound of the record is pleasant and perfect for radio, which will please both the preteens and housewives, which is all Measure of a Man needed to do, anyway. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
