Don’t get me wrong – I am a true Clay fan but have to be honest. I could not wait until another CD came out as I have all of them and it’s been a long time coming. I just wish he would have come up with some original songs. We all agree his voice is amazing, but the songs, which were great at their time, are boring (to me)because I have heard them over and over again. Extremely disappointed he could not have come up with some original songs. Still love Clay, but hoping his next CD, will have original material on it.
Rating: 3 / 5

I have always been taught to be honest with people and so I am not going to BS anyone of you in this review. Yes, I have been a Clay fan since I’ve been in 8th grade and I am 21 now. I own multiples of his CDs, own pretty much every Clay Aiken thing you can imagine: champagne glasses, bobbleheads, posters, shirts, bracelets, programs, plates, lanyards, tags, pins, books, mediclaytion, and even used to own his boxers till I wore them so much I literally wore them to shreds and had to throw them out. Initially, however, big crazy fan aside, I admit I wasn’t thrilled about the covers thing. I still am crossing my fingers for Clay to create his own “original” set of standards for this era. Afterall, he is pretty tight with a great songwriter- David Foster, so it shouldn’t be too much of a struggle to get some new material. However, I wanted to set my first-thoughts of the album aside. I went to his PBS concert in Raleigh, so I already kind of knew what to expect as far as the album went. When I first put the CD in my player, I honestly was taken back to the day I heard his Christmas album for the first time. The vocals are extremely clear and hauntingly beautiful and the instrumentals are awesome. This album certainly isn’t like anything else on the shelves right now. The sound is clearly old-fashioned, but at the same time, it sounds more current than Michael Buble’s material. That doesn’t mean I am not a Buble fan, it simply means, Buble bears more resemblence to Frank Sinatra and masters that older vibe and Clay kind of made music of the past sound relevant in today’s powerpop musical world. Here is a breakdown of each song:

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You –

I don’t like listening to this song. The reasoning being is that the instrumental portion just drives me crazy. It sounds good, but for some reason it just kind of annoys me. Nothing to do with Clay, though, because as usual, his voice is wonderful. His voice fits the song and he has great vocal control. Had that instrumental portion not been in there I probably would play it a heck of a lot more.

What Kind of Fool Am I?-

This is one of my favorites on the CD. The beginning reminds me a bit of the Wizard of Oz and then Clay comes in with this gorgeous voice singing tenderly. It almost sounds like he’s recording for some sort of musical. It’s just excellent quality, great phrasing and vocal tone. It reminds me majorly of his superb vocals on the Christmas CD.

It’s Only Make Believe-

Adorable song. The instrumental sounds old-fashioned but Clay’s voice makes it sound pretty current. It sounds like it could have been one of his American Idol performances. I like the higher notes alot and the delivery. He does well with songs like this. The tempo is perfect for him too.

Misty -

Clay sounds soooo much like Johnny Mathis in this song. Once again, this song draws me back to his Christmas CD because the quality is just so good. It’s very clear. This song is just beautiful and also one of my favorites. He does Mr. Mathis proud for sure.

Mack The Knife-

I loved this performance of his on Idol so I was kind of hoping for the exact same Idol arrangement on the CD, but it’s really not the same, it’s slightly different. However, it is similar almost as if the intent was for it to be the same version. This version is actually pretty laid back – gentle vocals, smooth caberet-y transitions. The performance on Idol was more like exploding dynamite – big vocals throughout, more runs, etc. All in all, it’s good either way. This version definitely is true to the 50’s/60’s type theme that Clay aimed to create so it’s just perfect for the album. The highlight of the song? That giant note at the end that Clay holds for like 5 minutes.

It’s Impossible-

Very easy listening. Clay’s brilliant falsetto and lower register just consume this song and make it sound glorious. It’s a perfect song for him because he can really can work his voice and factor in the emotion. This song in particular is where Clay makes the oldies sound like new. He’s got that pop/Broadway style voice and it just sounds good against the instrumental.

Unchained Melody-

Oh.My.God. this is epic. It was amazing on Idol and it’s even better on the CD. I kept rewinding the beginning because the first note sounds so freaking amazing I can hardly fathom it’s coming out of a living person. It’s a mix of his Idol version and the heaven’s opening. LOL. Seriously, it’s the highlight of this CD by far. He stays true to the original but then makes it 1000x better by adding his twist to the song. He does this wind up thing, which reminds me of like Buble or something, then bursts into these glorious high notes and ends it with a soft note. The instrumental is amazing too!! I seriously almost cried listening to this in the car on the way to work cause it is soooo pretty. The only other song that has ever made me cry was Clay Aiken’s version of the First Noel because it was sung so tenderly. Unchained Melody OWNS! I am not even lying, if you don’t get the CD – AT LEAST – download this. I can’t say enough good things about it.

Suspicious Minds-

I love this song. It’s fun. It’s Elvis. Clay clearly loves singing it and you can tell. It’s a song that’s gonna make the tour a lot of fun because it’s one that people can shake their bodies to. My only complaints include: I miss the SUSPICIOUSSS MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNDSS! at the end of this song like Clay sang on Good Morning America and on his Jukebox Tour in 2007. He opts to repeat lyrics and have it fade out rather than bust out the big note. I just kinda miss that note so that’s why I am not 100% satisfied with this track. Also, Miss Quiana Parler, Clay’s crazy talented backup singer doesn’t do too much in the song even though she’s backup vocals. I miss her too because she harmonizes so well with Clay and they sound so good together! I was kind of hoping for more of an appearance from her but you can’t have everything. *Crosses fingers for Q backup vocals on the summer tour*

Crying-

Holy crap. This sounds good and even though I know the song, it’s like I heard it for the first time. Kinda sounds like an original actually. Linda Eder is soo good with Clay, their voices match perfectly. I am glad they teamed up. This song is filled with emotion too. It’s really great. I think there are even times where Clay sings higher than her and it just sounds brillant. He has a HUGE range! I hope in the future Clay teams up with Celine. There would be another mindblowing collaboration! I’m also kinda hoping for a Kelly Clarkson collab too someday, but we shall see…

There’s A Kind Of Hush-

It’s a cute song, has the older feel. Unfortunately, it’s not one of my favorites. It’s not Clay, but the song in general just doesn’t do much for me. I wish it did, though. Sorry Les Reed and Geoff Stephens I do, however, like the high note at the end of the song. I always speed it up to that part

Moon River-

This was the song I was least excited about, but I liked the instrumentals so much in the beginning, I chose to give the whole thing a listen. The beginning sounds like Moonlight Sonata – it’s really haunting sounding. It’s also sung very tenderly with minimal instruments. I like the delivery alot. I think Clay mastered this one and I have changed my mind. It sounds really good and is now one of my favorites on the CD. I could totally picture Clay doing this on Idol 7 years ago. He should have because then he would have had 3 songs from Idol on this CD.

In short, his version of Who’s Sorry Now and Breaking Up Is Hard To Do both sound great. I am loving the fact this particular has 2 extra songs. However, I kinda wish there was the “everyone who didn’t take a bus” inserted in the beginning of Who’s Sorry Now. LOL. For those of you who don’t know what in the world I am talking about…it’s a LLOOOOOONNNGG story, but just ask any of your friends who went to the Raleigh PBS special and/or wait till the Tried and True DVD is released and just maybe you will then understand what it is I am referring to. That is, if PBS didn’t use Clay’s do-over performance in the final cut.

The videos are by far the most anticipated thing on this deluxe CD and they are sooooo worth the extra $2.

It just makes me excited for the Tried & True DVD release and of course, everytime I watch the vids again, I am squealing “I was there!” to all my friends and family who are in the room with me. Clay’s looking pretty cute though in those videos too. Even though, his slicked back hair isn’t my first choice for him I understand why he’s doing it and how he’s staying authentic to the theme and image he is trying to portray.

Basically, this CD is worth the money and it’s very classy sounding. Sounds like something you’d hear playing at a fancy restaraunt like Olive Garden or in a cafe like Starbucks. It’s got a lot of good vocals for those of you who love your singing song material. I bet you Buble fans would take a major liking to this CD because while the vocals are much different, the musical style is similar. It’s a nice CD for people of all ages – even 21 yr olds like myself who has been happily thrusted into a world of hip-hop and electro-pop. Even now and again, you need some music to relax to and share with those you love. This album is the ticket.

Whew. Since that’s done, all I have to say is: BRING ON THE SUMMER TOUR!

Rating: 5 / 5

I love Clay’s voice and listening to him sing these songs makes it a perfect match. He has this quality in his voice that fits these songs to a “T”. I’m really enjoying these songs. Great job, Clay.
Rating: 5 / 5