Listen to Kris Allen’s Self-Titled Debut
November 9, 2009
Compliments of AOL Music, here ya go…if you haven’t heard it yet 🙂
I’m giving it my first listen. Will let you know what I think. So far so good…
107 Comments
leave one →
-
Recent Posts
- End times are near
- Idol Quickies: February 19, 2010
- Let’s fill the minority quota: AI Season 9 (Top 24 cont.)
- AI9 Top 24 (Part 1): Your tragic back story just was not as strong as their tragic back story
- You know you want a camera licked by Adam Lambert
- Kradison, Stoli Vanilla and a Glambert on a Rascal Rocked My Town
- Kris Allen performing Coldplay’s “The Scientist” in Tampa
- Blacklisted’s Rock My Town Recap
Feed Oskar
Donate to Top Idol. Oskar will thank you.
What are you looking for?
Top Posts
All Things Mad Men
Budgeting is Chic
Idol Blogs & More
- American Idle
- American Idol (Official Site)
- Anoop Dog
- Bored Morons
- Buckytown USA
- Castrocopia
- Chris Kirkham!
- Clay Aiken Fraud Squad
- Dial Idol
- Free David Cook
- Gossip Candy
- Idol Blog Live
- Idol Blues
- Idol Forums
- Idol Notes
- Idol Stages
- Idolator’s American Idolatry
- Jason Castro Online (Fansite)
- Joe’s Place
- Ken Lee World
- Kick Pickler
- Kris Allen Addicts
- Kris ALLENation
- Kris Together
- Kristen’s Dose of Reality
- LA Times IdolTracker
- Luke Menard’s Blog
- Megan Joy Fans
- Michael Johns Online
- MJ’s Big Blog
- Mrs. Giggles
- MTV’s Jim Cantiello
- Nick Dussault’s American Idol Blog
- Normundy
- Old Enough to Know Better
- Rickey.org
- Right Hicks Save
- The Useless Corner
- Urlesque
- Vote For The Worst
- Water Cooler Convo
- What Not To Sing
Other Sites Worth Reading
- A Round World Through Square Glasses
- A Writer Dodging Bullets
- Adventure Girl (Huffington Post)
- Ask Christine
- Celcasters
- Daily Slag
- Dr. Lulzington
- Girls Watches Television
- Mac Soda
- Max Hate
- Pearl Cream!
- Rebel Without a Clue
- Stuff White People Like
- SYTYCDism
- The Chemistry is Dead
- Tokio Hotel America Blog
- Why I Love Media
- WordPress.com
Recent Comments
deez on Kradison, Stoli Vanilla and a… deez on End times are near Lauren on End times are near 8sourcandy on End times are near Muzikizmi on End times are near Archives
I am anti-Twitter. I swear. But if you want, you can still follow me.
Tweets by greenmelindaTags
Ace Young Adam Lambert Adam Shankman Ade Obayomi Alexis Grace Allison Iraheta american idol spoilers american idol tour Anoop Desai Bo Bice Brandon Bryant Brooke White Carly Smithson carrie underwood Cat Deeley clay aiken constantine maroulis Coretta Scott Mercado Danny Gokey David Archuleta David Cook Ellenore Scott Evan Kasprzak Faith Builders International Ministries FBIM For Your Entertainment Glamberts Greasy Constantine Jamar Rogers Jasmine Murray Jason Castro Jeanine Mason Jim Cantiello Joanna Pacitti Jon Hamm Joplanta Pacitti Jorge Nunez Kai Kalama Kara DioGuardi Kathryn McCormick Kayla Radomski Kelly Clarkson Kradam Kris Allen Kristy Lee Cook Legacy Perez Lil Rounds Mary Murphy Matt Giraud Megan Joy Michael Johns Michael Sarver Michael Slezak Mollee Gray Nick Mitchell Nigel Lythgoe Normund Gentle Pastor Rolex paula abdul Quatto The Mole Ramiele Malubay randy jackson Ricky Braddy Rock of Ages ryan seacrest Scott MacIntyre simon cowell Sonya Tayeh So You Think You Can Dance Stoner J Syesha Mercado SYTYCD Tatiana del Toro Taylor Hicks tyra banks
Top Idol 
Pictures from Album booklet:
http://idolforums.com/index.php?s=e3c92597878aadd6dc87397bece3f7b7&showtopic=632692
Nice but what’s with all the feet shots?
Ugh. I hate myself for the tard I’ve become.
http://idolforums.com/index.php?showtopic=632342&st=140
I won’t take up the whole thread posting all these, it’s all at IDF. (A pretty good version of Man in the Mirror, and some clips of audience banter…some of which is funny, some of which I can’t understand what he’s saying…but the lady filming it finds it hysterical 🙂 )
You can prevent yourself from being a tard. I can help you.
Can one truly be a tard w/o wearing puffy paint shirts, making signs, flying all over the country to distribute flyers, and drawing “nekkid” Kradam pictures? (does having 800 posts at IDF count? if not I think I’m good *fingers crossed*)
There are plenty of rules, quizzes, and top 10 lists out there to determine whether you are a tard or not, but to me it comes down to a basic rule…if your fandom is in any way, shape or form affecting your marriage, parenting, job, friendships, health, or anything else that a reasonable person would consider more important than a singer (which is, really, EVERYTHING ELSE), then you have crossed into tard territory.
I’m good …so far it’s cutting into my “there’s nothing good on TV” time. (When “Modern Family” comes on, I’m outta here. I probably should also check to see why it sounds as if a motorcycle gang is holding tryouts on my street.)
“Modern Family” is hilarious. (Although “Community” is even more amazing, imo. Watch that!) But sorry to drop a poo-bomb on your night: There’s no “Modern Family” on tonight. And why?
Fucking CMAs. Yupppppppppp. Anyone wanna be a martyr to spot some DWD?
Well, there’s always “Glee”. It’s getting better recently. Episode 8 was amazing–lots and lots of Puck. Mmmm.
I’m probably the only person on the planet who hasn’t seen Glee. (guess I need to Hulu) I was heartbroken that MF was pre-empted. Why can’t they schedule the CMA’s when some crap show is on …there’s a pretty big window of opportunity there!
I haven’t seen it. Looks stupid, no matter how much I adore Jane Lynch. I love love love Sandra Oh, but I’ve never watched Grey’s Anatomy, either.
See, when I considered skipping “Lost” to watch Cook perform on an Idol results night this past season, I knew I had to step back and reevaluate. Don’t worry; I made the right decision (HELLOOOOO, Desmond!).
And another one…Falling Slowly/With or Without You:
*blink blink*
Ok, there’s really no playing it cool after that. LOVE. IT. Gah!
LOL I know. Damn those are good.
I’ve been a lurker here for a long time and I love this site. I take note of every post up here and must say I really respect each and everyone who post here. More grease to your elbows. Imust say I feel very proud of this Kris Allen kid for the kind of album that he has put out.
Listening to it yesterday, there was none of the songs that I didn’t love. Each song had something unique and quite suprisingly, each of the songs is a favourite of a sizable group of people , which is good.
You rarely find an album like this. I’m also happy he’s signed with Jive who are kind of career builders. They know better ‘cos they know $$$ when they see one. Kris is kind of a mixed genre or better put, a crossover artist and I have a feeling Jive knows that and they are not going to be big fools by making any mistake with him. They are trying to market him as a new artist instead of an idol winner, due to the kind of fanbase he has. I bet they knew throughout the season that he had a smaller fanbase who were good voters that’s all.
I totally agree with Kimberly’s husband concerning TPTB and Kris. They wanted a musician last season, and they got it. As for Simon, don’t trust anything he says. I realised the only thing about Kris that bothered him was how humble he was,he never questioned his talent. Randy, never stopped mentioning the fact that Kris was CURRENT. Kara never stopped praising his artistry, phrasing, diction,and technicality. Paula was in charge of the hotness and sexy. They all did their job, played with our minds, and TPTB GOT WHAT THEY WANTED.
Nobody can convince me that they didn’t want Kris, they just wanted to rile up his fans because they had seen exactly what they wanted in him longtime! He is going to have a longevity in the business and I think that is what Jive wants and being the first male winner they have signed, they are not going to joke with him.I’m very happy for him. More grease to your elbows T.I.
they’re and their fail. are you kidding me! remove ON in more than once. lazy is lazy. need to proofread. so sorry.
In reference to 70s Genesis, et al: I feel the same way about U2 and Bruce Springsteen. I haven’t bought their music in some time.
Driving home with my son one day, I was subjected to Bon Jovi’s new song and then to make matters worse on came Aerosmith. I said to my son, who had to remove his Ipod ear bud to hear me, “they’ve had they’re day. Time to move on.” I don’t care what you’ve done in the past, if it ain’t good, it ain’t good. I haven’t bought a Madonna CD in ages. My favorite song by her, or at least the one that has stayed with me all these years, LOVE DON”T LIVE HERE ANYMORE. An old boyfriend introduced me to the Moody Blues and EL&P and YES. It was all about the music.
On another note — Kris not being the TCO: My husband (IDOL HATER) has said to me more than once that TPTB got the IDOL they wanted. He is adamant about that. I tend to agree with him. I found it funny that Simon referred to Kris as a puppy (Simon LOVES dogs), which he has called Danyl Johnson (X-Factor)as well. When Matt Giraurd was saved, Kris DID look like a puppy when he was hugging the guy. They panned to Simon and the man was openly smiling at the scene. I swear Kris got genuine smiles and laughter out of Simon on more than once. I love watching human behavior/interaction and with the manipulation on IDOL being so heavy-handed this year, the viewer needed to watch for other nuances.
For some reason when I think of Kris’s album, I think of Tabitha’s Secret. This was Pre-Matchbox 20 music. It’s fun, it’s more acoustic, it’s quirky. Dear Joan is a favorite, just because it takes a decidely unpleasant turn, which surprised me. One of my favorite CDs. Again, Kris’s CD, though not perfect, is just plain good. For me it will always be about the music.
I know right? It is like they turned into bad imitation bands of their old selves. Holy crap. OK. I’ll stop right now.
Kris Allen. I think he is stealth. Not stealth in the sense that he was a plant. Stealth in the sense that he is sneaky. In my opinion, they really wanted the other one to win, but that other kid has no taste in music (I’m not even sure he cares about music), really ruined multiple genres of music (and a couple of classics) for a lot of people over the show and is kind of unfocused so this one sneaked in (cause he is sneaky). But you may be right. Maybe they wanted this one all along.
I hate Matchbox 20. But yeah, you would think they would probably know what manipulations work, shoving so-and-so down our throats all season…look at Gokey. Did they ever really think they could make him a huge star? I mean, uh…how could you?
I liked the first 2 matchbox20 cds. Back 2 good and Shame, Bed of Lies — I haven’t listened to them in so long. I liked the darker songs and Rob Thomas’s vocals were pretty good. Her Diamonds — not so good. Someday is okay, but sounds like so many of his other songs.
If they really wanted Gokey, he wouldn’t be an afterthought now. He’s not included in anything as far as I can tell. Allison seems to have taken the 3rd place position without much thought to Gokey.
“Kris not being the TCO: My husband (IDOL HATER) has said to me more than once that TPTB got the IDOL they wanted. He is adamant about that. I tend to agree with him.”
I’ve been of this mind since before he won. He’s, by far, the most commercial male winner to come out of AI. They couldn’t have done better if they’d hatched him out of a test tube. I also think they knew Lambert couldn’t win despite their maniacal pimping, so they had to have an acceptable Plan B. In any case, the label is obviously behind Kris – excellent first effort all things considered.
Nah. I think TBTB wanted an Adam/Danny showdown because it would have made for good television. Two big voices and big personalites. I don’t think they were even looking far enough ahead to see who would make a good recording artist. First and foremost, American Idol is a television show. They are trying to sell prime time ad space. That’s where their bread is buttered.
That’s a bit naïve. Kris and Adam were both known to have substantially superior iTunes sales than that of Danny. TPTB recognized this and did a subtle pimping process–praise him, but leave enough doubt to cause a voting frenzy. There was no way they’d let Danny, with his obnoxious personality and failure to rearrange songs into his own, unique ways. I always believed they [the judges] went over-the-top in their critiquing of him as a method of making some of the public absolutely sick of him so he’d be a “shocking ouster”, circa 4th or 3rd.
Hmmm, well the reverse psychology worked (on me anyway). I was upset that “Scream On” drew much less crticism from the judges than one of Allison’s outfits. I voted for Kris like a crazy person, just to get rid of DWD.
I was actually surprised he didn’t make an exit after the “uncomfortable” Allison cake fight. Heck, everything the guy did was cringe-inducing. If TPTB really DID play up the “Danny Judge Love” just to irritate viewers, then they did a great job (and are smarter than I gave them credit for).
I am loving this album already. I was so bracing myself for disappointment, but, I absolutely love it. I can’t pick a favorite, although Bring it Back stands out as the most beautiful to me, and Red Guitar also really gets to me for what it clearly means to Kris.
I actually got to meet Kris and his family (wife, brother, and mom) at the Live at the Vineyard concert last night, and all of them were unbelievably sweet.
Here is video of him doing Let it Rain acoustic (with his friend and bandmate Cale on guitar with him) at the event. Gorgeous.
Oh so you ARE yuppielawyer on ontd_ai. I had a sneaking suspicion, but wasn’t sure. I lurk there for the lulz and the occasional drama. The dynamics of the community ~intrigue me.
Alright with Me was the one song that surprised me in terms of how much I really like it. A couple of songs I love, the rest I like and continue growing on me.
The only two songs which are meh are Heartless and Lifetime.
I wonder if Heartless was one of the tracks that Kris was pressured into doing that led to the ‘conflict’ with the label described in ‘Let it Rain’. I don’t like the beginning of Lifetime at all, although it gets better as it goes.
I could see the CW picking up a couple of these songs for their shows.
I’m really pleasantly surprised by this album. I hated, hated, HATED LLWD, and was meh about the snippets, but I actually like the actual album! That was… unexpected.
There are some really good, strong tunes on the album. A few moments where I found Kris’ voice beautiful. There isn’t that much filler, and almost no cheesiness (tho I actually ~like~ and appreciate cheesiness sometimes)
I don’t know how much I’ll listen to this album, because it’s not my usual kind of music, and there isn’t any one song that REALLY hooked me, but it’s a good album. From the songs I’ve heard from other Idols, I’d say the second best debut album from a winner after Carrie’s.
Like: Before We Come Undone, The Truth, Can’t Stay Away, Red Guitar, I Need To Know, Written All Over My Face <–this was a big surprise… didn't think I'd like this after the epic fail that was LLWD
Meh: Bring It Back, Is It Over, Lifetime, Alright With Me
Dislike: Live Like We're Dying
Waitwait grammar nazi-ing myself… I think it would be “best after Carrie’s,” or “second best, after Carrie’s” (with a comma)… yeah
I can’t believe “I Need To Know” was allowed onto an Idol album. It’s amazing. Wonderful. Heartbreaking. I LOVE IT.
“Is It Over,” “Bring It Back,” “Written All Over My Face,” “The Truth,” “Red Guitar,” and “Alright With Me” are high on the list, too.
Oh, hell. I love all of them.
(The 30-second snippets did NOT do this album justice.)
I really liked this album. I am impressed this came from an Idol.
There is no cheese!!!
It’s shocking. Even the ballads are so…vegan?
If anyone thinks it’s cheesy, they’d probably have to admit it’s the LEAST cheesy of any Idol alumni’s albums (except maybe Kelly Clarkson’s most recent).
I don’t think I’ve ever heard music described as “vegan.” HEY, maybe he can get a PETA endorsement!
I KNOW!!! The lack of cheese surprised me and was sooo sooo refreshing. This sounds so current to me, and I adore it.
Yay for lack of cheese!
I’ve listened twice as I’ve been doing stuff for work. Makes working at home so much more pleasant.
You mean, it wasn’t gouda for you?
All this talk of cheese makes me want a margherita pizza.
OK, sorry, I’m gonna be the Debbie Downer here…I tried to like it, I really did. I keep trying to like Kris, because there were definitely some things that he did that I liked on the show. He seems like a decent guy….but this album bored me to death. It just did not hold my attention. It is definitely an above average Idol debut album (well-produced etc., not done cheaply)…and I am sure that those who are Kris fans will really like it (which is really the only important thing)..but for whatever reason, I simply cannot get into his singing or his music….ok, you can all hate on me now
Eh….you’re entitled. (You tried)
It’s probably not your genre. What kind of music do you like?
I don’t hate you. You tried, you gave it a chance. That’s all I can ask. And you’re not being a dick and trashing it because you just don’t like Kris.
Its not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. 🙂
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. No one’s going to agree on EVERYTHING. It’s cool, really!
Hey I thought I was going to hate it and now I love it, so I won’t hate on you for not liking it.
I wasn’t even going to listen to it again because I didn’t care for the 30 second clips.
This is normally the type of music I listen to so I love it, but if this isn’t normally your cup of tea then no surprise you don’t like it.
I’m loving all these sane comments in response to someone not caring for the album. It’s very refreshing!
How dare you, jujubee! You must be a Glambert.
No reason to force yourself to like the album. Unless your life depends on it. Or your mortgage.
Or a heterophobe!
haha…yup thats me! I actually like a lot of music in this genre…its not a genre issue…I don’t know, he just doesn’t do anything for me….but he floats plenty of other people’s boats, so he will do fine…he doesn’t need my money
Just found this interesting link:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2009/11/kris-allen-makes-idol-airplay-top-10-carrie-underwood-tops-country-chart/1
Apparently, Kris leaped 27% on Mediabase with “Live Like We’re Dying” to 8th place on some Idol airplay list. I don’t follow charts much, but now I’m curious until Oscar season heats up. It’s now #23 on the Hot AC and #38 on the Top 40. Awesome.
Adam’s at 50th on this list and Allison’s 64th, so check out their numbers, too. Also, notice what placement Danny Dokey is at….
I laugh at all the people who insist that Gokey will be relevant in any way.
This is a good sign. I think that they(19) are going to take these guys seriously. Adam and Allison should be getting excited. I think that if Kris is being this well-treated (and a lot of people thought that even though he won, that Adam and Allison would be taken more seriously) I think they will be treated likewise. Best top 3 ever. (oh except for….well you know)
Danny Gokey is relevant…to sucking and cheese.
As the risk of sounding like a tard, I totally fucking love this. There’s not a single track I want to skip. And very impressed that while this is a record by a guy that won Idol, it doesn’t sound like an “Idol record” (i.e., an over-produced rush job). Can you imagine what kind of album this guy will make when he’s not in a hurry to do it in the middle of a tour? “Alright With Me,” “Red Guitar,” “I Need To Know” and “Is It Over” are particular standouts for me.
I said it in another thread…I’m switching teams. From Cooktard to Kristard. All the music, none of the frau baggage…
Okay then, considerably LESS frau baggage.
Oh. My. God.
Will it make you feel better if I say that I have NO plans to stalk him, ship him with Madam or write any kind of fic involving the accidentally-on-purpose death of his wife? Nor do I plan on traveling any further than two hours to see him in concert (which is shorter than I traveled for Cook).
Yep, ^that’s me…”bookdawg” I use for my local paper’s editorial page when I have to bitch about the legislature.
Edge, we need to discuss the detarding system you’re using. It’s not working.
Smartie, breathe! Go to your happy place and repeat this: “she’s JUST a fan, she’s JUST a fan, she’s JUST a fan…”
If I start writing pornfic, or pontificating on Who’s “aura,” or yell at anyone “OMG I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU DON’T LOVE EVERY SONG ON WHO’S ALBUM YOU MUST BE A GLAMBERT!HETEROPHOBE!!!!!111!!!!ELEVENTY!!!” well, I know you’ll slap me back to my senses!
*eyeballs Edge suspiciously*
I’ve let them run amok a little bit to be nice, although I’ve already had to lay down rules about mentioning that stupid vampire shit and the word “stan”. Tsk tsk tsk.
I don’t want any deep interpretations of songs, either. 😉
You are me. Unless David Cook turns out a superior album next year, I have to say Kris Allen is the better songwriter, and came up with a more eclectic album. I felt that David totally over-promised and under-delivered, and Kris kept all expectations low-key but surprised me with the range of songs.
That said, I might consider flying thousands of miles to catch him in concert if he doesn’t fly into the South-East Asian region.
Take it easy, will you? He is not “that” good. Check i-tunes. There are a lot of really good artists out there. Some of them are male and good looking too.
But, in all fairness, I think if this kid gets to do another album that one will be legitimately good because he has very good taste in music, he’s got a lot of room to grow and I think he’s got an idea about where he would like to go with his music. Which is kind of weird because I thought AI was a singing competition.
And still the good artistes out there, good-looking or no, would likely pass over my neck of the woods, so flying out to the shows is still my best option. I could possibly catch five different live acts from a two-week trip to the US than I would in five years here (thanks, but no thanks Sean Kingston and Akon!).
Jason Mraz’s concert was a rare and fabulous treat earlier this year. I’d have flown to Perth to catch the KoL concert if the tickets hadn’t sold out in a matter of hours.
Who’d you recommend, Saskin?
Yeah, sorry, sometimes my comments turn out to be kind of heavier handed than I’d like them to be but when I consider the amount of tarding in the AI fan circles I usually tend to give myself a pass on that. But I’m learning. Give me a chance I’ll get better.
I guess that depends on your taste but believe me there is a lot of really good stuff out there. Browse. Yesterday I downloaded the Genesis 1970 album Trespass (not the post-Phil Collins crappy Genesis, the progressive rock Genesis with Peter Gabriel) and that song Knife is rocking my world right now. Did you guys know the drummer on this album was eventually found in Australia a couple of years ago? Apparently after this album he moved there and became a carpenter. Heh.
Now that I thought about it maybe I’ll buy 200 copies of it and try to move it up the charts then go pick up fights with Yes and Jethro Tull people. Peter Gabriel is a rawk gahd. Anyone with me?
Genesis in the 1970s was nothing like the Genesis in the 1980s. I mean, barely a resemblance. Even consider Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes”, uh…
But then I often wondered if age mellowed groups like Genesis or Jefferson Airplane/Starship, and even Lou Reed. It more or less seemed like that was (sadly) the trend in music at that time. Hell, think about 1970s Stevie Wonder compared to I Just Called To Say (I Love You)??
Nope, no mellowing, I think they simply sold out. They wanted to buy homes and stuff and who can blame them. After Genesis Gabriel kind of kept searching for a sound but Phil Collins is out-right evil. (Ok. That was re-tarded but whatever).
By the way warning: never buy anything from Genesis that says “Re-mastered” they are all crap. Original mixes are the awesome ones.
I admit I haven’t heard much early Genesis, but I think Peter Gabriel put out some amazing solo stuff. Games Without Fronteirs, Solsbury Hill, Red Rain, Don’t Give Up, Digging in the Dirt, Blood of Eden, etc. There’s a lot of great stuff in there. YMMV, of course.
Unless David Cook turns out a superior album next year, I have to say Kris Allen is the better songwriter, and came up with a more eclectic album. I felt that David totally over-promised and under-delivered, and Kris kept all expectations low-key but surprised me with the range of songs.
Cook tried to push his album as something groundbreaking when it was merely a decent outing. Adam seems to be making the same mistake. Kris hasn’t claimed to be the second coming of anything and has said that he just wants to put out a good album. Having reasonable expectations is helping Kris tremendously. He hasn’t oversold himself.
I’m REALLY liking this and I wasn’t sold on the 30 second snippets. I found a lot of them distinguishable, but now that I’m really listening I don’t know how I ever thought they all sounded alike! Can’t judge anything well with only 30 seconds!
He really has such a beautiful recording voice.
This doesn’t feel like a typical “Idol” release for me. For slapping this together pretty quickly I think it has a very nice feel and this is the type of music I listen to. I’m a big fan of James Morrison and I definitely get a James Morrison vibe from this, which is a plus.
Me likey! I’m going to buy it!(and not sell it like coughbobicecough).
Songs that stand out to me after 1 listen: “Can’t Stay Away”, “Before we Come Undone”, “Written all over my face”, “Bring it Back”, “The Truth”
Everything else is pretty solid.
Songs that make me want to skip them: “Live like we were dying”(it just doesn’t feel in place with the rest of this album to me) and “Heartless”(why did they have to ruin the greatness of what it was to begin with!?!), and “Lifetime” (just no.)
As I said on another post, this album is damn good. As Simon likes to say, “real world” good. Initially wasn’t sure of Heartless, but after the 2nd listen, I got it. Lifetime was another one that had to grow on me. Won’t be skipping over any songs. First time I’ve ever said that in all my years of music appreciatin’. Good stuff here!
I am liking it. A lot of good songs so far.
Utterly fantastic. TI, you nailed it–this is very non-Idol. There’s a gargantuan LACK of cheese, which is so refreshing. I cannot wait for this album to be released in full, so that I can upload at least 8 of these tracks to my iPod. Nano–w/ limited room. God, I need an upgrade….
Rickey.ped was clearly off his fantardy rocker when he said it sounded like a bunch of Daughtry and Cook leftovers–O RLY? Bitchplease. I hope he eats those words.
This is easily the best Idol album since…Kelly Clarkson, probably. Like the rest of you, I love “Can’t Stay Away”. “Written All Over My Face” is actually my favorite though (“Poker Face” similarities notwithstanding, haha–eh, we’ll all get over it…it works with the song). I basically love the first 5 tracks, and #2-5 are all single-worthy.
What’s amazing is that there are sooo many potential singles here. I’m actually surprised I’m loving it this much. I guess keeping my excitement in check prevented overhype. So happy for Kris; I really hope the critical reviews are as positive as ours =).
I seriously hear nothing Cook-like on this album.
I could see Cook singing “The Truth” but that’s it. Kris and Cook are two totally different singers.
I’m going to be presumptive and say this is the best debut album from an Idol alum I’ve heard so far. Not to be all fantardy, but it’s really good. Nothing cheesy or over-processed. It reflects who Kris is as an artist. The fact that someone at Jive/19 allowed him to play such a big role with this album is mind-boggling. But it’s paying off, IMO.
Funnily, Cook had written a song called The Truth; it’s in his pre-Idol album.
The fact that someone at Jive/19 allowed him to play such a big role with this album is mind-boggling.
I agree. If he’d been TCO, it might be understandable, but he was the Fodderiest Fodder who ever Foddered.
I’m shocked.
But pleasantly so.
Maybe that’s why they let him do whatever…b/c they don’t care?
19E does a lot of stupid things. Regularly. Daily. TWO WORDS:
Shit-For-Brains DioGuardi
The more I listen, the more I like it. He’s done a really nice job with this.
The player’s not working for me =(.
It just keeps loading all the songs. What am I doing wrong?
Whew! It’s working now. I discovered I needed a FlashPlayer update…of all days.
Though I like it, the opening music of Written All Over My Face reminds me a little of the opening of Pokerface which makes me giggle b/c then I want to hear Kris do a take on Pokerface
Christopher Walken and Eric Cartman are the only people who are still allowed to cover Poker Face. That is it. That is all. No mas.
“The Truth,” “Written All Over My Face,” and “Alright With Me” are the songs I like best. ” “Heartless” remix…why?
I know…why? Hasn’t he done like sixteen different versions of it now? Supposedly he did a Heartless/Gangsta’s Paradise mashup at a concert last night, as well. (IDF promises video) I think I will be good and sick of it really soon.
I have no idea why that made me think of Taylor Hicks performing Gin & Juice on stage with Snoop Dogg.
If that really happened I am so glad I was unaware of it. Just reading those words together is freaking me out a bit.
RE: Heartless/Gangsta’s Paradise… It was awesome! Don’t knock it til you hear it or see the video. And he also did a mash up of Falling Slowly/With or Without You. He got a standing ovation!!! The only other group who got one was Collective Soul but they were the headliners.
This boy is uber talented. All the years of singing and doing covers at bars finally paid off for him because he has an ear for what sounds good, works well together and what people like to hear.
19E/Jive is so damn clever. I have already bought three albums just so I can have a copy of those darn bonus tracks.
No one seems to have video or audio of these mash-ups. I wish someone did. I’d love to hear them.
Love: “Is it Over”, “Can’t Stay Away”, “Written All Over my Face”, “Before We Come Undone”, “The Truth”, “Alright With Me” “I Need to Know”
Just A’ight: LLWD
Can Do Without: “Heartless”, “Lifetime”, “Let it Rain”, “Bring it Back”
Great Job. ( So far it has put one Glambert to sleep, and made another “want to cut her wrists”…I stopped reading all comments with Lambert avatars after that, lol.)
Alright With Me has an almost vintage Kenny Loggins vibe…perhaps because I keep thinking I’m Alright?
Ok now that’s all I’m going to hear.
Alright With Me reminds me of a commercial jingle.
YES! I was trying to remember what it reminded me of.
“Alright with Me” is terrific!….So ridiculously catchy and bouncy.
But did *anyone else* notice the resemblance to “Cherry Cherry” by Neil Diamond? I’m sure there was no ripping off, but I think the chord has a Neil Diamond-ish influence, which I’m fine with, ’cause I enjoy his upbeat music.
“Let It Rain” was a wonderfully passionate tune.
Damnit. I want to jig now.
Jim C. compared it to (ready for a flashback?) George Harrison’s “Got My Mind Set On You.” I can hear it, yep.
Initial reactions to what I’ve listened to:
Can’t Stay Away: super catchy. Needs to be a single ASAP.
Bring It Back: another song worthy of being a single. Some TV show needs to pick this up for their soundtrack.
Red Guitar: really good.
I Need to Know: has a Greg Laswell vibe to it. That’s a good thing. Wonderful song and very heartfelt.
Heartless: not as good as the acoustic version, but I can see this one growing on me after a while. I appreciate that did something different with it. And it is the song that basically won the Idol crown for Kris, so I understand why it’s here.
This is a really good album and very much what I expected to hear from Kris. I’ll definitely be buying this one.
I love Bring it Back (very “soundtrack-esque”) and Can’t Stay Away.
This is far superior than any other Idol album I’ve heard. Granted, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the entirety of one, but this is very non-Idol.
First listen: I like all the songs. Maybe one or two that i’ll skip past, but for an album that took about five months to slap together while on tour, that is remarkable.
The 30 sec snippets did not do the album justice. I was unsure about Red Guitar from the short clip, but the whole song is gorgeous. Kind of has a U2 With Or Without You/Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For vibe at the beginning, and the ending is an interesting touch.
Alright with Me is probably my favorite. I’ve listened to it a couple times now and the middle/bridge part surprises me each time.
A good album, overall. Only 2 or 3 that I would skip over (Alright With Me, Lifetime, Heartless = meh). Bring It Back is the best one on there, imo. It’s just gorgeous and there’s something cinematic about it. Soundtrack material.
Why did they remix Heartless? Listening to it now. Still love his version, though.
Agreed about Bring it Back.
Hands down, the best version for me was the live AI performance. He sounded good. He was real. Perfect.
I’m really liking it. Red Guitar, Is It Over and I Need to Know are my favorites.
Sorry, another comment. I just wanted to say that I cant take “Lifetime” seriously with the word “pokerface” in it right at the first 3 seconds of the song. Deym. And to think that it was cowritten by Jon Foreman….
Nice job, Kris Allen.
Alright With Me is so FRESH!
I’ve given it a first listen and I LOVE IT.
I’m going to listen more carefully tonight when I get home. I can only pay attention so much at work.
Although I will say – The Truth, Bring It Back and I Need to Know are favorites. IKTN just ripped my heart out of my chest and broke it in pieces.
I agree! The ballads are great.
Its good. I will probably buy it. And I never bought an idol album so ya it got my attention which is hard to do. About time Jive did something right.
I’ll say it again, Can’t Stay Away is a fave, can do without the Heartless remix.