Okay, I lied. I told you that my blog this morning was my last one of the season, but I couldn’t stay away from you guys. So I’m here to give you my take on the American Idol: Season 5 Encore CD that came out this past Tuesday.
Folks, there have been some really great singers in this year’s competition. Therefore I’m extremely disappointed by the quality of this CD. It’s not just the production, which makes the project sound rushed and like the kind of thing I could record on my little four-track. But some of the tracks are incredibly sub-par. It’s like someone decided to have a karaoke party and invited the “Idol” contestants. (If you need her, Paula Abdul will be the one standing near the keg).
To be fair, there are a few tracks on here that are standouts……Idol winner Taylor Hicks has a cool version of the Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It To The Streets,” and Mandisa wails on “I’m Every Woman.”
But when you hear Melissa McGhee singing Heart’s “What About Love” (who the hell decided to put this song FIRST on the album?), Kellie Pickler butchering “Walkin’ After Midnight,” or lispy Kevin Covais doing “When I Fall in Love,” you’re going to put this CD where it belongs — in the never-again-to-be-listened-to pile. Or you’ll give it to your ten year old niece as a birthday gift.
I’m sure this album will sell well enough, and the tour will generate a lot of business, but someone needs to let the “American Idol” brass know that they shouldn’t be feeding us a CD that is no more than dressed up karaoke. That’s it, now I’ll go back to my hibernation.
Vandalay, OUT.
