Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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83 of 95 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Daughtry Breathes New Life Into A Stale Genre., December 13, 2006
Heads up everyone - I'm a Taylor fan. With over 200 reviews on Amazon, I wasn't going to add my own, but so many "fans" from Chris, Kat, and Taylors boards are on the other boards bashing their releases, that I wanted to give a representation of a true music lover and show you all that we're out there.
My wife liked Chris during AI but, with the exception of "Hemorrhage" I heard the same bland nu-metal from him every week. And I hate nu-metal. Then he sang one of my favorite songs of all time - "What A Wonderful World" by the incredible Louis Armstrong. How in the world could a one-dimensional metal singer pull off a signature song by one of the greatest jazz artists of all time? Amazingly well, as it turned out, because Chris Daughtry is anything but one dimensional. In short, while I still supported Taylor each week, Daughtry made me sit up and listen, wondering what he would do next. And they just kept getting better - his version of Queen's "Innuendo" will stand tall as one of Idol's greatest performances, in my opinion.
And then, thankfully, he lost. I say thankfully, because I knew if there was anyone who would benefit the least from being sterilized by the Pop Juggernaut that is American Idol, it was Chris Daughtry.
When the album was announced, I pre-ordered it (along with Hicks'), even though I knew it would be similar to Nickleback. I can't stand Nickleback, but I wanted to support him; Idol "losers" typically don't fare well in the US. I never expected to like it.
Now I've listened to it a few times and - surprise - it's damned good, and will probably become one of the strongest debuts in Idol history.
"Daughtry" is based in nu-metal, make no mistake about it, but it's so much more. Chris has written or co-written an astounding 9 out of 11 tracks (an unprecedented undertaking for an Idol debut) and he turns out to be a savvy writer. This is *melodic* music, with depth, passion, and creative melodies that are anything but the generic garbage we've grown accustomed to on the the radio the last few years. In fact, "Daughtry" may just bridge the gap between the music we're listening to currently and the next big thing to come. If anything, the catchy hooks and strong vocal lines (along with -OMG- actual *harmonies*) will inspire current and future artists to raise their game.
He also pays as much attention to the lyrics as he does the music, and this raises "Daughtry" even higher above the masses. In "Home" he sorrowfully states:
"No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home"
while in "Breakdown" he brilliantly juxtaposes the figurative with the literal:
"Well, I'm sitting alone thinking about it all over coffee,
And still crowding my space are the things you still hold against me." This is a lyric from someone who has been writing a long time, and who takes his craft seriously.
Is it perfect? Of course not. The album as a whole tends to gel a bit too well. Too much of it features the same three chords played mid-tempo and, because of this, some songs tend to run into the next. Thankfully, there are some real gems here. "Home" shows how mature a songwriter he is, and "What I Want," featuring guitarist Slash, proves that he can hold his own as a rocker.
Holding the whole thing together are Chris' vocals: confident and gritty, yet crystal clear. And, of course, he has a wider range than almost any other rock vocalist out there today. Check out his background vocals on "There and Back Again;" when he screams out "Here's your moment to shine," he *means* it.
There is no stereotypical posing here, folks; Chris Daughtry is the real deal. As a Taylor fan - hell, as a *music* fan - I'm looking forward to his next release.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Daughtry has some potential, but this CD is just OK, November 24, 2006
I like Chris D's voice and his style but was hoping more of the track's on this CD would have had a real edge to them. After a few plays, this disc will probably end up mostly forgotten in my collection. (Still, this rocker-style Idol freshman effort is way better than Bo Bice's was.)
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26 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A CD You Won't Forget, December 17, 2006
Personally, I've been a fan of Chris since he did his first audition on American Idol. His distinct voice that is rough, yet at the same time smooth, captivated me the moment he opened his mouth.
I really wanted Chris to win American Idol and was really hurt when he got voted off. But, I think it's really great that he still has an album out and he did it without a record deal with Americal Idol, showing that he can hold his own. And, if you look at it, most of the AI winners lost popularity after their first album (excluding Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood). So, by doing his very OWN album, it insures that he won't go out of business with fans for a long while now. Sorry Taylor fans, that's just the way life is.
Now, as for the CD, this truly represents Chris in every way. He wanted to do a rock CD, and he got it. So, from the lists of songs, here they are and my rating:
1. "It's Not Over" - His first track on the album and it starts off with a blast. As soon as I listened to this, I knew this would be one of my all-time favorite CDs. Definitely for rock fans! 5/5
2. "Used To" - Though the subject is a bit sad, the song definitely isn't! It's got that rock tune to it that makes you want to move after the first :30 sec. Another good rock song. 4/5
3. "Home" - A little bit of a softer song that shows Chris's more gentle side. It's a really warming song, though! I, though, am a big rock fan so this doesn't get me as much, but I still love it. 3/5
4. "Over You" - This song really motivates you to try hard after your heart has been broken. Makes you feel like you've got something important to say to those who don't understand you after you've been hurt. Another rock song! 5/5
5. "Crashed" - I REALLY like this song. The point of the song makes me feel great knowing that there's someone out there that won't let me down. Not to many parts I don't love. Enough said!!! 5/5
6. "Feels Like Tonight" - This song is about how he's been making many mistakes in his life, but now decides to make it up to the person he loves, realizing that he really does love her. Well, that's what I think when I listen to this song. It's really great. 4/5
7. "What I Want" (ft. Slash) - THE BEST SONG ON THE ALBUM!!!! For all of those rock fans out there, this is the song for you!!! I can't say it enough. And, though this is a heavy rock song, it has a great subject about it and not one of those "gonna-kill-you-for-what-you-did-to-me!!" songs. One of my most favorite songs of all time! 1000/5
8. "Breakdown" - Another great song (are there any that aren't? Nope!). It's a bit soft at first, but gets really good during the second chorus and on. 5/5
9. "Gone" - In my opinion, sounds like a western song at the beginning, but that's OK. I like this song as much as the others. 4/5
10. "There And Back Again" - THE SECOND BEST SONG ON THE ALBUM!! Another song that's hard-core rock. Almost reaches the principles of "What I Want", but not completely. Great song! 100/5
11. "All These Lives" - I didn't like this song that much at first, but now it's really grown on me . . . that took about 2 days for that to happen, so you'll probably like it, too, if you like rock (there are no songs that don't have a rock piece to them). A sad song in ways, but really good. 4/5
12. "What About Now" - *Sniff* The last song on the album! And a great song that is heartwarming down to the core. It always leaves me on a happy note for the end of the CD. 4/5
Well, that's it! Hope you enjoy this as much as I have and still do! You definitely won't regret it.
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