American Idol watchers: what post-Idol albums have you bought?

Cafe Society
1

In most Idol watching threads, people mention whether or not they’d buy an album by such-and-such a finalist. Something like: “I’d see him live but I’d buy *her *album.” What I’m wondering is how many of you have actually bought albums in the post-seasons, attended concerts by Idols or otherwise followed their careers? Have you been surprised by how much you liked (or didn’t like) their post-Idol output?

I had a couple of albums from past seasons (Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry). I bought David Cook’s album right away but never saw him live. Season 8 was the first time I ever went to an Idol tour :eek: and I went to a couple of Adam’s live appearances. I bought Kris Allen’s, Adam Lambert’s and Allison Iraheta’s albums the day they came out.* I would love to see all three on tour (preferably together, but that ain’t gonna happen).

BTW: Kris and Allison play on Idol’s results show Thursday night!

*I bought FOUR copies of Allison’s album.

2

I want to buy David Cook’s and Adam Lambert’s. I already own Clay Aiken’s (Measure of a Man). Love it!

3

I’ve never bought any AI product at all. I think of it as a a game show. I’ve never seen a contestant on the show who I would actually want to see live, or perform or listen to an album of, even for free. It’s just a karaoke contest for me. With the possible exception of Jennifer Hudson, I don’t believe the show has ever produced a vital artist, album or even single song. I wouldn’t walk downstairs to see Kris Allen play in my basement.

4

You named the exact three I’ve purchased, all as gifts for my wife.

I didn’t hear too much of Aiken’s or Cook’s, but my wife has had Lambert’s For Your Entertainment on constant rotation for two solid months now. It has a few weak spots, but for the most part it’s just so damn infectious, even if it isn’t my style of music at all.

5

I bought David Cook’s album - and didn’t think much of it. Generic power-pop.

Here’s the thing - on Idol, these people are singing great songs - classic songs. They’re mostly really good singers, so it sounds good and makes you want to hear more. But the real rare talent in music isn’t singing ability - it’s songwriting. My daughter takes vocal lessons, and I often hear singers as good as the Idol singers or better at her recitals. Singing talent just isn’t that rare.

So these singers leave the show, and go under contract to 19 entertainment, which hooks them up with a bunch of bland professional songwriters or pays other artists to ‘collaborate’ with them - which probably means a paid-for 2-hour session on a monday morning in a meeting room somewhere. In any event, they constantly produce bland, formulaic, utterly forgettable albums that cash in on the singer’s popularity and sell a few hundred thousand units. Then when the public forgets them, 19 entertainment drops them and goes on to the latest one, and the Idol vanishes.

Sometimes they get one who has a spark of their own creativity and songwriting talent, and the Idol builds a career out of the ashes of the hype machine. Kelly Clarkson, for example. But by and large, the post-Idol albums of the winners have been a big disappointment.

I was looking forward to Kris Allen’s album, because I liked him on the show. I listened to it once online, and abandoned the idea. It was dull as dishwater. Allison Iraheta had one catchy song for the teen crowd, but that’s all I can even remember from her album.

Jason Castro might be interesting. It’s taken him 2 years to put out an album, which suggests he may have rebelled from the 19 entertainment music machine and done something unique. It’s coming out soon, and I’ll give it a listen, but I don’t have very high hopes.

So I generally agree with Dio. It’s a fun karaoke show - if a real artist with a vision comes out of it, it’s a miracle.

6

Anyone remember Bo Bice? I thought he was absolutely spine-tingling when he sang acapella on AI. I really, really liked him. His album did OK, but that was 5 years ago and he has had major health problems.

7

I bought Tamyra Gray’s album. I thought she was really cute, then I found out I worked with one of her sisters and I had the sister take the CD and have Tamyra sign if for me. I just found out she got married a few years ago, damn.

8

What he said. However, my mom bought the Clay Aiken album.

9

I think both Kris’s and Adam’s albums are terrific, but that’s probably a taste thing. If you sampled them and didn’t like it, you probably won’t change your mind. Although Hal is correct, Adam’s album is full of earworms (recommend: “Fever,” “Sure Fire Winners”). Kris’s record is mostly love-is-doomed breakup songs which is pretty funny considering he’s the happily married Idol (recommend: “Is it Over,” “Can’t Stay Away”).

I think Allison’s really deserves another chance. A couple of the songs are duds and the single they released is atrocious, but songs like “Trouble Is,” “Don’t Waste the Pretty,” and “Holiday” are amazing and showcase her powerful voice, while the single buries it in the mix. On the “Idol” tour her set was the most explosive and raw. She’s pure talent, and as she matures she has the potential to be an outstanding artist.

YouTube video of “Don’t Waste the Pretty” (acoustic) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwrBzeumUKY (excuse the distorted picture).

I thought Bice put out a couple of albums but I don’t really follow him and didn’t watch that season. I just got really attached to last year’s crop. :smiley:

Oh yes and Danny Gokey’s COUNTRY (really?) album comes out today, I think. I won’t be buying that one.

ETA: While I don’t share Dio’s opinion, I love this: “I wouldn’t walk downstairs to watch Kris Allen play in my basement.”

10

I’d likely bang a broom handle on the floor and tell him to keep the racket down.

11

By music preference, I mostly listen to folk and singer-songwriter stuff. I love Idol for the drama, but the music the winners produce makes me gag.

I exceptionally hate “Yeah” bands (bands where a huge aspect of the music is going Yeeeaaaahhhh – basically Creed ripoffs, and Creed was a horrible band), of which Daughtry is a huge offender.

I think Kelly Clarkson is the least objectionable winner, and I have uniformly hated all the men. I used to work in a barn, that only got one rural country station on the radio, and every time “Jesus Take the Wheel” came on, by ol’ blondie whatserface, I seriously contemplated the benefits of deafness.

12

Here is the albums I’ve bought:

Kelly Clarkson’s Thankful, Breakaway, My December, and All I Ever Wanted albums.

Ruben Studdard’s Soulful album.

Fantasia Barrino’s Free Yourself album.

Jasmine Trias’s Jasmine Trias album.

Carrie Underwood’s Some Hearts, Carnival Ride, and Play On albums.

Constantine Maroulis’s Constantine album.

Katharine McPhee’s Katharine McPhee and Unbroken albums.

Jordin Sparks’s Jordin Sparks album.

Allison Iraheta’s Just Like You album.

Ayla Brown’s Forward and Ayla Brown Live albums.

Also, these might not count since I bought them pre-Idol appearances, but I have Carly (Hennessy) Smithson’s Ultimate High album and Joanna’s (Pacitti’s) This Crazy Life album.

Whoa.

13

I bought William Hung’s Hung for the holidays.

I collect weirdo, inappropriate Christmas albums. This is one of my prizes.

14

This is pretty much it. They’re generally competnet singers. Some, like Adam Lambert, have a theatrical flair and can be amusing doing karoake, but they aren’t really songwriters or serious musicians (and I think they make a conscious effort to keep out anyone who can write, or who is too good an instrumentalist…genuinely creative people are too hard to control. They don’t want artists, they want disposable, easily puppeteered performers).

Even if I’m watching someone on the show who I like, it’s always a little bit depressing knowing that even if they win, they’ll have to record a bunch of 19 Entertainment, bland, lite pop pablum. None of them can write their own material, and they won’t be given any good material either, so none of the albums have any chance to be any good.

15

I personally haven’t bought any albums, but my husband has, so in the house we have all of Kelly Clarkson’s albums, Jennifer Hudson’s album, and David Cook’s album. Kelly Clarkson’s last album is actually quite good (if you like pop, and I do). David Cook’s album is not bad; I think he’s capable of better than the bland pop/three-chord rock they currently have him singing (the only track from the album that stands out is “Bar-Ba-Sol”, and I really like that one). Jennifer Hudson has some good shit on her album, too. Hers is really hit-and-miss, though - four four-star songs, and eight one- or two-star songs.

I think I will get Adam Lambert’s album - infectious pop, yes please! :slight_smile:

(I would walk downstairs to watch Kris Allen perform - he would probably take requests, and I think we could work out a very nice performance.)

16

Good question - although we have watched the show every season, usually we are not fans of the winner - actually, never a fan of the winner and usually liked someone else better. Thus we have never bought any of the CD’s of any of them, although I suppose we could have bought one from any of the others who went on the make albums.

The only recent CD we bought from a winner of that type of show was the Susan Boyle from Britain’s Got Talent (my SO wanted it), so I guess the short answer to the OP is: none.

17

I’ve never seen the show, but I have seen exactly one Idol contestant live, but not intentionally. Bo Bice was part of a tour of various musicians performing Sgt. Pepper’s featuring Todd Rundgren, Lou Gramm (of Foreigner), Christopher Cross and Denny Laine (of Wings). He stepped in to replace Taylor Hicks. Basically, it was a way for a bunch of people who still have fans, but not enough fans to fill a casino showroom, to play music they love.

Bice did not embarrass himself.

18

I see I am the only one here that bought Ace Young’s CD? It’s actually VERY good, if people would give him a chance.

I also have Bucky Covington’s, and will be buying his next when it comes out this spring, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry (which I ended up giving away, since every song sounded alike to me), and Bo Bice.

19

I don’t buy full albums anymore, generally. I’ve downloaded some David Cook songs, though.

20

I bought David Cook’s. I think it’s the only album I’ve bought in the past 10 years.