I may have given you the impression that I’m a Clay Aiken fan. Well, I am! He came out of nowhere to come in second in the American Idol competition, and has outsold Rueben Studdard who did take home the title. With “Measure of a Man,” we have Clay’s debut album.
When Clay was getting ready to release this album, producer Clive Davis wanted to title it simply “Clay Aiken.” But Clay wanted the title to convey more of a meaning and a message, rather than just an artist’s name, and he pushed for the album to be called “Measure of a Man.” He won out in the end, and Clive did concede the point gracefully.
The first track on the CD is actually the only song I’ve heard on the radio. Called “Invisible,” it tells of a young man’s desire to be more important to the girl he loves, but she doesn’t see him at all. I didn’t know this was a Clay Aiken song when I first heard it – it’s a little more rock ‘n roll-ish than we’re used to hearing from this ballad crooner.
The other familiar track is “This is the Night,” the song Clay sang during the finale for the American Idol show. None of the other songs were familiar to me at all, not even “Measure of a Man,” for which the album is named.
This is not to say that the other songs are bad. I enjoyed all of them, with the exception of “Run to Me,” which was just a little annoying. The lyrics are essentially clean, with an occasional innuendo such as “I want you,” which can be taken many different ways by a young listener, but there was nothing graphic. I think the other songs just got overshadowed by “Invisible,” which is the most unique on the album, and that’s why we’re not familiar with them.
I’m glad I purchased this CD, released in 2003, and look forward to owning Clay’s other albums. He’s a good entertainer and I enjoy listening to his voice.
You can listen to tracks at Amazon.com before purchasing, if you would like.
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