Check Out 2 New Songs From Taylor Hicks

While not outstanding, I think both songs are pretty good for a debut in the post Idol context. Hicks has a lot to prove, and I'm sure a lot of forces are influencing the sound. His strong voice goes a long way toward selling the mediocre material.
I'll reserve judgement until I hear all the tracks on the CD.

I don't agree with this reviewer. I wasn't a Hicks fan during the show, but my wife dragged me to a live gig of his in Austin, Texas over the summer. I was very impressed with Hicks. He's a hellofa live performer, about as good or better than any young performer I've seen (most of them suck compared to the real deals like Elton, Mick, Paul, etc etc).

So I listened to these song previews with an open mind. I don't care for "Dream Myself Awake" -- a bit schlocky for me, but "Runaround" has a nice, big-band sort of beat to it. I can see it doing very well. If this reviewers only problem with it is Hicks voice, well, why bother assigning this reviewer to Hicks in the first place? The best of the songs released by far is "The Right Place". It's a soulful piece ala Ray Charles that is what Hicks should be doing, period, and I wouldn't be suprised if it wins a grammy. It's a great song. Far better than any other idol crap I've heard over the years. I think there's hope for Hicks.

Please give these songs a second or third listen...very catchy and Taylor's vocals are strong.

Have you listened to the third song out called The Right Place??? It left me speechless...awesome song!! You can listen at www.taylorhicks.com.

I'm guessing you didn't catch the AMA's the other night. You may just want to check out the latest photos of Taylor over at wireimage too...he's looking mighty fine!! Here's a link... http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=SRH&sfld=A&logsrch=1&nbc1=1&str=taylor%20hicks

Quote...'The guy might be able to sing, but on Broadway'...you've got to be kidding!! This man has the 'it' factor...open your eyes and ears!!

His voice reminds me of Ray's but these songs are mediocre pop fare. The silver lining is that maybe he'll pick up younger fans.

Taylor Hicks has a great voice. I love the three songs we have heard. Taylor on Bradway? Get real. That is for the runner up. Just keep watching and listening Taylor Hicks is about to bring good real music back.

First of all, I think you meant Grecian Formula (to dye hair) rather than Head & Shoulders (for dandruff).

I really like "Runaround" even though the lyrics might not be the most sophisticated out there. It has a great beat and a better hook. "Dream Me Awake" isn't my style, but again, the lyrics stay with you.

"The Right Place" is absolutely exquisite. Did you not review that one because you couldn't bash it or did you just not listen to it? Visit www.taylorhicks.com and you can hear all three.

His hair? His fans? This is how you write a music review?
By the way, you might want to use the time between now and when you can actually listen to the cd (12/12) to review your hair product reference.

Obviously Taylor is not everyone\'s cup of tea, but guys, you\'re not doing yourselves any favors by having a reviewer who \"can\'t get past Taylor\'s voice\" be the one to judge these tracks. I personally cannot stand Bob Dylan\'s voice, which means that I\'d be the wrong person to listen to anything he\'s written and tell you if it\'s good or not (although if you just give me the lyrics, I could do a good job!). For many people, Taylor\'s gravelly vocals are the best part of the package. The fact that the reviewer does not care for his tone is hardly grounds to say that he doesn\'t belong in pop music. Why can\'t pop music accept something NEW? Why must it forever remain full of Beyonces and JoJos and, dear God, Nickelbacks?

I\'ll take the cursory review of a song and a song fragment for what it\'s worth but reserve judgement after hearing the whole album. I do wonder why Mr. Butler did not comment on \"The Right Place\" which is, in my opinion, the best of the three Taylor Hicks songs released so far.

My thoughts after listening to all three songs a number of times:

The Runaround - Fun, uptempo, playful. The arrangement\'s a bit overproduced for my tastes, but has a nice retro vibe and good hook. It got stuck in my head and I found myself humming along.

Dream Myself Awake - The full version of this is better than the fragment, but I\'m not a huge fan of Rob Thomas\'s songwriting and this one is no different. Taylor adds some of his distinctive vocal stylings to the song, but it sounds like what you\'d expect for top 40 radio and doesn\'t really stand out for me. I think it has a vaguely country-esque vibe to it so maybe it will get some cross-over into that market.

The Right Place - Originally written by Bryan Adams, is a perfect match for Taylor\'s voice - soulful, smooth, heartfelt but with a little bit of the growly edge. Stunning.

After months of reading \"reviews\" on all 3 of the people I liked this year, I think I\'ve developed a fairly good radar for personal issues. Believe this style used to be called \'damning with faint praise\'. Now as to specifics -

Head & Shoulders - unless you are implying Taylor\'s hair is gray from dandruff flakes I assume you mean Grecian Formula or perhaps Just for Men ?? - obvious you have some issues regarding age and image - pop culture at its shallow finest

Pop music - believe Mr. Hicks stated goal is to bring \'real music back to f\'in pop music\' and from 90% of what I heard on the AMA he has his work cut out for him - his songs are better than most of that \'music\' by far and the 3rd song is superb

The Right Place - wondering why you are leaving out the 3rd song that is all over the boards??? - perhaps because you would feel a little guilty attacking that one and it would spoil the intent of your piece?

Broadway - why do you think that crack is an insult ?? do you have any idea how difficult much of that music is to sing ?? and how varied that music may be in the context of just one show?? and not only do they sing but they have to learn lines and function as part of a full cast not just bounce out on stage and do their bit, plus they usually do 5 or more shows a week - so to call someone a Broadway singer is really quite a compliment

It\'s fine with me if you don\'t like the songs but take a little more time and actually do a critique - pot shots are just lame and lazy

Thanks Cathy for the heads up on the 3rd song of Taylor's on his sight. I am listening to it right now and it is worth going to www.taylorhicks.com and listening to it. It is great. I would buy this album just for this song alone !! I am a Ray Charles fan and this is something I can see him singing. I loved loved Runaround alot ..I am a drum and piano man who loves the live band sound and I think this one could easily adapt to it. Dream myself Awake , is ok, I could see it being a cross over country song for sometime fitted with a female to use as a duet . Overall, RA=A, DMA=B+, TRP=A+ . Surprised and can't wait to hear what else is on there. I will be going to the mall on 12/12 for my copy . Thanks Cathy for the heads up.

Well, this person has obviously not heard any of Taylor's pre-Idol recordings or seen him perform off the Idol circuit. Please try to find yourself a copy of his Under The Radar or some of his Workplay performances with the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra.

And what is the issue with his gray hair? I can guarantee it looks better on him than it ever will on you.

\"The Right Place\" is remarkable. Please Brendan, listen to that song and then write another article. It is impossible not to love this song. And while you are at it you might check out some recent pictures of him. He has lost some weight and cut his hair. He looks 30 years old and estremely attractive.

Brendan, you have a very poor way of critiquing an artist. Insulting and way off the target. Until the time you can do better than I think it best not to be so harsh. It is not the way to win friends and influence people. Taylor Hicks is a breath of fresh air and a fiesty artist. Do you really think he looks 58? Are you 15?? Think he will be here longer than you will.

Runaround is fun. However, \"The Right Place\" (available on his website) is the best of the songs released so far. Looking at the track list, there seems to be a lot of diversity on this CD which is Taylor Hicks strong suit.

BTW, Head and Shoulders is for dandruff not gray hair. I think the product you were reaching for is Just for Men. If you are going to cut some one down for their looks you might as well at least try to get the product right. I\'m just sayin\'

We actually didn't cover the 3rd song because it wasn't provided to us by the publicist. I assure you, there is no grand conspiracy at work here.

Secondly, this is not an actual music review. It's just a preliminary look at a couple of songs by someone who has never heard Taylor's music before. Which means, he is quite literally the least biased writer we had for this particular article.

We will likely be reviewing the actual CD when it comes out, so be sure to check back!

Thanks,
Lexi

Lexi, I'm happy to hear that you tried to be unbiased. But now that Brendan has established his extreme dislike of Taylor's voice, and has admitted his inability to get past it, it wouldn't reflect well on y'all to have him review Taylor's full album.

The three songs released thus far are very different. This bodes well for the album. I think Hicks and his producer are smart enough to realize that the album has to appeal to a wide fanbase. Thus the pop songs, which I find balnd but catchy, and the more soulful third song not mentioned above. In fact, the above review doesn\'t sound like the author really has listened to a lot of Taylor Hicks\' music- which is ridiculously easy to find online, even full videos of him giving absolutely electrifying performances in small venues. Give the guy a chance, just give him a chance...

Reviewing on the basis of gray hair takes nothing but age bias. Reviewing an artist that you dislike before listening is going to give information about your preconceptions only. Why again are these worth reading?

Lexi - You give the job of reviewing music to someone who is not familiar with the artist, but the guy is \"familiar\" enough to take pot shots at the artist\'s age and looks. What kind of mean-spirited person is this reviewer? (Judging from his mention of a dandruff control product when he was obviously referring to gray hair, suggests he may also be ignorant.)

You may think that by telling us a complete review of Taylor\'s cd will be done somewhere down the line, we will just forget this \"review.\" Don\'t count on it. We\'ve read enough lousy reviews from \"critics\" who don\'t bother to \"do their homework\" or who are biased against American Idol, or who are still upset that their \"favorite\" didn\'t win, that we are fed up. Reviewers have to \"own\" their comments. If they don\'t like something, just give a fair assessment and a reason for the opinion. Enough with the \"smart\" remarks and nonsense.

Taylor\'s voice is pure, smooth, and seductive on this cd. As far as his looks - he has been selected one of \"People\'s 100 Sexiest Bachelors\", was named one of the best-dressed at the recent AMA show, and is on the cover of the new \"People\'s Yearbook for 2007.\" Oh, and by the way, he happens to be a confident and genuinely nice guy - who looks about 28, not 58! Enough!

The Soul Patrol could really use a sense of humor.

What a sorry bunch of humorless, sad, talkbackers.

The reviewer obviously doesn't like Taylor and no kind of song will please him. My sister-in-law is same way she says I don't care how good of song it is I will never like him. I'm not quite sure why Taylor has this kind of reaction to some people. Oh well. Myself, I just love RUNAROUND, loved it first time I heard it, makes me smile and want to dance. Its drums meets brass, whomp style, as Taylor calls it. The RIGHT PLACE is sure to be a classic, pure Taylor.

Kemp, many Taylor fans have an absolutely sensational sense of humor, as does he. Some of his performances of Idol (such as "Play that Funky Music") were delightful for many reasons, but partly because they were so tongue-in-cheek. I see "The Runaround" in the same light. Sure the lyrics are silly: They're supposed to be. "Dream Myself Awake" seems pretty trite to me, but "The Right Place" is a fantastic song, beautifully performed and arranged.

Brendan's entitled to his opinion. It doesn't bother me a bit. I think Taylor will have the last laugh and then some.

Hicks can't sing or Broadway because as Timberlake said it best. Hicks "couldn't carry a tune in a bucket." His album will be bought primarily by the baby boomers who are Idol's audience who will power buy to make him #1 in sales. If by the remotest chance he does appear on MTV's TRL , they will once again power vote him to #1. Next album will have dismal sales like the former winners with the exception of Kelly and Carrie as the power voters and buyers move on to their new favorite.

Per the disclaimer at the bottom of this page:

The views expressed on this website may or may not reflect those of its owner. DON'T TAKE US TOO SERIOUSLY.

You know the more I listen to these songs the more I like them. I will definately buy this album. It is a breath of fresh air for sure. This guy is a true artist and has so much to offer the industry (which is sorely needs right now). I am routing that this guy makes it big.

If this was a review by someone who knew something about music, not just what the reviewer likes to listen to, I would pay more attention to what was said. I like Taylor, and have from the first moment I saw him audition for AI. I don't really care what color his hair is, if it's long, short or in a mohawk. I don't care if he is 13 (or younger), or 90. He can sing, and that's all that matters to me.

what is it about picking on taylor\'s hair...

I love that -- can\'t wait for your review of Chris Daughtry (did you do that already?) -- what are you going to say -- that old guy with NO hair? even teen people has taylor picked as \'hot\' so stick to reviewing the music and leave the image out of it. that is, unless you\'re jealous of the \'sexiest bachelor of the year.\"

DLU -
Get a grip! Go to YouTube and listen to TimberFake sing the National Anthem. Then listen to Taylor sing it at the Nascar Championship a couple of weeks ago. Come back and tell us who can't carry a tune in a bucket.

Kemp -
The Soul Patrol doesn't to get a sense of humor. The article wasn't funny. The reviewer needs to get a sense of objectivity (and a shred of intelligence wouldn't hurt either.)

You are entitiled to your own opinion. However nasty remarks are unprofessional and only make you look mean and petty. The hair is natural, not a gimmick, and he has a beautiful tenor voice. Listen to \"The Right Place\" before you judge. In fact listen to the whole CD. Obviously you were often in time out because you never learned to play nice.

When a review attacks the man's fanbase and his physical appearance, why should it be taken seriously? And, Lexi, why would I come back to read a full review of the CD here when it's already been proven it's not about the music and is not unbiased.
As an aside to the reviewer, you may not see it, but this is one gorgeous man. Women love him. His fanbase is huge, they love him and are very supportive and loyal to him. Not a bad thing, and that shouldn't be criticized.

Laurie, you'll be back to read the review for exactly the same reason you took the time to comment on this article.

See you then!

Guys don''t get all worked up over someone who obviously has no taste in good music. We get it, Taylor gets it, and soon everyone else will.

Taylor Hicks is a sensational, amazing artist who will have a very long career. His audience is exremely varied and broad-based. He\'s touched the hearts and souls of so many who will stay with him forever.

Josh, what makes you think you know why someone came to this site or why they commented? A little arrogance there.

I'd love to read the review when the album comes out, until then, plbplbplbpb

I was extremely disappointed in these songs. This is not the Taylor CD I expected would be produced.

The songs go beyond cheesy and are just horrible. I am glad these songs are on the CD, guaranteed to stop the second CD from selling.

In two years, no one is going to remember his name. They will, however, probably remember the gray haired guy and wonder, "what ever happened to him?" He will be back in smoke filled bars doing his best Michael McDonald imitation and failing miserably.

Not only do I disagree with you, but some of your comments have nothing to do with the music, are quite mean-spirited, and therefore unprofessional.

To be honest, I did not like The Runaround the first time I heard it, but after a couple of listens I found myself dancing! Can't get it out of my head! The other two I've heard, Dream Myself Awake (the one that you mentioned) and The Right Place, I loved right from the start.

GREATLY looking forward to this album :)

For the complete three songs please go to Taylor Hicks.com.

I did not like Runaround the first time I heard it. It has grown on me

As for Dream Myself Awake. This song has HUGE country chart cross over potencial.

The Right Place is what I would except to hear Hicks sing. Very nicely none.

I don't think the author of this article was very polite. It was full of sarcasm and not very polite comments. I guess this won't be published.

Ahh yet another Taylor debate.
Although everyone is intitled to there own opinion as well as there own image of talent. I do belive that it has been so long since anyone has heard this type of music that we somehow find the change hard to accept. However, for me, Taylor Hicks represents the change we need. For me this is real music. This is the real deal. For those who say that the words in his songs are cheap and not very in debth..have you really listened to the music of today? Oh please spare me. They repeat the same line over and over and then throw in some hip hop sounds. I feel Taylors music is an inspiration to the old and the new geniration. To remind us what the sounds of soul, the sounds of ones inner soul truly represents. So to those of you who honestly belive his music is not \"worthy\". I dare say you might want to re tune your ears float back to the days when music was just that music and listen again.

The ad above Brenden's review says it exactly. "Dogpile"!! This guy is obviously so bias against Taylor, most of his review is spent criticizing Taylor's appearance, and the fact that he has a lot of baby boomer fans. I'd suggest that Brenden listen to these songs a few times more and listen to "The Right Place" and/or the whole CD, but probably nothing will change his mind. Although "Runaround" took me a few times to hear it, it is catchy. Dream Myself Awake will make a great crossover hit. I expect Taylor to still be going strong when my grandkids are adults.

Elaine,
I'm so sorry your idol favorite didn't win....NOT ... Hon it is time to move on. The contest is over.

Maybe you need a class in music appreciation, because this is NOT a music review, just a bash. I thought I had found another decent site to hear about music, but, um, no thanks. When a real critic comes on board, maybe I will check out the site again.

I have poked around this site a bit. Amazing how three reveiws of Taylor Hicks can be so completely different. I know that music is a subjective topic but maybe the reviews on this site really should compare notes before final print.

As I step away from this site ****slaps head**** I realized that I and many non regulars just gave this abscur site some serious web time. Way to use TH too increase your traffic.

I will just say that I simply disagree with this persons opinion!! I love Taylor and you either get him or you dont get him ... sadly some people just dont :(

Taylor Hicks is a breath of fresh air, bringing real f***ing music back baby...get use to the name...We are going to see him for a long time...He sings with so much emotion...the words have meaning...listen to his music with headphones...It is awesome....the whole album is going is to be MEGAhit...

Soul patrol, it is time to rally our forces. We need to take this site and others like it down. Do not come to or post on any of these sites who are gettin hits on their site off of Taylor's back. We can take care of this problem. I will pass the word it at soul patrol sites.

I agree that "The Right Place" is one of his best that I've heard so far; however, I love "Runaround." And to give a reasonable modern sound to Taylor's old soul, I would vote for Rob Thomas. After all, he has more of an alternative sound with a bit a funk and I really like his music as well.

I became a Taylor fan because of his music, not his looks or screen persona. If I didn't like the first three songs, I would begin to lose interest, but I am very pleased with what I have heard so far. I believe if any celebrity is going to stay true to his roots, it's Taylor Hicks.

BRONX CHEER AND A MOON in order for this review and reviewer!!

Also, this reviewer needs to approach the assignment with an open mind -- not pre-conceived notions!!

Julie

taylor hicks was elected by vote for the worst. we hear these samples and agree. they suck

Taylor Hicks was "elected" as you call it - by his FANS.

Let me just make a couple of things clear: I did not write this article with the intent of pissing people off just for hits. That is not the kind of writer I am and that is not the kind fo writer I wish to be. However, being snide and poking fun at performers and celebrities is what we do at Cinema Blend to spice up the otherwise bland stories you can read anywhere else.

I knew Taylor Hicks had a prominent fan base from the A.I show, so I expected a few comments of disagreement, but nothing like the outrage I've seen here. I did not prejudge the songs before I heard them. I couldn't because I had not heard any of his music before. I'm not not biased simply because I didn't like the songs. I'm regularly surprised with songs I didn't have expectations for. And even if I had liked these songs, I probably would have made the jabs about his hair, anyway. It's all meant in good fun and shouldn't be taken seriously. If I only liked artists who's hair I liked, then I probably wouldn't listen anybody.

I also don't care that he came from American Idol. I think Kelly Clarkson has a terrific voice and her song "Breakaway" makes me happy in ways I'm not ready to deal with yet. If it's good, it's good, and if I like it, I like it. From my personal point of view, I don't see Hicks' star appeal. I don't understand Clay Aiken's as well. To me, they should be musical theater actors, which they would be successful at. But if you guys like them as pop stars, that's more than fine and you can disagree to high heaven with me in the comments section (as you did).

I hope this makes things a little clearer. People don't always write precise niceties about bands, musicians and performers I like either. They are not holy figures to me and are open to scrutiny by other on-lookers. We're not all going to agree on which songs or artists we like. I believe that's all I have to say about that.

Thanks,

Brendan

My Dear Brendon,

Perhaps you didn\'t write about Taylor to piss people off - but as you can see, you did!!! In case you have never watched Taylor on AI, 63 MILLION FANS VOTED FOR HIM. We voted for Taylor because he entertained us extremely well - people loved his singing as well as his dancing. We also loved the fact that whatever criticism was given to him, usually by Simon Cowell, Taylor justed had the biggest smile - he never let anyone get him down. He was very confident - he was always giving credit to other contestants and wishing them well - yes, Brendon - he was surely a gentleman, respectful and curteous. The women fans thought he was handsome - and they loved his silver in his hair. (Kind of like theGeorge Clooney look). Taylor truly entertained us and was never voted in bottom 1, 2 or 3 spot. Taylor is a charmer - the whole package of talent. I don\'t believe anyone would consider Taylor as their \'holy figure\' as you put it - but he certainly is our American Idol and we\'re all waiting for his album to come out. You can voice your opinion all you want - everyone is entitled, but except to get feedback when it\'s disrespectful. Are the 63 Million Taylor fans (as you referred to us as) \'OVERLY OBSESSED\'? Well, if so, you\'re a brave young man Brendon

Brendan, dude, are you scared with that threat? don't worry. There's a difference between 63 million people and 63 million votes. It really is one old lady in Georgia, powervoting for tay-tay.

I didn't like the songs either. Can I hide with you?

Just because the singer is gray-haired, you and some Randy assumed the fans and voters are gray-haired, too?

I'm sorry, but I can't take the reviewer that said "Justin Tiberlake is Feeling The Music!" too seriously. Congratulations, you have the musical opinion of a turkey sandwich.

Um, where in that article did he say that he liked Justin Timberlake's music?

Oh, that's right, he didn't.

I'm starting to think that people are enjoying hurling insults more than making any actual sense.

You miss the whole point of Taylor...Taylor can charm...he can sell...he is more than the song....and we can't get enough of it!!!

Well,this 50-something gal who grew up listening to Broadway, Opera, Motown, Stones,World music, etc...knows the difference between Broadway music and pop which evidently some of the young 'reviewers' of today do not.

I don't see Hicks as "pop" as in top-40 pop. He's Soul and he's a deep breath of fresh air after the drivel we've been getting the last ten years from the pop scene.

So I don't care much for Dream Myself Awake...I don't expect to like every cut on a CD. Runaround has grown on me but The Right Place scored dead on from the first listen.
I very much look forward to what Hicks does in the future, with the resources now available to him.

Hey, why did you stop posting our anger against this "review"?

It's not a review.

But here's why some comments haven't been posted:

"Comments that are not polite and free of profanity will not be published."

It's pretty clear.

Sounds like you wrote this article before you listened to the songs, or got your info second hand....these are good tunes...& Mr.Hicks' voice is solid.

What's with the gray hair comments? If he had a ring through his nose or a few earrings hanging off an ear, would that attract your attention too?

Give it a rest...the guy's a great performer and a great singer ...get over the gray hair! BTW..Head & Shoulder is for dandruff....credibility.

TAYLOR, OF ALL THE IDOL SEASON UR THE ONE THAT HAD ME ROCKING AND U KEEP GOING AS U HAVE MADE US PROUD. I PLAY UR SONGS DAILY AND I WANT TO JUST SAY,
YOU ARE THE TRUE AMERICAN IDOL

REGARDS
SKYE

Well Runaway i didn't like at first either, but after hearing it about 50 times a day for a week straight and then to have him perform it two feet away from you it grows on you and i love the song now. Runaround and Heaven Knows are my two favorite and like i said listening to then 50 times a day for a week straight and then to have him perform it it's great. I am talking about the Liberty Bowl game, Miss State and Central Florida where he did half time and i performed and got to meet him. Totally down to earth and even offered me his jacket to keep warm during rehersal.