Idol Chit-Chat
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Is "David Cook" Original?

David Cook fans have been thanking me all week for “my open mind.” Now I understand why…

USAToday.com had an article about Cook’s CD releasing today that featured a statement from music writer Don Waller, one of the “coaches” that follows “Idol” for the website:

“If RCA pumps money into promoting Cook and releases a second single by Christmas, the disc might sell 500,000, Waller speculates.”

OUCH!

Cook should have been the first “Idol” sure thing since he appealed to all demographic groups. So what’s happened here?

I’ve got one word for you—Daughtry.

The biggest complaint that reviewers have of Cook’s CD is that it’s not original. EW.com even called it “Daughtry 2.0.” And since Cook was one of the most original contestants in “Idol” history, I can understand their frustration (I almost voiced it myself.); but how was Daughtry original? I recall more than one person calling him a Nickelback rip-off, but now he’s the standard by which all Idol rockers must be judged? That’s not fair…

I listened to the Internet stream of the album at least three times today and I am really loving the CD. But is it original? Honestly, no.

But what about music is these days?

Now I am not attacking the David Cook critics for disagreeing with me—especially since I have taken some pretty hard hits over the years for my reviews. I am just saying that Cook deserves to be judged on his own merits or faults. If you don’t like the album—fine, but don’t not like it just because it sounds like someone else…

And for the record, I think the album sounds more like a cross between Creed and Lifehouse than it does like Daughtry…

You can hear “David Cook” for yourself here. Be sure to let me know what you think…
Photo Credit: Ron Cadiz/RCA