NESP Forum

Like a lot of American Idol watchers, I viewed with skepticism and disdain the news that a highly touted American Idol 7 contestant had once had a very lucrative recording contract, that flopped miserably (selling only 500 copies).

But then I learned one thing about the debut disc of Carly Hennesy (now Smithson) that made me sit up and pay attention. It was produced -- and most of the songs were written -- by Gregg Alexander. He was responsible for my favorite one-hit wonder song of the 1990s. More about him in a later post. I was curious enough to pay the $6.99 to download from Amazon, and a few weeks ago I did that, listened once or twice, and put it away until I got a better sense of Carly Smithson, the 2008 version.

On last night's American Idol show, after a couple weeks where Carly seemed to be holding back -- shaking off the flu -- she came up with a performance of "I Drove All Night" that for me earned her a spot in the top 10, and made me confess that she's got the goods. I love strong women rock singers, but my standards are high -- Linda Ronstadt, Pat Benetar, Grace Slick all belted with equal power and control in the high and low registers. So Carly, you could make me love you, you haven't yet, but keep improving.

So it's time to fire up the 2001 disc. The All Music Guide review posted on Napster tells me that it reminds of Sarah McLaughlan as produced by Todd Rundgren. I'd say Avril Lavigne, not Sarah, but either way, how could that be a bad thing? If you take bright teen pop, and give it arrangements with guts and pianos, you create one hell of a guilty pleasure.

Listen to her "single" "I'm Gonna Blow Your Mind" and you gotta admit that Britney only wishes she could have had this much fun...



And how can you argue with the sassy sentiment "You'll Never Meet God if you Break My Heart"?

"Just Missed the Train" just a f*cking great song. Wistful with attitude:

This video compares and contrasts Kelly Clarkson's version of the same song with Carly.. sorry Kelly, I love you but Carly leaves you in the dust:



What I don't know is whether Carly has any of the musical sensibilities of this album's brilliant mentor. So far the Idol contest has kept the kids on a leash for their song choices. Carly blew the 60s, but she did great picking of Heart for the 70s, Celine/Cyndi for the 80s. Just like on Idol, in a recording career song choice is paramount. Again see Linda Ronstadt.. Alison Kraus, Emmy Lou Harris.. Kelly Clarkson and Kat McPhee haven't learned this yet (Carrie Underwood very well may have).

At any rate, I'd love to hear what Carly does with these songs in 2008. I think if she gets to keep them in her repertoire, I could be there.

Although Amazon lists the CD as not presently available, you can still download it for only $6.99

So who is this Gregg Alexander guy?

Way back in 1999, I heard a song on the radio that was so good I had to run out and buy the album.
It was "You Get What You Give". It's buoyant beat and optimistic but subversive lyrics just jumped out from the usual drek of pop music. The band was the New Radicals.

I don't remember any of the other songs on the album, but I would definitely rank this in the top 10 singles of the 1990s. I'm not alone. VH1 voted it as the 64th greatest one-hit wonder in 2002. In 2007, the song was voted #90 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s".

There was never another New Radicals hit or album. I heard that the main guy in the group decided he didn't want to be a rock star, and dropped out. According to Wikipedia.. He said that "the fatigue of traveling and getting three hours sleep in a different hotel every night to do boring 'hanging and schmoozing' with radio and retail people is definitely not for me".

Eventually I got curious and looked it up, the front man's name is Gregg Alexander, he's still writing and producing, and his best known song is "The Game of Love" by Michelle Branch and Carlos Santana (and yes it has Alexander's signature beat). I'm not aware of any current music or projects, meanwhile enjoy one of the best one-hit wonders of the past 20 years:

YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE
Gregg Alexander

Wake up, kids.
We've got the dreamers disease.
Age fourteen, they got you down on your knees.
So polite, we're busy still saying please.

Frenemies, who when you're down ain't your friend.
Ev'ry night we smash a Mercedes Benz.*
First we run and then we laugh till we cry.

But when the night is falling,
You cannot find the light, light.
If you feel your dreams are dyin', hold tight.

You've got the music in you.
Don't let go.
You've got the music in you.
One dance left.
This world is gonna pull through.
Don't give up.
You got a reason to live.
Can't forget.
We only get what we give.

I'm comin' home, baby.
You're the tops.
Give it to me now.

Four A. M., we ran a miracle mile.
We're flat broke, but hey, we do it in style.
The bad rich, God's flyin' in for your trial... Ha-ha!**

But when the night is falling,
You cannot find a friend, friend.
You feel your tree is breakin' just then.

You've got the music in you.
Don't let go.
You've got the music in you.
One dance left.
This world is gonna pull through.
Don't give up.
You got a reason to live.
Can't forget.
We only get what we give... uh!**

Aooooooo!**

This whole damn world could fall apart.
You'll be OK, follow your heart.
You're in harms way.
I'm right behind.
Now say you're mine.

You've got the music in you.
Don't let go.
You've got the music in you.
One dance left.
This world is gonna pull through.
Don't give up.
You got a reason to live.
Can't forget.
We only get what we give.
Don't let go.
I feel the music in you, yo, hey, hey, ooh.**
Fly... high.
What's real can't die.
You only get what we give.
You're gonna get what we give.
Don't give up.**
Just don't be afraid to leave.
Health insurance rip off lying. FDA big bankers buying, (rap start)
Fake computer crashes dining.
Cloning while they're multiplying.
Fashion shoots,*
Don't give up. (sung)**
With Beck and Hanson,*
Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson.
You're all fakes,
Run to your mansions.
Come around,
We'll kick your ass in! (rap end)***
Don't let go.**
One dance left.**
Ooh ooh ooh, don't give up.**
Ooh ooh ooh, can't forget.**
Ooh ooh ooh, don't let go. (fade)**

No question Carly has talent and IMO she is the best girl this AI season....she should go very far and I am looking forward to hearing her take on all kinds of songs as she enters the top 12. However....I hope she does not record a "pop" album. Don't we already have loads of pop stars (with less vocal talent)? I am interested to see if/when she gets a record deal and how it sounds. Pop music has it's place in my life and I love to dance but Carly needs to stand out taller from the crowd.

Seger: I do agree, Carly should not make "the next Kelly Clarkson album".

At the time of "Ultimate High" Carly was only 17!! and already sounded older than her peers. Her voice is much more mature now. I would like to see her in the tradition of someone like Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders.

There is pop, and there are just damn good songs. Currently Sara Bareilles and KT Tunstall are ones that come to mind making pop records that are not just fluffy dance tunes. But you have to aim for the Adult Alternative market, which American Idol seems unable to break into.

Once again, Carly might be better off not winning.

Margaux, I love that song too!! Thanks for all the background info
and reminding me of it. It's on the IPOD, but haven't heard it in awhile.

I'm not really liking Carly yet, but I think I would have if she wasn't
so pimped by Idol. I always root for the underdog!

Liz: I'm still wary of the pimping, but I want to support Carly when I see places like VTFW come down on her for her appearance (which is refreshingly average except for the tats). That makes me mad enough to want to vote for her! The wild card for me is that we don't really know who Carly thinks she is as a musician.

In Taylor's case there were no mentors and producers involved in his musical identity, just Taylor and his friends' parents' record collections. And that's why we loved him from the start.

Watching American Idol used to be so simple. I talked to my sister & brother-in-law about the show last night and I so want to get into the backgrounds of the contestants but they don't care. (Well my sister does a little bit...) And because they just watch and don't care it makes me wonder how much of the average viewing audience feels the same way. They just watch, occasionally vote and leave it be until they know the results, so-on and so-forth.

The skeletons in the closet may or may not make a difference, I guess.

After listening to the 30-second clips from Carly's album numerous times, I also downloaded it from Amazon.com, and I have to admit that the album is pretty darn good!

The songs on it are very catchy, and am sort of surprised that it did not catch on more...

Even though I do not think that I am a very good critic, as I tend to like EVERYTHING to a certain extent, and I think the worst review of a Broadway show (unfortunately "All Shook Up" the Elvis musical) that I ever gave was that "'It was cute... Would I see it again? Probably not...'"

The $7 that I spent on Carly's album is a most reasonable amount... Would I have spent $10 or more? Probably not, but it is a VERY CATCHY album...

Consider yourselves warned!!!

All of the people I knew that were already watching Idol before AI5 only watched as entertainment. Even when they got caught up in the final push and I was dragged in to help them vote for Bo, it was pretty much over for them as soon as the show was over.

Knowing that was the reason I started an email tree and kept the "marketing" going for Taylor until the album came out and for a while after until you couldn't find a CD here anyway and I figured they all had theirs. They still like him and if I push the next album to them they will probably buy it.

The ones who are watching AI this year don't care beyond the entertainment factor either. It's just another show to them. I can't really fault them for that because while I don't watch Idol, I do watch things like Top Chef, Project Runway, and SYTYCD exactly that way. Have favorites but don't vote and once the show is over - it's over. What happened with Taylor is so far removed from how I normally am that I am still surprised at myself - won't even go into how shocked others are that I'm still involved.

So yeah, I think your family is pretty representative of the average viewer's interest level. JMHO