Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed last Thursday. The day we got the unexpected (to me, anyway) news that David would be releasing a new album in March… and a single… A SINGLE … in February. Blew me away.
I knew from Lady V’s tweets that we could maybe, possibly hope for one single song, but a whole album?? Wow.
And for maybe that one single day it was like the old days. When everyone was seeing the David cup half full. We even all seemed to agree (for once) that the album cover was awesome. We had the Matt Clayton we all know and love, we had the lovely Lady V in the mix, and an indie record label to boot.
At least 24 hours of bliss.
Probably about 12 more than I expected, to be honest. And let me tell you, I treasured those 24 hours because I knew that once the initial high wore off, we’d get back to what fans the world over do best … see the sky falling (me included sometimes).
You know what I mean… “Why doesn’t he give us more [new songs/tweets/vlogs]???” … “Why doesn’t he give us less, he’s compromising his artistry???” … “Why doesn’t he stick to ballads???” … “Why doesn’t he stick to pop????” … “Fans need to do more of this: ……….” … “Fans need to stop doing this: …………”
No worries, I’m not judging… seriously, I’m not… I’m fully aware that armchair quarterbacking isn’t reserved for just football… And hey, I love a good debate.
But for now, I’m just really glad I’ve learned to savour that small window of time when David joy prevails … when we get a “haha” that tells us he’s happy … and when we know we’ll soon hear his voice singing something we’ve never heard before… for now, that’s all I need to make me cry tears of sweet joy.
So I’ve been using the search function on Pinterest a lot recently to look up recipes and craft instructions (no, seriously) … and I suddenly wondered if anyone had “pinned” David lately … ay carumba, have they ever.
If you’re new to Pinterest, it’s sort of like an online scrapbook where members can “pin” their favourite interests and cool stuff found online to save but also to share with followers. (*warning: almost as addictive as you know who*)
You create the names for your “boards” so it’s cool to see which boards peeps have decided to include David’s music, pictures, book, videos, etc. on — he’s included on boards ranging from “hawt” to“Funny how a melody sounds like a memory” … and my personal favourite: “FRESH FROM THE OVEN OH YEAH!” 😯
All in all, I think the names of the boards capture the many facets of David’s amazingness. Take a look for yourself and see if you agree … with Nothing Else Better to Do (sorry, couldn’t resist), I put together this fairly lame graphic of actual board names that David’s on, with other faves listed below… which boards would you pin him onto? (Pinterest boards, people, Pinterest boards!!!)
Ohmyheck, how did I miss these gems from Vulture.com from back in the day???? (thanks to the lovely Ms. @betsyjane79 for pointing them out!)
Just in case you’ve missed them too, I’m posting below. The first is chart from 11/08/08 comparing the launch of D’s album with Swiftie’s (which, as you recall, was released on the same day).
God, he was so sweet. And innocent! And he never hurt a soul in his life! He brought so much joy to so many, little David Archuleta, and this is how you repay him? With a humiliating defeat on what should have been the most glorious night of his life?
We should have done more. More charts. More … something! We had an idea for a chart last night that we should have made during week six! It was a pie chart, and the headline was “How Much Do We Love David Archuleta?” and the entire chart was blue and inside the chart it said “A lot!” and it had his smiling picture. What if we had made that chart? Would everything be different now?
When Ryan made the terrible announcement last night, and little David nodded — so gracefully! — and ceded the stage to his inferior, David Cook, that caterwauling amateur, we thought of nothing but the immortal lines from Housman:
Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay,
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.
For us, David, your laurels shall never wither; forever shall they wend ’round our hearts. Farewell, sweet Idolbot 2008. We shall remember you always.
Vulture Reviews the ‘American Idol’ Finalists’ Future Albums
[5/21/08] After last night’s awe-inspiring, Archuletan triumph on the first half of this year’s American Idol season finale, we started to think — what kind of albums will David Cook and David Archuleta make, once one is crowned the winner and the other (Cook, presumably) is swiftly returned to thankless obscurity? So, we climbed inside our time machine and traveled to 2009. We found America’s last still-open record store (a Sam Goody in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in case you were wondering), and bought a copy of each. Vulture’s exclusive reviews, after the jump!
David Cook: Can You Smell the Rock?
(Sub Pop)
On American Idol, David Cook impressed viewers and judges alike with his unparalleled ability to turn cheerful pop songs from the eighties into hopeless, sludgy grunge ballads, informed by the Seattle sound of the early nineties — a skill he indulges, for better or worse, on his new album, Can You Smell the Rock?.
Cook’s snarling, nu-metal version of Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” is predictably incendiary, as is his plaintive, mournful cover of USA For Africa’s “We Are the World.” Still, we can’t help but feel that something about “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” gets lost when it’s interpolated with Alice in Chains’ “Rain When I Die.” A mixed bag.
David Archuleta: Idol Threat
(Cash Money/Disney)
By now you’ve surely heard the story about David Archuleta turning 18 and firing his manager-father, Jeff, midway through the recording sessions for his first album — but even if you hadn’t, you’d probably be able to gather as much by listening this spirited debut, one half of which is tastefully arranged, Groban-esque classical pop, and the other, hard-edged, nihilistic coke rap.
Idol Threat opens with a glorious, angelic version of “How Great Thou Art,” enhanced by strings, horns, timpani, synthesizers, a church organ, and harp (all virtuosically played by Archuleta, according to the album’s liner notes). Next up, though, is his Mannie Fresh–produced club single, “M.O.N.E.Y. (I Get It)” — already a mix-tape favorite — in which he spits about his humble beginnings as a street-hustling gangbanger growing up in Murray, Utah. It’s truly a shame that American Idol‘s seventh season was never able to feature the music of Young Jeezy, if only because it would’ve given Archuleta the opportunity to showcase his slow, guttural flow and little-heard raspy baritone. His rhymes are also quite impressive, though, sadly, they’re all much too filthy to print here.
The album closes with the heartrending piano ballad “Manhattan Yellow Pages,” a track that makes good on Randy Jackson’s repeated assurances that Archueta would sound terrific singing the phone book. Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli join him for the verse about “home gutter repair,” but Archuleta capably out-sings them both, naturally. Is there anything he can’t do? The answer, clearly, is no.
… it’s crazy that it’s been five years, isn’t it? I mean, so much has happened since then… so in one way, how the heck did David pack so much into five years? lol But on the other hand, it seems like I just blinked and BAM, we’re at 2013 somehow… freaky.
When I think back to S7 and how odd it was that I even watched that season (I’d never watched any of the other seasons, except for bits here and there)… and odder still that my sister didn’t watch… she’d been the one who hadn’t missed a single season of the show and she still can’t remember why it was that she didn’t watch S7. All I can think of is that it was supposed to be my fan journey (for whatever reason), not hers…
Still… five years ago now, FIVE … wow. Anyone else find that a little frightening? 😆
On my way home last night — listening to mp3s from @Jonerz’ amazing Myrtle Beach videos — it struck me that most of the David Archuleta songs I listen to on my iPod are from his live shows.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the studio recordings too, but I’m willing to put up with a few screams* and static to get that extra jolt of passion and asdlfkdjfkadfjla; that David puts into every live performance. I think one of the reasons I love the MoTab CD so much is that it’s really the only professionally recorded live show of his that we have … so far. 🙂
But some fans have told me they may watch live videos but almost never listen to his live stuff on their iPods… it’s studio-recorded or nothing for them.
So I’m curious… what’s your preference? … And why? Please share! 🙂
*Confession: I sometimes actually love hearing the screaming and chanting before he comes on stage or the “I LOOOVE YOU, DAVID!” screeches… esp. from guys, lol … and knowing that the “Go, David!” shoutout in this vid is someone I know! *cough*thelovelybetsy*cough*
This post is dedicated to 4:00-4:07 of this song … “chiIiIiIiIldddd” softly sung over seven heavenly seconds… so achingly tender I can hardly stand it … yet I look forward to it each time I listen… the whole song is stunningly beautiful but this THIS somehow captures why I’m here … oh my … *replays*
SnowAngelz: Canadian fans of David Archuleta 