The holiday rush of new gift-able music
The music industry may be following the general downturn in the economy, but it's business as usual for pop music commerce as we fall into the holiday season.
So much has changed in recent years, from the way we listen to music to the way we buy it, but one thing remains unaltered … the holiday season is still the preferred period for mainstream divas, high-profile rappers, and gold-plated pop stars to drop new product into the marketplace.
In the past weeks, we've seen releases from R&B hitmakers, (John Legend, Jennifer Hudson) big business rappers, (T.I., Q-Tip) pop mainstays (Pink) and rock legends (AC/DC, Queen). To the shock of many in the industry, a bunch of these albums have been selling rather well. AC/DC's Wal-Mart-only "Black Ice" is leading the way, racking up more than a million copies sold in its first two weeks, as the Aussie rockers cash in on the new wave of interest in guitar rock generated by the uber-success of games like "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band." Few could have predicted this one.
Of course, there will be the traditional avalanche of holiday music collections from stars in all areas of pop, from the New Orleans-tinged pop-jazz of Harry Connick Jr. ("What A Night!") to the elegiac ethereal winter wonderland musings of new-ager Enya ("And Winter Came"). Some less traditional takes on holiday songs … among them, "Jingle All the Way," from virtuoso jazz/bluegrass outfit Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, and "Christmas Rocks!" courtesy of swing/rockabilly merry-makers the Brian Setzer Orchestra … will also hit the bins.
The real news, however, will land smack in the middle of the road, right where it's most likely to find the greatest common denominator of mainstream interest. So, while the audiophile in your life might be salivating over the visions of sugar plums and deluxe remastered box set editions (of, say, Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue," Cheap Trick's "At Budokan," or the Clash's legendary Shea Stadium performance) dancing in his head, the big money's on Beyonce, who offers a double-album manifesto of danceable narcissism Tuesday, in the form of "I Am... Sasha Fierce."
The obligatory "Greatest Hits (plus one or two new songs thrown in so you'll feel obligated to pay one more time for something you already have)" collections are rearing their greedy little heads, as ever, with Christina Aguilera's "Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits" last week.
Two artists who should have disappeared into memory by now … Britney Spears and Guns 'N Roses … will release collections of new music prior to the holidays as well. (Spears' "Circus" hits Dec. 2, while the 14 years in the making G 'N R project "Chinese Democracy" is threatening to arrive Nov. 23.)
Here's a quick guide to a few of the biggies that hit the shelves this past week, and a few that will arrive on Tuesday. Ka-ching!
Beyonce, I Am... Sasha Fierce (Columbia) 2 stars
The third album from the Destiny's Child leader is her most ambitious effort yet. That doesn't make it particularly good. Just long.
A double-disc set that employs what has become an annoyingly common diva trope … the adopted personality, a la Mariah Carey's "Mimi," and whatever that freaky persona is that Janet Jackson seems to rely on … "I Am... Sasha Fierce" could have used an editor. Or two. It can be fun, at times, and Beyonce sings well throughout. But man, is this stuff overproduced, overwrought, and overvalued … mostly by Beyonce and her team, who seem to think that anything coming out of the uber-star's mouth is worth constructing a song around.
On the plus side, the first disc is mostly ballads, which at least lets us concentrate on Beyonce's singing, without the abundant bells and whistles cluttering the second disc's feeble electronica/club mixes. "If I Were A Boy" is about as good as the album gets. It dabbles in alternative rock stylings, boasts a big fat hook, and sounds like a karaoke version of U2 and Coldplay. Still, the vocal performance is strong and well-paced. The lyric is ridiculous, though. If Beyonce happened to be a boy, it probably wouldn't be quite as simple as she suggests in this song. Because she wouldn't be famous, now would she?
Taylor Swift, Fearless, [Big Machine],3 stars
This is the album that will make Taylor Swift as big as Beyonce, Mariah and Madonna. It's a far better album than any of the three divas have released, but still, it is aimed straight at the thin line that connects music consumers who aren't looking for a challenge, but instead, some personality-driven, incredibly catchy pop music that blurs the lines between radio genres.
"Fearless" isn't fearless, of course … it's as safe as a trip to the mall. That doesn't make it terrible. It does make it shameless on a certain level, though … Swift made it big as, ostensibly, a country singer, but this record is much more pop and lite-rock than it is country, Swift's occasionally audible twang notwithstanding.
Teen pop hasn't been as well-crafted as this in a good while. What separates it from the herd, oddly, is its authenticity. Swift is actually a musician and songwriter, and "Fearless" doesn't appear to be an album made by committee. It's honest. And it's sure to hold unending appeal for the artist's massive teen and tween fan base.
David Archuleta, David Archuleta, [Jive], One star
This is just plain creepy. Archuleta is a good singer, and his single, "Crush," which opens his self-titled debut, is catchy computer-generated pop. But there is absolutely zero soul on this record, which is not a good thing if what you're attempting to craft is essentially modern R&B-based pop. Shameless pandering to teens who need to have an imaginary romantic relationship with any pop star they will considering shelling out a few bucks on is not a new thing. The "American Idol" team has managed to steal the sensuality from the equation, however. Liking Archuleta is akin to having a major crush on your iPhone. Icky.
David Cook, David Cook, [RCA],2 stars
David Cook is David Archuleta's scruffy doppelganger, of course, and it's a role he seems to relish. His debut effort is a rock album, writ large, but in a text devoid of meaning. Teaming with producer Rob Cavallo, who has made records with Kid Rock, Green Day and the Goo Goo Dolls, was a smart move for Cook. Cavallo's specialty is a huge wall of overcompressed guitars and keyboards, with reverb-drenched drum-canons and rudimentary bass lines gluing it all together. It's anthemic modern rock-by-numbers, a well-honed formula, and one that apparently held endless appeal for Cook.
Again, the guy can sing … I'm growing weary of saying this about nearly every corporate rock and pop record that comes out, as if it's some sort of grand revelation … but he doesn't seem to have much to say with that big voice. "David Cook" is cliche-ridden and generic, just like "Idol's" Daughtry and the father of all flaccid hard rock bands, Nickelback. If any of this sounds like a compliment, then the album will appeal to you.
T-Pain, Thr33 Ringz, [Jive],2 stars
Wow. This is a genuine freak show. T-Pain … famous for turning modern music's reliance on the Auto Tune effect, which forces singers who can't carry a tune into a pitch-friendly line … has enlisted more star guests than anyone in hip-hop to date.
For "Thr33 Ringz," the king of robotlike singing called on Akon, Ludacris, Chris Brown, Ciara, Lil Wayne, T.I., DJ Khaled and Kanye West, and they all took his calls. The album is a logical conclusion of the train of thought hip-hop has been following for the past 10 years. It's a critical mass built from all the genre's excesses and indulgences. It blends flurries of f-bombs with computerized "singing" and faux-soul emoting, tired beats, and manipulated synthesizer loops that have by now become complete cliches. It's so bad that it's almost good. Almost. At least it's funny. Does the company behind Auto Tune get a cut of the sure-to-be-abundant royalties?
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