A Retrospective: Thoughts about FYE Album

Posted by Craazyforadam: (moved to this thread by Q3.)


So, here are my comments regarding the 'Adam's Return' article. Here is the link again - probably wise to read article first:

bullybloggers.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/adam%E2%80%99s-return/

The article starts out strong, and while I had to look up who Ste McCabe is, the statement that Adam delivers a visual alternative to the one-sided media representation of homosexuality is of course spot-on.

His observation about the album cover is sharp and on point: “His simple throw-back image shows us how we need to liberate ourselves, not from our own particular hang ups, but from the self-censoring positions we take whenever we defer to the broader society’s hang-ups.”

I question a bit the sentiment that Adam does all of his antics in a calculating way. I perceive it more that Adam is just being himself, very open and honest and then lets the chips fall where they may. He does not mind creating friction, confusion or scandal. On occasion he will use a twitter message or an upcoming interview to make minor corrections to a perceived misconception, as he sees fit. But for the most part he observes the reaction from the sideline quietly, then puts out something completely different the next time, only to come back to the first topic some time later and with a different angle to it.

Where the article starts getting a bit off kilter is when the topic goes into the actual review of FYE.

The sentence: “Lambert’s poses are improvisations upon a gendered binary that sits with increasing uneasiness upon the purportedly biologically given,” does not sit right with me. Lambert BLENDS the gendered binary, not improvises upon it and he does so with playful ease, and not at all with unease.

To quote myself here: “He uses the colors of the rainbow to teach the world the different shades of gray. And he does so visually as well as socially." Based on what we have seen it could very well be in his grasp to do it musically as well, even though the latter will remain to be seen.

As far as the stereotype of good girl Cyrus (2009 article) image vs bad boy Adam (post AMA), Adam does not look for that dichotomy. He takes the risks that it may be perceived that way. But he will do everything to make sure that such a narrow-minded view can only be imposed on him with multiple blinders on and/or with major unease and deceptive intent. And if given a chance, he will call the originator out on his or her bias or he lets his fans do it for him.


FYE is not paint by numbers. The rest of or most of the pop music market is. Adam is the artist who starts blending colors that paint by numbers ask you to keep separate. He is the impressionist painter among a sea of realists and cartoonists. But musically he has not quite found his own style yet, whereas visually and in message he has already made his impact. Musically he has the toolkit and color palate he needs and he made with FYE a bold attempt, but some beginning strokes are incomplete due to lack of time, other strokes still seem experimental or too hesitant (i.e. why is DTRH and Voodoo not on the album?). Many other artists have delivered concepts to FYE that Adam then has executed masterfully. He now in 2011 is in a phase where he needs to decide where to musically take his journey and while I am sure he will make good music on Album 2, I think that he will need a few rounds to find himself completely. Artists that do something new need time to develop their style, especially when each brush stroke that is experimentally made happens to be compared to the immediate flavor of the month.

The miss on Broken Open in the FYE review has already been discussed by Cassie and Hoopla. But some of his other assessments are a bit more correct and I just decide to see those songs more as experiments and enjoy the new and old as they rub against each other, rather than compare them to or measure them against older master pieces like ‘We are the Champions’. But I would agree that SFW cannot hold pace with the classic or that Fever and IIHY are a bit basic. But I do want Adam to stay radio and Billboard relevant for now, so I think that such songs are dearly needed and entertaining and that is in the pop world an important measure. So overall I just don’t think that the author’s music assessment is as well rounded as his assessment of Adam’s visual impact. Most brilliant pop songs are very basic.

The final paragraphs on his comparison with Mika as well as the level of involvement Adam had in the AMA’s and idol performances is off, based on wrong information regarding Adam’s involvement in different parts of his performances and tainted by the time it was written in. I assume that the author himself would write this part differently today.

That’s it from me folks. Again, I think this is a great article, especially as it makes its most important and valuable statements in the area where most other reviews fail to deliver and that makes this review especially valuable. So, my points of critique are written not with the intent to rip this author, not the least, they are written as points of discussion. The author is associate professor and so I think it is fair to dig into his writing at this level. I hope these comments from me are taken in that spirit.

THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BULLYBLOGGER REVIEW STARTED AROUND 11PM(?) LAST NIGHT 2/25.
I'M BRINGING OVER MY POST #309 @11:59.
I HOPE OTHERS WILL MOVE THEIR POSTS TO THIS THREAD!!!
Okay, I like this review very much, but I just don't get this part:

Most disappointing is “Broken Open,” surprisingly the album’s single nod to the goth-musical theater continuum that Lambert rode to American Idol success. The song cynically attempts to reconstruct the opening moments of his cover of “Mad World” note for note, on the condescending assumption that its audience will be too dumb to notice or care. Such transparent recycling bodes ill for the larger promise of Mr. Lambert to be a groundbreaker.

Here are the two songs, back to back...WTF is he talking about? Am I missing something? I LOVE Broken Open--it never reminds me of Mad World--??

MAD WORLD


BROKEN OPEN


Craazylady, I'd never seen this--thanks much for posting it!
Going back to read once more.

ETA: OMG, I just listened again, and I get what he's saying...it's NOT note for note, but it is similar...but the beginning instrumentals and electronica noises give it a whole different vibe to me. Hmmmm....