Track Listing

1. Invisible
2. I Will Carry You
3. Way
4. When You Say You Love Me
5. No More Sad Songs
6. Run To Me
7. Shine
8. I Survived You
9. This Is The Night
10. Perfect Day
11. Measure Of A Man
12. Touch

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #101230 in Music
• Released on: 2003-11-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

CD Description
A genuine pop culture phenomenon who unexpectedly transcended the instant fame granted by his second-place finish in the AMERICAN IDOL competition, Clay Aiken made a decidedly un-hip media figure, often looking and sounding more like George Bush's nerdy, Andrew Lloyd Weber-loving nephew than a sexyor dangerous rocker. Perhaps not surprisingly, Aiken (with the help of uber-producer/record-company mogul Clive Davis),has crafted what sounds like the first-ever secular contemporary Christian album.
With an utter lack of pretense andgenuine feel-good vibe worthy of the best work of Newsong or Steven Curtis Chapman, MEASURE OF A MAN is a pristinely produced, relaxed-sounding showcase for Aiken's gorgeously clear and unaffected vocal style. On solid pop songs like "Shine" and the McCartney-esque "Perfect Day", the retiring Southern singer communicates his songs in a pure, direct fashion that, by virtue of its appealing simplicity, manages in short order to project more soul than a CD rack full of gut-busting Michael Bolton histrionics. A defining moment in the mainstream pop genre, MEASURE OF A MAN bridges the generation gap between teens and their parents with comforting consistency and a refreshing lack of flash.

Customer Reviews

THIS CD IS NOT THE MEASURE OF THIS MAN BY A LONG SHOT...
This is an overproduced album, in which much of the music tends to muffle the greatest instrument on this album, Clay Aiken's voice. Clay certainly has one of the best voices in show business today, something that his producers have neglected to recognize. Instead, they have chosen to have Clay's powerful voice take a back seat to all of the musical production bells and whistles at their disposal. When will they realize that this guy can really sing and that the public really wants to hear his voice?

While there are some decent songs on this album, such as the terrific "This is the Night", the Christian pop inspired "Measure of a Man", and the ubiquitous "Invisible", most of the songs are rather bland and eminently forgettable. With time, they, too, will become invisible. Moreover, I can't believe that the producers did not include "Bridge Over Troubled Water" on this cd, though it was included on the much more expensive, thirteen track, international release.

My daughter made me a cd compiled from the songs Clay Aiken sang on "American Idol" in his quest for the gold. That cd is so much better than this cd. You can really just be carried away by Clay's voice, which has the ability to give the listener goose bumps, as he is that good. I only hope that as Clay settles into his career, he will wrest control of his career and release an album of top quality music with his voice as it should be heard, unfettered and in control of the music, rather than the music being in control. I hope this with all my heart, as he is truly one of the great talents of today.

Awesome
I bought Measure of A Man from amazon.com a few weeks back and it hasn't been out of the player since. Not a weak track on the album. 12 great songs showcasing the wide vocal range of Clay Aiken. Far from being a loser by finishing as runner up in American Idol he has now had a number one single and album.Well worthy of it's double platinum status in just 2 weeks out in the US. My favourite tracks are Shine and Measure of A Man. Proving Simon Cowell wrong when he said he couldn't see him being a star. I cannot wait till Clay releases tracks in the UK and the rest of the country can see what the US already know. A bona fide star in the making. And cute too!!!

Oh, suits you, sir!
A man who was written off by many as a geeky, slighty camp, Broadway belter seems an unlikely candidate for the hottest pop star to emerge from the US, but with Clay Aiken we have just that. As runner up in the second American Idol he certainly has a lot to prove with his debut album and with Measure of a Man he certainly measures up.

It's clear this is not simply a TV show puppet manipulated by producers who want a quick cash in on his 15 minutes. Here is an album put together with some of the best song writers around (Darren Hayes, Desmond Childs, Cathy Dennis), the best producers and a man who obviously knows who he is and what he wants - all creating a beautifully crafted pop album.

Bookended by a couple of uptempo pop rocks tracks ("Invisible" and "Touch") are songs that would be just as at home coming from the stables of Bon Jovi, Foreigner and Robbie Williams as from The Backstreet Boys - with nary a cover version in sight! Soaring power ballads like "The Way" and "Run To Me" are accompanied by passionate guitar angst of "I Will Carry You" and "I Survived You". "Shine" and "Perfect Day" seem furthest away from typical Pop idol fair with a retro sound that lands somewhere between The Beatles and Tears For Fears.

All delivered with a depth and feeling which seems at odds with Aiken's nerdy, clean cut looks. This is not a thin voiced pretty boy, nor is it a theatrical, vibrato-filled, camp crooner. Here is a voice that can growl and roar with desperation and intensity, then climb and fly with sweet clarity.

With the worlds longest liner notes Clay Aiken is certainly a man with a lot to be thankful for, but we too need to be grateful that a TV talent show can deliver such an original, exciting, gifted performer. Let's just hope the material can continue to match the quality of the voice.