David Cook Gearing up to Release New Single

Someone on DCO just said those same songs are on Promosquad too, MJ.

I think Bar ba Sol because it has more of a rock edge to it. It also has a nice jingle to it.

Looooooove “Lie,” but if push comes to shove, I’ll take “Declaration….”

Honestly, I think Lie has the best hit potential out of the 3. Declaration to me is slightly too similar to LO, and I want David to show versatility.

Is Declaration a better fit for Top 40 than LO? I’d love to hear some opinions.

I think Declaration is VERY top 40, but I’ve heard differing opinions on that. I think Lie is too, but it’s stronger as an AC or HAC song to me if it’s not released at the exact right time. I don’t know why, but it screams end of summer/fall to my ears.

Lie is my handsdown, absolute favorite song on the album. So, without any strategic analysis whatsoever, I vote “Lie, lie, lie…” Can’t help it, I’m selfish like that. LOL Well, that, and I actually think the radio listening public will love it too.

Declaration is a great CD, concert, career, gig opener, but it really does not hit me as a great radio hit for some reason. I’m not able to explain my reasoning, of course, just a gut feeling for me.

Anywho, Come Back to Me is also a good option, but isn’t it the only other track on the record for which Cook has no writing credit? If so, for that reason alone, I’m against it being the next single. It’s time for David’s writing to see the light, imo.

I too would love to have Bar-ba-sol released as a single. Love, love, love it! It’s my favorite too. (Yes, I have more than one favorite. Can’t help myself. And, it’s a mood thing too, seeing how distinct it is from the other tracks.)

YMMV, as always.

What’s Promosquad?

Thanks for the poll, MJ, interesting to see the results. A little torn since I love Declaration, but I voted for Lie. Declaration has a great beginning, but isn’t that hooky, whereas Lie has crossover potential and is really different from Light On. As I mentioned in the other thread, I love the entire record, so I would love to see *any* of the songs as singles. Bottom of my list would be CBTM (similar to Avalanche but not as good), Mr. Sensitive (similar to Heroes but not as good), and I Did It For You (my least favorite song).

ETA: Another pro for Lie would be the potential video. The storyline lends itself well to a heartwrenching music video with DC as the star… I’m dying to see some “acting” from DC, and a good love song will go a long way to selling the DCTR and DC the artist/brand, I think.

I’m going for Lie this time around, though I’ll be happy with whatever’s next! Come Back to Me would make a great summer song. There’s just something about that falsetto of his at the end that says summer radio…

You know I have no idea anymore. I like David Cook a lot but I kind of tend to agree with my husband who by the way doesn’t watch any AI. My husband said after a long trip and him having to listen to his CD said: “All his songs sound the same”.

OH come back to me is good, I just am not fond of the begining.

I vacillated between different songs, there are just many songs in the album that would make a good single. Lie and Come Back To Me had been two of my choices at one time or another. I do however dislike Declaration more than Light On, so that wouldn’t be my choice.

At this moment, I do think that Heroes would make a perfect single. It’s catchy, uplifting, and doesn’t get wearing after listening to it many times. After that it would have to be Bar-Ba-Sol if only because he needs it for his rock credibility.

I would love it to be Bar-Ba-Sol but I am not sure if that’s the smartest decision because David hasn’t gotten a ton of support from the rock stations and that doesn’t really scream Top40/HAC to me.
I think Lie is the way to go. David is one of the writers on the song which is good, and it should play well on Top40 stations. Of course Johnny Rzeznick did co-write Declaration and he rarely has a song flop…I say Lie for #2, Declaration for #3.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“All his songs sound the sameà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

I dare anyone to listen to Permanent and Bar-ba-sol back to back and tell me they sound the same.
Even the songs which are closer don’t sound the same – Declaration and Lie sound nothing alike, otherwise I wouldn’t be so torn about which one would make the better single. Heh.

All three of these songs would be good choices, IMO, and I can’t really pick a favorite of any of them, and I honestly don’t know which one would do better on the radio. (Confession: my current song obsession is “Life on the Moon”, so I can’t focus on any of the others enough to really decide which one would be best.)

After the album came out and we heard all the songs, my thought (and I think several others thought the same thing because I remember seeing it written on here) was to put out “Declaration” next, and then after that, simultaneously release “Lie” as the 3rd single to top 40/HAC/AC and “Bar-Ba-Sol” to rock radio – kind of like what RCA did with Daughtry when they released “Home” to top 40/HAC/AC and “What I Want” to rock. Because honestly, I don’t think “Bar-Ba-Sol” will ever see the light of day on top 40 or Hot AC.

But, listening to “Come Back to Me” on the way home from work today, I think it would make a really good single. And I also think that “Heroes” would make a great single. So, I’m really torn.

I have no clue what would work on Top 40. It seems like pop-rock songs that work on Top 40 are not as formulaic as the r&b/rhythmmic pop songs that become hits, so it’s harder to predict what will take off and what won’t. (Nickelback and Daughtry songs being the main exceptions) Maybe David should just change his name to Sasha Fierce.

I don’t think that these three songs sound exactly, or even sort of, alike. I don’t think any of them particularly remind me of anything that’s on Top 40 right now either, so I’m at a loss. Personally, I like Lie and Come Back to Me more than I like Declaration, but I don’t know that anything on DCTR is destined to be a Top 40 hit. I actually think Avalanche, with a radio edit, has a lot of potential across formats and that might be my favorite on the CD right now.

Ultimately, I voted for Lie. Based on the sales numbers on TOML compared to LO, I guess America likes David singing waltzes? Whatever, I’m just happy that LO and the album did well enough to have RCA put some time and effort into the second single.

I’m torn. I love Bar-ba-sol too, but I think it is about time for others (not his bordering-on-psychotic fans) to catch a glimpse of his beautiful and endearing soul. Lie reveals that. I love DC because he feels his music and makes us feel it too.while I do love Declaration, I’m ready for a sappier tune to hit the airwaves.

I think if I had it my way, it would be Lie next, and Heroes/Life on the Moon after that. Then again, if I had it my way, Declaration wouldn’t be on the table since it would’ve already come out as the 1st single, instead of LO.

I mean, really, the song is called Declaration. Is there any better choice for a debut single by Your American Idol? RCA, what were you thinking? *sigh*

But, yeah, IDK. I want whatever is the best bet at a crossover hit to be the next single. I don’t care if it’ll be my favorite or not, I just want the next single to be big. I think DC needs a big single now.

OMG I can’t choose between Declaration or Lie. I can see pros & cons for both being the next single. (I’m not voting for CBTM, even though I love it, I don’t think it should be the next single)

Yesterday I chose Lie, but maybe another ballad wouldn’t be a good idea.

Blah, for this survey I will chose Declaration

You hit it, Jolene. Declaration is just that, his announcement of himself and his music. An offering to his fans, so to speak.

I believe right now — for radio and to build the DC love beyond those of us waiting with baited breath for his “Declaration” — he needs a single that is relatable. With “Lie,” folks put themselves in the place of the inevitable breakup, they “see the storm in your eyes that’s been coming for awhile…” Powerful stuff! Who among us hasn’t been there! Same with CBTM, too, but again for me, no writing credit kills that deal.

Regardless, I can’t wait!! Yippee, more Cookie on my radio~

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“All his songs sound the sameà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

I dare anyone to listen to Permanent and Bar-ba-sol back to back and tell me they sound the same.
.

I agree, No way they all sound the same.

I had my husband re-listen to the CD to give me his opinion. He has always loved Light On, even more than I do, and said he thought the next best one is Lie. For me I absolutely love Lie and think it is the best on the album so of course that is my choice also. I love Declaration, just not as much as Lie, so if that is the next one, I am ok with that.

I love Barbasol but don’t think it should be the next single.

There are many on the album that I would love to be released as a single so it will be interesting to see which one they end up releasing.

David should run to the studio and record a song by Sinatra and make it his own! Update it. I know tons of young people who actually like Sinatra, wouldn’t that be a trip? Ok I’m just blabbing.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“All his songs sound the sameà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

I can’t say that’s completely unfounded. I love DCTR, and personally don’t think the all songs sound the same, but a lot of the songs do sound similar to each other.

Of course there are differences between every song, but one could conceivably generalize and lump Declaration, LO, Heroes, Mr. Sensitive, LOTM, ADaM into one group, and Lie, Avalanche, CBTM, IDIFY into another. Permanent and Bar-ba-sol are in their own classes, IMO.

But honestly, most records do contain a lot of similar sounding songs– it’s the challenge of balancing cohesion with diversity. I’ve bought (and enjoyed) my share of CDs where every song sounds the same (Death Cab for Cutie, the Fray, Keane, even Jason Mraz are big offenders IMO), and DCTR is nowhere near those levels. Let’s just say you were to sample the record with Declaration, Lie, Bar-ba-sol, and Permanent. I think having those 4 songs on one record presents a pretty cool mix. Good job DC. This is not counting any bonus/hidden tracks.

Wow, Declaration is killing it in the poll. I was torn, but I thought Lie would get more love.

What do I need to do to my RTM profile to get the DC survey? I switched my format to HAC and got the general survey which included LO, but how do I get the DC survey?

I just can’t like Come Back to Me, no matter how hard I try. For one thing, it sounds like they put the lyrics to ABMB in one of those foreign language translators, translated it to another language, then translated it back to English and got CBTM. I try to listen to it and it gets to “when you find “you”…” and I gotta ff to the next track. Sorry, Dave.

Choosing between Declaration and Lie is harder. I think Lie is a very good song, but if I check my iTunes for all the versions of Declaration and add up all the play counts, Declaration would far exceed most songs in my library. (Probably still hasn’t quite caught up to Innocent/TWIK/DYTM.)

Lie Lie Lie – I’m voting for Lie. Declaration is probably my least favorite – I like it, just not as much as the rest. How cool would it be to hear Bar-ba-sol on the radio? I like Sarah’s idea (above) about a double release ala Daughtry. I also have Life on the Moon stuck in my head. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

For one thing, it sounds like they put the lyrics to ABMB in one of those foreign language translators, translated it to another language, then translated it back to English and got CBTM.

OMG, ROTFLMAO. That’s priceless!

Sigh, I would’ve liked Declaration to be the first single. As a second single I don’t like much that the bridge part (is that what it’s called?) where DC sings without instruments is kinda similar to LO.

As for the ballads, my favorite is Avalanche, Lie is next on the list.

I think LOTM should be the/a going home song on AI.

I like both Lie and Come Back to Me more than Declaration. Bar Ba Sol is my favorite but I’m not getting my hopes up. Was hoping for Life on the Moon or Light On for the booted contestant song. Guess, we’ll soon find out what artist/song AI decides to use.

Lie. Since the first time i heard this cd, i felt that was THE song. Beautiful lyric, beautiful melody. I just can imagine what an amazing clip they could do with this song.

Lie, lie, lie.

There is only a couple on DCTR that I don’t like. I like Declaration but it should have been the first single.They made a bad judgement call. Since Light On came first I think they should do “Lie”, beautiful song and expresses his softer side. It changes the tempo since Light On was upbeat.

KarenLE67
Jan 6th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
What do I need to do to my RTM profile to get the DC survey? I switched my format to HAC and got the general survey which included LO, but how do I get the DC survey?

You have to change your profile choice to Top 40 instead of HAC.

This choice was very difficult. My favorite right now is Life on the Moon, but if I needed to pick between Declaration, Lie, and CBTM I chose Declaration. What was my reason? I polled the two 20 year olds in my household. That song was the one they thought could be a hit on Top 40, and they liked it the best of the three.

I do think that whenever it’s released, “Lie” will be the biggest crossover hit on the album. I’ve said that since the beginning. It just screams HAC/AC hit, and I agree with what I think cheese once said, that the people who love the Magic Rainbow will love “Lie.” But I also agree with what tinawina said upthread about the timing of its release to top 40. I don’t think it’s the ideal song to be releasing right after Valentine’s day… I could be wrong, but I just don’t think so.

One thing I DO know is that in March/April, I want DC and Kelly battling it out for the top spot on the charts… so, whatever will make that happen, RCA? DO IT!

ETA: Wordnerdarchie – I haven’t asked a lot of people what their fave DC song is, outside of my normal bubble. But I did ask a coworker today whose 11 year old son got the album for Christmas how he liked it. She said that he loved it and his favorite song is “Declaration.” (I hadn’t seen her since before the holidays, since I took off the week before Christmas and she took off the week after.). So, just one 11 year old, but it was interesting to me that “Declaration” was his favorite. I thought he’d like some of the other songs better.

Seriously, I hope RCA got rid of whoever chose LO as first single over Declaration. Can’t believe I’m still bitter about it, but I really am.

Heh, just saw a comment elsewhere by a girl who did the survey and decided to buy DCTR as a result. Said she hates LO but loves Lie and CBTM. This survey is actually Cookifying people! LOL

I’m glad I hear some love here for Avalanche as it’s by far my favorite and think it would be a great single. Of the ones submited I’d have to go with Lie. My husband is not too sold on the CD either. He sees the similar sound and also would like to hear more lyrics and less instruments. Not real rock fans here I guess. I like more and louder music at a concert, but on my CD not so much. I’m sure he’ll have sucess with this album. I need to go to RCM and vote.

To be clear, I’ve got ALL KINDS OF LOVE for Avalanche! (And, for that matter, Life on the Moon, Mr. Sensitive, Kiss on the Neck, even Breathe Tonight in addition to those already mentioned.) It simply was not among the current choices. LOL

So, just one 11 year old, but it was interesting to me that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Declarationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  was his favorite. I thought heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d like some of the other songs better.

My 11 year old picks Declaration as her favorite. She loves Barbasol and likes Lie, but she’s not really that interested in the other songs. (These days, she’s mostly listening to the Twilight soundtrack)

One thing I DO know is that in March/April, I want DC and Kelly battling it out for the top spot on the chartsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ so, whatever will make that happen, RCA? DO IT!

Whoa – I just had a thought! Since Kelly’s single is coming out soon, and we know it is an uptempo pop/rocker similar to Since U Been Gone, would Declaration be too close in feel? How would having 2 idol winners with release songs reminiscent of each other’s around the same time change things? Or would it not matter at all? Assuming they do sound a little alike, of course.

Lie, lie, lie….

I really want Lie (of the three choices) and hope Declaration is not the next single.

As someone up thread stated, Declaration begins great, agree on that point. But after that it goes nowhere, imo. I think the chorus/refrain shows no. imagination. at. all. And the chorus is also (forgive me here) TOO SHOUTY.

That being said, I am not a 20-yr old, I dont even listen to anything on the radio other than NPR, so maybe my fave isnt going to climb the Top 40 charts, which is what we are all aiming for, no?

2nd Declaration
3rd Lie

I like Lie and Declaration equally, and would be fine with either as the next single. I voted for Declaration here and at RTM because David already has a ballad (TOML) out that’s still being played on the radio. I also love Declaration’s driving beat and open, bright sound. (Checked my iTunes play count- Lie=80 plays, Declaration=110 plays.)

I absolutely don’t want Come Back to Me as the next single. It’s my least favorite song on the album, after LO. It just sounds like a generic, manufactured song to me. I felt the same way about LO, but thought it would fit in with all of the Nickelback-type songs already out there. Well, LO isn’t doing too badly, but it’s not a breakout hit either. I’d like to see his next single be something that stands out and actually sounds like a David Cook song, rather than something that sounds like everything else. Seems like one of David’s own songs would have at least as much of a chance of succeeding as a song that was written to be a formulaic hit. And, selfishly, I’d also like the chance to hear him sing a song I actually like every time I see him on TV in the next few months.

Hmmmm… just had a thought. I can clearly imagine a video for Lie. I cannot imagine one for Declaration.

I want to see that Lie video. Badly. It’s really awesome.

I voted for Lie. I actually don’t listen to much radio at all and what I do listen to is irrelevant to this, so I just voted for the song I can’t wait to see a video for. There isn’t a song on the record I don’t love, although I love some a bit more than others. Right now my favorites are ADAM, Avalanche and Heroes.

I would definitely pick Declaration for the next single and, just my opinion, would like to see Avalance released after that – his voice is just amazing on that song. Keep ‘em coming Cookie!

I say avoid CBTM and Bar-ba-sol and go with one he actually wrote (yes, he has partial credit on Bar-ba-sol, but it’s still a cover, and the last thing he needs is to release ANOTHER cover.)

Declaration was on SNL, Permanent was on one of those dancing versions of Idol (DWTS or SYTYCD, or something like that, I don’t really know) and Heroes was on some sports thing or other, so those would all be good choices in my mind. Lie would probably be the best, as it’s a lot different than LO, but I voted Declaration, because I like it better. My favorite is Mr. Sensitive, but that’s neither here nor there.

As others have said, they could always release Bar-ba-sol and/or Declaration as rock specific singles (ala What I Want and Crashed).

Although, I’ll be happy with any of them, with the possible exception of CBTM (or IDIFY or Avalanche. Although if making Avalanche a single causes someone extremely extremely famous to play it at their wedding I would change my tune.)

I really like Declaration, but I think Lie is the way to go next. Time to remind all those casual fans from last season who exactly they fell in love with and how they’ve broken his heart by not buying his album yet.

I also think FOX (the kings of shameless cross-promotion) should feature it in a commercial for their new show, Lie To Me, which is getting a fair amount of buzz.

Since Vote for the Worst is saying that DC is now a single man, I’m thinking that Come Back to Me would be unfortunately timed for the second single.
My vote is for Declaration since Burma Shave isn’t an option here.

I was just thinking today what a great single Lie would make, I vote for that.

I voted for Lie. Love that song ( its currently my ringtone) Declaration really should have been his first song instead of the weak, lyrically and melodically challenged Light On. I can’t listen to that song at all. I skip it on my CD and turn the station on the radio when its on. And I LOVE david cook. Oh gotta go. he is up next on idol rewind.

#2 Declaration – it is upbeat and has a great intro to catch attention right away when heard on the radio among tons of other songs.

#3 Life on the Moon – released during top 12 week of the new AI season and tied to the sent-home video packages.

I actually voted for Lie, but I am among the crowd who had been thinking Declaration next followed by a simultaneous release of Lie to mainstream and Bar Ba Sol to rock/alternative.

I do love Lie the best on the CD—certainly the best of the songs that seem like they could be mainstream singles. I’d be fine with Declaration next, as it is very uptempo and I could easily see a performance video for it, which would be awesome, maybe spliced with some of that great footage that DC took of audiences during the Idol tour. But I have long thought that Lie is the song that would be the biggest hit on the record. So I had to vote for that.

I’m not a big fan of CBTM, but I know that there are some strong partisans of that song and that some people think it could be huge. So, if RCA picks it, I will probably be disappointed (as that would reduce the chance of Lie coming out any time soon, as I can’t see CBTM followed by Lie), but I’d assume that RCA’s market research indicated that the CBTM partisans are right and CBTM is the best song to sell the record.

while i do think that an uptempo song would benefit better as a second single, i wouldn’t choose declaration. it is a tad bit shouty, and we already have a lot of that with LO. if i were to choose an uptempo, i’d go for life on the moon.

i also want to factor in the times cook will be performing his single live. so i’d choose LOTM over Declaration. it’s a little more subdued and a little poetic. plus it’ll be lighter on his voice.

unfortunately, LOTM isn’t on that poll…lol. so i picked Lie. Lie SCREAMS top 40. it’s lyrically the best song on the album. it’ll bring back the idea that david’s not only a rocker, but a solid AC performer.

oh…and about david’s songs sounding all the same. to some degree it’s semi-true. most of his songs follow the Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus, Chorus pattern. but c’mon, that’s pretty much the standard format for any song these days.

soo….while i do approve on the up-tempo second single, followed by a ballad 3rd, i’m gonna pull a david and “take a risk” and reverse that order…haha!

I picked Declaration over Lie . I think it could pick up new (male) fans. I love Lie, but its pace/tempo? is slightly similar to TOML and while LO is rock, its not the toe-tapping, finger-drumming, head banging (which guys love to do) kind of rock song that Declaration is.

I will argue that Barbasol isn’t a cover. If you can show me a version that isn’t a demo, that was produced and released for music fans, then I will agree it’s a cover, but last I looked, a demo in no way constitutes a cover. I think it was changed significantly enough for him to get the writing credit. I have no problem with it. My thoughts are that David Cook did the Injected writers a huge favor (not that he was looking to do favors because it’s an awesome song) by wanting to do that song. I just don’t see how you take an unreleased song and change it (or really not even change it) and then it becomes a cover. If that were the case, every song you didn’t write would be a cover I think.

Cover is probably the wrong word gingerly, but I get the point trying to be made. In the rock world, writing your own songs goes a long way towards being considered credible. His first song was entirely written by someone else, and Barbasol, while he has writing credit, really does sound, at first listen, like the Injected original that’s floating around. He changed some lyrics and did some rearranging, but it’s essentialy the same song if you are not paying close attention. If the Injection version wasn’t out there on the net it would be a different story, but right now it could be a bit of a problem if he puts out 2 rock songs that he didn’t seem to have a significant hand in creating.

Bar-ba-sol is not coming out anytime soon (and I’d guess it’s not coming out ever, unless rock radio does a 180 on Cook), so I don’t see the big issue.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s his song, and he has writing credit for a reason. He’s the only one to release the song, it’s no one else’s and it’s definitely not a cover.

No he didn’t create barbasol. He did or will hopefully make it famous. I don’t know that we can know if he created anything on the album other than ADAM. That would be the only song that has only him as being the writer. Other than that, we really can’t truthfully know what part he played in any song other than his contribution changed it enough to give him a writing credit.

1) Has anyone who has been able to vote on Rate the Music been able to see results? Just wondering since I’m not registered on this site.

2) I just voted for Lie here. None of these three are my favs. Mine are LOTM, Heroes and Avalanche. However, even though I haven’t listened to the album as much this week (bad fan), I have woken up several mornings with Lie in my so it is definitely a ‘stick with you’ song.

3) I don’t quite agree with the person who said this wouldn’t be a good Valentine’s song. I think there are a lot of peeps out there who whether, admittedly or not, want to be with someone on Valentine’s night regardless of how they feel….

They don’t show results for the surveys. There’s kind of a quick poll on the front for certain songs that will show you results, but not the surveys.

I like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Lieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Come Back To Meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  much more than à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Declarationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . So on the survey I chose à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Lieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . I know a lot of people like Declaration, but it is my least favorite song on the album. Also I think à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Lieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  would be a great send off song on Idol and the song has the potential to be a monster hit with the right amount of exposure.

All right, I take back the cover comment (I don’t speak music lingo, so I should probably just keep my mouth shut.)

I’ll just say I agree with everything Tinawina said.

I’m sad “Heroes” isn’t on there. So out of the three, I would have to pick “Lie.”

Out of the choices presented I vote for Lie, but agree completlely with CookCricket that LOTM, Avalanche and Heroes are my faves and IMHO would do great in the mainstream. I love all the songs on the CD but I’m a diehard fan and a little biased, having said that I believe Declaration is waaay too similar to LO and as we know LO did only so-so in the mainstream. I want David to have a huge top 40 hit and I think this next release choice is critical for him in achieving that.

If the Injection version wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t out there on the net it would be a different story,

There are demos floating around for lots of songs, but since most people aren’t invested enough to search them out on the internet, it’s generally not a big deal. Seriously, how many people have heard Injected’s version, or have even heard of Injected at all?

Given the choice between those particular songs, I think CBTM would be the best radio single. I love all of DC’s songs, but I’ve been listening to the album with a radio ear for awhile now with the aim of hearing the best radio releases. Declaration, I think, does not have enough of a song arc or an emotional connection if you don’t know anything about David. I love the rhythm and feel of Lie. I just don’t see it being huge on radio, although I do think it could be a moderate hit. Now, CBTM, on the other hand, I think was chosen for this album specifically to work on radio. My take is that those who don’t care for the song are turned off by that very trait, as it does fit into a formula of what sells on radio. Sure it doesn’t have much of an alt-indy feel but then again, if it helps to sell the album and David’s name, I’m ok with that. And since we’re talking about what would explode on the radio waves, that has to be my choice.

Of course, then there’s another discussion about what would be the best single to follow LO assuming that David will have the opportunity to release a couple more from this album. From that perspective, IMO Declaration has a feel that is too similiar to LO and I’m concerned that it would be a bit of a sleeper as a result. I do like the idea of a hard-hitting faster paced song but neither Kiss on the Neck or Breathe Tonight are available for single release. I am hoping that situation changes though because they could be great on radio. Maybe summer? It seems to me that David needs something big to be next, which is why I still think I’d go with CBTM.

Lie, and then for the third single… Avalanche =)

“lie” is my favorite song on the album, but i think he needs another rocker before he goes to the slow stuff. i’m okay with “declaration”, but i would really prefer “heroes”. i think it’s got the stronger radio hook, and it has an absolutely killer bridge. having said that, “declaration” does kind of ignite the crowd when he performs it live, so it may be just as strong on radio.

“lie” will make an absolutely perfect third single. i agree with whomever above said that it’s got the potential to be the biggest single off this record. i think it could be a monster hit.

i love “avalanche” (my 2nd fave), but i think its only chance as a single would be as the fourth, because i think its appeal will be limited to AC and maybe HAC. likewise, “bar-ba-sol”‘s only shot is on mainstream rock, so i don’t think it’s a likely single, either.

Yes, livehead16 I truly believe “Heroes” would be FTW!

Avalanche is already being played in Philippine radio, it’s actually #2 in a popular radio countdown already (ALTNOY is #1, 2 votes difference, the DJ said)

As a non-Cook fan, I would choose Come back to Me or Lie. Declaration is too busy..to me. I’m not saying Declaration is bad. I just prefer to other two songs. I also searched and listened to other songs in Cook’s album. I think Avalanche and Life on the Moon are better. I’m not a main target, so get mine too seriously. heehee…

I had a tough time choosing between Lie and Declaration, but I ended up choosing Lie. I agree that Declaration will probably appeal to guys more, but I also think that Lie is one of those ballads that guys will like too. My only reservation about Lie is that I think it should be released when he has a lot of high profile appearances, because part of the beauty is hearing it Live. I wonder if I would have liked it as much if I hadnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t heard it live.

As for future singles, I agree with others who think that LOTM and Avalanche would make great singles. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m guessing that Avalanche is not considered catchy enough for radio (until people are more familiar with David) but Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m surprised that LOTM wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t a choiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦I flove that song . Regarding Barbasol: I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a better song than Light On so Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m hoping that rock stations will be more receptive. Slightly OT, but someone on utube used Barbasol in a very short clip of the movie Twilight and I thought it was kind of cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBy1WR3IzrA

You know . I like David Cook a lot but I kind of tend to agree with my husband who by the way doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t watch any AI. My husband said after a long trip and him having to listen to his CD said: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“All his songs sound the sameà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

your husband is right on the money and this is all cavallo’s doing.
honestly the only songs on this record that actually scream at me david cook is Permanent and ADAM (because of the good old david cook Signature lyrics. the production still sucks).
all other songs are similar to other artist’s generic sound songs and sound nothing like david cook. there isn’t anything really distinctive on this record that makes david stand out as an artist from the rest of them.
you know Lera, as a huge fan of cook I have no idea anymore either. I can honestly say that none of the choices above actually move me enough to be passionate about his second single.
but if you twist my arm i’ll go with Lie.
the production on that song is also crapy but at least I can spot david’s beautiful soul in the midst of all the cavallo shticks.
as a fan of david I’m torn and sad.
seems to me that cavallo doesn’t know his artist and never realised how good he actually is. Light On was the first sign of that.
david cook the artist is much much better than his current introduction to the general public.
having said that I still wish him all the best with this record.

I know which one I don’t want to be a single, that would Declaration. I love the song and all, but I think Lie and Come Back To Me have so much more radio potential, I just don’t think Declaration is that it single.

My obvious choice would be Lie. It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful song in the album, it’s something that would fit Top40, HAC and AC, he co-wrote it, and I love how he performs that song live, it’s very haunting and my fav live performane from the album songs (along with bar-ba-sol). Plus, I think people can connect more with teh song an its message than declaration.

I wouldn’t mind Come Back To Me though. I actually like its melody a lot, I can see it playing well on radio.

For an upbeat anthem song I’d pick Heroes insted of Declaration. I think it’s more catchy and all.

I agree that Declaration will probably appeal to guys more, but I also think that Lie is one of those ballads that guys will like too.

I agree with this 100%. CBTM sounds IMO like a chick song through and through, but I know lots of guys who dig Lie. I LOVE Declaration, but agree with all those who’ve said Heroes would have been a better choice than Declaration– I guess I just hear radio hit with Heroes more.

I’m sorry for double posting, for some reason I can’t edit.
Just wanted to comment on two points.

Bar-Ba-Sol is not a cover. And I don’t think he would have any issues because other people wrote it original, his problem with rock is taht he is the american idol. I would like that one released to rock or alternative. Maybe they wouldn’t play it and all, but it’s something I can see being played there.

Other than that, we really canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t truthfully know what part he played in any song other than his contribution changed it enough to give him a writing credit.

Yeah, we don’t know how writting works. But honestly, I would bet that the lyrics of Declaration, Life On The Moon, Mr. Sensitive and Permanent were written by him. Knowing his previews work, those lyrics fit there pretty well.

The album sounding the same… What I think is that teh songs that sound more alike are all together. Like Life On The Moon/Bar-Ba-Sol/Mr. Senstive and Lie/I Did It for You/Avalanche.
I think if you put the songs in a different order, like Heroes/Lie/Bar-Ba-Sol/Permanent/A daily Anthem… it will sound pretty different (same voice and all anyway), those 5 songs are quite different.
All in all, I think most albums have less variety than Cook’s, not only in style but also in themes, especially compared to other American Idol’s albums.
But look at The Fray, having a new single that sounds exactly like all their other songs doesn’t seem to be hurting them.

The singles order should be:

1) Light On
2) Lie
3) Heroes
4) Declaration

Declaration is catchy and upbeat. I always love this song. It’s fun and when David performs this live it’s awesome. He 100% nailed this song on SNL.

Lie is a beautiful, hauntingly and melodic wonder. I predict that this will be a monster. Country radio continues to embrace Pop Ballad Covers and Southern Rock. Kid Rock’s music and videos chart on Country. “Home” released by Michael Buble and then covered by Blake Shelton is still charting. Am not suggesting that DC go Country, am just noting that it’s not beyond the realm of possibilities that it could do well there as well as on Top40, AC, HAC.

CBTM – is the poppy-est song off DCTR. I could see this doing extremely well on Top40. Very catchy and the melody is nice.

I will be happy with any of the three as the next single. I also think there are a few other singles, like Avalanche, Permanent and Heroes that could do well. Not to mention Bar Ba Sol and Breathe Tonight.

Thanks MJ for this thread. It’s interesting to see how the votes are falling.

It has to be Declaration!!!

Lie is beautiful but I think not while we still have the Other David Cook Waltz on radio. (can someone persuade Rainbow to go to the home already?)

I want DCTR’s versatility out in the world. So at this point, go with the bright uptempo anthem.

Plus the fact they’re running this survey on Top 40 tells me they want something for that format…Declaration is the best bet IMO.

I definitely agree with Lie as the next one. I dont get people saying it is too much like the others. I think that is the best song on the album and that is really all that should matter. People listening arent going to be thinking whether it will be big on HAC or top 40 or whether it is too much like his other song. DA’s 2nd single in my opinion is just like Crush so don’t really see the big issue here. I think Lie would be a huge hit and then he can release whatever he wants and I think it will be a huge hit also.

I don’t agree with Declaration appealing to guys more. My husband listens to pop/rock music and he picked Lie out of the 3. I had nephews (in their 20′s) listen to the 3 songs and Lie was their choice also. These are all people that wouldn’t listen to DC if I hadn’t given them a CD. From the whole album my nephews all picked Lie and then Avalanche as their favorites. They mainly listen to top 40 so I was pleasantly surprised with their choices.

**Message moved to the thread it responded to, whoops!**

Sorry all. Back to regularly scheduled programming…

I’m going to agree that Heroes is a better upbeat choice than Declaration for a single. Someone aked this in DCO and it made me think – would the casual listener be able to connect with the message of Declaration? Someone who isn’t familiar with David’s story. I don’t know.
I think the next single should be Lie, and the one after that should be Heroes.

But I’m betting it’s Declaration, anyway. And I’m fine with that, it’s a much better song than LO, so hopefully it’ll also do much better.

I will preface this by saying I don’t know nuthin bout runnin no record label. So, from my total layperson’s POV, here’s the thing: I love Declaration. And not because it’s Cook, or, as some people say, because he’s singing to his fans. I just really, really love to sing along with that one out loud in the car. It’s that kind of song. Because of that, I think it’s a good radio song. It has a little bit of a Holiday/Green Day vibe, and that’s my favorite tune off of American Idiot, so, yeah. I also like Lie, and the live performance of it is absolutely beautiful and sure to win over new peeps. My first instinct, though, was to vote for Declaration. I don’t agree that the lyrics aren’t relatable. If you didn’t know the story behind the tune, would you still think that way? Don’t we all have moments where we want to declare something to the world, aren’t we all inspired by people who have gotten us to the place we are today? It’s kind of like Pink’s So What…we’re not literally all rock stars, but we can relate to the sentiment of telling an ex to eff off. And it got buzz because people liked to say…hey, did you hear Pink wrote this song about her real life divorce… To me, Declaration is the song that he’s going to play in concert and people will get excited and want to sing it back to him. A signature song, if you will. Also, my 8 year old eye rolling Jonas Brother loving niece really loves to sing along to that song, too.

All that said….what reading these comments made me realize is that I was thinking in a vacuum. It’s not just picking a good single, it’s releasing the right single at the right time and finding the angle to get some buzz around it for whatever reason. And this is presumably going to be a February release, end of winter, Valentines Day… So I have to say, I think Lie might be the one. People get maudlin and sentimental around Valentine’s Day. And also, well, this is a time when everyone is feeling pretty crappy about lots of stuff on the national scale, and the “lie to me and tell me it’s going to be okay” sentiment…I dunno, it could strike a chord. If there’s any way Fox could feature it on their new show, Lie to Me…homerun. It’s a well written song to boot. ALso, the 3/4 meter certainly helped TOML catch on, but this song is less schmaltzy in sentiment than the Rainbow (ducking, don’t hurt me, Rainbow) which means it could do well on Top 40. Finally, this is the single that will reintroduce him to the AI audience if he gets to perform on the show, and people loved them some acoustic Dave on AI. So, I’m switching my vote to Lie.

Back to Declaration…when I realized Lie might be a better end of winter song, and thus probably a better second release, it dawned on me that Declaration is more of a summer tune, and more specifically, maybe a good graduation tune. (Think about the lyrics….) So, defintiely still single material, definitely keep it in the setlist for the college tour, but save it to be released later.

As for Come Back To Me….I kind of think this song is a wee bit boring. It’s the only song on DCTR that I can say I sort of dislike, and I’m a big Cook fan. I dunno, I don’t think that bodes well. I could be biased, but I’m not the only person who has said that. It certainly makes for a nice little love song-ish Feb release. But of the love songs, Avalanche, IMO, is sooo much better. It’s not as trite lyrically, it’s equally sing along able, it’s sexy, and the vocals on it are perfection. I don’t think CBTM has to ever be released. If it’s down to Lie and CBTM, I’d go Lie. Then Declaration. Then Avalanche. Then RCA needs to get Bar Ba Sol on the soundtrack for the next Twilight movie and see if it can take off and finally establish the rock cred. (Seriously, that you tube link was awesome.) ANd maybe use Life on the Moon as the send off song on AI just to throw it out there without an official release to radio and see if it catches on. And get Permanent on SYTYCD again and maybe even SUpernatural (saw an awesome fanvid to that effect.) And hope that the Eagles pull off a miracle and go to the Superbowl, and Heroes can be Donavan McNabb’s new theme song. Because nobody gets knocked down and gets back up more than McNabb or maybe Roethlisberger. Bwah.

One final thought….it’s too bad Kiss on the Neck won’t ever see the light of day, because RCA has an overlooked gem in that one. That title is enough to intrigue Top 40, and nothing on DCTR would cement Cook’s burgeoning status as a bonafide sex symbol (and not just for the cougar set) more than that song. Also, the backbone stuck inside your purse line sticks in your head for days, and the riff is hooky as well. Hey, there’s another one with potential for Twilight tie in. kiss on the neck : :snake_ee: Okay, I’ll stop now and go do my real job.

My thinking was so very simple. After two ballads, it’s time for something upbeat. But, maybe I’m thinking too simplistically.

Actually, I think all three songs could be singles. It’s a matter of picking which one should be next.

“Heroes” has a really good hook and an upbeat message, I think it would also be a good single, imo.

MJ, I agree.

I also think that ESPN montage clip set to “Heroes” from College Football just underscored how upbeat and catchy it was. Fun song, too.

LOL MJ at your tiny post after my twenty minute dissertation. You know, that was my first instinct, too. Then, obviously, I began to overthink it.

LOL sunchick, I LOVED your dissertation. I also really appreciated MJ’s splash. What can I say, I get around. j/k

LOL MJ at your tiny post after my twenty minute dissertation. You know, that was my first instinct, too. Then, obviously, I began to overthink it.

No! The dissertations are great. Who would bother to read the comments sections if all the comments were as boring as mine? LOL.

I’d disappear without you guys. No lie.

It does look funny, though. Y’all are just lucky I didn’t break out a powerpoint presentation and graphical analysis. :rasberry_ee:

Wow, nearly 1175 poll responses so far! MJ, these are individual IPs or are folks able to spam this poll too?

too bad Kiss on the Neck wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t ever see the light of day… nothing on DCTR would cement Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s burgeoning status as a bonafide sex symbol (and not just for the cougar set) more than that song.

Sunchick, I appreciate your love for KOTN – that’s the one I’d love to see a video for (I’ve got it all planned out in my head, if they’re looking for a director). And for goodness sake, if they play that on tour, and do the psychedelic bridge the way it is on the record with the groan at the beginning and the whisper at the end… They better have a whole squad of paramedics on hand because the entire audience is going to simultaneously THUD.

I kind of look at releasing Declaration as a “do-over” – it’s what they should have done in the first damn place. It seems clear to me that after “I walked up on high and stepped to the edge” David’s intention was to make his “Declaration” and They should have had faith in David, as he asks for in LOTM. I think his instincts are right on, he knows who he is and how he wants to present himself to the world. Give the guy his do-over and release Declaration, follow it up with Lie or Avalanche, co-release Heroes and Barbasol, get Permanent and LOTM on some TV shows. (And make me a video of KOTN, while you’re at it.)

Lie is the sure thing in my opinion and will really give DCTR a much needed shot in the arm…especially after these dead months. If the diehard fans are deadset on Declaration then I say let them have it. I think choosing Declaration as the next release would be a mistake. Lie is the obvious choice and a canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t miss hit IMO. Declaration should have been the first singleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦it just seemed so right in terms of style and the message. It’s simply apropos of DC’s coming out party. However, even now as the second release, I’m not convinced that it would do that much better than LO. If RCA wants to release an up-tempo rock song, I think Heroes with its univseral, uplifiting vibe would be more appealing to the average joe on the street and would outperform Declaration on the radio. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d bet my life on it. Personally, I think Lie, CBTM, Heroes and Avalanche will be the most successful singles off of the album…if released. The bottom line is, singles aren’t about appeasing diehard fans, it’s about releasing the tracks that will be the most successful and will attract the most new fans and potential buyers. I’d rather see DC have his first bonafide hit off the album instead of another moderate success. If Lie was released after Declaration, which would be around June I’m guessing, it wouldn’t start making a big impact until August/September. That’s a long time to go without a chart burner.

I just never got into Heroes like that. Though I suppose it could be a good single. But whenever people call the album generic and accuse it of sounding like Nickleback or Daughtry, I think of Light On, Heroes and Life on the Moon. Those 3 could have been sung by Chad Kroeger or Chris Daughtry to my ears. LOTM has very personal lyrics, but musically it slides right into a Daughtry album. But I know I’m alone on that one.

I have to say, I strongly believe an upbeat rock song is called for at the moment. So if it’s not Declaration, I could live with Heroes. But I do genuinely love Declaration. I genuinely think of it as a great pop radio song. Its a sing along in the car no-brainer for me, and always was. At this point, my only concern would be if it sounded to much like Kelly Clarkson’s new song. Which we won’t know until next week anyway.

tinawina, I am dying here. I had to mute my phone (am on a conference call). . Heroes, maybe? But I honestly don’t think Chad Kroeger could sing Life on the Moon with any sensitivity. But trying to imagine him reaching the high notes of LO? Bwah! LOL. I just can’t see him doing it. It would be like All American Rejects’ cover of Brit’s Womanizer. Bwah – this is making me giggle too much.

tinawina – I am surprised that Heroes is not on the list being considered for the next single. If it is too late for a “do-over” on singles (meaning putting out Declaration after the fact), and if an upbeat song is the way to go (which probably it is), then I think Heroes is an excellent choice. I play it about as much as Declaration, which means I start the album from the beginning, play the first two cuts, then play them again, then maybe a third time before I skip past LO…

LMAO @ Sasha! Perhaps I should have thought that out a little more. Chad Kroeger rasping the big notes on Light On is indeed hilarious. I can hear the croak now. But you know what I mean. It’s the same musical style and structure, same type of production, even if they’d have to change a note here or there to accommodate Mr. Toad with a Throat Lozenge himself. Hee.

I know I’m alone on the Heroes thing. I like the song, just not a enough to want to hear it on the radio. But one way to look at it is, if it sounds Nickleback and Daughtry -ish to me, and both those groups sell like hotcakes, perhaps that’s a good thing!

I don’t really like Declaration or Heroes all that much. I tend to start the album with CBTM (I think David’s live performances of Declaration sort of ruined the album track for me). I don’t even have Light On as part of the album on my iPod although I do watch the video occasionally.

If I could pick an uptempo rock song to be released to radio, it would be Breathe Tonight, but since the options are Declaration and Heroes, I guess I prefer Declaration. Heroes is definitely among my least faves on the album. The verses are too short and the choruses are repetitive for me and I don’t really like “uplifting” songs in general. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t make a better single than Declaration would. The only songs I can’t imagine as radio singles at all are A Daily Anthem, Permanent and Mr. Sensitive. (and I love the last two)

I’ve grown to really love LOTM and I think the emotional way David sings the very personal lyrics saves it from Daughtry or Kroeger territory. I wish My Last Request were on the regular album. That has also become one of my faves and I would gladly ditch IDIFY for it.

I wish My Last Request were on the regular album. That has also become one of my faves and I would gladly ditch IDIFY for it.

Oh yes. I love love love MLR. One of my Top 3 songs on the album (Lie and Avalanche make the other 2). It’s a crime that that song is a bonus track, and an even bigger crime that it’s an iTunes pre-order only bonus track. I would make that song a single today if I could.
It sort of has an “All I Really Need is You” vibe to me, and I LOVED that song from David on Idol.

I know Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m alone on the Heroes thing. I like the song, just not a enough to want to hear it on the radio. But one way to look at it is, if it sounds Nickleback and Daughtry -ish to me, and both those groups sell like hotcakes, perhaps thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a good thing!

You’re not alone. I’ve come to appreciate some parts of Heroes, but it’s one of my least favorites on the album. Sounds a lot like LO, and Nickelback-3 Doors Down, etc. to me. Before Lo, I might have agreed that it’d be a good single because it sounds like so much that’s already out there, as I did with LO. Now, I think that he needs to sound like David Cook and stand out, not be just a clone of other rock acts.
Breakout hits tend to be unique songs, IMHO.

I don’t understand the thought that it’s too late for Declaration. If you don’t know David’s story, the lyrics are about facing the world alone, and how important the support you get from other people is to you, while feeling unsure of your abilites. That seems pretty universal to me. I think the AI journey can be a metaphor for a coming of age story anyway, as one moves into adulthood and faces the world without parents doing the hard parts anymore. And, seriously, while some songs take off because people identify with the lyrics (TOML), sometimes it’s just that they’re fun to dance and sing along to. Declaration is fun, as well as meaningful.

Although I think “Declaration” is the superior song (songcraft-wise), “Heroes” is one of those songs that I always have to repeat at least 2X whenever my playlist gets to that song. It’s very catchy and singalong-able and the bridge, as others have noted, is epic. (I always picture David’s singing this live at the David Wright Gala. The whole sideways-slide-under-the-mike-thing he does when he hits that first long note is awesome.) That said, I always get so happy and excited when the first notes of “Declaration” start playing — it’s a great song IMO, also very catchy and I’m always ready to hear it again. (But I also agree with those who say that “Declaration” sounds about 100x better live than it does on The Record. However, I’m still sticking with it as the next single. Upbeat single FTW!)

As for “Lie”, I have always loved this song but the Walmart Soundcheck performance has totally spoiled the experience of listening to this on The Record. Unless DC is willing to re-record “Lie” in that super slow, partial acoustic way he sings this live, “Lie” on DCTR will always be the less pretty twin of the live version. For me.

On CBTM, I’m not a big fan of this song (regardless of who wrote it) but acknowledge that there are some very pretty parts of the song (e.g., most of the parts used in that NPR review). But I lose patience with this song pretty quickly and hardly ever repeat it. Maybe they can release this as a single much, much later when all the better songs on The Record have been exhausted — and make a pretty penny on Top 40 and AC.

OMG. Tinawina. I’m now picturing Kroeger doing Permanent or A Daily Anthem. NO!! Make it stop. Heh.

Seriousy, I totally get what you’re saying though. But that’s exactly the reason I think they will sell and do well. Obviously DC’s great vocals help too.

Heroes and Sports/ESPN = FTW
(but I’m a sports junkie)

Since we haven’t heard DC perform CBTM live, I am reserving judgement. I heard Declaration first live on SNL then at the Hard Rock. Same goes for Lie. So live versions before I heard the album. I prefer the live versions over both of the studio versions. In fact, I usually like a song more after I hear DC sing it live. I like CBTM off the record, so will wait and see.

I agree. SNL Declaration is about 10x better than DCTR Declaration, and Walmart Soundcheck Lie is about 20X better than DCTR Lie. Oh, and Heroes live is about 5X better than DCTR Heroes. But I think LO sounds great on the radio (the 2-3 times total I’ve ever heard it on radio!), but IMO, is about the worst song DC does live. He’s mastered it, but I think DC is incredible live, and LO is not his best. I don’t know if that’s relevant to the discussion, LOL, but maybe what I mean is that it’s hard for me to decide what’s a good radio hit from DCTR since my opinion is colored by the superior live versions? And we haven’t heard CBTM live, so it’s hard for me to compare it to Lie/Declaration… though we haven’t heard Avalanche live either, and I loved Avalanche at first listen way more than CBTM.

Wow, I’m WAY late jumping in here…haven’t really been home over the past few days.

“Lie” is, BY FAR, my favorite song on the CD so obviously I voted for it. I appreciate the “deepness” of the song, if that makes any sense. I think the subject matter is something a lot of people can relate to.

I can see a case being made for “Declaration” though. It’s catchy. I have learned that in this day and age, catchy = lots of sales.

I am rather disappointed that LO was the first single as IMO it is one of the worst songs on the CD. Hopefully the record company will make up for it and release Lie or Declaration as the 2nd single.

“My husband said after a long trip and him having to listen to his CD said: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“All his songs sound the sameà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

Wow, I’m kind of glad someone posted this. I listened to the three songs (I don’t have the album) with a completely open mind and I felt exactly the same way. They didn’t seem that different from one another. I’d never heard Lie before and I know lots of fans here love it but it’s not much different from the other two.
On the other hand, I’m sure people feel that way about many artists and it doesn’t seem to hurt their careers/sales very much.

jpfan: I find it very fascinating that you think all three of the songs on the survey sound the same.

I’m sure RCA’s marketers will take that into consideration that you completed the survey as a casual listener.

To me Declaration sounds nothing like the other two songs. And Lie is a rock love song ballad, and CBTM has the same feel as ABMB (borderline pop), which are quite different from one another. But as we know music is an art and it is very subjective. So “to each his own”.

This is the order of my favorites for the survey:
1. Lie
2. Come Back To Me
3. Declaration

I would like to add that Barbasol and Permanent are my two favorite songs on the album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAs7aGGf2QU

KarenLE67:

(And make me a video of KOTN, while youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re at it.)

I don’t think this was quite what you were looking for, but here’s a well put together fan vid of KOTN with DC and Kelly Clarkson

I just listened to the songs (no survey) and I think some other posters commented about the songs sounding alike so I don’t think my opinion is that unusual. It may be an issue for some people who don’t already have the album. I don’t really know.

Hmmm…. Declaration isn’t a ballad and Lie is. That alone sets them apart quite efficiently, IMHO. Lie and CBTM are closer, but still miles away to my ears. They’re all sung by DC, but other than that?
I guess YMMV.

I think the others who said the songs all sounded alike were talking about the album, and not particularly about these 3, but I could be mistaken.

BTW – If every song on the album sounded completely different than the rest, what you’d get is a non-cohesive mess. When one likes a singer and his style, it’s reasonable to expect a recognizable streak to run through his material, and DCTR has that. It’s cohesive, but still shows versatility and range.
I guess those who don’t like DC’s style see the similarities as a problem, and those who do enjoy them. I know I do.

That’s interesting. For me, one of the biggest strengths of the album is that there is such a diverse range of sounds that highlight Cook’s versatility. It’s not that there’s one ZOMG song, but the sum is greater than the parts. That’s why I’d like to see a lot of songs get some sort of exposure whether they are released as radio singles or not. I believe someone else called this a multi-prong approach (for example, releasing Lie to HAC while releasing Bar Ba Sol to rock, using Life on the Moon for the Idol goodbye song while releasing another song with a slightly different sound like Lie or Declaration to radio as a single, etc etc…) Lie and Avalanche are decidedly more acoustic guitar driven than anything else (and different from each other as Lie has the waltz signature thing happening while Avalanche is just..guh..did I mention I think that song is sexy), Bar Ba Sol is plugged in bluesy rock, Declaration has vague pop-punk undertones, LOTM and Heroes are more pop-rock and mayyyybe could be lumped together, I guess, Mr. Sensitive is the most alt-sounding to me, Permanent is super sparse musically and all about the power of the voice and the lyrics, while Light On is very dense musically while still emphasizing the vocals, ADAM is a bit Lennon-esque…… Really the only two that sound more than vaguely similar to me are Come Back to Me and I Did It For You. Mileage, ‘course.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think this was quite what you were looking for, but hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a well put together fan vid of KOTN with DC and Kelly Clarkson

Now I really wish they could release KOTN as a single. *pouts*

The thing for me is that I went into listening to the snippets a little biased against Lie. I’d read about those Espionage writers being involved with it, and was concerned. And then it was the snippet that drew me in the most. Some of the others also drew me in, but none as much as Lie. And then, when the album was leaked, it was the song that immediately drew me in. So that’s one big reason why I think that it would be a good single, and gives me hope that it could be a great single. There are a couple of other songs on DCTR that I truly love (Permanent and BBS) that I have trouble seeing as a single, but Lie has always struck me as that song that I love that could also really hit on radio.

Knowing how many people who weren’t big DC fans liked Declaration when they heard it on SNL makes me think that it would be a good single. I also think that an uptempo song would be a great addition to the mix of songs that he’s put out. (It’s one of my five favorite songs on the record, along with Lie, Permanent, BBS, and Kiss on the Neck).

Heroes is an interesting one for me. While it didn’t jump out as a favorite for me, it is the song that I woke up with in my head after listening to the leaked record. And that’s happened a few times since then. That says to me that it has a really good hook that can grab someone. And, yeah, that ESPN video is FTW.

CBTM, I just don’t get, but I do get the sense that a fair number of people really like it, so I’m assuming that it’s the opposite of Permanent: a song that I don’t get that maybe could hit as a big single.

lol, poor CBTM. I’m in the minority but it’s my favorite song on the album and I really think it could be a huge cross-format hit. Lie doesn’t do anything for me – if I had my way Breathe Tonight would have made the album cut instead.

It looks like Declaration is the favorite and yeah, I guess it’s time for David to release an upbeat song, but I’m still hoping CBTM gets released at some point.

So in iTunes, when you click on DCTR then click to have the album cuts arranged by popularity, here’s what you get today:

LO
TOML
Declaration
Heroes
CBTM
Permanent
Lie
IDIFY
Avalanche
ADAM
LOTM
Barbasol
Mr. Sensitive

Which makes me surprised that Heroes was not a choice in the poll, seeing as it does rank above the ballads they’re considering. And it seems Permanent is not something they want to release as a single. (Can’t blame Dave for not wanting to go around schilling it on every morning talk show – can you imagine trying to explain the song to Regis?)

I’m surprised Lie is below CBTM, I think Lie is much more interesting melodically and especially lyrically and that Avalanche is so far below CBTM and below IDIFY – I think Avalanche is also a much better song both melodically and lyrically. (And a tiny bit Crush-ish, which I think was done on purpose, as an homage, if you will. But that might just be me…)

I guess I just don’t get the love for CBTM – I think it’s such a bland, average, heard it a thousand times before (ABMB) song it makes me cringe. I mean honestly, who is to be held accountable for “when you find you”? That line could not have been written by my Word Nerd.

I agree Avalanche is better than its iTunes popularity would suggest, as are all the songs below it for that matter.

Thanks for that list! Now, I can admit with less consternation and embarrassment that IDIFY is the song that ALWAYS sticks in my head and has since my first listen through the CD. Consciously, I don’t feel attached to the song at all — it certainly doesn’t make my Fav 5 — but subconsciously (or unconsciously?) I must be! Whew, at least I’m not totally alone, though among “fans” I sure seem to be. LOL

The chart isn’t cumulative, just a snap shot of a moment in time (I don’t know the time frame), so we don’t know how each one actually did apart from Light On and that rainbow thingy. Heroes could have done well only recently due to the exposure on ESPN.

I have said before that I think Permanent is the best song on the album, but it wouldn’t make a good single – it’s just not a song I want to hear all the time. Personally the song that I enjoy most consistently is Life On The Moon, but I’m not really sure that it’ll do well as a single. My preferred choice then would be Heroes, but then as stated eloquently elsewhere, the opinions of the fans aren’t really as important as those of the casual listeners when deciding which one should be the next single. While I have my own idea as to what might make a single a hit, I’m often at a loss to explain why some great songs aren’t big hits – e.g. Stereophonics’ Dakota is a great song, but it never sold well in the US. So it might be best to leave the decision to others.

I repeat: Lie will be a succesful single!

So, my thought:

1. Light On, ok. I don’t love this song, but ok.

2. (It has to be) LIE

3. Bar-ba-sol (because it’s so diferent)

And maybe Avalanche could work as a single.

I don’t like the idea of Declaration being the next single. The chorus is too simple, that “(declara)tion/(imagina)tion” makes me a little sick.

I have to say I never got Lie and I definately don’t see it’s huge hit potential. Besides the fact that it sounds nothing like anything that reigned top40 on the last decade, nothing about this song screams hit for me.
I do like the fact that you can actually hear THE VOICE on this track, unlike on some of the overproduced ones.

Declaration is my choice.
Too bad it’s for the second single because it should have been released as the first, that a no brainer. Declaration sounds like something David Cook would sing (unlike LO), it shows off his unique vocal abilities, its uptempo, it has a chance on top40, it’s great live.

Please RCA, don’t make the same mistake twice.

The chorus is too simple, that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“(declara)tion/(imagina)tionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  makes me a little sick.

Probably won’t make you any less sick, but he rhymes “declaration” with “inspiration” not “imagination”. Kind of changes the meaning of the song. And, for the record, I love that chorus. We all have people who are our inspiration as we face the world alone. (I also think Lie would be a good single.)

Kind of changes the meaning of the song.

Ya think? :laugh_tb: I absolutely adore the line “You stole my soul to set me free…” from the chorus. Also… “and that I wear your heart upon my sleeve…” Little continuation of the ANalog Heart symbolism.