I’m not sure RCA meddled into David Cook’s album as much as people
think.  After he parted from RCA, the song he sang on Idol, The Last
Song, sounded almost identical to the sound he had on his last album-
and they had nothing do with that one.

I think the song is much better melodically and would fit a HAC format better than TLG. I also think that he definitely came in May with a song for his fans, AI audience and to continue his style/format and not to change it to another format as pop, R&B or rock like “overnight” somehow to show to RCA his musical-muscles through that goodbye song that he can do it better without them. He came with a pleasant song for its message, for me it was an appropriate, nice performance, nothing extraordinary but was nothing to worry about like I did with CBTM… Lyrically I’m not really crazy about, compared with his 10 year-old work as a musician and many albums under his belt fitted more for alt rock. I personally prefer his lyrics before idol, musically is fine from MPOV. I think he would not change too much the musical format/style  especially if he would work with Zac Maloy and David Hodges, but an improvement in song-selection for an album and sound overall to say “yeah, it’s good” there might be a change.

“That’s why I think RCA had some kind of influence, and I guess we’ll see when the next album comes out”

RCA-”Influence” as talking about the lyrics? If yes, indeed maybe to soften his previous style of lyrics(I’ve liked them a lot before idol) to a more HAC, cheesy style, see souvenir(I cringe to its sound as a word), snow flakes melting or thawing , pressed flowers in book, and indeed not the whole song lyrically written cheesy, there are perfect lines (for me) most of the song with thrown some line or words to mess with the whole song(for me of course). Hope everything will go well with him personally and musically there in Nashville.
I suspect Zac has some influences lyrically that I don’t really like, he is good for Carrie and other female-singers, the lyrics for males should be more straight to the subject, “you’re doing or not doing” don’t cheesy-curly- wave it, just do it. We’ll see.

ETA: “The problem with Souvenir was not that the lyrics were too flowery. In fact, it was the opposite: The second verse had incredibly obvious, straightforward lyrics, when they needed to be more metaphorical.”

Maybe I should continue writing here, and first(not to forget if the post goes longer) the “souvenir” I’ve been referring to as the sound-word not about the song in particular; I like the song, one element- “souvenir word” has brought some meh in, for me.
In general the lyrics are good in his songs, but the “problem” overall with his music as melody-lyrics combination comes exactly from what you’ve said about Souvenir “the second verse had incredibly obvious, straightforward lyrics, when they needed to be more metaphorical.”, he navigates through the song using at least 2 formats, he doesn’t keep it only rock or totally cheesy HAC/AC. How Karen has said “RCA had some kind of influence”; it’s something obviously different between the lyrics before idol and post idol, the change has come since he’s been collaborating with so many songwriters and because of the format-label agenda also. He was not really a mostly HAC musician I think before idol, more alt, AC, or AAA in MO. He had to adjust his style to the new changes in his life, a “process of compromise” and how you have said “which is standard operating procedure for any artist”. He is in the middle of all compromises now, both musically and lyrically, and in order to define his style and then improve it, he should write with who he thinks works for his style. And I think it is what now post RCA he would do. Even working with Zac, a more AC and lyrically cheesy songwriter, writing together and being there in Nashville with him, it is different to work with as collaborator-friend than with the other RCA songwriters, they can change easier something in the song and more openly to say “I don’t like this” than going back to CO or NY to say the other writers “you know, I don’t like that line”, they would just do the change.

So it might be a different “life, work and musical” dynamic there in Nashville I think. Karen has said again well with her last post that“there is always compromises but there is a problem if the labels vision and the artists vision for the album differ. This might be more of a problem for Ai winners since they won the contract.

I like his music, but I don’t see him as any where near guitar god worthy. Inovative playing and incredible technique with the ability to fuse styles  seamlessly and leave the audience in awe is what I consider a guitar god. Its about the mastery of the instrument, not about liking someones style. Rolling stones list is a joke IMO.

He’s still young – keep your eye on him. Lotsa folk think he’s got the goods, but granted not all will feel the same about it.  Word on the street is the Rolling Stones are considering him to produce their next studio album… he and Keith Richards have songs they secretly recorded sitting somewhere in a vault itching to be heard. If he comes anywhere near close to recapturing some of the raw, gritty, lean and hungry sound the Stones are famous for, I would pay any price to hear it, lol… I’d love it if he recorded them in analog, like he did a lot of his early CD’s and Seven Nation Army… yep, keep your eye on this guy, he’s going places :)

I suspect Zac has some influences lyrically that I don’t really like, he is good for Carrie and other female-singers, the lyrics for males should be more straight to the subject, “you’re doing or not doing” don’t cheesy-curly- wave it, just do it. We’ll see.

The problem with Souvenir was not that the lyrics were too flowery.  In fact, it was the opposite:  The second verse had incredibly obvious, straightforward lyrics, when they needed to be more metaphorical.

For me, generally, I think Cook works his way around a metaphor and I’d take pretty much any “flowers in book” line over the bald (and impossible) assertion that “I’ll be all the love you need.”

But I also don’t agree that lyrics come in pink or blue blankets.  There’s no such thing as “the right lyrics” for men or “the right lyrics” for women.

but one thing seemed clear – the songs that make the record are a process of compromise. What the label wanted, what David wanted, it’s a combination.

Which is standard operating procedure for any artist.  From what we know about the AI contracts, there is more consideration given to the artist’s wishes on the second album than on the first.  So I draw a distinction between “compromise” and “meddling as much as people think.”

Of course it’s a problem if the visions really differ. But simply stating that “an AI artist and the associated team have to compromise on some things” is not proof positive that the final product is dramatically different from the original conception.

I don’t think any major label artist releases an album that is entirely reflective of said artist’s initial conception. I think, more often than not, major label artists understand and accept that tradeoff going in for the advantages of resources, networking, and exposure. Anyone going on AI in the later seasons should be well aware of those tradeoffs.  But I think the articulate and prepared ones are able to make a case for their own vision more often than not.

I think RCA (and now Interscope) has/have made bad calls in the past, especially with singles, but I don’t think the counterfactual is invariably a flawless album that is fully reflective of one’s potential as a recording artist.  The AI alums still have to contend with overall trends and prejudices in the radio environment no matter how they produce their songs.

ETA: iani, please go ahead and reply to my posts below them in the future; I almost missed your reply. Anyway. maybe there’s a language barrier here but I really don’t understand what you are trying to say. Souvenir is a perfectly fine word on its own and on its own it was an interesting metaphor, IMO. It just didn’t get carried far enough in the song. As for Zac Maloy, he was a rock artist in his own band before his songwriting career and he still works with rock artists now, so the idea that he can’t help release rock lyrics makes no sense. Not liking some of his songs and not thinking he’s a worthy songwriting partner are two entirely different things.

And HAC picks up plenty of rock crossover songs (or rather, did in the past and appears to be moving toward doing so again), so the idea that lyrics in one don’t necessarily appeal in the other again makes no sense. Appreciating a song’s lyrics (or not) and thinking that they were targeted to a particular radio format (or not) are, again, two entirely different things.

” I can’t help it, I luv me some Jack White…
and he gives me hope that while rock may be a little dormant, it’s
alive and kicking if you know where to look. I love his love for the
real roots of rock and blues and country and folk ”

You, me and most twenty-somethings agree on this one.  Jack White is sort of like Adele. Even if his style is not what is currently the most popular out there, when you are that good, you still get noticed. He is the most innovative (and by that I mean unabashedly retro and organic) rock musician of his era. If you consider yourself a cool, hip, with it music lover and you are in your 20s (I happen to be the mother of a young musician who has that high opinion of himself – lol) then Jack White is up at the top of your list of coolest musicians out there. If there is an Idol that turns out anything like Jack White – halleluiah!
ETA: Of course we know that’s not gonna happen. The thing about musicians like Jack White is that they are……musicians first. They aren’t a bunch of pageant singers. I don’t mean to mock the Idols, but I’ve had enough pageant style singers from Idol to last me a lifetime.

 I agree that there are many Idols that are musicians first. But the emphasis seems to be more on Jessica-type singers, or Pia-type singers. They are great vocalists. Those Idols who are not primarily vocalists, like a P2, get a lot of criticism and there is a lot of ranting about the fact that this is a singing contest and so-and-so (fill in the Idol from any season who gets this rap) can’t sing on-key or has no range blah blah blah. Also, I don’t mean showmanship when I say pageantry. Showmanship and performance chutzpah are good things. I mean beauty pageant barely move, not a natural bone in your body type singing. Pia exemplifies this. I don’t mean to get down on Pia, that is not my intent at all. I like Pia. But she is the last person I would call a musician. And Jack White has got all the goods imho – that is all I mean. And lucky you to have seen him so many times!! I’m looking forward to seeing him in August.

My intent seems to be lost in translation. Oh well. Enough said on the topic for me.