Daughtry
Daughtry Chris Daughtry starts his first post-American Idol disc with a song whose title reviewers coast to coast will be grateful for: “It’s Not Over.” What an understatement. For the Idol-watching rock fan’s money, nobody–not even Southern-fried heartthrob Bo Bice in season four–stormed the stage with more raw talent. That it translates so well to a solo disc (Daughtry was recorded with studio musicians; future discs will include a Daughtry-assembled band) proves all he needed was a little prodding, the kind the tube has gotten so good at. Here are a dozen songs that’ll flick your rock & roll switch, whether you’re a Creed fan, a club kid, or a mambo king: “Used To” and “Over You,” a couple of early tracks, ought to arrive bundled with a road map they’re so highway sing-along-ready, and “Feels Like Tonight” screws the lid on the premise that Daughtry can deliver a punchy pop-rock song without flinching. Elsewhere, the North Carolina family man lets his inner (and outer, actually) goatee- and eyeliner-type guy rip: his built-for-the-hard-stuff voice bites down appealingly on “Breakdown,” a dark serenade to mental health, and also on “What I Want,” an ’80s-style fist-pumper featuring Slash. The loud mad dash of those songs leads to a midtempo wind-down (”All These Lives,” “What About Now”), but as a mix, it works. Daughtry is a man of many moods–contemplative, explosive, insistent, humble. No matter which pokes through on a given song, he steadies it to a place as honest as it is accessible. Rare is the rocker who lays out so broad an on-ramp. –Tammy La Gorce
Customer Review: LOVE IT
Love this album, love Chris Daughtry. It’s softer than I thought it would be but I don’t mind. My only criticism is that most of the songs sound the same, but I like this kind of rock music so it doesn’t bother me one bit. Why he didn’t win American Idol is beyond me. He has an amazing voice and is a talented songwriter.
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Yentl Barbra Streisand made her directorial debut with this 1983 adaptation of the Isaac Bashevis Singer story about a young Eastern European woman (Streisand) who disguises herself as a male at the turn of the century in order to get an education. Except for an excessive musical score with too many songs and Streisand’s tiresome tendency to play characters who suppress their beauty, the film is crisp and engaging, and the gender-bending love story complications are fun, if gimmicky. Streisand gives a smart, vulnerable performance and gets fresh work from costars Mandy Patinkin and Amy Irving. –Tom Keogh
Customer Review: Marilyn and Alan Bergmans score is lovely……..
But where is the singing voice of Mandy Patinkin? He can sing Yiddish so beautifully? Why were none of the songs written for him? That is why I give this movie 3***. I vaited and vaited for Mandy to sing. Streisand must have one hell of an ego.
