My review of David Cook's LIGHT ON

First of all, I have to say upfront that from now on I will never download another thing from iTunes. I am going to do all my downloading from Amazon.com. Maybe I am too stupid, or too out of touch, or don't have the right technology, but I can't figure out why it is so hard to get something downloaded from iTunes onto a CD. I don't have an iPOD, I can't afford one. What I have is a little thing called a Clip, made by Coby, that I use when I mow the lawn. The rest of the time - at work, in the car, before I fall asleep - I listen to music from a CD. Wednesday it took me over an hour and I still couldn't get my iTunes LIGHT ON download onto a CD with any other music. So, I re-downloaded it (after all, I don't mind giving another 99 cents to David Cook) from Amazon.com and had no trouble making a CD with LIGHT ON, all the songs from Analog Heart, and my favorites from American Idol.

So, on to LIGHT ON. I'm sorry, but I don't care too much for Chris Cornell. For him to make the petulant comments he made after Cook covered his version of Billy Jean on American Idol - GIVING HIM CREDIT - struck me as very immature. So, I am very disappointed that the first single David released is co-written by Chris Cornell. The other co-writer is producer/writer Brian Howe, who has worked with Hinder and Puddle of Mudd (huh?). The song was produced by Rob Cavallo, who has worked with Kid Rock and Green Day, as well as the GooGoo Dolls, whose music I like.

Secondly, I am disappointed in the over-processed sound. Is it me, or are there instances of engines revving just before the bridge? There seems to be so much extraneous noise throughout the song. I have to agree with most reviews I've read that the best part of the song is the acoustic part toward the end with just David's voice.

However, pushing past these problems, overall the song works for me, dawg. It is a pretty good showcase for David's voice, though it emphasizes his volume over his range and clarity. The whole anthemic power ballad thing works ok. The lyrics are catchy and have the necessary emotional hook. There is so much texture and variety in the song that it doesn't get old; you can listen over and over again and still discover something new, which is delightful.

Bottom line, I prefer almost any song from Analog Heart to Light On. Maybe I am just resistant to change and want pure, undiluted David Cook as opposed to this Cornell/Howe/Cavallo/Cook sound in Light On. I am looking forward to David's album, but I am REALLY looking forward to the time when Cook is free of 19 Records and can put out the music that is really HIS.

And ONE MORE THING (this has turned into something of a RANT) - I don't like David's picture for LIGHT ON, it is creepy!

UPDATE: HA! I am NOT the only one who doesn't like this picture of David. Idolator refers to it as "oddly fey" while a comment-poster calls him the "Phantom of the Grunge Opera."