Notes & Personnel Info |  | This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. | | Personnel includes: Kelly Clarkson (vocals); Tamyra Gray (vocals); Josh Freese (acoustic & electric guitar, piano, keyboards, bass, programming); Matthew Wilder (guitar, piano, programming); Carl Sturken (guitar, keyboards, programming); Rhett Lawrence, Olle Romo, Tim Pierce, Corky James, Chris C, James Hurrah, Dan Warner (guitar); Emma Kummrow, Igor Szwec (violin); Jim Gasior (acoustic piano); Steve Mac (keyboards); Rick Todd (French horn); Kenneth Crouch, Jeremy Ruzumma (organ); Tommy Sims, Reggie Hamilton, Randy Jackson, Mike Elizondo (bass); Steve Ferrera (drums, percussion); Teddy Campbell, Abe Laboriel Jr., Lee Levin (drums); Danielle Brisebois, Sharlotte Gibson, Sheree Ford, Betty Wright, Jeanette Wright (background vocals). | | Producers: Evan Rogers, Rhett Lawrence, Clif Magness, Steve Ferrera, Carl Sturken. | | "Miss Independent" was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. | | This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. | | Personnel: Kelly Clarkson (vocals, background vocals); Matthew Wilder (guitar, piano, programming); Rhett Lawrence (guitar, programming, scratches); Chris Camozzi, Corky James, Dan Warner, Paul Gendler, Pathik Desai, Olle Romo, Tim Pierce (guitar); Clif Magness (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, keyboards, programming); John Wittenberg, Ken Yerke, Ghislaine Fleishman, Charlene Kwas, Bruce Dukov, Peter Kent, Emma Kummrow, Michele Richards, Berj Garabedian, Gregory Teperman, Charles Parker, Charlie Bisharat (violin); Peter Nocella, David Young, Bob Becker , Darrin McCann (viola); Jennie Lorenzo (cello); Rick Todd (French horn); Jim Gasior (piano); Kenneth Crouch (organ); Doug Emery, Louis Biancaniello (keyboards, programming); Carl Sturken (keyboards, drum programming); Steve Mac (keyboards); Steve Ferrera (drums, percussion); Abe Laboriel, Jr., Josh Freese, Lee Levin, Teddy Campbell (drums); Wayne Rodrigues (scratches); Cindy Mizelle, Sharlotte Gibson, Sam Watters, Danielle Brisebois, Debra Byrd, Evan Rogers, Aiesha Wright, Conesha Owens, Suzie Benson, Jeanette Wright, Leslie Smith, Mary Griffin, Betty Wright, Chris Willis, Rebekah Jordan (background vocals). | | DJs: Rhett Lawrence; Wayne Rodrigues. | | Audio Mixers: Dave Pensado; Steve Ferrera; Louis Biancaniello; Mike Shipley; Andy Zulla; Rhett Lawrence; Tony Maserati; Carlos Alvarez; Bob Clearmountain; Steve McMillan. | | Recording information: Blue Iron Gate Studio, Santa Monica, CA; Capitol studios, Los Angeles, CA; Homesite 13; HP Studios; Larrabee West, Los Angeles, CA; Rokstone, Studios, London, England; Sound Gallery Studios, Los Angeles, CA; The Enterprise, Burbank, CA; The Gentlemen's Club, Miami Beach, FL; The Hit Factory, New York, NY; The Loft, Bronxville, NY; The Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA; The Studio, Philadelphia, PA; The Underlab, Los Angeles, CA; Westlake Audio, Hollywood, CA. | | Photographer: Tony Duran. | | Arrangers: Clif Magness; Sam Watters; Doug Emery; Louis Biancaniello; Rhett Lawrence. | | Anybody older than 18 who's watched American Idol for any length of time will undoubtedly find the similarities between this talent contest and such square '60s/'70s variety programs like The Andy Williams Show startling and unavoidable. Whenever the kids are hauled out to sing an oldie or stumble through a production number, AmIdol goes into a time warp, particularly because they're nearly always singing the same songs that would have shown up on The Andy Williams Show those many years ago. That's because this is a show-biz creation, not an organic pop phenomenon. It goes for the choreographed razzle-dazzle, it has the sense of "let's put on a show!" and it's about the televised show; the music is there to serve the program, not vice versa. | | This makes for splendid entertainment, but the format of the show and its inherent squareness do make it difficult for contest winners to appeal to listeners their own age, since the show has positioned them to be as unhip as possible. Take Kelly Clarkson, the winner of the first American Idol, aired in 2002. Her first single, "A Moment Like This," may have been a number one hit, but it was such a staid adult contemporary tune that it suggested that her career was over before it really began, since it was not a work that played to her age or audience, and it gave her no room to grow. Somebody -- whether it was Kelly herself or her monolithic management -- realized that she was not on a path to either a long career or a successful one-shot album and rethought the game plan for her much-delayed debut album, Thankful. Originally, this album was going to come out mere months after the end of the original American Idol, but it was delayed for a variety of reasons, including Clarkson's taxing schedule and difficulty in cobbling together workable material. Ultimately, the decision to delay the record paid off, because Thankful is a sharp, versatile modern pop record, showcasing her voice, to be sure, but being much better than expectations, much better than the scores of flop diva records that cluttered the pop landscape in late 2002. Why? There are many reasons, but the biggest is that everybody involved managed to make Kelly Clarkson seem younger and hipper without slutting her up like Christina Aguilera (who, ironically, co-wrote "Miss Independent," the first single from Thankful) while retaining a strong sense of melodic songcraft. She still can appeal to a wide, mature audience, but no longer does the music sound quite so static. Witness the new mix of "A Moment Like This" -- it's still the same treacly song, but it now breathes; it doesn't sound stiff and reserved, it gives Kelly's voice room to roam. It's a major step forward toward a fresh sound, and Thankful follows through on its promise, delivering dance-pop that's catchy and flirty without being trampy and ballads that are tasteful without being boring. Amazingly, the album has a light, effortless touch, an impressive feat considering that it was certainly as overworked as any of the big, leaden diva discs of 2002. Much credit is due to executive producer Clive Davis, who masterminded the effort, deftly balancing the dance and ballad sides, making it sound easy. But the record simply wouldn't work without Clarkson, who can navigate the shifts in sound with vigor and personality. Although it hardly breaks any new ground, Thankful is much more demanding than an episode of American Idol, since it's all new material covering the spectrum of mainstream pop music. Throughout this record, she makes it seem effortless and charming. She can croon, she can belt out a song, she can be sexy and sassy while still being graceful and as wholesome as the girl next door. After listening to Thankful, it's hard to imagine any of 2003's American Idol contestants -- including the two favorites, loverman Ruben Studdard and clenched, show tune-loving Clay Aiken, since both have taken one sound and driven it into the ground -- being able to produce a record so versatile while sounding like it's all so easy. True, Thankful isn't a record that's earth-shaking, but in 2003 it is something special all the same: an unapologetically mainstream record that works and is very enjoyable. Maybe American Idol really does turn out pop stars. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine | | Coming off being voted the overall winner of the AMERICAN IDOL TV competition, Kelly Clarkson had big expectations to meet once she hit the studio to record her debut. Luckily, it was one of those few instances where the general public threw their lot in with a genuine talent and as a result, THANKFUL turns out to be solid demonstration of Kelly's wide-ranging abilities. Pop guru Clive Davis oversees the proceedings from his executive producer perch and on the Mariah-like opener "The Trouble With Love Is" and the gospel-flavored Diane Warren-penned power ballad "Some Kind of Miracle," yo |
Musical Guests | | Tamyra Gray |
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