Music Review: Taylor Hicks – The Distance

These days everyone seems all too eager to beat up on Taylor Hicks. Many people have forgotten the reasons why he won the ultra-competitive fifth season of American Idol. His victory has been written off as some kind of accident, as if he wasn’t a great performer. To the naysayers, I say this: he was, and still is, a fantastically talented singer/songwriter. That much is in obvious evidence on The Distance, Hicks’ newly released second album.

Still here!

FYI – the lack of up-to-date postings on this blog in no way represent a lack of interest in Taylor or music in general.  It’s just that, well, I do have a life which at this time is filled with having to work three jobs to keep the wolves at bay in this “robust” (according to GWB) economy.  Therefore, I have very little time to devote to this blog.

I initially started it to chat about Taylor’s career and also as a source for the local music scene in Southwest Florida.

Well, Taylor’s career is being well documented on a plethora of sites so doing so here would only be redundant.  If you’re looking for a good site for all things Taylor check out: http://www.tay-online.com/   If I had the time to devote to a project that site would be what I would hope to achieve.

Meanwhile, I’ll see you on the boards…..

Taylor Hicks has the stuff that a lot of women like

Taylor Hicks has the stuff that a lot of women like
It was raining panties. Not from the sky but from the predominantly female audience, which was also predominantly middle-aged and crazy about Taylor Hicks. One woman even threw two pairs of undies think about that for a moment — its OK, Ill wait. Another woman tossed a small red thong that, due to its lack of weight and aerodynamics, didnt make it to the stage. Instead, it drifted like a broken — albeit sexy — kite onto someone in the front row.

What was all this madness?

Taylor Hicks Has One-On-One With ClickOnDetroit.Com

Taylor Hicks Has One-On-One With ClickOnDetroit.Com – Community News Story – WDIV Detroit

ClickOnDetroit.com Producer Christina Ulaj had a chance to speak with American Idol winner Taylor Hicks.

Hicks stays true to his creative soul – The Boston Globe

Hicks stays true to his creative soul – The Boston Globe
…unlike Mary Poppins, he wasn’t willing to sugarcoat his songs to make them more marketable for his record company. His plans did not include following the blueprint of previous “Idols” who, in a rush between dates on the summer “Idol” tour, made scattershot, trying-to-please-all-the-people-type records that felt engineered by a committee of handlers.

Ex-Idol Hicks loves his work

JS Online: Ex-Idol Hicks loves his work
But lets be clear: This wasnt just a workmanlike performance. Hicks is an experienced professional, comfortable in his performing, but never just going through the motions. In addition to Hicks rocker side on “Going Mobile,” he demonstrated his ability to do the pop-sounding cuts from his self-titled album; and he showed his true love when he exploded into a number of soul tunes. Those numbers often included appetizing snippets of songs like Sam Cookes “Chain Gang” and even the theme from “The Jeffersons.”

Hicks is a performer who seems to live for his time on stage, working himself into a sweat that soaked through his shirt and into his gray jacket. And the harder he worked Wednesday night, the more he seemed to enjoy himself.

Idol’s Workshop

Cleveland – Music – Idol’s Workshop – clevescene.com
“Make sure you check out that Van Morrison album — it’s really good,” he insists. “It’s Too Late to Stop Now.”

Hicks proves he’s the real deal

Sioux City Journal: Hicks proves hes the real deal
You could put Taylor Hicks up against this years crop of “American Idol” contestants and hed probably win again.

He has more energy than all of them combined.

At his Orpheum Theatre concert Saturday night, he bounced like Tigger, twirled like a top and danced like a Southern preacher.

Oh, yeah … and he sang pretty good, too.

Taylor Hicks gives his hometown a thrill

Taylor Hicks gives his hometown a thrill
Thank goodness. Thank Taylor. Thank the new sound guy, who obviously knows what hes doing.

Idol Champ Taylor Hicks Croons to Atlanta

MyFox Atlanta | Idol Champ Taylor Hicks Croons to Atlanta