These Open Arms on new Clay Aiken CD

It makes total sense, Deb. The bands version is more...hmm..sincere and Clays sounds too...Las Vegas..? You know what I mean? Like it's TOO power ballad for me when he does it. But he didn't COMPLETELY ruin it, which I appreciate.

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I don't like it. His voice doesn't give me any emotion, don't think it's as powerful as someone said.
Bon Jovi version forever!!!

these open arms ..... very nice songs with soft lyrics....good to see it climbing .... well offcourse theres gotta be something in this song...thts why its in the Cd too ...thts rockin

I think you hit the nail right on the head. I like Clay but i don't really feel the emotion in the song. It's a little too slick, too produced, too pop -y-ish.

I do like the extra lyrics in there. Wonder if those were Jon's? Or is there another writing credit on there?

Clay has a great voice, but it's too high pitched. He sounds like a little boy singing compared to Jon. Jon sings it with more passion and power. Jon sings it like he means it. Clay sings it like he's reading the words and hitting the notes. Maybe that's the difference in being a singer/songwriter and being just a singer. Clay does a good enough job on it though.

The synth strings suck--I mean they are terrible. Also, the harmonies are too weak along with the suspensions and the lower register to fill the chords which is what gave the power to this ballad. This version is, if it is possible, even more simple than Bon Jovi's and it all culminates with the tritest of the trite in the 'surrender' pseudo-bridge. I am alone listening to it and I feel embarassed. Heh

Oh yeah, and the way he says "arms" is silly and he ruins the awesome harmony there by clipping it every time. That was one of my favorite parts of the song--the vocal harmonies, especially right there.

Also, there really isn't any buildup from verse to verse with him. He just belts it out starting in the first chorus, whereas Jon starts soft and winds up to the biggie for the finale to go along with the giant instrumentals in the end.

Ah well. It still ain't bad and I think he has a great voice, even if it lacks some emotion any sense of a lower register.

On the plus side, I never knew Jon said "think twice" (which is better than 'that's right' which I think Jon actually says) or "can you SAY I need a friend." But I like 'tender difference' more than 'better differennce.' Again...even more simple than a Bon Jovi ballad. Hard to believe, but true.

He should have rearranged it (or had it rearrange) and made it different. He's got the pipes to make it good, but I don't think this is his style, even though he does a good job and I would listen to it on the radio.

So this cd is all just covers then? Right here waiting...

B