American Idol: What The World Needs Now Is Love : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

American Idolis the heartbeat of America. Every week, the contestants prove that if you believe in your dreams and reach out to touch people with the gift of music, you, too, can make bloodcurdling noises like these. It's inspirational, in that sucking-your-will-to-live kind of way. And now we get another American Idol soundtrack, one of the year's most remarkable albums. No Simon, no Paula -- just these poor kids flogging their favorite schlock standards like a karaoke death squad. You have to hear it to believe it -- the whole album captures that moment of dread when your Uncle Tony starts singing show tunes three Jack and Cokes into Thanksgiving dinner. Never before have so few sucked so hard for the entertainment of so many.

The album begins with the cast chirping, "What the world needs now/Is love, sweet love," and, boy, does the world get some serious love in the next forty-seven minutes. It's like going to thirteen proms in a row. God gets thanked all over the CD booklet -- more than Paula Abdul, even. Corey Clark sums up the perky tone on the thank-you page, where he writes, "I would like to thank God for bestowing upon me such wonderful gifts." He then goes on to demonstrate his gifts by singing Journey's "Open Arms," and God must be, like, wicked psyched.

Trenyce sobs "Let's Stay Together," Kimberley Locke gives us a little "Over the Rainbow" and Carmen Rasmusen tortures "How Do I Live" with a rusty fork. Ruben Studdard sings the Carpenters' "Superstar," one of the creepiest songs ever written, the tale of a psycho groupie obsessing over a rock star. But Studdard is under the impression that "Superstar" is a happy song, and so he jollies up the vocals ("Loneliness is such a sad affair/Saaaaaad affair"). So why didn't they invite Frenchie back to sing "Centerfold"?

The best voice belongs to Joshua Gracin, who actually has a little grit. He also has something important he'd like to share with you, something he must say out loud. Are you listening? OK: You're once, twice, three times a lady, and he loves you. Rickey Smith does a very nice version of a very nice song, Brian McKnight's "Back at One," one of the truly great pop ballads of the past ten years and a personal karaoke favorite of mine, which is why I have no friends. For a truly nauseating finale, the whole cast joins together to sing "God Bless the U.S.A.," because what the world needs now is war, sweet war. So what does it all add up to? Proof that karaoke is too sacred a mission to be left in the hands of sober people. More sake for table six, please.

ROB SHEFFIELD
(From RS 923, May 29, 2003)