I DO REALLY LIKE DAVID COOK B’COZ HE’S AWESOME…..THE WAY HE SINGS IS REALLY TERRIFIC….sobrang dalang dala nia tlaga qou….. hope he visit here sometimes in the PHILIPPINES….IM CLARA, A FIRST YEAR STUDENT HERE IN UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST CALOOCAN…..LOVE YOU DAVID!!!!!

c’mon Amazon - let’s get that Analog Heart back on the available list - I can’t wait to purchase it and every other CD this awesome musician David Cook records!

Many have made some great points. I especially agree with Ten. I’m sure that AI is worried that it gives him an edge to have a best-selling ALBUM (not even a single) on Amazon - beating out one of this season’s AI mentors even - which may not be good for David Archuleta. They probably told DC their concerns and he willingly had it taken down for now. If anything, this is a HUGE win for him - much more than winning AI (how many AI winners or contestants have had a #1 selling album? The list is shorter than AI would like). Plus, it just goes to show how talented and creative DC is, helping his vote count with AI.

Personally, I don’t want Cook to win - I don’t want him to be chained to the AI bandwagon for years or be forced to sign with their management firm and label. He should get to choose what he wants to do - and he deserves that.

I’m not much of an AI fan - but he’s great

My daughter was in Les Mis, Chicago, and Ragtime in high school. Each year they produced a CD of the songs as a fundraiser .. does that make her ineligible for Idol? .. lol ..

Sometimes you just have to worry about people. And if they are in the position to influence others, worry more.

Does AI have the right to remove Cook’s album?
I’m betting they do.
Would AI have had the right to put it on Amazon, if it wasn’t there already when Cook signed on with AI?
I’m betting they would.
From what I understand, contestants are required to relinquish all rights to previous music creations to AI. Any fast rise to fame would be because of the exposure at AI producer expense. AI will get every return out of their investment they can. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if this whole issue was created by AI producer’s sensationalistic actions. How’s that for conspiracy theory? LOL

i could not agree more with what rebecca posted earlier in this thread and thank you rolling stones for displaying the true art of proper journalism…personally, i hope that david will not win the title because he is the only one after 7 years of AI who actually displays the “IT” talent to make it in the music business…he has proved himself by singing “the music of the night” that he is not just a rocker but a true musician…i have listened to some of his songs with axium through the internet as well as his solo album and I liked them but I may never have if he did not join AI…to me he sounds like the vocalist of hootie and the blowfish with this very powerful voice and it is about time the industry will produce a younger generation of would be classic musician for the new century…freddy mercury have left us with his talent that transcends time and others who are in their late 50’s but very few who could sing has the “IT” quality of the living legends - i am not talking about justin timberlake (sorry if i offend anyone) but i hope you understand that not all gems are flawless - only very few deserves to be kept and passed on through generations…thank you for even reading my comment…

this show sucks anyway who cares, the crap they pump out isn’t music, it’s tunes for the robotic idiot masses

In case everyone didn’t notice, the only copies of Brooke, Carly, Kristy and David’s albums available on Amazon are in the Marketplace section. During the audition phase of the show, I was able to snatch up new, sealed copies of the Brooke and Carly albums from reputable resellers. And if anyone is willing to part with a few more bucks on eBay, copies of all four albums surface from time to time. Collectibles for sure. And for those who needs everything - pick up their “studio” tracks on iTunes. Most importantly - VOTE!

Thank you Rolling Stone for printing a very articulate and FACTUAL article that sets the record straight on the information that was provided in the very negative article that was written about David Cook and his solo CD- “Analog Heart.” It is so nice to know that there are still REAL journalists out there who gather all of the facts and then write their story. Yes, it’s true he released a CD prior to being on the show, as did other contestants, which you mention in your article, but which he glosses over in his article. What is that all about?

It is absurd for anyone to suggest that American Idol did not know that prior to him being on the show. They knew and they decided that it was not a factor since it was released on an independent label. So, if it wasn’t an issue then, it certainly cannot become an issue after the fact. If the situation calls for him to be disqualified then I am fine with that, as long as the other contestants who have also released CD’s prior to being on the show are also disqualified as well. Everyone should be treated equally and with respect in regards to what they did prior to being a contestant, even if they are not being treated equally and with respect CURRENTLY by certain members of the media.

What is especially irritating about the article that was written singling out David Cook’s CD is that it wasn’t really about his CD at all, it was about the SALES of his CD. For some unknown reason, the reporter seemed irritated that Analog Heart was the #1 downloaded CD on Amazon.com. I suppose that if it had sold only 387 copies, like the CD that Carly (Hennessey)Smithson released in 2001, then maybe he wouldn’t have found it to be quite as irritating and it wouldn’t given him the basis to write such a spiteful, vindictive article. But since I am not the reporter in question, I don’t think it would be fair for me to comment on his reasoning behind it. If he cares to offer an explanation or an apology to David Cook then I can assure you that it would be very much appreciated by all of his fans, but I highly doubt that either of those things will ever happen.

It’s sad when a reporter writes an article full of such misleading information and yet even sadder when he does not acknowledge that fact, even after it the facts are now being presented clearly to him. But since he doesn’t seem to be that intelligent to begin with, maybe he won’t read your article and will miss the opportunity to see what REAL journalism is. It is pointless to defend David Cook for doing nothing more than having a very successful CD, just as it was pointless for that reporter to attack him for that very same reason.

Thank you Rolling Stone for showing
that not all journalists have to attack someone just for being too successful in the music industry. Maybe someone on your staff could go over to Fox and explain that to their reporting staff, or maybe not. Your reporters seem a bit too cool for that anyways and I mean that with all due respect. Everyone knows that Rolling Stone has one of the best reputations on reporting in the music industry. And, I would trust what you write over what some hack on Fox news writes any day.

If they pull one contestant they need to pull them all! Not fair at all!

In the first news article to come out about this, written by foxnews, the author actually stated that having this cd out now while he’s on Idol should disqualify David as a true competitor on the show!!! I think AI is just trying to keep everything “safe”, they don’t want this type of talk to snowball. It may not be fair that it was pulled from amazon, definitely IS NOT FAIR, but we’ll just have to be patient and wait. David’s going to sell abazillion records after AI!!!

In the first news article to come out about this, written by foxnews, the author actually stated that having this cd out now while he’s on Idol should disqualify David as a true competitor on the show!!! I think AI is just trying to keep everything “safe”, they don’t want this type of talk to snowball. It may not be fair that it was pulled from amazon, definitely IS NOT FAIR, but we’ll just have to be patient and wait. David’s going to sell abazillion records after AI!!!

Amazon was suppose to pull all pre-idol music and they didn’t. Now just David Cook’s is pulled. First of all, David has arranged and wrote all of his songs. He has never had the luxury of record label or promoter, like some others and he hasn’t won $100,000 in a previous TV talent show, like another contestant. Most of these songs were done in the homes of him and his friends in basements and garagess. He is a college graduate whose dream it has been to be a singer/songwriter and has beat the pavement to make a buck. The problem is David’s music is known worldwide now and people like it and he happened to move to the #1 spot on Amazon and some didn’t like it. Other Idol’s music is still on Amazon, go figure. I guess there is a double standard. Just depends on if you are getting too much attention.

Oh, come on. That’s what AI is all about—people with musical talent getting recognized!

The people who get on American Idol *should* be the people who have already made their own music and recorded an album. It shows that they have a love for music, that that’s what they want to do for their life, and that they’re not just on American Idol to get famous. Real musicians create music and perform not to get famous, but just because that’s what they love to do! If they happen to get lucky and are on American Idol, then it just helps get their music out to the world to share with people—and it also helps pay for their living. But that’s not solely why real musicians create music.

David Cook shouldn’t be punished if people want to buy his pre-American Idol music and listen to it. I don’t see any reason why it’d influence the voting on American Idol. Most of the people who are buying it were already fans in the first place. And, as you said, David Cook isn’t the only contestant who’s already written an album. Other contestants have, and they’re available, also! It just happens that more people like David Cook, by looking at the charts and by the fact that David Cook has never been in the bottom three. But they like David Cook’s album Analog Heart only because they saw him on AI first and loved him on AI, not *because* of Analog Heart.

Honestly, you call a self produced album that was probably done on a Mac Garage Band application, “some sort of history in the music biz”?? Please.

David Cook appears to be the ONLY contestant left with no prior experience in mainstream media. AI was absolutely not expecting him to be anything, but look what happened!!

The only thing about the other records is that they didn’t make best-selling lists. It is those sales lists that throw the integrity of the show. David isn’t on the show to sell Analog Heart (or not yet at least); he is there to let his career take off. Of course it sucks when situations force creativity to be stifled, but I think this situation is actually quite pleasant and good for DC.

If I were Cook and my album did well, I would watch it hit no. 1, make sure it was known by everyone, then willingly take it down temporarily. This would allow for support to grow, strengthen the fan base, and would also appease the critics…which of course there would be for any contestant in this situation. This way he is viewed as self-sacrificing for the sake of AI and in the end increases his odds of winning by garnering favor. He is giving up a dime, but might be gaining a quarter. Let’s also not forget that the album is selling so well because of AI. He wasn’t expecting these sales; they are just icing on the cake.

I think he is just being smart. From all angles, he is the one coming out the winner in it. The only missing piece of the puzzle is him saying he asked for the record to be removed. If it turns out (however unlikely) that AI had it removed (which I don’t think they would have the rights to do,) then he has decided to play the “Artist put down by THE MAN” card. No matter how you look at it, he comes out ahead.

I’m not offended by this in the slightest. I was secretly hoping this would happen this way after it hit no. 1. If it had been removed before it hit the best-selling charts and the other contestant’s stuff wasn’t removed as well, I’d have a problem with that. It is better for DC to take it down and win AI (without breaking down the remaining walls of integrity that the show has left) than to sell a few more copies of Analog Heart.