Entertainment Weekly gives the new disc a B grade, adding, “If you’re expecting Daughtry 2: Post-Grunge Boogaloo, well . . . you’re about right. Cook is clearly built in the guy-linered mold of that earlier Idol alum, though his debut owes just as much to the expert hands that craft it, including producers Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance) and Brian Howes (Hinder, Chris Cornell). They give David Cook’s clutch of bombastic verse-chorus- verse rockers an impressive melodic sheen, one well suited to Cook’s husky, expressive vocals.”

Since Daughtry didn’t win “American Idol” (he came in fourth place), Billboard declares David Cook to be “the lone rocker winner of ‘Idol’ to date” and says “Cook stands apart from cookie-cutter pop.”

However, David Cook won’t be nominated for four Grammys this year. He has just limited eligibility, as pointed out by our resident Grammy sage Darrin “DoubleD” Dortch.

“I hate to be cynical,” Darrin says, “but David Cook and David Archuleta won’t be anywhere near the Grammys next year — unless they buy a ticket. Their albums just came out this month so they aren’t eligible. However, Cook’s single, ‘Lights On; and David Archuleta’s single, ‘Crush,’ are both eligible and they have little chance of being nominated in the male pop vocal performance category. Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Michael Buble, Seal, Chris Brown, Kid Rock, Ne-Yo, Neil Diamond, Gavin DeGraw, James Taylor, Josh Groban, Paul McCartney, Lenny Kravitz, etc. will all get in before David Cook or David Archuleta.”

Do you agree?

VOTE/Source

In Other News: Check out this “coffee” with David Cook, Don and Marty talked to singer David Cook about life after “American Idol” and working on his new album, “David Cook.”

GALLERY LINK:
- Nov, Performing on Aol Sessions

They told him he couldn’t, and he proved them wrong. David Cook won the hearts of millions on ‘American Idol’ by straying from standard bubblegum pop, and staying true to his rock roots. Now, the Missouri-bred former bartender-turned-reality-show-winner finally gets his rockstar status, as he releases his debut self-titled album.

AOL Music caught up with Cook after his electrifying Sessions performance to talk about his new music, the other David, crazy tabloid rumors and his sex symbol status.

You’ve said that people are going to be surprised by this record. How so?

Everybody associated with the record really allowed me the creative freedom to try different things. So the end result is a very eclectic rock record that’s still cohesive as an album. It’s exciting, because from the time I started playing in bands, the sounds that I’ve played have evolved, and I feel like this record is a nice definition not only of the last year of my life, but the last 25.

Was there any pressure to cut pop-friendly songs?

No. What worked for me on ['American Idol'] was that I was able to take these pop songs and make them fit some level of rock mythos. I don’t feel like I misrepresented myself on the show to where I would have had to make a pop record. But if by pop you mean popular, then I hope that the record is just that.

What ran through your mind when you heard Chris Cornell had a song (’Light On’) for you?

I had to try and step back and not be a Chris Cornell fan for a second, because I wanted to be unbiased and analytical with the song. The good news is that it’s an amazing song. It has a message of this love amidst distance, and I think everybody can relate to that on some level. It’s just a real easy song for me to internalize, and I went on gut instinct with it — kind of like I did on the show. If a song grabs me in the first 30 to 45 seconds, it’s a song I need to be doing.

What is the most personal song on the album?

Probably ‘Permanent.’ I knew that the record was lacking this kind of bare, honest, naked song, and so I was writing with Raine Maida and his wife, Chantal. Chantal played this really beautiful piano melody and it immediately struck me — I want this to be a piano lullaby to my older brother, who’s been battling a brain tumor for a long time. I ended up writing the lyrics while we were recording another song. I didn’t allow myself to be metaphorical or be anything other than, “This is the exact thought that I’m thinking, and I’m going to put it on paper and leave it alone.” The end result was ‘Permanent.’ So we tracked it in a studio with a 15-piece string orchestra, a piano and me on vocals, and somehow we managed to tune into the vibe of the song. Rob [Cavallo] was crying, my aunt was crying, I was crying, of course, because I do that all the time! [laughs] It was just one of those really emotional moments.

How’s your brother doing?

My brother’s good. We’ve been very fortunate as a family to get quite a bit of good news pertaining to his illness while I was on tour. Knock on wood, hopefully it’s all good news ahead.

You’ve been very active in cancer charities since your brother was diagnosed.

I’ve been given this amazing opportunity to say things and have people listen. I just feel like there are things way more important than me playing a guitar and putting out a record. And while I’m absolutely excited and gracious about what lies ahead, I would rather see my brother alive and well than go platinum.

Do you miss anything about your anonymity?

There are times when I miss being able to not have to worry about what to say or how to act. Just being a carefree human being. But having to worry about those things is just part of the deal. I get to do what I want to do for a living, which is to play music and hopefully have a lot of people listen. So I miss it, but not enough to want to change it.

Have any old friends or relatives come out of the woodwork since ‘Idol’?

Not really, no. I have my friends, and they’ve remained my friends throughout the whole thing. I don’t really have to worry about it, because they’ll call me on my B.S. before anybody else will.

Besides winning, what was your proudest ‘Idol’ moment?

Probably the tour. I got to go home and play two nights in Kansas City, and I believe we sold out both nights. While I’m singing these songs, I can point out people in the audience I grew up with. And there was a vindicating feeling there, because I think every musician can say at some point, it was like, “You’re never going to make it. You should do something else.” And I found that my best motivation has been a chip on the shoulder.

Who do you think is the most underrated ‘Idol’ contestant and who’s the most overrated?

I can really only speak for my season — I would say the most underrated was Carly [Smithson]. She has a monster voice, and I felt like there were some weeks I was like, “Wait, what are they hearing?” And it was really that way with everybody. I remember Syesha [Mercado] did a performance one week, and I was absolutely blown away, and the judges were kind of lukewarm about it. I was backstage just like, “We’re hearing something different. We have to be!” So underrated — Carly and Syesha. Overrated — I’m not touching that one! [laughs]

OK, so how about your opinion on the fact that more people voted in the Season 7 ‘Idol’ finale than they did in the 2004 presidential election?

On the one hand, that’s pretty rad. On the other hand, you’d obviously like that to not be the case in this election. 56 million votes is a lot. I remember hearing that number and just thinking, “My mom must have called 55 million times or something!” Theater of the absurd, I guess.

You’ve remained good friends with your ‘Idol’ runner-up, David Archuleta. What’s one thing about him that fans might not know?

Archie sings everything. Like, if you make any reference that could be turned into a song … You can say anything like, “I need a sandwich,” and he’ll think of some song that incorporates the phrase, “I need a sandwich,” and he’ll sing it.

So does he sing his orders at fast food drive-ins?

Yeah! [laughs] He’ll be the guy that’s like, (singing) “2 beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, pickles on a …” He’ll be that guy every time.

So what would ‘Archie’ say is something about you fans might not know?

I bite my fingernails. It’s pretty gnarly. I chew them down.

That revelation may ruin your sex symbol status. Have you gotten used to that yet?

No! [laughs] I get more of a kick out of playing video games than making sure my hair is in the right place. If people want to say it, great, I’m absolutely flattered. But I don’t think you’re going to see me rocking any “Blue Steel” looks into the camera anytime soon.

Have any of the Cougars for Cook gotten out of hand?

We got into New York, and we’re outside waiting on a car, and this woman in her 50s comes up to me and says, “I have to give you a hug!” And she hugged me, but not in a creepy fashion. I think there was this weird juxtaposition of some sort of celebrity status, but on the flip, I’ve become this accessible person to these people because of ‘Idol.’ These people know things about me I wasn’t 100 percent sure I knew about myself at the time. And so the “celebrity barrier,” if you will, is kind of non-existent for me, and it’s great. I actually love it, because I get to feel like a normal person as opposed to feeling like a butterfly under glass.

Have you read anything about yourself in the tabloids that was off the wall?

Two things actually — one while I was still on the show. Some news organization reported that I died. I went to the hospital during Dolly Parton week for some blood pressure issues — purely a precaution. But some family members heard that I died. But as you can see, I’m alive and well. And then the other one was the National Enquirer, which said that I was shopping at high-end Hollywood boutiques, and that I’m so full of myself that I refused to close the curtains while I was changing. I’m not taking my shirt off for anybody anytime soon.

Explain to us exactly what ‘Mr. Jaguar’ is.

Oh no! [laughs] OK, Mr. Jaguar is, for lack of a better word, a male beauty pageant that my high school puts on every year. And I was fortunate enough to win it in 2001. So, if you walk into my home, side by side you will see my ‘American Idol’ plaque and my Mr. Jaguar trophy. [laughs] This is all a joke, by the way.

You can watch the video performances here.

Now Cook and the team at 19 Recordings/RCA are trying to keep the momentum going with the artist’s self-titled debut, due this week. On “Idol,” he received rave reviews and millions of votes for his hard rock makeovers of pop songs like Lionel Richie’s “Hello” and Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby.” Some controversy arose as to where the arrangements came from, particularly concerning his rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” which was based on a version done by Chris Cornell, but it didn’t deter fans from crowning him the winner.

With the covers game out of the way, Cook says he wants this new record to be a reintroduction of sorts to his fans. “I came from a background of playing original music,” he says, “and I really wanted to get back to that.”

Cook and producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Kid Rock) started recording in late June, with Cook frequently hitting the studio during downtime from the 53-date summer American Idols Live tour. A host of rock veterans lent a hand with the songwriting, including Goo Goo Dolls’ Johnny Rzeznik, Cook’s longtime idol Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace and, oddly enough, Cornell, who co-wrote first single “Light On” with Brian Howes.

“We were able to pull together what I think to be a very accurate representation of who I am musically within a three-month period, which is kind of hard to do,” Cook says of the quick turnaround time. The sound he was going for was an “eclectic rock” record, with “rhythmic songs, heavier tracks and sparse instrumentation.”

Source

Cook, 25, who was working as a bartender while trying to break into the music business, talked to Reuters about his self-titled album, which was released this week, and his hopes for the future.

How different is this first album from the David Cook we saw on “American Idol”.

“In the show, we had a different set of boundaries — Mariah Carey songs one week, songs from your birth year another. With this record I was able to make my own rules … Lyrically the songs have a mature angle but there is a youthful energy to the record because we had to do everything quickly. I think the time worked out in our favor. We wanted the record to come out of the gates with all guns blazing, and it does.”

You wrote or co-wrote 10 of the 12 songs on the album and some of them are very personal.

“Family is very important to me and ‘Heroes’ is a pretty accurate vibe to that. ‘A Daily AntheM’ … all fell into place very organically and I finished the song before I realized it was about my brother Adam. ‘Permanent’ (also about Adam) is bare bones, piano, strings and vocal. I figured out through the process of making this record that sometimes the most powerful songs don’t have all the bells and whistles on them.”

“American Idol” viewers heard about Adam’s battle with brain cancer on the show. How is he doing?

“Adam’s good. He is plugging along. We remain cautiously optimistic.”

Was the summer “Idols” tour in those huge stadiums good preparation for life as a solo artist, or are you more of a smaller, club venue performer?

“I hope I get to do that a million times over! I feel I have an aptitude for both (venues) and I think this record can play to both. Hopefully in the next year I will be playing as many venues as will have me.”

Does the perceived rivalry with David Archuleta grate on you?

“It does a little and I am sure Archie would share my opinion. We both recognize we are completely different artists and so it is comparing apples and oranges. Even in the ‘Idol’ finals, we didn’t feel like we were competing against each other. Archie is a good person. I consider him a really good friend and wish him all the success he deserves.”

How did you feel about your “American Idol” make-over, and is it true you are dating former “Idol” contestant Kimberly Caldwell?

“Yes. She has been a steady, well-needed break. She is great. Very supportive. The make-over didn’t hurt! It was weird the way it panned out. I had been talking for some time about chopping off my hair and one week we decided to do it and that same week I literally lost my razor and so I just didn’t shave. I remember the reaction (from fans) after that performance. It was just dumb luck.”

What’s next for you? Are there any plans to tour internationally?

“In early January we are going to Iraq to play for the troops. I am very excited about it. It is a huge honor even to be asked. Then hopefully we’ll start the U.S. tour in early February and keep going until the wheels fall off. I realize that this whole thing is a kind of a one shot. So if someone wants to hear me play in the farthest reaches of this planet, I will do it.”

Source

David Cook sat in a studio in New York doing interview after interview with television stations around the country to promote his new self-titled album. By the time he got to FOX 4 in Kansas City, he only had nine more left.

We asked him if the album felt rushed. Cook said “the whole album felt rushed, but I don’t think it suffered.” He said by not trying to make it “right,” it left the songs with a youthful energy. He said the record is rough around the edges which he appreciates.

Despite Saturday Night Live, Leno and Good Morning America appearances, Cook said he knows who he is. He said his family and friends keep him in check and don’t let his head get too big.

He said he appreciates all 100,000 friends he has on Myspace. And, he hopes to add even more to that list.

Next on Cook’s agenda, he’ll head to Iraq to play for the troops and he’s planning an early 2009 tour.

Before hitting the road for his new album, Cook will return to Kansas City to light up the Plaza. “It’s a huge honor to even be asked. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Cook said.

Watch the interview video here.

Source

“It seems Cook and “David Cook” are already meeting high expectations…If commercial radio is part of your daily life, be prepared to start hearing these songs soon and often. When you do, remember it’s the sound of a local boy making it really big.”

USA Today’s Ken Barnes - 2.5 out of 4 Stars

“You’ll search in vain for a spark of originality, but you will find a degree of poignancy in songs about Cook’s cancer-stricken brother, Adam (A Daily AntheM, whose capitalized letters spell out his name, and especially Permanent, a moving semi-ballad). Still, you have to hope there’s more to Cook than is audible in this disappointing debut.”

LA Times

“What’s funny about his debut is that its best song might be the one he wrote entirely on his own: “A Daily Anthem,” an energizing ode to the magic of — what else — a great power ballad. This song, which Cook wrote before he was famous, describes and establishes the bar he sets for himself.”

Chicago Sun Times’ Misha Davenport - 2.5 Stars

“You see the potential of talent in the end result, just not a unique voice. Hearing who influenced Cook doesn’t bring us any closer to understanding who he is as an artist.”

Source