Tried and True

Last updated

Tried and True
Tried and True.png
Studio album by
Clay Aiken
ReleasedJune 1, 2010
Length41:44
Label Decca
Producer
Clay Aiken chronology
Playlist: The Very Best of Clay Aiken
(2009)		Tried and True
(2010)		Steadfast
(2012)

Tried and True is the fifth studio album by American singer. Clay Aiken. It was released on June 1, 2010 and marked his debut with Decca Records. The deluxe edition includes two additional tracks plus a second disk with behind the scenes video and a live performance. [1]

Contents

Background

Tried and True cotains cover versions of classics from the 1950s and 1960s such as "Unchained Melody" and "Mack the Knife," both of which were performed by Aiken when he was a contestant on American Idol 's second season. Aiken called the album a "homecoming in a way, because it's really what I have always wanted to do." [2] In an article written after interviewing Aiken, The News & Observer reported that "the album features a guest turn by saxophonist and label-mate David Sanborn on the Sammy Davis Jr. classic "What Kind of Fool Am I?" [and] Vince Gill performs guitar on Andy Williams' legendary "Moon River"." [3] [4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]

The album received mixed to positive reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, saying "It's handsomely tailored music that fits Aiken's strengths quite well. Indeed, he’s never seemed more at home on a record; nothing may challenge him but he’s never straining, seeming happier singing standards than he did churning out contemporary classics on A Thousand Different Ways, winding up with something that might be the best representation yet of his peculiar charms." [5] Billboard critic Mikael Wood found that "given the cabaret-ready character of Aiken's voice, the change in direction suits the singer. Where he used to sound like an oldster attempting to crash the top 40, here Aiken's vocals exude a relaxed vibe that seemingly reflects his recent stint on Broadway in Spamalot ." [6]

USA Today editor Brian Mansfield compared Aiken to singers Perry Como and Johnny Mathis, whose smooth, conservative, and meticulously arranged songs resisted Rock and roll but rarely influenced modern artists. He found that across classics such as "Misty", "Unchained Melod", and "Moon River", Aiken delivers polished, easy-listening interpretations—sometimes transformative, sometimes overly cautious—showcasing his vocal control while updating big-band and traditional pop arrangements for contemporary audiences." [7] Greg Barber from The Washington Post found that a few original songs" on Tried and True, "even with songwriters guiding the music and lyrics, might have provided some illumination. Perry Como and Herman’s Hermits tunes, not so much [...] A departure — aside from a change in record labels — this album is not." He concluded that Aiken's "at his best when the power in his pipes — which are in fine form throughout the disc, despite occasional lapses into a Cowardly Lion-level vibrato — matches the emotion he coveys as he sings them." [8]

Commercial performance

Tried and True sold 22,000 units in its first week of release. [9] It opened at number nine on the US Billboard 200 and number twenty-one on Billboard's Digital Albums. [10] In Canada, the album debuted at number 58 on the Canadian Albums Chart, the lowest debut in Canada for any of his albums. [11]

Track listing

All tracks produced by Alex Christensen. [1]

Tried and True track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Can't Take My Eyes off You"
3:18
2."What Kind of Fool Am I?" (featuring David Sanborn)
3:31
3."It's Only Make Believe"
3:13
4."Misty"
4:18
5."Mack the Knife"
3:21
6."It's Impossible"
4:02
7."Unchained Melody"
4:51
8."Suspicious Minds" Mark James 3:49
9."Crying" (duet with Linda Eder)
4:05
10."There's a Kind of Hush"
3:00
11."Moon River" (featuring Vince Gill)
4:11
Total length:41:44
Deluxe edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Who's Sorry Now?"
3:47
13."Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"
2:58
iTunes bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"
4:12
Deluxe edition – disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Behind the Scenes Look: The Making of Tried and True"
6:22
2."Build Me Up Buttercup" (live)
2:59

Personnel

Performers and musicians

Technical

Recording and mixing

Charts

Weekly performance for Tried and True
Chart (2010)Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [11] 58
US Billboard 200 [10] 9

References

  1. 1 2 "Clay Aiken's 'Tried and True' track listing". Content.usatoday.com. April 5, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  2. ↑ Castellanos, Melissa (June 4, 2010). "Clay Aiken: New Album Is Like a Homecoming". CBS News . Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  3. ↑ Ehlers, Matt A classic move Archived 2010-03-17 at the Wayback Machine Newsobserver. March 12, 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-05
  4. ↑ Castellanos, Melissa (June 4, 2010). "Clay Aiken: New Album Is Like a Homecoming". CBS News . Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (June 1, 2010). "Tried & True – Clay Aiken | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ Wood, Mikael (May 21, 2010). "Clay Aiken, "Tried & True"". Billboard . Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  7. ↑ Mansfield, Brian (May 31, 2010). "Clay Aiken, 'Tried and True': A track-by-track review". USA Today . Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  8. ↑ Barber, Greg (June 1, 2010). "Trying Times: Clay Aiken, 'Tried & True'". The Washington Post . Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  9. ↑ 'Tried and True' Clay Aiken debuts in the Top 10 USA Today. June 09, 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-09
  10. 1 2 "Clay Aiken Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Clay Aiken Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
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