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Post by 4Ms on May 16, 2012 14:26:48 GMT -5
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Post by 4Ms on May 16, 2012 14:28:04 GMT -5
Eber Tweet "Holding my son's first LP" Photo Miles Tougeaux @milestougeaux 10:43 AM PT - 15 May 12 via Twitpic 30 year old fantasy comes true: Holding my son's first LP twitpic.com/9lkvpy  |
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Post by 4Ms on May 16, 2012 14:29:06 GMT -5
VEVO: Adam Lambert Talks About His New Trespassing Album
Adam Lambert Talks About His New Trespassing Album
Posted In: VEVO. Posted By: Jim Macnie on 05.15.2012
blog.vevo.com/adam-lambert-talks-about-his-new-trespassing-album/
“I think that one of the cool things about the album is that it is an album,” said Adam Lambert when we spoke to him about his new Trespassing album. It’s true. Critics are saying that Lambert’s second disc not only boasts soaring vocals and hard-hitting music, but holds together thematically. It rewards a full listen.
There’s lots of notice about this one. Billboard broke it down it down track by track, and Entertainment Weekly broke Lambert’s typical day down hour by hour. The Village Voice has a sharp Q&A with him as well. We’ll be premiering his video for “Never Close Our Eyes” next week. Until then, check Adam explaining his latest creation.
Adam Lambert VEVO News Interview VIDEO Link: vevo.ly/JdOrya
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Post by 4Ms on May 16, 2012 14:29:23 GMT -5
Village Voice Q&A: Adam Lambert On Trespassing, Stankface, Tracking Nile Rodgers On Twitter, And Being An Out Pop Star In 2012
VILLAGE VOICE Blogs
Interviews
Q&A: Adam Lambert On Trespassing, Stankface, Tracking Nile Rodgers On Twitter, And Being An Out Pop Star In 2012
By Maura Johnston Tue., May 15 2012 at 1:00 PM
blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2012/05/adam_lambert_interview_trespassing.php
When Adam Lambert was on American Idol in 2009, he grabbed viewers' attention with his octave-leaping voice and startling reworkings of talent-show standbys—while he came in second that season, he was certainly that year's most rock-star-like contestant, and he made even more headlines when he came out of the closet on the cover of Rolling Stone shortly after the Idol season wrapped. Today he releases Trespassing (RCA), his second post-Idol album, and its confidence and catchiness should further establish him as one of today's premier male pop stars. Trespassing, which counts among its collaborators Pharrell, Sam Sparro, Chic's Nile Rogers, and Dr. Luke, struts; it brims with grooves and is led by Lambert's overwhelming charisma, and it could very well be the first No. 1 album by an out pop star, as Chris Molanphy noted last week.
SOTC caught up with Lambert yesterday before he performed a brief set at the MLB Fan Cave, located in the former Tower Records space at East 4th St. and Broadway.
I love the record. I think it's so great, so fun, so lively. I don't know if you saw the article we ran last week...
I love it. It was really flattering. Thank you.
What do you think of [the possibility of Trespassing being the first No. 1 album by an out pop star]?
I love the idea of it. I do hope people buy the record because they like the record—and I think they will. I feel this whole journey has been a guessing game, when it first started. It was like, "I hope this works, I hope this is good." When I was on Idol I knew I could get up on stage and do what I thought was great, and when I made it every week, I was like, "Wow, this is actually working? People like this?" I couldn't wrap my head around it. And even with the first album, it was like, all right. But after that sunk in and I toured and I got a bit of a fanbase and I traveled, now I'm like, "OK." And when I wrote this album I felt like, "OK, I know what I want to do." And I trust that more now than ever. This album, we wrapped it up, and I was like, "This is damn good." And I'm somebody that doubts myself a whole lot. But for me to come to that [point] is really amazing.
I think it brims with a lot of confidence. How did you approach writing the songs so that, even with your collaborators, you let your personality shine through?
A little bit into the process I said, "Look, I really want to executive produce this. I'm going to be able to make sure that it has a cohesive feeling." When I went into my various writing sessions—some of which I sought out, some of [which] the label arranged for me—I brought that in and I would sit there and talk with the producer and say this is the music that is inspiring me, this is the sound I want to give it, and I think I helped steer the ship.
I was at Burning Man, and up until the point of Burning Man we had done a handful of emotional dark stuff, some of which was really good and some that was a little kindergarten. I had written a few songs that were a little more throwback classic rock, which I've always kind of [enjoyed]. But I was looking for something. And I'm out on the playa on Burning Man in an art car with friends, and there's so much dubstep. And I appreciate dubstep from a producing, technical point of view, but there's no groove to a lot of it.
It's very nu-metal-y.
It's very hard. Very metal-y. I like a pocket—I like, like, funk or disco or stuff that you can shake your ass to. That's sexy. And this little art car comes zipping by us just blasting Daft Punk. And our art car went from rocking to dubstep to immediately smiling and getting down with each other and touching each other. It just hit me in the head and I was like, "That's the type of record I want." It's instant. It's classic. It's old, it's young. It's black, it's white. Gay, straight. I was captivated by it.
I like the way [Trespassing] grooves. It does have a poppy-atmosphere to it, which I feel is lacking a lot right now. I feel like rhythms on the radio are so 4/4 skip.
We tried to find stuff that gave it a little bit of a different feeling. Stankface is what I want to achieve with the album. And I feel like it does trigger stankface—I've watched people react to it. And that's another part of it too. I had the time to sit with the demo, fine tune it, go back and change stuff with the producers, write new parts, add new elements, and then play it for people. Play it for friends, colleagues, people I respect and trust, and see the reaction. And if I got a bunch of, "Eh," then I was like, "This isn't going to work." When you're an artist it's hard to be totally objective.
All of that combined, I love this album. Here's to stank.
Adam Lambert, "Trespassing" (live on Jimmy Kimmel Live)
So you're touring with Queen this summer?
I am. I'm doing five shows.
Are there any particular songs from the catalog that you're excited to bring to the masses?
"Another One Bites the Dust." Stankface.
Yes. That's a good one.
I feel like it's not coming completely out of left field for somebody who doesn't know who I am. I did a few [Queen songs] on Idol. They were my favorite ones.
What do you think about stepping into the shoes of Freddie Mercury?
I'm bringing my own shoes, girl. [Laughs.] I think Freddie would probably approve of my shoes. But Freddie Mercury is such an idol of mine as a singer, and as a showman, a songwriter, and as a gay man. He is an icon. I think it would be a little bit cheap for me to go up there and try to imitate him, or try to [make him] pop. I'm an artist, you know. My goal is to do the songs justice and not stray too far. I don't want to sacrilege; I want to keep the intent. I mean, I have Brian and Roger on stage, in rehearsal, telling me green light or red light. So I'm going to look to them in hopes of being kinda like, "Hey, is this cool?" And I'm their guest.
How did you hook up with Nile Rodgers?
I wrote the song "Shady" with Sam Sparro and Lester Mendez. And we were almost done with it, and I was like, "OK, it sounds really good production but we need a live element—we need a Chic, disco guitar." And Sam was like, "I'm following Nile on Twitter; let's tweet him." And that's how it happened. We just tweeted him. I came up to New York a couple weeks later to do some meetings and we were introduced and I asked if he wanted to do some stuff together and he was so down. He's so nice and humble.
His blog about his cancer treatments is so inspiring.
He's so positive. And he's been so supportive of the record we recorded. And really proud to tell people about it. That was pretty validating, for someone of his stature to give his stamp of approval with a track—on a funk track, too.
Are you going to tour with the record itself?
I'd like to, yeah. That definitely is the plan, but we don't have anything set up yet. But, that's kind of the idea.
You know, my ambition is strong, and I love pop stardom; I love pop stars. I love Lady Gaga and Katy Perry and Rihanna and Britney and Madonna—and Beyoncé, who's a goddess. I love all these women so much. And Justin Timberlake, and a couple of [other] men too. But my goal with this album and doing it live is to find my own way with it. There's a lot of blueprints out there that I really enjoy as a fan, but it's finding my own way that's going to be a fun part. Right now, I'm having such a fun time just being who I am and stripping it back a little bit, you know? I want some visuals and things, but I want to feel very much of the Funkadelic/Jimi Hendrix, psychedelic, funk, futuracious. Keep it kind of new, and clean, and fresh, and [have] it really be about the music.
You know who I saw this year in concert that shifted my perception? Prince. He didn't need all that shit. It's just fresh. It's just good. And I'm not saying my stuff is anywhere near Prince's, but he's definitely somebody who's inspired me.
Did you come to New York when there was Tower Records?
No. And I keep saying that I would like to live in New York eventually. I haven't done it yet.
But I feel like, you know, there's actually a movement right now that I'm sort of lining up on—the Scissor Sisters, Sam Sparro, Beth Ditto and the Gossip. I feel like there's this community, our community is coming up in a really fresh and legit way and we're pulling something off that other people might be a little scared of, and we're doing it really well. I feel this kinship with those bands.
And all these records are coming out right now; the Gossip and Scissor Sisters records come out at the end of this month too.
And Sam's record comes out soon, too. It just feels like there's a want for it, you know? Like, the collective and such is going to bring it, and we're all like, "Fuck yeah, let's go back—but make it new."
I think what makes [Trespassing] so strong is that it has this [feeling] that's very 2012.
What's nice is that the LGBT community is progressing, it's a little slow at times—but one of the things I like about the creative side of it is the resurgence of fierce. You can be strong about your fabulous side again—it feels like that's coming back. I think for a while, because we're trying to progress into society and integrate and be accepted—which still is the case—I think there's a little bit of fear that surrounds our behavior, especially in the public eye and in the entertainment industry. But I'm feeling like that there's this movement where people are starting to be like, "You know what, fuck it. I'm going to be proud and loud and do whatever I want." It's free. I think the freedom and the expression thing is getting bigger, and it's getting more comfortable.
I just feel like I spent the last couple of years negotiating and navigating through this—"Hello, I'm a celebrity and I'm gay!" And I've heard, just talking to people, they're like, "You know, Adam, with you it always feels like it's about your sexuality." And there's only so much control I have over that. The media will treat me how they want to. I'm a pretty open book. I'm answering all the questions. And the sensational gay responses are the headlines of the articles, even though I talk about this, that, and the other thing.
The narrative is always going to be so strong, especially now with there being so much media. And now because there is so much media, it all just filters up to one thing. Which is frustrating for you as an artist.
Yeah. And what I'm really excited about this album doing is that I hope it gives me a way to be credible within the public eye. Because I think sometimes I'm a punchline. And I can take it. I'm not feeling sorry for myself. I can laugh at myself too. And some of the things I do are fucking ridiculous. I know that. But it will be exciting to be a little bit like, "Well, have you heard the song?" [Laughs.] With a smile, you know?
Adam Lambert plays KTUphoria, with Pitbull, Flo Rida, Dev, Calvin Harris, K'NAAN, Karmin, and Havana Brown (as well as special guest Enrique Iglesias), on Sunday, May 20.
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Post by 4Ms on May 16, 2012 14:29:44 GMT -5
Billboard 'Trespassing': Track-By-Track Review 86
Adam Lambert, 'Trespassing': Track-By-Track Review
by Jason Lipshutz, N.Y. | May 15, 2012 1:00 EDT
www.billboard.com/new-releases/adam-lambert-trespassing-track-by-track-1007060962.story#/new-releases/adam-lambert-trespassing-track-by-track-1007060962.story
"I don't need no sympathy, I won't cry and whine/Life's my light and liberty, and I'll shine when I wanna shine," Adam Lambert sings on "Trespassing's" title track, which is in the running for 2012's "Most Deliriously Fun Pop Track" crown. The former "American Idol" finalist is often haunted by expectations and identity issues in his singles, but Lambert sports his most brilliant colors when he is oozing confidence, as on "Trespassing" and, thankfully, most of his second album.
Adam Lambert Live Q&A | PHOTOS: Behind-The-Scenes Portraits
Lambert's latest full-length dips into a variety of genres, playfully prodding at electronica and exploring the rock balladry of 2009 debut "For Your Entertainment," but mostly, Lambert just wants to dance. The first half of "Trespassing" frolics through well-worn funk, house and electro-pop tropes, but the club capers never get stale, thanks to Lambert's vocal charisma and ridiculous power. A song like "Shady" could collapse under its fatuous lyrics, but on the track, Lambert demonstrates the raw energy that would make him a great frontman for a band like, say, Queen.
Because of the outlandishness embedded in everything he touches, it's easy to not take Adam Lambert seriously. This, of course, is a mistake. "Trespassing" continues the work of the underrated "For Your Entertainment" and allows the singer to keep unveiling his character in broad, colorful strokes. The lesson with Adam Lambert is the same now as it was when he was burning up "Idol" three years ago -- underestimate him at your own risk.
Which songs on "Trespassing" are worth your time? Check out our track-by-track review of Adam Lambert's latest album.
1. Trespassing - A startling, stomping, altogether tremendous opening, in which Lambert snarls "Wait 'til you get a load of me" while strutting over a Pharrell Williams beat that Michael Jackson would have loved.
2. Cuckoo - Lambert leaps from MJ to Daft Punk, with a waterfall of synthesizers raining down upon his chest-thumping party plans. The line "Gonna get out of this straitjacket!" smacks of double entendre.
3. Shady - Robotic posing leads into some harmonized funk, as Lambert requests a ticket to the underground. Third straight track with killer production.
4. Never Close Our Eyes - The album's first ballad? Nope. The emotional opening turns out to be a red herring for another supple Euro-dance anthem that recalls David Guetta's most effective singles.
5. Kickin' In - With its crazed synth intro segueing into another tightly wound, club-set banger, "Kickin' In" becomes the front-runner for the song most likely to dazzle in Lambert's live show.
6. Naked Love - It's still uptempo, but "Naked Love" exhibits a tenderness missing from the previous tracks' salacious come-ons. Perhaps it won't be a single, but "Naked Love" is vital to "Trespassing's" sense of balance.
7. Pop That Lock - "Tonight we burn it all!" Lambert professes before another cavalcade of percussive drops and piercing keystrokes cave in his voice. One of the album's few whiffs.
8. Better Than I Know Myself - The logical sequel to "Whataya Want From Me," the lead single retains its icy sheen months after it first hit airwaves, as Lambert exposes his most vulnerable tendencies in stirring fashion.
9. Broken English - A downright strange amalgamation of styles: Lambert hopscotches between R&B verses, massive pop hooks and dubstep twitches before seemingly free-falling in the bridge. It shouldn't make sense, but the singer ties it together.
10. Underneath - A revealing, piano-driven ballad that ramps up into 'epic' mode as time elapses. Sadly, this would have packed more of a wallop if it had been uniformly bare throughout, as in its first minute.
11. Chokehold - The verses float freely and let Lambert muse on past relationship transgressions. The refrains carry an industrial quality, with a guitar speaking as severely as the vocalist. The listener gets to soak it all in, blissfully.
12. Outlaws of Love - "Everywhere we go, we're looking for the sun/Nowhere to grow old, we're always on the run," Lambert laments, as he seemingly drags himself out of the club and stares bleary-eyed into the future. More than any other song here, "Outlaws" demonstrates Lambert's impressive range -- he can play the sober adult just as well as the carefree party-starter.
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Post by 4Ms on May 16, 2012 14:30:00 GMT -5
Yahoo Canada Music: Adam Lambert Actually Quite Good Shock!
Adam Lambert Actually Quite Good Shock!
By Dave DiMartino | New This Week – Tue, 15 May, 2012 5:07 AM EDT
ca.music.yahoo.com/blogs/new-this-week/adam-lambert-actually-quite-good-shock-090720859.html
Adam Lambert: Trespassing (19 Recordings) One of the drawbacks/benefits of working with one of this country's biggest American Idol experts is that, whether I want to or not, I know more about the show than any sane human would ever want! Of course, I don't know what any of the dopey contestants actually look like, but I know their names, I know what they all sound like, and I know that most of them are all so boring they give popular music a bad name! And the only exception to the rule appears to be Adam Lambert, the controversial glam-rock dude who apparently "lost" during the show's eighth season but is likely to rank up there with Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson as the only contestants that will have any long-term relevance whatsoever. The new album is slickly produced--almost annoyingly so--but filled with hooky, catchy pop tunes that are commercial but not pandering and, as such, seems an actual piece of art rather than a by-product of a dreary television show. If he'd not spent an entire season singing other people's songs--other people's well-known songs--I might be more inclined to view the tunes here as revealing more about his personality than his vocal adeptness, but I'm not sure that means much in the overall scheme of things. This is polished, respectable work, and I'm happy to say I like it. He sure is a snappy dresser!
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Post by 4Ms on May 16, 2012 14:30:15 GMT -5
Washington Times Listening Station: Trespassing ★★★
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
LISTENING STATION: Adam Lambert, Willie Nelson
By Andrew Leahey - Special to The Washington Times
www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/14/listening-station-adam-lambert-willie-nelson/?page=1
Adam Lambert Trespassing RCA/19 Recordings ★★★
Formerly a launching pad for the Kelly Clarksons and Carrie Underwoods of the world, “American Idol” has slipped in recent years. Gone are the powerhouse vocalists and larger-than-life personalities. Instead, the show has spent its past two seasons crowning winners such as Lee DeWyze and Scotty McCreery, two mild-mannered everymen who can carry a fine tune but rarely, if ever, bring the house down.
Adam Lambert is cut from a different cloth. He may not have won the competition in 2009 — that honor went to Kris Allen, another member of the everyman pack — but he’s one of the best vocalists to emerge from the show in at least five years, with a range as broad as the Appalachians and a tone that sounds like Freddie Mercury’s Broadway-trained cousin after a night of heavy drinking.
He’s gay, too, a fact that doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with his art but has everything to do with “Trespassing,” his second studio album.
These songs are steeped in contemporary R&B, ‘80s hair metal, glittery dance-pop and modern-day club culture. Some are about the same subjects that fill most 21st century pop anthems: parties, relationships and general hedonism. Others tackle heavier topics, from gay marriage to gender politics.
A laundry list of producers and songwriters receive credit for their work on “Trespassing.” On an album filled with names such as Bruno Mars and Pharrell Williams, though, Mr. Lambert is still the incontestable star, serving as an executive producer — a rarity in the world of pop music, and an unprecedented honor for anyone still under the tightly controlled supervision of “American Idol” — and co-writing most of the songs. He steals the show with his supersized vocals, too.
Oh, that voice. It howls like a banshee one minute and croons like a balladeer the next, sliding its way into a deep, oscillating vibrato whenever a little extra color is needed. During the title track’s bridge, Mr. Lambert even sounds a bit like Michael Jackson circa “Dangerous,” ad-libbing a few lines over squelching guitars and urban dance beats. This is the sort of bombastic voice that deserves to win singing competitions, coupled with the kind of flashy personality that keeps an audience’s attention long after the competition is over.
“Trespassing” is perpetually over-the-top — even absurd at points, especially during the schmaltzy, operatic ballads that dominate the second half — but it’s also a career-defining album for Mr. Lambert, who sounds elated to finally let his true colors shine. A musical theater veteran who got his start performing with the touring production of “Wicked,” he seemed to be playing a different role on his first album, 2009’s “For Your Entertainment,” whose songs presented Mr. Lambert in a sort of sanitized, family-friendly format. Here, he hoists his freak flag high, often with solid results.
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