Search - Taylor Hicks :: Do I Make You Proud/ Takin' It To The Streets

Margaret S. from GLENVIEW, IL
Reviewed on 3/20/2007...

When I bought this I didn't know it only had 2 songs on it, but I liked it anyway.

Sandra L. (MusicMama) from W JEFFERSON, NC
Reviewed on 11/26/2006...

Go, Taylor!
Love your sound!

A Promising Star

Musac Critic | 06/13/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Taylor Hicks is perhaps one of the most unique Idol winners to ever grace the competition. Many have speculated that this Idol will be the toughest of all to market, but my personal opinion is if Taylor makes the right album and doesn't stray away from the style that he showcased on the show (Michael McDonald blue-eyed soul/ retro-soul), then he should be alright. After all, there has been a slight resurgence in the adult contemporary, blue-eyed soul music as of late with McDonald's MOTOWN series just as one example. But back to Taylor as a singer himself.



"Do I Make You Proud" isn't the greatest song ever written, but Taylor vocal interpretation makes the song much better than it is. Anyone watching the finale could tell that "Do I Make You Proud" as a song itself was much better than "My Destiny", unfortunate for McPhee of course. Vocally, Hicks outsung McPhee there as well. Here, Hicks rids of the minor intonation flaws that he had when performing it live and it sounds better and smoother.



"Takin' It To The Streets" has the distinction of perhaps being the best track on the Idol compilation CD. It trumps "Do I Make You Proud" because this type of song and this genre of music seems to be Hicks's confort zone. He makes the Doobie Brothers and Michael McDonald "Proud" on this exceptional remake. It is rare than an artist can pull a cover tune off very well, but Hicks proves that the "soul patrol" is where it is at. Excellent first single Taylor; you make me proud. 4 stars."

Yes, You Make Us Proud! Woo! Soul Patrol!

Antoinette Klein | Hoover, Alabama USA | 06/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Taylor Hicks is the most exciting American Idol to date. Why? Perhaps his sheer energy and charisma that he injected into every performance? Perhaps the obvious love of music he exhibits? Perhaps the power of his true whisky tenor voice that resonated with all age groups? For whatever reason, this Idol has captured the nation's attention through the five-months of the very public contest and does not disappoint fans with his first post-Idol release.



Taylor's signature single "Do I Make You Proud" soars with his unique delivery. He has taken what could have been a corny song and infused it with so much passion that it should become an anthem for the American Dream come true. Can you just hear this being played when the troops come home, when sons and daughters graduate, whenever we want to celebrate the American spirit? I thought it was beautiful when he sang it on Idol, but his heartfelt and even more polished performance on the CD is awesome.



The second cut, Takin' It To The Streets, demonstrates incredibly well how he takes a cover song and gives it his *taylorized* styling. The Doobie Brothers and Michael McDonald would applaud this rendition, I'm sure. The added riffs and soulful flavoring make a great song even greater. This is the Taylor I hope we will see more of when he releases his full-length CD later this year. The Taylor Hicks that can take a familiar song and make it uniquely his own while dazzling the listener with a new interpretation.



Together, a fantastic release, a double shot of Taylor that we Soul Patrollers have known about for a long time. The man is destined for big things and we were there in the beginning. Rock on, Taylor Hicks! Woo!

"