Daughtry’s Baptized worth your time and money

Now that American Idol (AI) has finally crowned a rocker, Season 14 winner is Caleb Johnson, who reminds me of a young Meatloaf, we will get to find out if having a rock star in its roster will help improve the flagging ratings of the show. If I remember right, there were talks back in 2006 that the reason why finalist Chris Daughtry was booted out was because he was a rocker and AI was not yet ready for one. Pop rock seemed like the hardest AI voters were willing to go, back then.

Daughtry made a stunned, teary, good-bye three weeks to the finale. Elliot Yamin came in third place. Katharine McPhee was the runner-up and Taylor Hicks was the winner. But Daughtry really showed America what an Idol it lost barely a few months later. Effortlessly, he made the top of the hit charts with his band named Daughtry and an album also titled Daughtry, that set a record as the fastest-selling debut in music history. Ironically, Home, one of the songs from the album, became one of AI’s favorite themes. And as if that were not enough, Daughtry produced another No. 1 seller with his second release, Leave This Town. 

So now I wonder what did Daughtry think of Caleb’s win? And I also think, will this year’s choice do better as a rocking American Idol than Daughtry, who is now one of the show’s most successful losers? This is a tall order. I admit that there was a time when I thought that Daughtry had already lost the hitmaking magic. Album No. 3 Break The Spell was just OK. Then after a long deliberation on whether listening to him would be a waste of time or not, I popped the new Daughtry album Baptized into the player and stayed stunned listening to one great song seamleasly flowing one after another. 

I do not know the chart history in detail but I am sure that Baptized did not make No. 1 like Daughtry and Leave This Town did. Sad. And I find that really strange.  The only reason I can think of is that Daughtry and his bandmates opted for a mix of acoustic and synthesized arrangements with hints of electronica this time which, of course, resulted in a lighter feel.  This may be new and different for Daughtry, but who cares? The band is solid, the playing is flawless and Daughtry’s singing is still incredible. I have a feeling, or to be more realistic, I will say that I hope music fans would take time to listen to this fantastic album.

Baptized is most deserving of their time and money. Honestly, I cannot get enough of the songs, the themes, the way these are written and the way the lyrics fit into the notes. These are Daughtry’s best works so far and I find no crime in his leaning towards pop rock this time. That was what they wanted him to be back then, or don’t you remember? 

Besides, whether it is rock, pop rock or whatever, I have never heard any celebration of rock ’n roll as joyous as what Daughtry has made for Baptized with the song Long Live Rock & Roll. 

“Well, I was born the year that disco died/And U2 was in high school thank the Lord that they survived/Got my first taste on a Seger 45/And since that KISS I’ve rocked all day and partied every night/And we still argue ‘bout who’s better Elton John or Billy Joel/And we still wonder if Kurt really wrote/the songs she sang in Hole/No, we’ll never stop believing/It’s the journey of our lives/So won’t you help me pour some sugar on these memories tonight/Singing/Long live rock/Long live roll/Long live big guitars/And music for the soul/Sayin’/Don’t  give up/Don’t grow old/Long live crazy nights/and records made of gold/Long live rock and roll...”

Also in the album are Baptized, Waiting For Superman, Battleships, I’ll Fight, Wild Heart, The World We Knew, High Above The Ground, Broken Arrows, Witness, Traitor, 18 Years and because what is available out here is the Deluxe Edition there are also the bonus tracks Undefeated, Cinderella and an acoustic version of Battleships.

The band Daughtry is made up of Chris Daughtry on lead vocals and guitar; Josh Steely on lead guitar; Elvio Fernandes on keyboards and guitars; Brian Craddock on guitar; Josh Paul on bass; and Robin Diaz on drums.

For more rock sounds, here are the top albums in Billboard’s rock chart:  Once More ‘Round The Sun by Mastodon; Fuego by Phish; The Hunting Party by Linkin Park; Lazaretto by Jack White; Ghost Stories by Cold Play; The Fault In Our Stars, the motion picture soundtrack by Various Artists; Language & Perspectives by Bad Suns; Turn Blue by The Black Keys; AM by Arctic Monkeys; Pure Heroine by Lorde. 

Nothing More by Nothing More; Mutineers by David Gray; Born To Die by Lana del Rey; Night Visions by Imagine Dragons; Paramore by Paramore; Through Art We Are All Equals by Slaves; Bad Blood by Bastille; Vans Warped Tour ’14: 2014 Tour Compilation by Various Artists; Lunatic by Kongos; and Incomplete Me by For All Those Sleeping.