about 30 different people are voting negatively on our Amazon.com reviews.
Please go there and vote positively, if possible for the reviews that are more than just a couple of lines and can actually help a buyer make up their mind.

Don't vote negatively as both votes count for the value of the review (stupid amazon)

I am in love with this reviewer!!!! If it's someone here, 'fess up--you deserve big kudos. The nice thing is, it's a top reviewer based on number of overall reviews--not someone who just signed up to review this CD. It's long, but it is glorious! (and apparently not helpful, like the 2 star, 3 line POS review above it)

5 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

American Idol's Underdog Combatant Shares His Day In The Sun , March 28, 2007
Reviewer: J. E. Barnes (Bayridge, Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

American Idol presently holds a strange position in contemporary American culture. Watched religiously each season by millions of Americans from every walk of life, the program continues to be disparaged as the ultimate in lowbrow entertainment by many prominent media figures. Note, for example, how MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Joe Scarborough regularly ridicule and mock the American Idol phenomenon, while CNN's Larry King and Fox's Bill O'Reilly treat it with varying degrees of curiosity and respect (whatever their primary motives may be).

Among the faux-sophisticates of New York City, many of whom claim to reject both regular television viewing as well, in some cases, as television ownership, watching American Idol is also proof of an individual's blatant lack of cultural development and taste. Enthusiastically discussing the program in public, whether in a cafe, while riding the subway, or around the proverbial office water cooler, is, for the 'hip,' a cardinal sin of the first magnitude (nevertheless, Yamin's recent appearence at Time Square's Virgin Megastore drew telling record crowds).

But as no-nonsense cultural critic Camille Paglia underscored more than a decade ago, television IS American life, and has never been more so than in 2007, when access to cable and satellite television practically ubiquitous in this country, despite increasing competition from the internet.

More to the point, there is a lively record of public competition throughout history; it's fairly safe to say that public competition was one of the first forms of entertainment among ancient, even primitive, man. Thus, in essence, American Idol is only the latest incarnation of a literally age-old tradition, and one that assists in bringing a divergent range of people together to share a pleasurable and occasionally educational experience.

Even when considering previous seasons of American Idol, Elliott Yamin was arguably the show's ultimate underdog. Comparatively short of stature, initially of awkward physical appearance, 90% deaf in one ear, a diabetes sufferer, and of Jewish/minority heritage, in addition to his beautiful voice, Yamin had one quality that set him apart from most of the other contestants: like previous winner Fantasia Barrino, Yamin had genuine soul. He sang, and in singing, cast a shadow across the stage and screen that directly touched the hearts of millions of American viewers. Ace Young, Bucky Covington, and Katherine McPhee might have been better looking, but Elliott was more lovable--and talented.

Who will ever forget Elliot's semi-triumphant return to his home town of Richmond, Virginia, advancing down a thoroughfare in an open convertible as the throngs of the Richmond population cheered him on, the tears streaming down his face--and down the face of his mother?

A year after the end of season five, Yamin has released his first album, an event many feared might never come to pass. Highly listenable throughout, 'Elliot Yamin' is, first and foremost, real music, the kind of genuinely moving, grooving, touching, and comforting music rarely produced since in this country since the mid-Seventies.

Though many of the lyrics err on the side of the generic, most of the songs are catchy in the best kind of way, and Yamin's vocals, which are disciplined without any sacrifice of energy or spontaneity, soar far beyond anything heard during his tenure on American Idol.

This is an album that deserves to go right to the top of the charts, be played on radio stations everywhere, and reach as large and diverse an audience as possible. The appeal of its pop-jazz-soul fusion may be universal.

Four songs are particularly riveting: 'You Are The One,' 'I'm The Man,' 'Trainwreck,' and especially 'Free,' which is the kind of joyous, driving, and potentially liberating youth anthem the world hasn't heard in thirty years. When Elliott emotes on these tracks, the listener believes him--and believes in him--utterly.

Highly recommended.

:clap: love it, love the analysis of the AI stigma, love his lack of pretention, love his words about E!

Wow, Lex, what an uplifting review! Where on hell did you find it?

everyone needs to do this!!

It's on the front page at Amazon. I sent an e-mail to Amazon asking that they exchange one of the "Spotlight Reviews" with this one--preferably the 3 star review (since E is the only idol with a 3 star review in his spotlight section). I don't know how they pick the spotlight reviews, but I don't think I've read a better one. And, of course, I agree with it whole-heartedly!

Yes i saw it tooo and was deeply moved and wholeheartedly agreed :)

So this review that I love (full thing is posted above),

American Idol's Underdog Combatant Shares His Day In The Sun , March 28, 2007
Reviewer: J. E. Barnes (Bayridge, Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

has 25 of 39 helpful votes. I'd love to see this in the spotlight reviews section due both to its glowing praise of Elliott and its analysis of the AI phenomenon (for any potential Elliott fans with an AI stigma). I e-mailed Amazon and found out that they choose the spotlight reviews by number of votes, so we can get this one in there if we vote for it enough times.

The 3 star review in the spotlight section has 35 of 56 helpful votes, so it's not too far off.

Please, go vote for this review if you get a chance.

Thanks!