Summary:Produced by Max Martin and Shellback, the third full-length studio release for the pop singer features a guest appearance from Brian May and Tove Lo.
While there are a few missteps--Mr. Lambert doesn’t have the R&B sultriness required for “Underground,” and “Rumors” bizarrely cribs the jaunty synth pattern from Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop”--there are almost no extravagances. After years of spectacle, Mr. Lambert may have been saved by modesty.
Even when the lyrics verge on ridiculousness (on the Tove Lo-featuring "Rumors," Lambert denounces "haterade"), he's one of the biggest personalities in pop.
Adam Lambert has never been shy as a performer. His first 2 albums "For Your Entertainment" and "Trespassing" practically bled glitter rightAdam Lambert has never been shy as a performer. His first 2 albums "For Your Entertainment" and "Trespassing" practically bled glitter right out of the speakers. But he has come a long way since then. "For Your Entertainment" was catchy, but felt a bit calculated and all over the place - clearly rushed out to capitalize on the notoriety he'd gained from American Idol. "Trespassing" had a similar schizophrenic feel, where attempts to keep the variety going made a mess of things in the process, and lead to a less than perfect album.
On "The Original High" Lambert sounds more at home in his own skin as a pop singer than he has before. Pulling in Max Martin & Shellback to exec produce helps a great deal as the overall sound feels more cohesive front to back. This is apparent from the get-go, with the plaintive electric guitar that opens up "Ghost Town" that later bleeds into a full on synth-pop rave up that is pure un-cut Lambert glitz pouring out of the speakers. One could also argue that having spent the time he has singing with the surviving members of Queen, that some of their experience has rubbed off on him. Freddie Mercury was every bit as over the top as Lambert is - the difference was that when he and Queen were at the height of their powers, they knew how to channel that over the top energy into what became some of their biggest hits ever. Lambert has clearly picked up a few helpful hints from that playbook on this album. At times, it is simply a learned subtlety he was lacking on previous songs. Where Trespassing boasted the mawkish and too-forward "Underneath" - this time around, he offers up a confessional-but-not-really ballad in the form of "Things I Didn't Say." Speaking of Queen, Brian May shows up to add a welcome layer of crunch to the proceedings on "Lucy." It is for all intents and purposes a classic "girl gone bad" ballad, but having May along to sharpen things up keeps it from turning into just another producer-centric track that would otherwise be quite forgettable. This is another area where the album shines - Shellback & Max Martin are well known for the pop stars they have worked with before, but here they sound reinvigorated, not as if they are simply copying their past musical soundscapes and just layering Lambert's vocals on top. Whether that comes from Lambert pushing them with his own talent or just sheer dumb luck, it hardly matters when the end result is so well put together. This album also features an unexpected thing - the phrase "haterade" being used in a song and not sounding totally ridiculous (on the Tove Lo featuring "Rumors") And while "Evil In The Night" hails from much the same wheelhouse as "Ghost Town" - that doesn't make it any less catchy and addictive as a slice of pure pop heaven. On these songs, Lambert sounds more comfortable in his own skin than he has before. Between his more intuitive knowledge on how best to use his vocals - be they reserved or switched into skyscraping grandiosity + working with apt pop producers who are able to wrap those vocals in an appealing package, all the sweet spots are hit here with ease.
On The Original High, Lambert is still mining the same territory of love lost, love found, and all the pitfalls and joyous moments in between, but this time he is filtering it with just the right amount of restraint to filter out any mawkishness or awkward moments. It just flat out works, beginning to end.…Expand
This is a great album, very cohesive. Adam Lambert's vocal ability is beyond amazing, in this album he proves that he can do R&B, Deep House,This is a great album, very cohesive. Adam Lambert's vocal ability is beyond amazing, in this album he proves that he can do R&B, Deep House, Rock, folk and anything else. The falsetto in the title track is to die for.…Expand
From to the multi-platinium hit Ghost Town and it's 'little brother' Another Lonely Night to the three b-tracks After Hours, Shame and TheseFrom to the multi-platinium hit Ghost Town and it's 'little brother' Another Lonely Night to the three b-tracks After Hours, Shame and These Boys, this album goes exactly like a big box of your favorite candy.you got all for yourself. It's uplifting, dance-friendly and full of real emotion. It's not hard to see that Adam is super passionate about the album and his listeners. It added up, 10/10. You go, Adam!…Expand
Good job, Adam ! Heavy Fire, The Original High and Ghost Town ♥Good job, Adam ! Heavy Fire, The Original High and Ghost Town ♥ Arrasooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooou…Expand
When the last Adam Lambert record, Trespassing, was released, I would have counted Adam among those artists. I did listen with an open mindWhen the last Adam Lambert record, Trespassing, was released, I would have counted Adam among those artists. I did listen with an open mind though and was blown away by the record. I ended up becoming somewhat of a fan. I, in no way, would call myself a Glambert, but I do have a much better respect for his music than before.
With that said, Adam is ready to release his new record, The Original High. I find myself once again sitting here listening with an open mind wondering if he will be able to top the last record. Let’s take a musical journey through this record, song by song.
1) Ghost Town: this was the first song released. Upon first hearing it, I absolutely LOVED the opening but HATED the sort of techno style breakdown in the chorus. Upon a few more listens though, it sort of grew on me and I don’t hate it now. Not the direction I would have went, but I can respect it for what it is. The lyrics are great though and Adam’s voice is in fine form.
2) The Original High: The title track. This song immediately grabs you with a sort of funky, electro-rock vibe wrapped in an almost Disco style bounce. Great vocal delivery here that is catchy as hell. The beat really wins for me though. This is infectious.
3) Another Lonely Night: The first of the slower tunes. Restrained vocals to open that launch into a nice subtle beat. The song moves along nicely and is pretty catchy, as well. This would make a great late night cruising tune.
4) Underground: A slower jam that really grabs with a fine vocal performance. A bit more laid back but still very emotional in depth. I dig the more laid back style of this one.
5) There I Said It: wow! What a hammer of a tune! My favorite so far. The emotional depth of his voice and lyrics on this is off the freaking scales! Same kind of impact that Runnin’ had from the last record. This is the kind of song that future singers will be singing in auditions. Worth the price of the record alone.
6) Rumors: This song features the first of two features on the record. This one features Tove Lo singing along side Adam. This is a fun song that is a middle finger to the haters that spread rumors. Their voices work perfectly together and Adam really lets it fly here without sounding all gospel-ish. A great song that I can see getting airplay on R & B radio.
7) Evil In The Night: This tune is another with winner written all over it. An almost Mark Ronson style funky jam with some monster Adam vocals laid over it. The chorus of this one just works as well. I’d love to see a remix of this one featuring Adam and Bruno Mars.
8) Lucy: The second of the feature songs, this one with Brian May of Queen. I dig this, it has an almost Dirt Diana sort of thing going on without copying it in any way. Some pretty big vocals here as well. Brian turns in a big, fat guitar solo as well that puts the song on that next level. A great change of pace for the record.
9) Things I Didn’t Say: A nice electro rocker that comes across as kind of bland in comparison to the earlier songs. Not a bad song, mind you. I’m sure some people will like it, just doesn’t have that same impact the other songs have had so far.
10) The Light: A decent dance style tune that should get people on the floor to dance. Has a good beat and good vocals.
11) Heavy Fire: A good song to end the record on. Nice restrained style vocals with a heavy beat to drive the song home. It has a great fade out as well.
So, what are my finals thoughts?
This is Adam doing what Adam does. The vocals are all over the place but NOT in a bad way. He uses his range and experience to really take you on a roller coaster ride through these songs. He hits all the emotional checkpoints along the way to really make you feel what you’re listening to.
After such a monumental last record, I wasn’t sure he could top it. I think in a lot of ways, he might not of…but again, not in a bad way. This one doesn’t have quite the ‘instant’ feel that the last one had. This one has a bit more depth, both lyrically and musically. It has a monster mix to it that really is great. It sounds like a million bucks on surround sound speakers while having some beautiful, crisp highs and lows in the mix.
I also feel that this one has plenty of room to grow as well. While there’s a couple of the songs toward the end that didn’t blow me away, they weren’t bad songs either. Maybe they’ll grow on me like the first one did. I do know that the trio of the Title track, There I Said It, and Rumors are worth the price alone that you’ll spend on this. All three should be smash hits for Adam and deservedly so.
So, final score. Let’s give this one a 9 out of 10. Things I Didn’t Say and The Light didn’t blow me away but the early songs MORE than make up for that. The mix is crystal clear and sounds really big. Great length for your money without being overly long. This should go a long way to making Adam an even bigger star than he already is.…Expand
Considering Adam Lambert is possibly the best male vocalist of the last decade, I have high standards for his work. The taste he has in hisConsidering Adam Lambert is possibly the best male vocalist of the last decade, I have high standards for his work. The taste he has in his own music creation just doesnt do his own talent justice. The Original High is a downgrade compared to the first two albums. Not one song on the album will have life for longer than a year. I just heard the song "what do you want from me" on the radio a couple of weeks ago. No chance any songs off the Original High album will have that sort of life which is a shame. With Adam's vocal ability, he could easily own a song that lasts a decade if he didnt insist on campy dance beats where they done belong (title track), and creative freedom. Adam and his fans would scoff at this notion, but Adam Lambert is simply an incredibly talented and versatile vocalist, but a horrible musician. His studio covers from American Idol outdo any of his original songs by miles. If he really wanted to make a game changing album, he would have to surrender all creative freedom, hence why his first album is his best so far.…Expand
