American Idol Greatest Moments Reviews

• American Idol: The Hits...well, sort of

  
  By A219QTOT3I2129 on 2002-10-19
  Honestly when I bought this cd I didn't expect too much from the Idols...just the same old songs. They proved me both right and wrong.

  Kelly Clarkson's "Natural Woman" and "RESPECT"~ She's a powerhouse, and it's very obvious why she won. These songs sound fantastic.

  Justin Guarini's "For Once in My Life" and "Get Here" I was impressed with the first song, but the last song really threw me. It sounds very different than previous live performances. Not bad, but just different.

  Nikki McKibbin's "Piece of My Heart" Nikki has never been a good live performer vocally, but this recording was very decent.

  Tamara Gray's "House is Not a Home" I was never a big Tamara fan, but I have to admit, she sounds phenomenol. She'll be the next big R&B "it" girl.

  RJ Helton's "Lately" RJ, with not the best vocal talent but otherwise sweet voice, remakes this Stevie song soundly.

  Christina Christian's "Ain't No Sunshine" I fell in love with song the moment I heard it. Christina never impressed me before, but this song fits her well.

  Ryan Starr's "If You Really Love Me" Ryan did a decent job on the song, but her voice is too rough for the recording.

  A.J. Gil's "My Cherie Amour" I disliked AJ from the get go. His voice was cheesy, but this song suits him well, I was rather pleased with the outcome.

  EJ Day's "I'll Be" The song did nothing for his vocal range. He should have done "Unchained Melody" but it was great nonetheless. He has the best male voice of the group.

  Jim Verraros "Easy" This song was fine, for Jim. Actually good, for Jim. But again, it was lacking compared to the others.

  California Dreamin': Good group song, but blending was poor. These kids just cannot sing together.

  "A Moment Like This"~ Great song, great singer. Great message. Nuff Said. Unfortunately this will die out hard as all cheesy songs do.

  "Before Your Love" I prefer this one over "Moment". Miss Clarkson really shines.

  All in all, this album has good variety and talent. If you're looking for recording quality, you will want to pass this by. It's crude, but not quite karaoke. However, if you're looking for sweet tunes by kids you've watched all summer: look no further!
  
  

• Great New Takes on Old Classics

  
  By A2ASEBCEN9ZWTZ on 2003-07-15
  "American Idol Greatest Moments" showcases the talents of 10 Finalists of Fox's American Idol's first season. Each of the showcased 10 finalists performs their signature song (as determined both by the judges as well as the fans) from the competition) winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini are featured on two tracks) and there is one group number. It should be noted that these songs were re-recorded in the studio and are not live versions as heard from the show.

  Below are the 15 featured songs with my comments on the side:

  THE TRACKS

  1. "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" - Kelly Clarkson: Kelly's powerful voice and awesome rendition of this classic prove without a doubt that she owned the competition..

  2. "Respect" - by Kelly Clarkson: And she does it again..

  3. "For Once In My Life" - by Justin Guarini: Not really my cup of tea, but an alright track.

  4. "Gere Here" - by Justin Guarini: Justin's acclaimed rendition of the Oleta Adam's classic. Awesome track.

  5. "Piece of My Heart" - by Nikki McKibbin: Awesome rock vibe by A.I.s bad girl.

  6. "A House Is Not A Home" - by Tamyra Gray: Awesome, sultry rendition of the Bacharach classic. Tamyra shows and proves why many felt she was eliminated too early from the contest.

  7. "Lately" - by RJ Helton: Awesome rendition of the Stevie Wonder and Jodeci classic.

  8. "Ain't No Sunshine" - by Christina Christian: Again, not my cup of tea but a nice groove to this tune.

  9. "If You Really Love Me" - by Ryan Starr: Not really my type of song, but this has a neat rock beat to it.

  10. "My Cherie Amour" - by AJ Gill: He didn't last too long, but AJ does a nice job with this Stevie Wonder classic.

  11. "I'll Be" - by Ejay Day: He didn't last long either, but he does a nice job here with this song. Real mellow tune. A nice song overall.

  12. "Easy" - by Jim Verraros: Another early elimination, but Jim does a solid job with this Lionel Richie classic.

  13. "California Dreamin'" - The Top Ten Finalists: As seen on the show, the Finalists cut an awesome remake of the classic Mama's and Papa's hit.

  14. "A Moment Like This" - by Kelly Clarkson: Kelly's debut release and #1 hit. Not quite as emotional as her performance from the show, but a solid track.

  15. "Before Your Love" - by Kelly Clarkson: Kelly's other single release, an equally powerful performance.

  THE VERDICT:

  Overall you get a SOLID mixed bag of tracks. Most of the tracks are winners with a few so-so's. In sum you're getting a great collection of American classics.

  Following my policy for purchasing CDs, there's at least 10 great tracks on here so that makes this CD a definite keeper.

  If you were a fan of the show you'll definitely want to get this CD. Even if you aren't an A.I. fan you'll definitely dig these new takes on some old classics.

  Highest Recommendation
  
  

• Very Nice

  
  By A3BFT9V5BP5OL on 2002-10-27
  I have always been a huge fan of American Idol, and was very thrilled to have them release a CD with studio versions of their "best" songs. The song selection is kind of weird, because for some of them, I thought they sang other songs better.

  1. "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" by Kelly Clarkson: Awesome, she sounds great and she's always been my favorite. This song started her popularity. 5/5

  2. "Respect" by Kelly Clarkson: OK, this song was performed quite a few times on the show, she sounds great, and it sounds like she's having fun with the song. The sad part is it is a little over 2 minutes long, so short! 5/5

  3. "For Once In My Life" by Justin Guarini: He sounds really good here and I really, really like this track. I didn't really like Justin but once I heard this, he is pretty cool in my book. 5/5

  4. "Get Here" by Justin Guarini: I am sorry but this song bores me to death. It has nice singing but its so long and its frankly very boring. 2/5

  5. "Piece of My Heart" by Nikki McKibbin: Apparently, when she sang this, she wasn't voted into the bottom three. I don't remember, but yeah, it's nice, rock is not my kind of music, but it's nice to listen to once in a while. 3/5

  6. "A House Is Not A Home" by Tamyra Gray: Very good voice. I remember when she performed this, Paula cried and Simon told her it was like Whitney Houston. There's a lot of emotion in this song. 5/5

  7. "Lately" by RJ Helton: He sounds good, but the song bores me. The first few times I loved it, but it's really getting old. He's very talented though. 4/5

  8. "Ain't No Sunshine" by Christina Christian: I find myself skipping this song. I never thought Christina was that great, but she has a nice voice. Unfortunaely, that freaking vibrato got to her... ahhh I remember when she sang "When a Man Loves a Woman" it nearly killed me! Anyways... I'll give this a 3/5

  9. "If You Really Love Me" by Ryan Starr: Or Tiffany Montgomery, if you're her mom. She sounds really upbeat and into it. Though she stills wears those horrible ripped up outfits, she is a good singer. 4/5

  10. "My Cherie Amour" by A.J. Gil: Ah, the lil' boy bander. He is a real cutie and he was only seventeen on the show. he had a very nice voice for a 17 year old. He sounds like a little boy on this song, and it's so cute! But, when he goes "La la la la" it sounds really weird and... I don't know. 4/5

  11. "I'll Be" by Ejay Day: His face scares me, and I didn't remember him, or I didn't see the one episode he was on or something. I am not feeling this at all, he sounds like a girl and he sounds very disconnected to the song. People think he sings really great, but he sounds like a girl. 2/5

  12. "Easy" by Jim Verraros: I remember him in the top 30 and his glasses and his funny little faces when he sang. Umm, well, I have found myself skipping this...... 2/5

  13. "California Dreamin'" by all of them: Nice, they sound like they're having fun. I remember when they sang this in front of the campfire... hahaha what will they think of next 5/5

  14. "A Moment Like This" by Kelly Clarkson: Lookee here, a "bonus track" you can buy on a [money] CD! Well yeah, it's a good song, questioning lyrics (is it about a boy or the show?)but hey Kelly can make any song good. 5/5

  15. "Before Your Love" by Kelly Clarkson: pretty much same as above. Luckily, the lyrics are clear here, and they're sweet. 5/5

  Go boy it if you're a big fan of American Idol. It's a good CD.
  
  

• Reminding us all why Kelly was chosen.

  
  By AV3PA7P5P3G4Q on 2002-10-02
  American Idol introduced the world to some of the hottest young talents in years and the compilation cd is a perfect companion for anyone who loved the show.
  1.Natural Woman-Kelly-The reason she won this competition is right here. Her voice, her energy, and he power all shine through. Taking Arethas classic and making it her own, and when she kits that one note, "I Feel so Alive", is thrilling.10/10
  2.Respect-Kelly-once again, Kellys shows off her amazing vocals. So beautiful, powerful, and effortless.10/10
  3.For Once in My Life-Justin-one of Justins best performances. Shows off his charisma and nice voice.9/10
  4.Get Here-Justin-the reason why Justin got so far as he did. Proving he is an amazing talent with a very strong, lovely voice.10/10
  5.Piece of My Heart-Nikki-a great song for Nikki, and while I wan not the biggest fan of hers, I think she sounds great on this song.8/10
  6.A House is Not a Home-Tamyra-Incredible voice that was by far the one of the best performaces of the competition. One of the standouts on the album, and we all know Tamyra will be a star.10/10
  7.Lately-RJ-a nice song for him. His voice sounds great.8/10
  8.Ain't No Sunshine-Christinas best performance. She sounds beautiful. 9/10
  9.If You Reall Love Me-Ryan-Not the best song for her but she sounds great, and the production is a bit cheesy on this one. Sounds like we would hear this one in an elevator.7/10
  10.My Cherie Amour-AJ-I never likes AJ or his voice, and I disliked this song by him. I thought he could have done a better song for this compilation. 6/10
  11.I'll Be-Ejay-Great Voice and great song but he tries way to hard to show off, and his high tenor voice does not fit for a rock ballad. He should have done an R&B song. 6/10
  12.Easy-Jim-nice song and Jim has a nice voice but its a bit boring and the production on it is cheesy. He sould ahve done When I Fall in Love-7/10
  13.California Dreamin-All-They sound great together, and a nice bonus to have on the Cd-9/10

  Of course A Moment Like This and Before Your Love is included, reminding us why Kelly was the winner. Her voice is stunning and make these bland ballads sound incredible.
  Overall a great collection with some fantastic performances and some with bad production and a few reminders why certain contestants were voted off.
  
  

• Essential for fans of the show

  
  By A3QZCA4LTTVGAD on 2002-10-05
  "American Idol: Greatest Moments" is the companion CD to the talent show TV program that ran in 2002. The CD has 15 tracks: four performances by contest winner Kelly Clarkson (including her performances of the original songs "A Moment Like This" and "Before Your Love"), 2 perfs by runner-up Justin Guarini, one solo apiece from each of the rest of the top ten contestants, and one group performance of "California Dreamin'."

  It's interesting to hear these vocal performances stripped of some of the other elements that made the TV show so memorable (and occasionally annoying): the hosts' silly banter, the judges' comments, and the shamelessly manipulative psychodrama. And most of these vocal performances are really great. Justin Guarini shows that his voice can stand alone without his oft-commented upon mop of hair. Similarly, Nikki McKibbin's full-bodied rendition of "Piece of My Heart" triumphs without the show's visual trappings. But the best performance on the disc is given by Tamyra Gray; "A House Is Not a Home" really shows off her rich, powerful voice. Bring on the solo album, Tamyra! And it's fun to try to identify each contestant during the brief solo parts on "California Dreamin'." If you loved the TV show, don't miss the CD.
  
  

• Burning up my CD player.. American Idol's Greatest Hits
  By on 2003-01-26
  ...The people on this CD went threw hell to get as far as they did, so wether you like them or not, you have to give credit where credit is due.

  1. Natural Woman-Kelly Clarkson- Her live performance rocked the house and the cd track was no exception. Let's face it the girl can blow! The only disapointment was I really wanted to hear the Mariah Carey high note on the cd (like she did on the show) but they toned it down a bit.

  2. Respect-Kelly Clarkson- again, awesome job but I feel that her live performance of this song is way better than the cd song.

  3.For Once in My Life-Justin Guarini-I think he is a great live performer. He has excellent stage presence and he is totally at home on stage, the cd makes him sound so much better than his live performances. He did a great job on this song.

  4.Get Here-Justin Guarini- Always loved it when he performed this song and the cd version is great. He sounds completly professional,again great job.

  5. Piece of my Heart- Nikki McKibbin-not a big Nikki fan. I feel to appreciate her voice you'd have to catch her singing in the shower. Did not like the song, a little to rough sounding for me but out of everyone on the show, no one handled Simon's critisicm better than she did. She did her thing, and I respect that, just have never really liked her voice.

  6. A house is not a home- Tamayra Gray- this chick is going places. She ripped this song up and made it her own. I think that America screwed up when they voted her off but hey that is the way it goes, nontheless she performed this song beautifully!

  7. Lately-R.J. Helton- what a cutie!! I always liked him. The song on the cd wasn't the best, but his voice is real pure and he never has to strain to hit the notes.

  8. Ain't no Sunshine-Christina Christian- By far my favorite song on the entire album. She has such a unique voice and her live performance of this song was great. She sounds great and I look for her to land a record deal anyday.

  9. If you really love me-Ryan Starr- hated it.To me it sounds like she alters her voice into something it's really not. She slurs on the word "clearly" in the middle of the song and it sounds like she has a bull in her throat, I just wish that she would sing her age.

  10.My Chere Amor-A.J. Gill-I'm sure he has a heart of Gold but it's a little to "Backstreet" for me. Wasn't crazy about this song or his singing.

  11.I'll Be- E.J. Day- What was America thinking when they voted off E.J.? He was by far the best male singer of the group. He rocked this song and I like it better than the original. He was underestimated and I think that if he would have gotten past the first week, he would have been the one standing next to Kelly at the end.

  12. Easy-Jim Veraross- Simon was right when he said Jim was out of his league- His top ten spot definitly could have gone to someone else. He just doesn't have the range like the others and although he sounds okay on the cd, it just didn't do much for me.

  13. California Dreaming-Group- Would have rather heard "Joy to the World" but I liked the harmonies and I think that they sing good together, very impressed by the song.

  14. A Moment Like This-Kelly Clarkson- this song was made for her. Her range and tone is unbelivable and this song gives me goose bumps.

  15. Before your Love-Kelly Clarkson- this girl could sing the back of a Corn Flakes Box and it would probably make it to number 1. I like this song even better than "A Moment Like This" and I am so glad that America voted her as the American Idol.
  
  

• Calling all "AI" fans....Youve got to buy this CD!!!!
  By A3O6DEENEOJDF1 on 2002-10-01
  If your enjoyed watching the performances on "American Idol" each week, you need to buy this CD. I just purchased a copy and I'm so happy with the results. To be honest, I really only purchased the CD to hear Tamyra Grays version of "A House Is Not A Home",(which happens to be awesome). After listening to all of the songs, the standouts to me are "Get Here" by Justin Guarini, "I'll Be" by Ejay Day, and "Aint No Sunshine" from Christina Christian, and "Lately" by R.J. Of course all of Kelly Clarksons songs are good, that goes without saying. There's only one or two songs on this CD that I'd skip over, the rest of the CD is great! You will NOT be disappointed. This CD is definitely worth adding to your collection. My only complaint would be that there weren't more songs on it!
  
  
• "Get Here" is heartbreakingly gorgeous
  By ABFZ6F7D732GF on 2002-10-05
  I bought this CD expecting a lot from some performers, and very little from others. Oddly enough, even the less talented performers sounded pretty good.
  Natural Woman - This was one of my favorite Kelly performances from the show. Thank goodness she spared us that high note.
  RESPECT - Very loud and sounds like a lot of yelling. Never liked this song from her.
  For Once in My Life - Starts out subdued, but it really picks up. It sounds great.
  Get Here - By far the best track on the CD. Justin's voice does wonders with simple, beautiful and melodic songs.
  Piece of My Heart - Very impressed with Nikki here. She's definitely got an edge to her voice that works great with songs like this.
  A House is Not a Home - Didn't have as much emotion as the live version on AI, but I don't think Tamyra is capable of singing badly.
  Lately - Great job by RJ. He has a very pure voice.
  Ain't No Sunshine - Good job, but I've never really liked Christina's voice. It sounds very thin compared to the other girls.
  If You Really Love Me - With the right song, Ryan's voice sounds amazing. Unfortunately, this is not the right song. She just sounds okay.
  My Cherie Amour - AJ has the same problem as Christina. Very thing voice, but sings okay.
  I'll Be - Ejay needs to learn how to use his range. He completely oversings all his songs.
  Easy - Jim can't hold a candle to the other guys on the show, but he did a good job compared to his live performances.
  California Dreamin' - Seemed a little out of place on the CD. The kids did okay with it.

  Kelly's singles - These songs are cheesy..., but her voice sounds good. If Kelly wants to have a long-term career, she should never record anything like these songs ever again.
  
  

• For American Idol fans only?
  By A17LMFTH3UJPZH on 2002-10-11
  If you are an American Idol fan, this is the CD you've been waiting for!!!

  If you did not watch the show, you will probably wonder about a few of the songs; but there is some breakthrough talent here worth listening too!

  Okay, this time I'm only judging the voice - no clothes, no stage presence, no makeup - just the quality, sound, and emotion of the vocals.

  Best Male Vocal: EJay Day - Somebody give this guy a contract!!!
  Runner Up: A.J. Gil - He's so young, he can only get better.

  Best Female Vocal: Kelly Clarkson - I was at the finale and it was wonderful to see her win in person :)
  Runner Up: Christina Christian - My personal choice for the American Idol after the first audition.

  Most Heartfelt Song: Lately by RJ Helton - This one is really growing on me!

  Biggest Surprise: Jim Verraros was holding back! Listen at the end of Easy...
  Second Biggest Surprise: Nikki McKibbin sounds great! For some reason, I didn't care for her vocals during the show.

  Sorry to say, but I usually skip over Justin, Tamyra, and Ryan Starr; I guess I just don't care for the songs.

  Buy your own American Idol Greatest Moments and judge for yourself!!
  
  

• Pathetic excuse for what America calls "music"
  By A3JAND8VB19AW0 on 2002-11-24
  Okay, let me start off by saying this album does not even deserve the one star I gave it! This has got to be one of the absolute worst albums to ever go on sale. All it took was one episode,and I was completely nauseated. These are people trying to pass themselves off as artists,though they really don't understand the word art.These are people putting out pathetically cheesy albums,making money off other people who are completly, totally ignorant to what music really is,maybe even because they never really listen to real music. These are not people with raw talent. A dying whale could sing better than half the people on the show.Once again a utterly stupid manufactured pop song, that was was sung by another Mariah Carey wannabe with a "pretty" face will sell over raw talent.If you want to hear music by a beautiful woman who actually has talent,buy one of Courtney Love's albums. I mean really, is this what America calls "Music"?
  
  
• Completely worth it!
  By A1SNGZ1ZAJWOGI on 2003-03-05
  This cd is definitely worth the money if you like listening/singing to good music. Ejay Day's "I'll Be" is by far the best song on the cd. He has a wonderful voice and performs the song very well. Kelly Clarkson's "Natural Woman" is also one of the better songs. She does and great job on this as well as the other songs. Christina Christian's "Ain't No Sunshine" shows her great vocal range and is quite enjoyable. However, I was disappointed in RJ's song choice because I believe he could have done much better. I find myself skipping this one. I also find myself skipping over both of Justin Gaurini's songs, because honestly I've heard them both too many times. Nothing special there. Although there are a few disappointing songs, I would highly recommend "American Idol Greatest Moments".
  
  
• Fantastic Talent
  By A1X73UKO4S8EPV on 2002-10-15
  Okay first of all most of the people on this cd have an incredible ability and talent. You'll find out who I don't like later. The thing that dissapoints me as that the cd moves very slow. In fact there are really only two songs that actually move with any kind of pace. Kelly's RESPECT and Nikki's Piece of my Heart are the only two, Ryan Star makes an attempt but the song is just not good, I don't take any pleasure in listening to it. Also take a look at the cover, there is one person who thinks that they are sexy, strong and the perfect American Idol, yet he never smiles...EVER. He is the one who should NOT have made it to the 10 finalists. Okay let's break it down song by song:

  Natural Woman-Kelly Clarkson. Wow, there is a reason why Kelly won the American Idol. I would have liked, however, to see her rendition of Without You. But oh well.

  RESPECT-Kelly Clarkson. She demanded respect and got it. This song would be so hard to sing and not make it sound like a karoke of Aretha Franklin, but Kelly pulls it off.

  For once in my life- Justin Guarini. Justin shows why he got second with this song. Great but not outstanding

  Get Here-Justin Guarini. Justin, Justin, Justin. This is his trademark song. He duplicated the performance several times during the competition. Why didn't it sound this good?

  Piece of my Heart-Nikki McKibbin. Okay this sounds exactly like the original. Unfortunatley Nikki has the kind of voice that sounds like the songs that fit her.

  A house is not a home-Tamyra Gray. Wonderful talent and this song shows it. Unfortunatley this is also the beginning of the end for the album. Why not pick one of those songs that everybody loved.

  Lately-RJ Helton. The pace picks up ever so slightly but beware, good song but why are they picking such slow ones?

  Ain't no sunshine-Christina Christian. The only reason that I like this pick is because it's such a different song than the rest. Still awfully slow.

  If you really love me (you'll stop singing this song)-Ryan Starr. Please stop!

  My Cherie Amor-AJ Gill. Okay song. A pretty accurate rendition of the orginal, the main difference is in the quality of voice. Is it just me or does AJ sound like a little boy?

  I'll Be-Ejay Day. This guy has got incredible range, and unfortunatley it doesn't show too much in this song. I think I would like his songs if he didn't play around so much with his voice.

  Easy-Jim Verraros-You should not have been in the top 10 sorry, that's the truth. This song has the potential for greatness. But if it's easy like a sunday morning, why are you scowling all the time. Get off my album!

  California Dreamin- THE GROUP. It's okay.

  A moment like this-Kelly Clarkson. This is THE song. Kelly performs it wonderfully and makes her case as a future diva. I would have liked to put the performance that she did after she won american idol. That was incredible

  Before your love-Kelly Clarkson. Very good song, I really love hearing Kelly's voice float across the speakers. If she really wants to make a name for herself she needs to learn and begin to write her own songs.

  Overall a wonderful album. It slows down in the middle but those who enjoy truly fantastic vocal quality and control will still listen and enjoy it. If I could go back I would still buy the cd.
  
  

• Truly [bad]
  By on 2002-10-17
  Just how this silly dreck has managed to beguile millions is one of the mysteries of our time. A small contribution to the decline and fall of western civilization.
  
  
• Soundtrack For The Worst Reality Show Of The Summer.
  By A3HS7T5E9EVPRA on 2002-11-10
  Am I probably one of the few people who think that this record is contributing to music's decline.Seriously,what is so great about this CD.All this CD is are cover versions of songs that were not even good to begin with.[...]Absolutely no one on this record has any talent at all.[...]Trust me people,this is manufactured pop,not music as some may call it.Please do not buy this CD,because all you are going to do nothing more than put money in the pockets of the greedy producers of this show.Please save your money.Hope this review was of help.

  Peace Out.
  
  

• A few highly skippable tracks, but very enjoyable
  By on 2002-11-20
  First, I'll get my biases out of the way-I only started watching the show the week RJ was elimnated, so I have no real feeling about the earlier contestants. After hearing them on the CD, except for Christina, don't think I missed a thing. And Tamyra should have WON-Kelly's fantastic, but Tamyra was just a little better. Justin is a competent singer, and no more than that. If he could find an image and niche like Jimmy Buffett, a way to differentiate his singing from the Backstreet Boys & N' Sync's, he might have a good career. Nikki got way too much criticism because she went further than she deserved. Nikki will make a terrific lead singer for a rock band-her problem is she never demonstrated she could do anything else. Every time she really excelled, she sang rock and roll. She didn't deserve third place when everyone else demonstrated a wide range of styles.

  That said, the tracks:

  1. Natural Woman, Kelly-Good, solid rendition of the song. Not as hard as Aretha's, not as much feeling as Carole King. A great job of making the song Kelly's. Blech, I sound like Randy Jackson. 4 stars.

  2. RESPECT, Kelly-Oh, yeah. I challenge any Idol fan to listen to this one and keep from jumping out of your chair and singing along with Kelly. 5 stars.

  3. For Once in My Life-Justin does a good job here, injecting some feeling into this Muzak-type song. Not the best or worst track on the CD. I listen to this track, but am not compelled the hit the repeat button, like I am on Kelly & Tamyra's. 4 stars

  4. Get Here-Again, Justin does a good job, but doesn't make me want to play this track again and again. Nice job on the ending, though. 4 stars.

  5. Piece of My Heart-Nikki Here, as always, when it comes down to who can rock & roll, Nikki delivers the goods in spades. Fantastic track that adds a nice bit of edge to the CD, and keeps it from being too much pop ballad. 5 stars.

  6. House Is Not A Home-Tamyra. The single best performance of the entire show. Normally, I hate Burt Bachrach tunes-they are schmaltzy, syrupy junk. But this is the perfect marriage of song and singer-its almost like he wrote this FOR Tamyra. She knocks it out of the park, taking your heart with her. 5+ stars.

  7. Lately-RJ I must admit it, RJ sounds good. Hate to be catty, but I remember his voice on the show and I hear his voice here, and they are not the same. Either he found a great vocal coach, or they did some electronic tweaking in the studio. 3 stars.

  8. Ain't No Sunshine-Christina. This track makes me wish I had been watching when Christina was on. She does a great job belting this out-but I agree with everyone else, the "I know's" are annoying. Still, that's the song, not the singer. 4 stars.

  9. If You Really Love Me-Ryan Totally average, and nothing more. 3 stars.

  10. My Cherie Amour-AJ Listening to Christina's track makes me wish I had tuned in to the show earlier. Listening to this makes me glad I didn't. Can't hit the fast forward button fast enough. 1 star.

  11. I'll Be-Ejay ARGH, ARGH, ARGH! I hated the original song, and this is ten times worse! He sings in a weak falsetto, with the result that he sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard. Take an already annoying song, and add a really annoying singer. Nice work, guys. No stars.

  12. Easy-Jim Another totally average, pleasant, but forgettable perfomance. 2 stars.

  13 California Dreamin'-Ensemble. OK, we are back in business. The gang does great on this, even though the girls wipe the floor with the boys. Much like the original Mamas and the Papas. LOL. 5 stars.

  14 & 15. Moment Like This/Before Your Love-Kelly. Let's face it-these songs are pure formula. Without an extroadinary voice behind them, they would be forgotten already. Fortunately, Idol had several extroadinary voices, and Kelly sings the hell out of mediocre material. That's the mark of a truly great artist-they can take poor material and make it sound like the 9th symphony. 2 stars for the songs, 5+ stars for Kelly.

  And to close it off, totally agree with the person who said they could have made this better by making it a double disc set.
  
  

• Sad...
  By A29V1MP4PX5ABN on 2005-04-05
  It's sad that people can get a record deal for beinga good kareoke singer. Yeah, maybe my fish can get a record deal: They "sing" in tone, can breath, but refue to lip-synch(I know it sounds gay). This is just sad because bands that PLAY THEIR OWN INSTRUMENTS, WRITE THEIR OWN SONGS, and PERFORM THEIR OWN SONGS can pretty much get almost no attention. Let's take the band King's X: Doug Pinnick (vocals/bass) is an amazing metal singer who can sing in perfect pitch and writes good lyrics about God (King's X is a Christian band); Ty Tabor (guitar/vocals) has some of the bestguitar solos you probably don't know; and Jerry Gaskill (drums/vocals) has some pretty complicated rhythm patterns...yet only like a few dozen people (I know a lot more people than that like KX; I'm just exagerating) seem to like this band. It's sad. If you want good music, listen to the band I just menioned (King's X if you weren't paying attention).
  (If amazon doesn't post this I will SERIOUSLY get POed!)
  
  
• Better than I thought - suprisingly good performances
  By A3887KY7TWNVF on 2003-01-04
  As a close follower of the show, I was very familiar with all the singers on this disc. I have to admit, after watching the show I was only impressed with Kelly, Justin, and Christina. Therefore, I didn't purchase the CD as it had songs the abysmal A.J., Ejay, Jim, and Ryan, as well as the rest of the cast.
  It wasn't until I borrowed this CD from the local library that my eyes, or in this case, ears, were opened. My favorite song on the collection is "Lately" by RJ, a singer I couldn't stand on the show. He shows tremendous command and range on this track. Christina's rendition of "Ain't No Sunshine" is clearly the other showstopper on here. On top of both these tracks are four songs by future star Kelly and a beautiful "Get Here" by runner-up Justin.
  That's not to say the collection is all perfect. Nicki's song is just okay, Tamyra's turn is ruined simply by choosing the wrong song, Ejay's rendition of I'll Be simply can't compare to Edwin McCain's original and Jim's song is just boring.
  For non-fans, I just simply wouldn't advise you to buy this, you'd be better off listening to the originals of these songs. All in all, however, for fans of the show, this is a fun collection to get, it's better than you think.
  
  
• If they just would have taken more time...
  By A2ZFH112TILBM1 on 2003-01-23
  Don't get me wrong! I am a huge beyond huge fan of the show. And I was so excited to hear that a DVD and CD were being made. I heard from a few others that the recording was in poor quality but I passed that off because I really wanted to hear it. After purchasing it and listening to it all the way through about five times, I too figured out that the recording ... and they should have taken a lot more time to make a decent record. But here is my take on the songs.

  Kelly Clarkson - "Natural Woman" was definately one of her best moments. I fell in love with the live version but was disappointed on how it sounded on recording. "Respect" is also a great song and it showed the world who Kelly was. I don't think it was one of her greatest moments. (My choice: Without You)
  "Before Your Love/A Moment Like This" - Two great pop songs that will definately get Kelly started on her road to superstardom.

  Justin Guarini - I was rooting for him from the beginning. "Get Here" was a very sentimental song that made him sound incredible. I didn't care much for the live version of "For Once In My Life" and the recording was okay. (I would have chosen "Lets Stay Together".)

  Nikki McKibbin - I always loved the girls with a non-cliche style. I really did not like the live version of "Piece of my Heart". The recording was shockingly awesome. (I think her best moment was either "Mary Jane" or "I'm the Only One".)

  Tamyra Gray - "A House is Not a Home" was definately her defining moment. I think the live version was better but the recording was still really good.

  RJ Helton - Unfortunately, "Lately" was his greatest moment when he was picked as the wild card. He just went down hill from there. The recording sounded great.

  Christina Christian - She was the person I was rooting for to be kicked off. She was just not good enough. But "Ain't No Sunshine" was her greatest LIVE moment. She sounds way too breathy on the recording.

  Ryan Starr - "If You Really Love Me" - This was her best song and I thought she would get higher than she did after that first week. Her recording of it really shows off her awesome voice.

  AJ Gil - I really despise this guys voice. Sounds like a dying cat, right? And I hated the song but I can't remember any of the other ones that he sang. THe only credit I give him was that he sounded decent on his recording of "My Cherie Amour".

  EJay Day - Oh my goodness, I get goosebumps every time I hear his recording of "I'll Be". He had the best male voice of the top ten and I am still peeved that he was the first to be voted off. Where is his record deal, huh???

  Jim Verraros - Unfortunately for him, live singing was not his strong point. He has a great voice and this recording of "Easy" really showed it.

  California Dreamin' - Okay, I love the song but i didn't liked how it sounded with the top ten singing it on recording. (I would have made them record "That's What Friends Are For" or at least "Joy to the World". That song was NOT their greatest group moment.)

  I hope I shed some insight to the people who were thinking about buying this cd. I personally love it and maybe you can at least appreciate it too!
  
  

• WHY DO I FEEL LIKE THE ONLY HUMAN BEING...
  By on 2003-06-06
  Why do I feel like the only human being who does not care about American Idol? I see week after week after week of high ratings and seeing my favorite shows getting trounced by this by-product music show.
  What ever happened to struggling to get noticed. Nowadays, if you think you have talent someone will book you on a show and you could get a contract or wind up with egg on your face.
  This indeed could be a gread cd, but I don't care. These people may be talented but why not just go out and try. Why do these potental "superstars" need a show to been critiqued by, of all people not to select, Paula Abdul.
  No one struggles anymore. Everyone seems to take the path of least resistance. Nowadays you don't even need talent and someone will put you in front of a camera.
  I admire those singers who have put blood, sweat and tears into getting where they are now. Martina McBride was selling t-shirts at a Garth Brooks concert when she was discovered by Garth himself. Anna Mae Bullock (aka Tina Turner) was asked to hop up on stage with Ike Turner (we all know the rest of the story). Gloria Farajdo (aka Gloria Estefan) had been playing the guitar to pass the time and her depression when she was younger. She would sing songs to her dad in the Army. She then became backup percussion for Emilio Estefan and his band when she was discovered. The rest is history.
  I am sorry but we as a society seem to rely on the easy way out. Let's have our talent manufactured (even if they really don't have any talent).
  
  
• The Singing is good but......
  By A1L0M4H6XAV3O0 on 2004-11-30
  The singing is good but honestly, these are not the greatest moments from the season. How can we say that Nikki's best performance is piece of my heart when she totally blows us all away with "I'm the only one"? How does Justin Guarini get two songs and Tamyra Gray only gets one? What ever happened to Christina Christian's "At Last"? How are AJ and Jim even on this cd? However I definitley agree with the song choice for the group song. The songs were sung very well I must say, but the song choice was really poor.
  
  Individual Performance reviews
  
  Natural Woman - Kelly Clarkson - *****
  RESPECT - Kelly Clarkson - ***1/2
  For Once In My Life - Justin Guarini - ****1/2
  Get Here - Justin Guarini - ****
  Piece Of My Heart - Nikki McKibbin - ***1/2
  House is Not a Home - Tamyra Gray - *****
  Lately - RJ Helton - ****1/2
  Ain't No Sunshine - Christina Christian - ****
  If You Really Love Me - Ryan Starr - ****1/2
  My Cherie Amour - AJ Gil - **
  I'll Be - EJay Day - ****1/2
  Easy - Jim Verarros - **1/2
  California Dreamin - ****
  A Moment Like This - Kelly Clarkson - ****1/2
  Before Your Love - Kelly Clarkson - ****1/2
  
  These Were Not The Greatest Moments of Season 1.
  
  
• Glorified karaoke
  By A10IDVD9INU6FP on 2007-04-10
  Well, why do I sometimes waste my time criticizing? Is it cuz I have a hair trigger patience? I'm bored and have nothing better to do with my time? Well being frank, somethings are not great in my eyes yet I see people just going ga-ga over some tripe.
  
  Well today I present the biggest abomination of them all, and it's name is American Idol. There are some reasons why I'm not much of a fan of the show and the reasons are as follows.
  
  1-No credible musical acts.
  What can I say about a show that criticizes people of being fat, ugly, untalented, and having mental or physical problems, then making fun of them behind their backs. It maybe funny, but these are people in their 40's and are only really interested in a "product" that they can market and sell in magazines, TV, and album covers and many times they are bias because they want to invest in looks that could be sold to the masses.
  
  2- No real artistic choices.
  Don't kid yourselves, these kids can't really sing, write a song or play an instrument. Once you sign on to the show the show, label own you for years or until they toss you out like garbage. the singers technically sign away all the write leave everything on the bigwigs hands, from hiring people to write songs, pay royalties when the first rapid produced song and album appears and the record has to be saturated with other people's records and having to have other write songs only because these songs are "hot" and could move the product to the public.
  
  3-People vote, but does it really matter?
  Welcome to the cookie cutter show. The producers of the show have an interests who wins because they are dibbing up the cash and want someone that really is eye candy, not really a voice. Notice, how sometimes they say that you sing good but you might want to lose ten pounds or we might turn on you and next week have you kicked out of the show, or you will not sell albums looking like that.
  Another one is is you don't change your musical style you will lose, especially on the ones remotely rock sounding. Pop music princess or country really is not my liking of music yet it is what according to them sells.
  
  In conclusion, this is just a popularity contest, the pretty one who can remotely sing wins and takes all. My type of IDOL? NO!!!
  
  
• My aunt who hated the show loves the CD!!!
  By A1XFYXXSETADX0 on 2002-10-06
  American idol "touchdown" performances...This CD is very very good. But, I was disappointed!FOR ONE THING KELLY DOSENT DO MARIAHS "Without You!!!!!!!!!" And,before the CD was out everyone was saying Tamyra Gray was singing 3 songs and Nikki was singing 2. Well, they're both only singing one. Anyways, Nikki's Piece of My Heart is my favorite song! She has really improved. Tamyras A House is Not a Home is under 3 minutes and can be a little boring after a while, but she's still my favorite one of the bunch. Christinas Aint no Sunshine is very good, she dosent overuse her vibrato ... . EJays voice is great, but tried to shoe it off to much in Ill Be. Ryan Starrs voice is that of a Stars, but this song isn't the best. Justins sounds really good, even though I hate him. Rj and Aj Gills songs are both sleepers. And of course, Kelly's Respect and Natural Woman are magnificent, but in Natural woman she dosent do my favorite part (the high pitch thang.) So, my advice is BUY THE CD NOW!!!
  
  
• A Perfect Bubble-Bath CD
  By A2BD0G4SRK0WMV on 2002-10-21
  The summer of 2002, for me, will forever known as the "Summer When American Idol Saved My Life". Well, okay, not really, but that's the way it sure felt, because when I came down with mono in the late spring I went almost insane with boredom lying around at home, too sick to do much of anything, and it was just then that "American Idol" came along to fill my life with laughter and love again. (And in the case of Justin's hair, laughter and love simultaneously.) Other people obviously felt the same way, and now we can hear our top ten AI contestants crooning their hearts out once more on the "American Idol Greatest Moments" CD.

  In fact, thanks to studio magic, we are now able to hear the very best of the contestant's current vocal ability. Some of them benefit HUGELY from the recording tricks utilized, with Nikki McKibben in particular making out like a bandit on her version of "Piece of My Heart" . I have always been a fan of her cute sense of personal style, but had to mute the TV whenever she actually sang, because, you know, good grief. But here she sounds just peachy, missing entirely her usual dreadful flatness. Also noticably improved is Ryan Starr, and although I dislike "If You Really Love Me" as a song, her range is shown to good effect here. Jim Verraros manages not to embarrass himself with "Easy" , but I found I enjoyed Ejay's "I'll Be" only in the intro, as he descends into silly theatrics after the first minute or so (a frequent problem with him, I think).

  Still, he fares far better than A.J. Gil, whose version of "My Cherie Amour" is cheesy beyond all belief, and RJ Helton, whose "Lately" is BlandlyMcBlandBland. My love for you Amazonies forced me to listen to it all the way through for the sake of an honest review, but man. Ick.

  And finally, the good stuff. AI winner Kelly Clarkson does a very nice version of "Natural Woman", but suffers when compared to the Queen of Soul on "Respect". The less said about the two singles written for our American Idol the better, but she still has a lovely voice and engaging vocal manner. I only wish RCA had included her singing "Stuff Like That There", which I felt was her best song on the actual show. And while I did not care all that much for Tamyra Gray on the actual show, I really enjoy her rendition of "A House Is Not A Home" on this album; simple, heartfelt and lovely. And a surprisingly vibratto-free Christina Christian does a terrific job on "Ain't No Sunshine"; I wish RCA would release this as a single as I think it would do very well.

  Which brings us to Justin Guarini. If this guy's voice is not the milk chocolate of the music world, I don't know whose is. Listening to him sing "For Once In My Life" and "Get Here" is like spending the day at a spa; you can just feel the stress melting away. When this guy sings, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and all is right with the universe. I cannot wait for his solo album.

  In conclusion, a fun album worth owning for fans of the show. Buy it, pop it in the CD player, sit back in the bathtub with a bowl of bon bons and enjoy.
  
  

• Hopefully this is the first of a series.
  By A3J5Z1792U6Z0T on 2002-10-25
  Well, here it is. Pop Idol made it over here, just like Big Brother, PopStars, and Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. But look here.....we have a decent CD. Sure, there is no Will Young or Gareth Gates, but wait! We have a little guy who sounds just as good. His name is Jim Verraros, and on this album, he covers "Easy" by Lionel Richie. Also, we have the beautiful Nikki McKibbin and the talented Tamyra Grey. But look, we have the best selling artist, Kelly Clarkson, too! And BOTH her singles are on this CD, and so is her rendition of "Respect" that got her into the top 10. This is a very addictive CD. I hope that a part two is released with more songs.
  
  
• Not the "GREATEST" Moments...
  By A26V6SG0V2ZWQR on 2005-06-11
  The songs the contestants chose to record for this were not the best for some of them. So I'll run it down for you.
  
  1) "Natural Woman" Kelly Clarkson- The first and still the best American Idol, Kelly slams it out of the park on this one.
  
  2) "Respect" Kelly Clarkson- Natural Woman was good but Respect should have been replaced by her showstopping "Stuff Like That There", in my personal opinion "Stuff" won her the competition. Respect is still great but Stuff was better.
  
  *I'm skipping Justin Guarini because I'll hate anything he sings*
  
  5) "Piece Of My Heart" Nikki McKibbin- It's amazing how well studio production can make someone sound because for the most part, Nikki sucked on the show. That said, this song does play well.
  
  6) "A House Is Not A Home" Tamyra Gray- I love Tamyra but hate this song. She should've picked something else.
  
  7) "Lately" RJ Helton- I usually skip this one.
  
  8) "Ain't No Sunshine" Christina Christian- AMAZING, this song gives me chills, her voice compliments it perfectly. The BEST song on the album.
  
  9) "If You Really Love Me" Ryan Starr- Great performance, great vocal.
  
  10) "My Cherie Amour" A.J. Gil- I usually skip this one too.
  
  11) "I'll Be" Ejay Day- How did he make the top ten? He sucks! Skip...
  
  12) "Easy" Jim Verraros- I love Jim, he reminds me of my high school crush and he had his problems on the show but he was the best male in the competition in my opinion.
  
  California Dreamin' is good and of course Kelly's singles are great too.
  
  
• For the love of all that is good, look elsewhere
  By APNRXP4SQJCHL on 2007-01-16
  Why anyone would ever watch this show, let alone spend their hard-earned money on a CD of the awful garbage that comes out of it, is beyond my comprehension. The fact that the show gets the ratings that it does just goes to show, unfortunately, how many stupid people there really are in this country. This is proven by the hatred directed towards Simon Cowell, who is the only judge who will dare to speak the truth while an airhead like Paula Abdul does nothing but smooch butt, that is, when she isn't (allegedly, wink wink) sleeping with the contestants. Most offensive here is the inclusion of Justin Guarini, a Sideshow Bob-looking talentless lunkhead who would probably be huge in France or Germany, but should never be allowed within 10 miles of a microphone in this country. The fact that this dude finished SECOND is proof of just how barren of real ability this show is.
  There are literally hundreds of bands with CDs on this site with members who have more talent in their little fingers than the contestants on this show have in their whole over-emoting bodies. Give them a chance, and run screaming from anything that has the AI logo.
  
  
• APOCOLYPSE NOW
  By A16HWG8TOURTGN on 2002-10-10
  The "Worthless Celebrity Machine" EXPOSED! Do you think this is where Celine and Mariah came from? Doesn't matter, really, because now we have a fresh crop of Celines and Mariahs! USA! USA! USA!
  
  
• How low can we go?
  By A2OSARXXL5BK1 on 2002-10-27
  I thought it couldn't get any worse than "Making the Band". It just did.

  I don't care how good their voices are, singers are now a dime a dozen. It's all that we can say about them: how good their voices are. I'd like to see a good singer who can actually write a song of their own. Isn't songwriting supposed to be sign of talent too? Then why are these 10 people trying to show us how good they are by singing other people's songs? If they were so talented, they'd write their own songs, and those songs would become ACTUAL hits, and although most of these songs are already hits, the cover versions themselves aren't.

  But, then again, people who buy this CD probably aren't looking for something new or original. It's the "hot" new thing now, and since all the songs are already well known, you don't have to figure out whether you like the songs or not.

  I personally wouldn't waste $15 on this CD, but if you liked the show and the songs, I guess its up to you. Just don't expect people to be talking about how good and influential this album is 10 years down the road. More likely, it will be collecting dust in a bargain bin alongside an O-Town CD.
  
  

• "Two Words...Pha Nomenal"
  By A2INDKBB94EYEL on 2002-11-23
  I thought this cd was the best cd that I own. I listen to it constantly and never get tired of it either! My parents even like it because they remake some of the best oldies in their time. Your parents can't say no to that! I am a BIG fan of Justin Guarini and I really enjoyed his songs "For Once In My Life" and "Get Here." Although I thought that "Lets Stay Together" should've been on the cd, I thought those songs were really good as well. Either way, Justin is still on there and that makes me happy. I think all of them did a great job making this cd. They really put a lot of time and effort into this (plus their tour). I recently saw them while they were on tour and boy! I thought they looked good on tv! I was wrong! They are totally awesome in concert! Anyways, I highly recommend this to anyone who likes American Idol or oldies music. And I can tell you now that I'll be the first one in line for Justin's new cd! I WISH YOU A GREAT SUCCESS JUSTIN AND I LOVE YOU!!!!
  
  
• Absolutely Wonderful
  By on 2003-04-16
  Great performances by all the contestants. Althoug hthe performances by A.J GIL and Jim Verraros were no great moments and performances like At Last by Christina Christian and almost all the performances by Tamyra were left out :(. Also, what happened to the group performances!?!?!? They only put on California Dreamin' :(
  
  

• American Idol Season 2: All Time Classic American Love Songs
• American Idol Season 4 - The Showstoppers
• American Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics
• American Idol Season 5 Encores
• American Idol - The Best of Seasons 1 - 4