This is disturbing..

Started by Myxo, April 15, 2004, 02:16:05 PM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Myxo


cron

The people at IGN wrote this about "Inspiration":

William Hung: Inspiration

If by inspiration, you mean crap.

April 13, 2004 - These days, it seems like any appearance on "American Idol" leads to a record contract. Even people with questionable talent (i.e. Josh Grayson) have inked deals and fill the airwaves with more cheesy, watered-down pop than should be legally allowed. But that's to be expected when agents and marketing departments start salivating over the largest television audience (with the most disposable income) ever assembled.


What wasn't necessarily expected was the rise to power of one Mr. William Hung, an "American Idol" outcast who captured the heart (or at very least gut) of the nation with his rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs." William's quirky but genuine delivery, combined with herky-jerky dance moves led to more appearances on the show, and sparked a media blitz that transformed the unassuming Berkeley student into an international sensation/laughing stock.

Normally, with these things, it's a few weeks in the spotlight, and then a quick fade into obscurity. But somehow, William Hung has outlasted the original push, and thanks in large part to the Internet, is still going strong. Hoping to stretch the fifteen minutes into twenty, Hung recently released his first album, ironically entitled "Inspiration."

Let's get this out of the way right off the bat, because the rest of this review is going to be pure bile—William Hung seems like a great guy. His attitude is a perfect blend of self-awareness and bravery, and his infectious positivity is what makes him a star. In short, if he weren't so damn nice, no one would put up with him. That's both a blessing and a curse. While his personality is somewhat inspiring, his voice is not. Therefore, as a musical effort, Hung's debut album "Inspiration" is a disaster.

Since Hung really made his name with "She Bangs," that song leads off the album. It's also the record's best track... but that's like saying a tetanus shot is the best kind of injection you can get. It still sucks, but it may sting a little than other shots. William Hung has no rhythm, no pitch, and almost zero charisma when singing. In fact, there's probably someone on Earth that could belch the songs in a more pleasing manner.

Hung hits the most correct notes (maybe a dozen) on "Bailamos," a cover of the sultry Enrique Iglesias track. However, Hung kills all sensuality the song might have had to offer. In fact, his rendition of this song may cause immediate flaccidity, so be warned. Do not attempt any heavy lovemaking in the presence of this record—it's an immediate libido-killer.

The rest of the album is a smattering of other people's hits, and Hung takes the time to carefully destroy each and every one. Perhaps your favorite song is "Hotel California," by the Eagles. After listening to William sing it, you may wish you were on a dark desert highway far from your stereo.

Elton John's hits are thoroughly represented, which is curious, because his songs usually require decent range and soulfulness to pull off. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," "Rocket Man" and "Circle of Life" are all covered here, and they're all equally awful.

But the biggest offense is "I Believe I Can Fly." Think of what two cats screwing on a blackboard might sound like, while a dying vulture sings harmony, and you start to approach the aural abuse you'll endure by listening to Hung's rendition.

All in all, "Inspiration" is a crime against music. It's a shame that artists who've struggled for years to realize their vision and bring their songs to the public have not succeeded and William Hung has. While his stance on life might be inspirational to some, his music is a cacophony of wrong-notes, stoic delivery and shoddy rhythm. Please do not buy it.


Overall Score: 0.5 (out of 10)
context, context, context.

Sigur Rós

He should have called his album:

Will Hung - It ain't pretty

Ravi

The used CD stores will soon be flooded with copies of this.

Vile5

Quote from: Myxomatosis:|

HA HA HA HA HA HA....i saw this guy in the American Idol casting , jesus!
The USA is a very interesting country...
"Wars have never hurt anybody except the people who die." - Salvador Dalí

Stefen

I kind of feel bad for this dude. I mean has anyone heard the album? Is Mr. Hung in on the joke, or does he take this seriously? How cruel.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

SoNowThen

He looks like he has Downs Syndrome. And from all accounts, apparently sings like it, too.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Sigur Rós

Quote from: Vile5HA HA HA HA HA HA....i saw this guy in the American Idol casting , jesus!
The USA is a very interesting country...

Haha, I saw that too. Based on the amount of ironi and sarcasm on this board, I predict that this CD will do well on the xixax-chart.

USA is a interesting country.

picolas

Quote from: StefenIs Mr. Hung in on the joke, or does he take this seriously? How cruel.
no. he's not. i saw an interview where he said he hoped to be respected as a real singer eventually.

cine

Has to be the ugliest cover I've seen in ages. "Measure of a Bang"?! What the fuck is that?

Quote from: SoNowThenHe looks like he has Downs Syndrome. And from all accounts, apparently sings like it, too.
Well..

If he looks like it....

And he sounds like it....

And he signs record contracts like it....

MacGuffin

Quote from: Cinephile 9000Has to be the ugliest cover I've seen in ages. "Measure of a Bang"?! What the fuck is that?

Actually, that's not the real album cover. That's a fake, fan-artwork playing with Clay Aiken's "Measure Of A Man" album cover (see below) and Hung's infamous "She Bangs" rendition.




This is the real cover:



Listen here.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

cine

Yeah, I remember you posting that Inspiration cover ("Inspiration" REALLY beats the gimmick over people's heads), but I thought the bastard had some OTHER CD out.  :?

I hate that man...

Jeremy Blackman

Yes, his arms do look a little large.

NEON MERCURY

he needs to see an orthodontist..

corrective teeth surgery..

i guess with those crooked teeth his friends liked having him around to open bottles of sake if they didn't have a bottle opener........

godardian

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he doesn't strike me as any more atrocious than any other American Idol contestant or "winner." When you have Paula Abdul and the man behind the Spice Girls on the panel, you know that anything they consider a "winner" is going to be a whole lotta nothing at best.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.