Bo Bice – The Real Thing

Artist: Bo Bice

Title: The Real Thing

Label: RCA

Rating: 5/10

FILE UNDER: Rocker gets watered down.

CORPORATE LINE: The “American Idol” story you know. Bo made it into the top 24, then the top 12, and as the weeks went by and others were voted off, Bo remained. On the final episode, Bo was named runner-up to Carrie Underwood. He was signed to RCA Records and his first single, “Inside Your Heaven” / “Vehicle” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart.

THE GREAT:
“You’re Everything” – This could easily be a huge hit for a band like Nickelback—so its no surprise that it was written by Chad Kroeger.

THE AVERAGE:
“The Real Thing” – This wouldn’t be a bad song were it sung by a pop singer. Bice sounds sissified. When someone is singing about being “The Real Thing” and doesn’t sound true to their roots it feels shallow.
“”Nothing Without You” – This is another pop song. It’s funny when you read the credits and find the names Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.
“My World” – This song is forgettable and lacks soul.
“It’s My Life” – Co-written by Bo which unfortunately offers no hope that he is a good songwriter.

THE BAD:
“Lie… it’s Alright” – Not a bad song—if it were sung by Clay Aiken.

FRANKLY: Bo Bice came in second on American Idol because he had a very raw voice that touched viewers. He didn’t win because Carrie Underwood was a flat-out better singer—but that didn’t diminish Bice’s ability.

The problem with The Real Thing is that it lacks everything that made everyone fall in love with Bo Bice. His voice is too glossy and the songs are too sappy. Instead of being more Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bice became more Bon Jovi. The songwriters on The Real Thing have written songs for Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Clay Aiken, and Celine Dion. What does that tell you? They didn’t want to make a rock star. They wanted to make a pop rocker. It’s all about the money.

It’s a real shame that once again the men behind the suits ruined Bo just like they did Fantasia. Someday they’ll realize that it’s best to let an artist be who they are and not try to make them into something they are not.

+ Rae Gun