After the events of yesterday and the last few days, I went into the gym to blow off a little steam. Plugging in my i-pod, I starting running fast and furious, barely letting the music slip into my mind. And you know, sometimes it's just good to get away from yourself and your circumstances for a bit.
I wasn't really paying too much attention, but I knew my shuffle mode threw in Sting's "Nothing 'bout Me", a great oldie in Peter Frampton's "Sign Sealed Delivered", and a few others. But in was all in the background.
All of a sudden, on came Elliott Yamin and his incredible live version of "A House Is Not A Home". Immediately, I was back in Season 5 finale of American Idol, hearing his voice soar on the tune... and wondering why the heck this song has never made it to one of his albums. It's stunning, really- and certainly on par with other artist's renditions, i.e. Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, and the Carpenters. (And that last one is really saying something as Karen Carpenter had one of the most warm and emotional voices of all time. Backed with Richard Carpenter's elegantly restrained arrangement, their version of the song set a new standard.)
Perhaps when his new album "Let's Get to What's Real" runs its course, Elliott will go into the studio and record some old school gems that show off his retro side. While you are doing that, Elliott, how about throwing in a remake of "Where Is the Love?" as well. I can only hope this will happen one day soon.
