A lot has been said about David Cook's first solo album, "Analog Heart." What a great album it was, that DC fans tried to get his/her own copy of the AI7 winner's album. But its sudden pull out from Amazon (whether at David's request or not) where the album was available disappointed or even shocked a lot of people. With the unavailability of legal copies of the AH album, fans resorted to the illegal downloading of the AH songs whether they wanted to or not. They just want to hear these now rare songs. This has caused an ethical dilemma to many. Some resorted to donating to the American Cancer Society. (see related thread "Illegally downloading David Cook's music, An ethical dilemma" http://www.david-cook.org/index.php?showto...amp;hl=ethical). This is very noble. On the other hand, those who want to profit from this album pull out, has been selling their copies at exorbitant prices (see related thread "Idiots pull Analog Heart from Amazon" http://www.david-cook.org/Idiots-pull-Anal...azon-t6133.html.

As a David Cook fan, would you like his first solo album, "Analog Heart" re-release (after his Time of My Life album) or would you rather have this album be forever be a collector's item, and a rare gem?

As for me, I already have downloaded the AH songs and will soon be donating to the American Cancer Society, but I still would like to have a copy of the album as part of my collection.

DC has said in interviews that there are sadly no plans on the table to rerelease it. He did say, however, that he has submitted several analog heart songs to RCA for consideration on his next album.

I've given this some thought. Initially, when I missed the opportunity to download it, I wanted it released right after AI ended, whether he won, or not. Then when he won, I knew there would be marketing strategy issues. Do you release it and let him dominate the charts all summer, and then in the fall his new album comes out? Is that overkill? Does it undercut what 19E/RCA have planned for him (this is a business you know)? Now that DC has said he submitted AH songs for the new album, I'm hoping that maybe the 4 best songs from AH make their way onto the new album. Maybe they'll remaster them, sweeten them up, have him re-record some tracks and remix a little, maybe add some instrumental or backup vocal tracks-whatever professional producers would want to do to make sure they're radio ready and sound the best they can possibly be. Perhaps they need little done to them. But that's what I hope happens. Then, when the dust settles and he's got a new platinum album or two, they might just make AH available via download only but never market it, just so die hard fans can get a copy. But if they keep it a collectors item, that's fine too-I can imagine them releasing the AH songs as part of a huge box set DC collector's edition 15 or 20 years from now!! "The previously unknown early songs David Cook!"

My hope for the new album is 4 Analog Heart songs (Silver, Porcelain, Makeover, Fall Back Into Me), 2 new songs penned by Cook himself, 4 or 5 songs by his songwriting team, Raine Maida, Ryan Tedder and Jessy McCartney, (hopefully in full collaboration with DC himself-I want DC to have songwriting credit for either music or lyrics on most, if not all), and finally Time of My Life reworked a little with the magic rainbow lyric replaced by something of DC's choosing, and maybe some new tracks because DC himself said he was exhausted during that overnight recording session and his voice hurt.

I hope one of the songs makes it onto the album

Well i would love that it would be released again....i would ADORE it actually. I did not know about this amazing album until after it was taken off amazon.com and i was sooo sad. As long as he has my faves

Silver
The Truth
Makeover

on his album i will be okay oh and

Optimistic to a Fault

on his CD i will be okay. Those r my fave songs like EVER and i would just be sqeauling from happpiness if they had the chance to debut these to the radio. i just really need those songs lol

those are my favs off the album too!

If it is rereleased I would like to see it remasterd and maybe some insturmental tracks dubbed in. Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic and I listen to it often. But DC has grown since then. During Idol he discovered things about his own voice and went places with it that he just didn't go when he did AH. He spent the entire album in his baritone and deepest tenor ranges. Since the mid-point of AI he's been singing mostly in his mid to high tenor range with occassional falsetto. He has a 4 octave range (if not more) but on AH he doesn't use all of it. He did ALL the instrumentations except the drums, he tracked and overdubbed his own back-up vocals. He even did the artwork for the album cover himself. An AMAZING solo effort on what was surely a shoestring budget.
He deserves so much more now. If AH were to be released again it should be completely re-recorded at the best recording studio with the best engineers, mixers and studio musicians. He deserves some professional backup singers to harmonize with him. Put a little production in. A good producer will make sure the tracks are well mixed, that the instruments and vocals are at the optimal ratio. Again, AH is great. The songs are superb. I think DC himself thinks those great songs can sound even better with the help of his new powerhouse label. That said, I don't think we'll see AH rereleased. I think we very well might see several of the songs re-recorded and put on the new album this fall. Years from now, AH songs may be included in some box set, "the David Cook you've never heard, from his early days" but I think the strategy is to make sure his first post AI widely released album is perfect and hits a home run. AH, as it is now, could severly interfere with that strategy. We love him but those who are not obsessive fans might be critical of AH technically.

I'd love to see Searchlights and especially The Truth, if they are going to take from Analog. For purely selfish reasons. I love both songs, but more importantly they both are hugely Top 40 friendly. The Truth has prom written all over it. Nevermind it is about love lost...so was Good Riddance (Time of My Life) and With Or Without You gets played at weddings!

Exactly. You know Searchligts is now my favorate track on AH, and for some reason I cannot get Don't Say A Word out of my head-for days now! But to reiterate, imagine those songs redone with the best Hollywood can deliver. DC deserves that. He deserves to have the best engineered, best produced album there can be, and 19/RCA will make sure he gets it. I think they'll be giving him more latitude than previous Idol winners. I think his professionalism & talent has earned their trust, and he seems willing to put his trust in them. If the process remains constructive, you'll see a lot of DC in this new album and it will be a knockout.

I missed out on the download. I would love to have it. Personally, I think that if AH were re-released, sales would go through the roof. Even if we had to wait until after his new album, or after his AI contract allows/expires. I would like to see the re-release because I would like to see David earn the money from the sales. Great thread!

Oh yes I totally agree they should be remixed. His studio stuff from Idol shows what can be done with real bucks. Innocent (which is playing right now here at my office really super loud!) and ABMB were awesome live but give him a real studio and wowzers.

I did download it but would like him to earn the money from it as well.

Really? I really want to get a copy of Analog Heart but if so.. I do hope some songs would be on his coming album. *crosses fingers*

UM RE-RELEASED. I NEEED THE ALBUM! :D

exactly what i've been saying! i'd love to hear the songs redone...so i hope that they make their way onto that album.
and Don't Say a Word gets stuck in my head all the time, too.

Imagine Let Go...fuller, richer, LOUDER! yeah!

I totally agree. We his fans love AH just as it is, an impressive solo effort and indicative of his tremendous potential.

But with a wider audience you want the most impressive debut possible, which he now has with all the resources at his disposal. It must be incredibly exciting for him!!!

YES!!

i wish that i could have all his albums, wether its his solo album, his albums with his bands (axium and the other one, i forgot) so it better be re-released.. becz i will buy it, and i will find it, eventhough i dont think they will sell it in here.. (asia, d'uh)

haha so im gonna say, RE-RELEASED!!!!!! :D:D:D

I think I agree and disagree a little bit with all of the responses so far. I would love to see Analog Heart available again someday because I'd love to have it in my collection. I would not, however, like to see any of the Analog Heart tracks on his new album. But, I would like to get to hear the songs from his unreleased second solo effort even if only as bonus tracks to some extended version of the new album.

I could see a remastered Analog Heart released in the future but not rerecorded. I also don't anticipate this would ever happen until after a sustained success with the new album and possibly a follow up album. I trust that the original Analog Heart cds will remain a collector's item whether the album is re-released or not.

The album is no doubt amazing and certainly radio-friendly but imagine what David can do moving forward. I'm looking forward to the new material. Analog Heart would be a nice re-release sometime in the future when David takes a little break from shelling out hit albums and touring.

I think the decision not to re-release Analog Heart is a bad one, not only from an artistic standpoint, but from a business standpoint as well. David did that album, all on his own, and he should be able to reap the benefits from it. Submitting songs from that and his other unreleased stuff for the Idol release seems foolish in light of these facts. He didn't need help to be a fantastic musician..and I wish that what he'd done prior to Idol had the chance to stand on it's own..sorry I'm probably not explaining this as well as I should.

Basically if I were David I would have re-released the CD the way it was initially sold, but it's not gonna happen and it sucks.

I want a copy physically in my hands!

I visited Amazon.com the other day to preorder David's Album. There was a message that the album "Analog Heart" was not available now but it would be, and they would notify me by e-mail at that time. So I signed up and they have since confirmed it. Just in case someone did not know.

I agree with you whole-heartedly. What I'm looking forward to is a David Cook un-plugged, where he could play "The Truth" and "Optimistic To A Fault", those two could give David more accolades.

It just gets better from here guys!

Jess

Oh yeah! I want the unplugged versions, too. The Truth and Optimistic To A Fault (aka Better Never Than Late) are my faves, too.