David Cook - Deluxe Edition (2008): Music Review

With the release of Cook’s debut self-titled album, comes some bonus tracks. Though there is no real “Deluxe Edition” available to purchase, that I know of at least, the songs were featured in a Wal-Mart exclusive deal I believe, and now can just be heard on YouTube. “Kiss On The Neck” is a hidden track on David Cook, so I decided to review it with the Deluxe Edition. The song plays if you don’t skip to the next song after “A Daily AntheM”. The song is very much the hard rock Cook is known for. The thing the song lacks however is layers. It’s pretty much what you hear is what you get, lyrically and musically. And that’s not a bad thing by any means, I actually really like the sound and the lyrics in this song, but I think what stops the song from being one I really remember and went back to is the lack of layers. The song doesn’t really build or peak at all. It starts off hard right off the bat and then stays there the whole song, where a different rock song like “Bar-Ba-Sol” builds and is more versatile, lyrically and musically. The song isn’t bad at all and it’s actually a good listen but a little forgettable in comparison to the rest of the record and I’m happy it didn’t take the place of any of the 12 tracks that were on the album. “Breathe Tonight”. Thank God this song was not on the album. This song is so generic and boring. If Cook had said this was the first or second rock song he ever wrote, I would have bought it. This song sounds like someone’s first attempt at writing a pop-rock radio friendly song, and like “Kiss On The Neck”, the song barely builds to anything as it peaks at the first chorus, and it's not a very good peak either. The only reason this song isn’t my least favourite David Cook song is because at least it’s kind of catchy. But it’s a close second. I am so glad this song wasn’t on the album. Please don’t listen to this song if you haven’t heard a single David Cook song.

“My Last Request” is, never-mind the best of the deluxe tracks on David Cook, or even arguably the best song on the standard edition, but maybe top 5 best David Cook songs ever. This song is so fucking good, and especially stands out since it wasn’t included on any standard edition releases. This song has a very strong beginning and moves into the next parts of the song perfectly and does build and build to the bridge, with one hell of a peak and might I say potentially my favourite moments in any David Cook song ever. And when the song ends I immediately want to hit repeat. Damn I want nothing more than to hear this song live. It’s so good. The only possible reasons I can think of that it wasn’t included on the standard edition of David Cook is 1. It was written very late when the album was already tracked and packaged, or 2. The “bridge” is very high to sing and Cook didn’t want to have this in with the rest of the set-list of vocally taxing songs (and I’ve seen how Cook plays these vocally higher songs a little less, “We Believe, This Is Not The Last Time). My favourite songs from favourite (1) to least favourite (3):

My Last Request

Kiss On The Neck

Breathe Tonight

These songs from favourite (1) to least favourite (15) including the standard edition tracks:

1. A Daily Anthem

2. Declaration

3. My Last Request

4. Permanent

5. Lie

6. Mr. Sensitive

7. Light On

8. Bar-Ba-Sol