Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

...he's cute, knows how to bark in tune, and is quite the dancer - and he refuses to lip-sync. After all, they call them "live performances" for a reason, don't they? If my last statement sounds ridiculous, it shouldn't. The media has come a long way in the last few decades. There was a time when a person or band really needed to work their way up to become successful, by performing in small clubs for chicken feed, hoping that one day a talent scout would recognize their talent and sign them to a recording deal. But as the great Bob Dylan once said, the times they are a changin'. The fact is that in this day and age, you don't need any talent whatsoever to become famous - how else to explain the ubiquity of the irrelevant Paris Hilton? To prove my point, witness the phenomenon known as MTV, which placed the music video medium on a widespread scale. Started in 1981, it began as an outlet for established acts, but soon came the emergence of disposible pop acts which greatly benefited from the visual exposure that MTV granted them - Milli Vanilli and Britney Spears are but two acts that would have gone nowhere without the network. Second, let's look at multifaceted entertainers of years past. It's much easier to respect musical artists that cross over to acting (Elvis Presley, Cher, and Barbra Streisand are examples) - after all, they had the chops to make it in music and eventually went on to garner respect in acting roles. However, when an actor decides to take a stab at music, it makes the person seem desperate for a buck. The completely tone-deaf Don Johnson, Bruce Willis, and Eddie Murphy made ill-advised recording efforts, but got wise and quickly went back to what they do best. However, there are some exceptions to this rule - Jennifer Lopez is without question a below-average vocalist, but miraculously managed to sell millions of albums. She succeeded during a time where sex appeal was everything, and talent was not a necessity - which also explains the stunning success of lip-syncing flunkies like Spears. This brings me to Lindsay Lohan. Once a clean-cut star of many a Disney film, upon reaching the age of 18, she has turned herself into a walking Girls Gone Wild show. The success of Spears and Lopez clearly paved the way for Lohan to receive a record deal. Because we all know that if you are attractive and famous for any reason at all, that must mean that you are talented enough to become a recording artist - or so we are to believe. Despite all this, I cast aside all preconceived notions I had before I listened to this album. Now that I have, it's safe to assume that A & R people would have laughed hysterically at Lohan if she were an unknown - her debut album Speak is, in a word: abysmal. Modern technology keeps her voice in tune, but it doesn't help the slick, lifeless arrangements or the incredibly insipid lyrics (of which I can't be bothered to print). Given the minimal amount of effort spent on this release (including very few live instruments), Lohan might as well have phoned in all of her "contributions" to this recording. The worst offender of all tracks here has to be "Rumors" ... pity poor Lohan, who can't deal with paparazzi following her every move. Honey, if it's privacy you're looking for, you entered the wrong profession - leave Hollywood, become a coal miner, and I guarantee you that no one will ever bother you again. Problem solved. In summary: Yet another actor who thinks she can sing, Lindsay Lohan put forth a very weak effort that isn't worth the disc it's printed on. There are far more talented artists out there performing in hotel bars just to make ends meet - by not giving your support to hacks like Lohan, record labels will have to work harder to discover genuine, deserving talent. Definitely pass on this release.