Measure Of A Man, the debut album by Clay Aiken: Elementary speeds, viewed through meanspeed music theory

Measure of a Man is Clay Aiken's debut album, released on October 14, 2003, five months after the conclusion of the second season of American Idol. The album debuted at #1 on the "Billboard 200" and was, with 613,000 copies sold in its first week, the highest-selling debut for a solo artist in 10 years. It received RIAA Double Platinum.

Below are the elementary speeds of all ten songs on Clay’s debut:

Track #1
song title=“I Will Carry You”
composers=Dennis Matosky, Jess Cates, Lindy Robbins
meanspeed=93.5 beats per minute
meanemotion=enthusiasm
meanspace=0.642 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.56 beats per second
meanpitch=399.02 hertz, 30 cents higher than G4=391.995 hertz, 70 cents lower than G#4/Ab4=415.305 hertz.

Track #2
song title=“The Way”
composers=David Diegel, Enrique Iglesias, Kara E. DioGuardi, Steve Morales
meanspeed=74.0 beats per minute
meanemotion=grace
meanspace=0.811 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.23 beats per second
meanpitch=315.73 hertz, 25 cents higher than D#4/Eb4=311.127 hertz, 75 cents lower than E4=329.628 hertz.

Track #3
song title=“When You Said You Love Me”
composers=Darren Hayes, Rick Nowels
meanspeed=128.0 beats per minute
meanemotion=victory
meanspace=0.469 seconds per beat
meanphase=2.13 beats per second
meanpitch=546.13 hertz, hertz, 74 cents higher than C5=523.251 hertz, 26 cents lower than C#5/Db5=554.365 hertz.

Track #4
song title=“No More Sad Songs”
composers=Jimmy Harris, Shep Solomon, Wayne Hector
meanspeed=79.3 beats per minute
meanemotion=loneliness
meanspace=0.756 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.32 beats per second
meanpitch=338.37 hertz, 48 cents higher than E4=329.628 hertz, 52 cents lower than F4=349.228 hertz.

Track #5
song title=“Run To Me”
composers=Chris Braide, Desmond Childe, Gary Burr
meanspeed=63.8 beats per minute
meanemotion=ceremony
meanspace=0.940 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.06 beats per second
meanpitch=272.37 hertz, 69 cents higher than C4=261.626 hertz, 31 cents lower than C#4/Db4=277.183 hertz.

Track #6
song title=“Shine”
composers=Lindy Robbins, Pete Gordeno, Reed Verteiney
meanspeed=76.0 beats per minute
meanemotion=grace
meanspace=0.789 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.27 beats per second
meanpitch=324.27 hertz, 71 cents higher than D#4/Eb4=311.127 hertz, 29 cents lower than E4=329.628 hertz.

Track #7
song title=“I Survived You”
composers=Jeff Franzel, Jess Cates, Ty Lacy
meanspeed=59.9 beats per minute
meanemotion=sincerity
meanspace=1.00 second per beat
meanphase=1.00 beats per second
meanpitch=255.61 hertz, 59 cents higher than B3=246.942 hertz, 41 cents lower than C4=261.626 hertz.

Track #8
song title=“Perfect Day”
composers=Danielle Brisebois, Jimmy Harry, Shep Solomon
meanspeed=72.8 beats per minute
meanemotion=grace
meanspace=0.825 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.21 beats per second
meanpitch=310.44 hertz, 96 cents higher than D4=293.665 hertz, 4 cents lower than D#4/Eb4=311.127 hertz.

Track #9
song title=“Measure Of A Man”
composers=Cathy Dennis, David Siegel, Steve Morales
meanspeed=82.2 beats per minute
meanemotion=loneliness
meanspace=0.730 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.37 beats per second
meanpitch=350.65 hertz, 7 cents higher than F4=349.228 hertz, 93 cents lower than F#4/Gb4=369.994 hertz.

Track #10
song title=“Touch”
composers=Cathy Dennis, David Eriksen
meanspeed=106.1 beats per minute
meanemotion=lust
meanspace=0.566 seconds per beat
meanphase=1.77 beats per second
meanpitch=452.59 hertz, 48 cents higher than A4=440.000 hertz, 52 cents lower than A#4/Bb4=466.164 hertz.

Ian Schneider
meanspeed.com
January 31, 2007