Ah yes. Back in the saddle to find out who is going home to be an idol nevermore. We're going down to half staff tonight. A full 50% of the top 12 will have been dismissed by the end of the evening.
Let's see who it will be, shall we?
I don't know if everyone wants my recap of the whole stupid show... like the idols singing Boyz to Men's One Sweet Day. So I'll just comment on the things I find interesting. Like the fact that Syesha was horribly flat on her little duet bit. ugh
Jason Castro - on the left (whatever that means)
David Cook - on the right
Carly Smithson - on the left
Kristy Lee Cook - on the right
And we take a brief break in the idol segregation to have Eliot Yamin show them all how it's done with the musical stylings of Free. Rabbi Yamin sounds great - but the scarf isn't workin' for me. He's so sweet though... and
Syesha Mercado - on the left
Brook White - on the right
No doubt they're going to make Archuleta choose which group he thinks is the top group and go join it. But first there is the stupid call in part. Bleh.
And now Mariah is singing. I liked her better as a guest judge than a guest performer.
David Archuleta - is safe. Wow didn't see that one coming. But I am surprised... Ryan asks David Cook and Syesha to swap groups.
That makes the two groups:
David Cook
Carly Smithson
Jason Castro
and
Kristy Lee Cook
Brook White
Syesha Mercado
Archie resists Ryan's attempt to make him choose, so instead David Carly and Jason join him at center stage for a minor sit-in. Well, except for Carly who can't sit on the stage for fear of flashing all of America. But I'm very pleased to see that the group that ought to be the top 4 is the top 4 tonight.
Syesha joins them on the sofa leaving Brook and Kristy on the chopping block.
And... finally... it's Kristy going home.
I'm actually surprised that the voters got it right for once. I wish her well, but if she has any hope at all of making it in this industry, she'll need to have some serious face time with Kelly Pickler's coaches and stylists. I'm not even sure that would get her into shape, but it might give her hope.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
AI 7.6 - Mariah Carey
Even though I'm not quite back to myself, and my computer is still in recovery, I'm back to blogging on schedule. No sense crying over spilt milk and all like that.
Tonight is Mariah Carey night. I'm not a gigantic fan of Mariah and I don't know a lot of her songs. So tonight might be really nice and refreshing for me since I won't be making a lot of comparisons... or it might be a gigantic train wreck if the contestants try to be Mariah. It remains to be seen so let's get on with it.
David Archuleta
When You Believe
9.5
Big surprise... David is singing a socially conscious/inspirational song. Not a bad choice for him, but I really hope that eventually we hear him break out of this mold and just sing something because it's fun. He does a bang-up job of it though. It's ready for his album and will probably be a top download on iTunes this week. Yay for him. His execution was essentially perfect, but I' marking down slightly for a combination of my own boredom and his tapered leg leather pants.
Carly Smithson
Without You
8
Even those who aren't big fans of Carly should agree that she is looking fairly fabulous tonight. Very classy. This is a song I know pretty well because it's been covered by about a zillion people including Mariah. I like the slight melodic changes she made, but it seems she had a couple of weird rhythm issues. It may be that the brief hiccups in the flow of the song were intentional and part of the arrangement, but I found them distracting. Overall though I thought she sang quite well. This wasn't my most favorite Carly performance, but it was solid.
Syesha Mercado
Vanishing
9
This is a song I don't really know so lucky for Syesha I'm at least one armchair judge who won't be comparing her directly to the original. And for the first time in a long time I think Syesha really did well. It's a song that's big, but with a really mellow accompaniment so she isn't overshadowed by the band. She was a little too bright - almost to the point of screechy - on a couple of the high notes, but I think most people will think this was one of Syesha's best nights.
Brook White
Hero
7
Interesting - guitar in the promo, but piano on the stage. And again, I think she might have bobbled the rhythm just a teeny bit. Not enough that it really disrupted the song, but this is one time I don't think she was helped by being her own accompanist. And it gets worse as she goes on with some more obvious mistakes on the changes. Eek. Not Brook's best night, but thankfully not a complete disaster. The judges think she's a tasty little singer-sandwich, but they agree that it was a less-than-perfect performance.
Kristy Lee Cook
Forever
7
Mariah got goosebumps when Kristy sang. It remains to be seen if there was a good reason for it... or a bad one. I have to admit that that the bottom part of her voice has a nice richness that some of the other girls are lacking. And I think Kristy has finally been getting good advice from her vocal coaches over the last few weeks because this was another step-up performance for her. She's getting better and will probably stick around at least another week based on tonight's show.
David Cook
Always Be My Baby
10
Mariah says his version is really pretty and haunting. I wouldn't know... this is another one that I don't really know. But I like it any way around. I fully expected the big bombastic buildup toward the end, but sometimes predictable is good. And then he ends it on an unresolved note that will leave rocker chicks everywhere swooning. Very cool performance. Quite excellent.
Jason Castro
I Don't Want to Cry
9
Nice opening. World beat type drums and a little vocal thingy by Jason set the stage here. He got a teensy bit pitchy on the low notes, but this may be Jason's strongest performance yet. It's a great style choice for him and probably his strongest overall performance to date. He proved that potentially he's got the chops to really make it. Randy hated it, but tonight he's wrong.
Before I get into who was the best or worst of the night, I just want to say that whoever the stylist was tonight did a highly excellent job with the ladies. They were all stunning. I could have done without Archuleta's leather pants, but I guess you can't win 'em all.
Top of the Heap: There were a number of noteworthy performances tonight with the best-of-the-best being David Cook and David Archuleta.
Bottom of the Barrell: I think it's the ladies who need to be nervous tomorrow night. Nobody was really terrible - not the way some weeks have been - but Kristy, Brook and Carly weren't quite up to the standards set by the other contestants. I'd very muh like to see Kristy finally go home, but I have a deep-seated fear (again) that it may be Carly's swan song. Although, it's always possible that the curse of the song titles could come into play causing Syesha to be Vanishing tomorrow night.
I guess I'll have to wait and see.
Tonight is Mariah Carey night. I'm not a gigantic fan of Mariah and I don't know a lot of her songs. So tonight might be really nice and refreshing for me since I won't be making a lot of comparisons... or it might be a gigantic train wreck if the contestants try to be Mariah. It remains to be seen so let's get on with it.
David Archuleta
When You Believe
9.5
Big surprise... David is singing a socially conscious/inspirational song. Not a bad choice for him, but I really hope that eventually we hear him break out of this mold and just sing something because it's fun. He does a bang-up job of it though. It's ready for his album and will probably be a top download on iTunes this week. Yay for him. His execution was essentially perfect, but I' marking down slightly for a combination of my own boredom and his tapered leg leather pants.
Carly Smithson
Without You
8
Even those who aren't big fans of Carly should agree that she is looking fairly fabulous tonight. Very classy. This is a song I know pretty well because it's been covered by about a zillion people including Mariah. I like the slight melodic changes she made, but it seems she had a couple of weird rhythm issues. It may be that the brief hiccups in the flow of the song were intentional and part of the arrangement, but I found them distracting. Overall though I thought she sang quite well. This wasn't my most favorite Carly performance, but it was solid.
Syesha Mercado
Vanishing
9
This is a song I don't really know so lucky for Syesha I'm at least one armchair judge who won't be comparing her directly to the original. And for the first time in a long time I think Syesha really did well. It's a song that's big, but with a really mellow accompaniment so she isn't overshadowed by the band. She was a little too bright - almost to the point of screechy - on a couple of the high notes, but I think most people will think this was one of Syesha's best nights.
Brook White
Hero
7
Interesting - guitar in the promo, but piano on the stage. And again, I think she might have bobbled the rhythm just a teeny bit. Not enough that it really disrupted the song, but this is one time I don't think she was helped by being her own accompanist. And it gets worse as she goes on with some more obvious mistakes on the changes. Eek. Not Brook's best night, but thankfully not a complete disaster. The judges think she's a tasty little singer-sandwich, but they agree that it was a less-than-perfect performance.
Kristy Lee Cook
Forever
7
Mariah got goosebumps when Kristy sang. It remains to be seen if there was a good reason for it... or a bad one. I have to admit that that the bottom part of her voice has a nice richness that some of the other girls are lacking. And I think Kristy has finally been getting good advice from her vocal coaches over the last few weeks because this was another step-up performance for her. She's getting better and will probably stick around at least another week based on tonight's show.
David Cook
Always Be My Baby
10
Mariah says his version is really pretty and haunting. I wouldn't know... this is another one that I don't really know. But I like it any way around. I fully expected the big bombastic buildup toward the end, but sometimes predictable is good. And then he ends it on an unresolved note that will leave rocker chicks everywhere swooning. Very cool performance. Quite excellent.
Jason Castro
I Don't Want to Cry
9
Nice opening. World beat type drums and a little vocal thingy by Jason set the stage here. He got a teensy bit pitchy on the low notes, but this may be Jason's strongest performance yet. It's a great style choice for him and probably his strongest overall performance to date. He proved that potentially he's got the chops to really make it. Randy hated it, but tonight he's wrong.
Before I get into who was the best or worst of the night, I just want to say that whoever the stylist was tonight did a highly excellent job with the ladies. They were all stunning. I could have done without Archuleta's leather pants, but I guess you can't win 'em all.
Top of the Heap: There were a number of noteworthy performances tonight with the best-of-the-best being David Cook and David Archuleta.
Bottom of the Barrell: I think it's the ladies who need to be nervous tomorrow night. Nobody was really terrible - not the way some weeks have been - but Kristy, Brook and Carly weren't quite up to the standards set by the other contestants. I'd very muh like to see Kristy finally go home, but I have a deep-seated fear (again) that it may be Carly's swan song. Although, it's always possible that the curse of the song titles could come into play causing Syesha to be Vanishing tomorrow night.
I guess I'll have to wait and see.
AI 7.5 - Shattered Dreams
Obviously I'm late with this post.
I actually watched the Idol Gives Back and results shows last week, but I was too deep within a technological hell of my own making to have any energy to blog about the dearly departed Mr. Michael Johns.
Suffice it to say that while I don't think he was the worst of the performers left in this competition, I never thought he really had a chance to win and I'm not really broken up to see him gone. Others will disagree with me - some violently (perhaps) - but I thought he was nothing better than mediocre with the exception of a few powerful shining moments.
Michael - learn to harvest the sparkle, charisma, and finesse of performances like It's All Wrong But It's All Right and you will prove all the talking heads and blowhards (like me and Simon) completely wrong by having a stellar career that outshines that of many Idol winners. Lose track of that subtlety and grace and you will have proven us right that you're nothing more than a wannabe.
The choice is up to you.
I actually watched the Idol Gives Back and results shows last week, but I was too deep within a technological hell of my own making to have any energy to blog about the dearly departed Mr. Michael Johns.
Suffice it to say that while I don't think he was the worst of the performers left in this competition, I never thought he really had a chance to win and I'm not really broken up to see him gone. Others will disagree with me - some violently (perhaps) - but I thought he was nothing better than mediocre with the exception of a few powerful shining moments.
Michael - learn to harvest the sparkle, charisma, and finesse of performances like It's All Wrong But It's All Right and you will prove all the talking heads and blowhards (like me and Simon) completely wrong by having a stellar career that outshines that of many Idol winners. Lose track of that subtlety and grace and you will have proven us right that you're nothing more than a wannabe.
The choice is up to you.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
I Am Undone
Imagine if you will -
You have a companion; a confidant; a friend... possibly a best friend. You share everything with this friend. Your thoughts. Your memories. Your hopes. Your dreams. You work together. You play together. You even go on vacations together.
OK - now imagine that this friend that knows you so well - the keeper of all your memories - meets with a tragedy that wipes out there memory completely. Imagine the devastation of staring at someone who stares back blankly as if they have never met you before. It's a fate almost worse than if there had been a tragic death.
That's me. Today. Right now.
My computer doesn't recognize me.
I had problems with the hinge on my laptop which was causing the case to separate along the lefthand side. So I was thrilled to discover the repair would be completely covered by my warranty. Huzzah.
One minor drawback ... the computer gets mailed to a service center far, far away and might be gone for up to two weeks. *sigh* But one does what one must - I got the shipping box and off went my computer to faraway Fremont, California. (Oddly enough, I lived for about 20 years right there in Fremont.)
Anyway, imagine my surprise when I got notice about 5 days after shipping my computer that it was coming back to me already - all fixed up good as new. Huzzah.
I wasn't home when the Fedex truck came by, so I had to go to the local depot and pick up my package, my baby, my friend. But when I get it home and boot it up, I find a stranger staring back at me. For some incomprehensible reason, HP service saw fit to 're-image' my hard drive.
When I said 'good as new' I wasn't kidding.
All my pictures.
All my documents.
Everything gone.
I'm so sad. I want to scream or cry or maybe throw things. I briefly thought I might jump off a bridge. Well... maybe a very short bridge.
So now I'm running a program that might let me recover some or all of my lost files. Perhaps someday soon my old friend will be back.
I'm sure things will never be quite the same. And I suspect that some of those intangibles are gone forever - like the absolute trust a girl has in her computer. And the hair I pulled out when I realized what had happened.
But with any luck things will be back to something resembling normality in a fairly short while.
The moral of the story:
You have a companion; a confidant; a friend... possibly a best friend. You share everything with this friend. Your thoughts. Your memories. Your hopes. Your dreams. You work together. You play together. You even go on vacations together.
OK - now imagine that this friend that knows you so well - the keeper of all your memories - meets with a tragedy that wipes out there memory completely. Imagine the devastation of staring at someone who stares back blankly as if they have never met you before. It's a fate almost worse than if there had been a tragic death.
That's me. Today. Right now.
My computer doesn't recognize me.
I had problems with the hinge on my laptop which was causing the case to separate along the lefthand side. So I was thrilled to discover the repair would be completely covered by my warranty. Huzzah.
One minor drawback ... the computer gets mailed to a service center far, far away and might be gone for up to two weeks. *sigh* But one does what one must - I got the shipping box and off went my computer to faraway Fremont, California. (Oddly enough, I lived for about 20 years right there in Fremont.)
Anyway, imagine my surprise when I got notice about 5 days after shipping my computer that it was coming back to me already - all fixed up good as new. Huzzah.
I wasn't home when the Fedex truck came by, so I had to go to the local depot and pick up my package, my baby, my friend. But when I get it home and boot it up, I find a stranger staring back at me. For some incomprehensible reason, HP service saw fit to 're-image' my hard drive.
When I said 'good as new' I wasn't kidding.
All my pictures.
All my documents.
Everything gone.
I'm so sad. I want to scream or cry or maybe throw things. I briefly thought I might jump off a bridge. Well... maybe a very short bridge.
So now I'm running a program that might let me recover some or all of my lost files. Perhaps someday soon my old friend will be back.
I'm sure things will never be quite the same. And I suspect that some of those intangibles are gone forever - like the absolute trust a girl has in her computer. And the hair I pulled out when I realized what had happened.
But with any luck things will be back to something resembling normality in a fairly short while.
The moral of the story:
Back up your computer, dummy!!!!!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
AI 7.5 - Inspirational Songs
This is Idols Give Back week, so they have everyone singing inspirational songs. They should have called it the David Archuleta week - he always sings inspirational stuff. And with no ado whatsoever, they jump right in.
Michael Johns
Dream On
6
He did a good job last week. And he's kinda ok tonight too. But only ok - I'm so over Mr Johns. He looks so good and sings so mediocre. He just doesn't impress me much.
Syesha Mercado
I Believe
6.5
I want to like Syesha. But like Michael, she is good but not great. Once again, I'm left slightly bored. The performance was OK, barring a really off-pitch high note that all the judges failed to mention.
Jason Castro
Over the Rainbow
8.5
Oh. No. He. Di'in't. Oh yes he did. He sang the ukulele version of this song - one of the dorkiest arrangements of any song ever. In fairness, while I don't love the song (I'm a fan of Judy Garland's original) he did manage to sorta sing the crap out of it. It suited him well.
Kristy Lee Cook
Anyway
9
She chose well. This is a powerful song, but it doesn't take a huge powerful voice to sound really good on it. And this may well be Kristy's best night ever. Girl sang her butt off and is the best of the night so far. Amazing.
David Cook
Innocent
8
I've never heard of this song. It's different. Has some interesting rhythms and stuff. It's a bold choice that none of the other idols could have touched. And David was good, but I didn't love it. I thought it was a little weird.
Carly Smithson
The Show Must Go On
7
Carly sings like a maniac. This was another interesting choice and she has a great voice for it. Unfortunately, she had a few pitch problems that really munged the song for me. And with the fact that she has been in the bottom 3 more than once, I fear that this might be a not-good week for Carly.
David Archuleta
Angels
10
Hey cool - he's at the piano again. I don't know this song either, but it doesn't matter. It's exactly the kind of thing I've come t expect from Archie. He does a great job with it. It's just not fair that a 17-year-old kid can sing like that. He was genuinely excellent and could easily go out and record this song tomorrow.
Brook White
You've Got a Friend
8
It's hard to hear this song by anyone but James Taylor. It was such a signature song for him. But it's a very good choice for Brook. It nicely showcases her particular vocal strengths. It's not her best performance of the season, but it was a lot better than her version of Every Breath You Take.
Top of the heap: No doubt at all tonight. Best singer of the evening was Archuleta. Surprisingly, he was closely followed by (shock. gasp.) Kristy Lee Cook and (slightly less shock. no gasp) Jason Castro.
Bottom of the Barrel: The bottom 3 make me sad because they've all came into this competition with so much potential. Micheal, Syesha and Carly were all just weak tonight. And while I think she was the best of the three, I am afraid it might end up being Carly's turn to go home. She has a great voice, but has consistently failed to connect with the voting audience - even on her best weeks. This wasn't one of her best weeks. I just hope I'm wrong - Carly is in the top three most talented singers in this competition and realy deserves to stay.
Michael Johns
Dream On
6
He did a good job last week. And he's kinda ok tonight too. But only ok - I'm so over Mr Johns. He looks so good and sings so mediocre. He just doesn't impress me much.
Syesha Mercado
I Believe
6.5
I want to like Syesha. But like Michael, she is good but not great. Once again, I'm left slightly bored. The performance was OK, barring a really off-pitch high note that all the judges failed to mention.
Jason Castro
Over the Rainbow
8.5
Oh. No. He. Di'in't. Oh yes he did. He sang the ukulele version of this song - one of the dorkiest arrangements of any song ever. In fairness, while I don't love the song (I'm a fan of Judy Garland's original) he did manage to sorta sing the crap out of it. It suited him well.
Kristy Lee Cook
Anyway
9
She chose well. This is a powerful song, but it doesn't take a huge powerful voice to sound really good on it. And this may well be Kristy's best night ever. Girl sang her butt off and is the best of the night so far. Amazing.
David Cook
Innocent
8
I've never heard of this song. It's different. Has some interesting rhythms and stuff. It's a bold choice that none of the other idols could have touched. And David was good, but I didn't love it. I thought it was a little weird.
Carly Smithson
The Show Must Go On
7
Carly sings like a maniac. This was another interesting choice and she has a great voice for it. Unfortunately, she had a few pitch problems that really munged the song for me. And with the fact that she has been in the bottom 3 more than once, I fear that this might be a not-good week for Carly.
David Archuleta
Angels
10
Hey cool - he's at the piano again. I don't know this song either, but it doesn't matter. It's exactly the kind of thing I've come t expect from Archie. He does a great job with it. It's just not fair that a 17-year-old kid can sing like that. He was genuinely excellent and could easily go out and record this song tomorrow.
Brook White
You've Got a Friend
8
It's hard to hear this song by anyone but James Taylor. It was such a signature song for him. But it's a very good choice for Brook. It nicely showcases her particular vocal strengths. It's not her best performance of the season, but it was a lot better than her version of Every Breath You Take.
Top of the heap: No doubt at all tonight. Best singer of the evening was Archuleta. Surprisingly, he was closely followed by (shock. gasp.) Kristy Lee Cook and (slightly less shock. no gasp) Jason Castro.
Bottom of the Barrel: The bottom 3 make me sad because they've all came into this competition with so much potential. Micheal, Syesha and Carly were all just weak tonight. And while I think she was the best of the three, I am afraid it might end up being Carly's turn to go home. She has a great voice, but has consistently failed to connect with the voting audience - even on her best weeks. This wasn't one of her best weeks. I just hope I'm wrong - Carly is in the top three most talented singers in this competition and realy deserves to stay.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
AI 7.4 Eliminations - You Will Never Cross My Mind
One more Idol is going home tonight - but not until after a bad production number by the ensemble cast. The only thing that made this really bad version of 9 to 5 even a little bit tolerable is the look on Simon's face when they all came and swarmed the judge's stand. I think he rather enjoyed Carly sitting on his end of the table and wouldn't mind if she just stayed there for the rest of the night.
After the usual recap Ryan starts handing out safe seats on the couch.
Michael Johns is safe.
David Archuleta is safe.
Carly Smithson is safe - but only after some teasing by Ryan.
Time to fast forward past the stupid call-in show.
Then the winners of The Next Great American Band get the chance to perform. I only watched a few episodes of that show, but I was pretty impressed with what the Clark Brothers could do on just a 6-string, steel guitar, and mandolin. I'm not a huge fan of country, but these guys fairly cook on This Little Light of Mine. Cool.
David Cook is safe. Duh.
Ramiele Malubay is the first contestant on the uncomfortable loser stools.
Kristy Lee Cook has a note from her mother saying please let her sit on a stool. Not really, but she gets to sit on one anyway.
Now there's a retrospective on Bucky Covington, Phil Stacey, and Bo Bice, all currently residing and musicing in Nashville.
Syesha Mercado is safe.
Jason Castro is safe.
That leaves Brook White in the bottom three which should not be.
And it's nearly a miracle - Brook gets Simon to apologize for being Simon.
The good news is that Brook never has to go sit on the world's most uncomfortable stool.
They wrap up the non-idol part of the show with an 'Idol Gives Back' video and a performance by Dolly Parton. Dolly is not as on her game as she once was. She looks unhealthy because she's lost so much weight. She was always tiny (most of her was anyway) but now she looks emaciated. But it's interesting to me that for the second time tonight there's a song about Jesus on a show about Idols. Oh the irony. Dolly sounds only kinda fair-to-middling on Jesus and Gravity. What a weird song.
Ryan ends up sending Brook back to the couch first. That leaves just Kristy and Ramiele up for elimination which makes me very happy, but Ramiele is pouting like a two-year-old who wants a lollypop.
And finally!!! it's time to say goodbye to Ramiele Malubay. I think it's a pity that she stayed this long with better singers going home before she did, but I still wish her all the best. She seems like a very nice girl and will probably make a great waitress at her local Denny's. (I know - that wasn't nice. She should just keep her singing to family parties and karaoke from now on. She is not a professional quality singer.)
That's it for tonight - I'll opt for shutting off my Tivo before Ramiele sings her swan song.
After the usual recap Ryan starts handing out safe seats on the couch.
Michael Johns is safe.
David Archuleta is safe.
Carly Smithson is safe - but only after some teasing by Ryan.
Time to fast forward past the stupid call-in show.
Then the winners of The Next Great American Band get the chance to perform. I only watched a few episodes of that show, but I was pretty impressed with what the Clark Brothers could do on just a 6-string, steel guitar, and mandolin. I'm not a huge fan of country, but these guys fairly cook on This Little Light of Mine. Cool.
David Cook is safe. Duh.
Ramiele Malubay is the first contestant on the uncomfortable loser stools.
Kristy Lee Cook has a note from her mother saying please let her sit on a stool. Not really, but she gets to sit on one anyway.
Now there's a retrospective on Bucky Covington, Phil Stacey, and Bo Bice, all currently residing and musicing in Nashville.
Syesha Mercado is safe.
Jason Castro is safe.
That leaves Brook White in the bottom three which should not be.
And it's nearly a miracle - Brook gets Simon to apologize for being Simon.
The good news is that Brook never has to go sit on the world's most uncomfortable stool.
They wrap up the non-idol part of the show with an 'Idol Gives Back' video and a performance by Dolly Parton. Dolly is not as on her game as she once was. She looks unhealthy because she's lost so much weight. She was always tiny (most of her was anyway) but now she looks emaciated. But it's interesting to me that for the second time tonight there's a song about Jesus on a show about Idols. Oh the irony. Dolly sounds only kinda fair-to-middling on Jesus and Gravity. What a weird song.
Ryan ends up sending Brook back to the couch first. That leaves just Kristy and Ramiele up for elimination which makes me very happy, but Ramiele is pouting like a two-year-old who wants a lollypop.
And finally!!! it's time to say goodbye to Ramiele Malubay. I think it's a pity that she stayed this long with better singers going home before she did, but I still wish her all the best. She seems like a very nice girl and will probably make a great waitress at her local Denny's. (I know - that wasn't nice. She should just keep her singing to family parties and karaoke from now on. She is not a professional quality singer.)
That's it for tonight - I'll opt for shutting off my Tivo before Ramiele sings her swan song.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
AI 7.4 - Dolly Parton
Hello Americans.
I have no April fools jokes for you. I'm not that funny.
What I do have is my own take - such as it is - on Idol hopefuls as they sing songs by a country/pop music legend. Dolly has a bunch of songs that have hit the charts in one way or another. I actually know very few of them though, so it will be interesting to see if they all sound Dollyish to me tonight, or if they sound like themselves. Here's hoping for the latter.
Anyway - off to the races.
Brook White
Jolene
8
I think this song works well for her. I don't know that I'm wild about the song, but it showcases what Brook does well. She had strong vocals. She played her own rhythm guitar and meshed well with the reduced band that joined with her on the stage. And she always comes across with poise and confidence. I liked it.
David Cook
Little Sparrow
9
I'm not familiar with this song, but I very much like it. It reminds me of an obscure version of Wayfaring Stranger that was recorded by a band called Crumbacher in the '80s. He had to stretch for the high notes a few times, coming in just shy of actually hitting some of his high notes. But I don't really think it detracted much from the overall performance. I also like that he isn't just doing the rock bit week after week. He definitely still has a rocker vibe here - nobody will be mistaking him for a country wannabe - but it's not a heavy-handed, straight ahead rock thing. It gives him more options without alienating his fanbase. Nice work if you can get it.
Ramiele Malubay
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind
6
Not bad for karaoke. A few nasty pitch problems, but that's not a problem when you're singing in a smoky bar to a bunch of people who are almost as drunk as you are. I'm not sure this is the performance I would want to do on Idol, but Ramiele does have her fans so who knows what will happen.
Jason Castro
Travellin' Through
7
I have to admit it. I'm starting to lose the Castro glow. He's a decent singer. He can even jam a bit on the six-string. But I don't know that I would ever buy his album. I think he would do really great as a worship leader at a local church. I think eventually his voice will mature and give him more options, but I've reached the point where I'm totally convinced he has no hope of winning and won't mind whenever he ends up going home.
Carly Smithson
Here You Come Again
9.5
Here's a song I know pretty well. And I like they way she changed it - the slow acoustic feel suits the song well. I almost wish she had done a little more with it, but I also think that the simplicity works well - and wow... the big note at the end seals the deal. Best of the night so far.
David Archuleta
Smokey Mountain Memories
9.5
Another song I don't know at all. But in this case I think maybe it helps because I don't have any expectations. I continue to be blown away by Archie's amazing clarity and powerful vocals. I'm presuming at this point that he is going to try to dethrone Josh Grobin as the "popra" king - not exactly what I think of when I'm thinking American Idol. He's decidedly not a pop singer - it's more like adult contemporary or what theatre folks would call "legit". But he's got amazing chops and when he chooses a song that suits him, he sings as well or better than anyone else in this competition.
Kristy Lee Cook
Coat of Many Colors
7
Kristy almost deserves to own this week since the whole theme is right in her genre. And she does OK. Just OK. I don't hate her as much this week as I have recently - that's saying something. But I thought it was a weird song to sing. I also think she looks like she belongs at a luau instead of in the Tennessee hills, but whatever. She may have snuck through one more week with her solid if somewhat uninspiring performance.
Syesha Mercado
I Will Always Love You
7
*Heavy Sigh* - She is singing a Dolly song, but wouldn't you know it... it's also a Whitney song. Why do these girls always think they can manage a Whitney song? I guess it's OK. Not great, but OK. She just doesn't have the huge voice that a song like this demands. Add to that the weird dress which is a pretty color but way too mature look on her, and the hair which almost looks like it belongs at some boring '60s cocktail party... I was pretty underwhelmed by the overall package.
Michael Johns
It's All Wrong But It's All Right
8.5
This was probably Michael's best performance of the season so far. I came into this performance feeling like I was pretty much done with Michael. He hadn't shown me anything I wanted to see in several weeks. But he won me over with powerful vocals, sensitivity, and a heretofore undisplayed falsetto. This was a very nice performance and I think he has easily earned himself another week (or more) of safe seats on the couch tonight.
Top of the Heap: Tonight's big winners are no big surprise. Carly, Archie, and David Cook pwn the competition. Based on overall talent and consistency from week to week (not counting a couple of minor bobbles) I think this will probably be the final three of the whole season.
Bottom of the Barrel: It's a toss-up for me this week. I think Ramiele gave the weakest overall performance, but I found Jason, Kristy and Syesha all about equally bland. Since Ramiele has a proven fanbase, as do Jason and Kristy, it may well be Syesha's turn to go home despite having a very pretty voice and quite a bit of talent. Any way you slice it though, if it's anyone but Ramiele or Kristy who goes home, it's a travesty of music.
I have no April fools jokes for you. I'm not that funny.
What I do have is my own take - such as it is - on Idol hopefuls as they sing songs by a country/pop music legend. Dolly has a bunch of songs that have hit the charts in one way or another. I actually know very few of them though, so it will be interesting to see if they all sound Dollyish to me tonight, or if they sound like themselves. Here's hoping for the latter.
Anyway - off to the races.
Brook White
Jolene
8
I think this song works well for her. I don't know that I'm wild about the song, but it showcases what Brook does well. She had strong vocals. She played her own rhythm guitar and meshed well with the reduced band that joined with her on the stage. And she always comes across with poise and confidence. I liked it.
David Cook
Little Sparrow
9
I'm not familiar with this song, but I very much like it. It reminds me of an obscure version of Wayfaring Stranger that was recorded by a band called Crumbacher in the '80s. He had to stretch for the high notes a few times, coming in just shy of actually hitting some of his high notes. But I don't really think it detracted much from the overall performance. I also like that he isn't just doing the rock bit week after week. He definitely still has a rocker vibe here - nobody will be mistaking him for a country wannabe - but it's not a heavy-handed, straight ahead rock thing. It gives him more options without alienating his fanbase. Nice work if you can get it.
Ramiele Malubay
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind
6
Not bad for karaoke. A few nasty pitch problems, but that's not a problem when you're singing in a smoky bar to a bunch of people who are almost as drunk as you are. I'm not sure this is the performance I would want to do on Idol, but Ramiele does have her fans so who knows what will happen.
Jason Castro
Travellin' Through
7
I have to admit it. I'm starting to lose the Castro glow. He's a decent singer. He can even jam a bit on the six-string. But I don't know that I would ever buy his album. I think he would do really great as a worship leader at a local church. I think eventually his voice will mature and give him more options, but I've reached the point where I'm totally convinced he has no hope of winning and won't mind whenever he ends up going home.
Carly Smithson
Here You Come Again
9.5
Here's a song I know pretty well. And I like they way she changed it - the slow acoustic feel suits the song well. I almost wish she had done a little more with it, but I also think that the simplicity works well - and wow... the big note at the end seals the deal. Best of the night so far.
David Archuleta
Smokey Mountain Memories
9.5
Another song I don't know at all. But in this case I think maybe it helps because I don't have any expectations. I continue to be blown away by Archie's amazing clarity and powerful vocals. I'm presuming at this point that he is going to try to dethrone Josh Grobin as the "popra" king - not exactly what I think of when I'm thinking American Idol. He's decidedly not a pop singer - it's more like adult contemporary or what theatre folks would call "legit". But he's got amazing chops and when he chooses a song that suits him, he sings as well or better than anyone else in this competition.
Kristy Lee Cook
Coat of Many Colors
7
Kristy almost deserves to own this week since the whole theme is right in her genre. And she does OK. Just OK. I don't hate her as much this week as I have recently - that's saying something. But I thought it was a weird song to sing. I also think she looks like she belongs at a luau instead of in the Tennessee hills, but whatever. She may have snuck through one more week with her solid if somewhat uninspiring performance.
Syesha Mercado
I Will Always Love You
7
*Heavy Sigh* - She is singing a Dolly song, but wouldn't you know it... it's also a Whitney song. Why do these girls always think they can manage a Whitney song? I guess it's OK. Not great, but OK. She just doesn't have the huge voice that a song like this demands. Add to that the weird dress which is a pretty color but way too mature look on her, and the hair which almost looks like it belongs at some boring '60s cocktail party... I was pretty underwhelmed by the overall package.
Michael Johns
It's All Wrong But It's All Right
8.5
This was probably Michael's best performance of the season so far. I came into this performance feeling like I was pretty much done with Michael. He hadn't shown me anything I wanted to see in several weeks. But he won me over with powerful vocals, sensitivity, and a heretofore undisplayed falsetto. This was a very nice performance and I think he has easily earned himself another week (or more) of safe seats on the couch tonight.
Top of the Heap: Tonight's big winners are no big surprise. Carly, Archie, and David Cook pwn the competition. Based on overall talent and consistency from week to week (not counting a couple of minor bobbles) I think this will probably be the final three of the whole season.
Bottom of the Barrel: It's a toss-up for me this week. I think Ramiele gave the weakest overall performance, but I found Jason, Kristy and Syesha all about equally bland. Since Ramiele has a proven fanbase, as do Jason and Kristy, it may well be Syesha's turn to go home despite having a very pretty voice and quite a bit of talent. Any way you slice it though, if it's anyone but Ramiele or Kristy who goes home, it's a travesty of music.
AI 7.3 Eliminations - If only it was better...
So here's the deal. I am almost a whole week behind at the moment. And I didn't even get to go to Cancun. So sometimes that's just the way things roll.
Anybody who has been paying attention already knows that Chikezie was our bottom performer and was subsequently sent home. Not a gigantic surprise after having a really terrible week musically, but honestly I don't really think it was about the night's performance.
I think Chikezie's problem was about image. He didn't know who he was and subsequently didn't manage to build and keep a solid fan base to vote him through at all costs. He was far from being the worst singer of this group. But one week he did southern rock, one week he did country, one week he did some schmoozy r&b thing... and if I remember correctly he mostly sang mainstream pop type stuff in the early eliminations. He had no identity so even though he had a lot of potential he ended up without many real, consistent fans.
Bye Chickezie. I hope you do well for yourself - you have talent.
Anybody who has been paying attention already knows that Chikezie was our bottom performer and was subsequently sent home. Not a gigantic surprise after having a really terrible week musically, but honestly I don't really think it was about the night's performance.
I think Chikezie's problem was about image. He didn't know who he was and subsequently didn't manage to build and keep a solid fan base to vote him through at all costs. He was far from being the worst singer of this group. But one week he did southern rock, one week he did country, one week he did some schmoozy r&b thing... and if I remember correctly he mostly sang mainstream pop type stuff in the early eliminations. He had no identity so even though he had a lot of potential he ended up without many real, consistent fans.
Bye Chickezie. I hope you do well for yourself - you have talent.
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