We’re almost there – can you believe that the finale is next week? Boy, this season has certainly flown by! It’s been an interesting, entertaining yet strangely familiar ride from the auditions to now, sort of reminding us of another vocally powerful “Search for a Superstar” – the season of Clay/Ruben/Kimberley (Season 2). The caliber of vocal talent this year has been nothing short of spectacular with a nice variety of shades and stylings — with, of course, a few characters thrown in for effect. Actually, I haven’t been bored much or wanting to slap the voters too often this season and that in itself is a GOOD thing! With a strong Top 3 there will be a deserving winner no matter who gets the most votes and we ALL win when that happens. Kudos to the judges for getting it RIGHT this season and giving us a strong field from which to choose from.
Speaking of choices, this was “Pick” night, when everyone gets to pick a song: Judges, contestants and even the dreaded PTB. It’s a night when the judges have to be really careful NOT to harp too much on song choice because in 2 out of 3 cases the contestants had no real say in the matter. In fact, I got really annoyed when they briefly started to go down that road but I guess old habits die hard. Now, we had a little twist this time around where the two male judges ceased an opportunity to jab each other’s choices for their Idol but that proved more comical than detrimental. Paula actually chose well for her Idol and was refreshingly coherent tonight – good for her!
That. Was Beautiful. Sigh. Absolutely gorgeous! Most mature vocal and performance of the season from this young man. What more can I say – but, as if we didn’t know, Simon tried to let some steam out of the kid’s engine. Nasty Brit.
Thank God he finally did something upbeat however he was bottoming out on many of the lower notes and I couldn’t tell if it was a register problem or if he was out of breath. Give him his props for trying to be current and interesting.
This boy wants to win it bad. That was another very mature and vocally sound performance. This was the first night I saw him trying to connect with the lyrics and he did a stellar job, IMHO.
Nice controlled vocals but a little too close to the original for me. I hate it when the Brit and I happen to agree. She does have a solid instrument.
Best. Song. From. Her. Ever! Definitely made the song her own (and a difficult feat with this overdone number) and performed it with style and sizzle. Send this child to Broadway now and get her away from Simon…FAR away! Personally, I don’t want her to win Idol because she has a better career waiting for her than being lead around by the nose by 19 Entertainment. Let the Davids fight it out. Seriously, she has grown on me over the course of the season and I could kick myself for ruling her out at the beginning of the Top 12. She’s got talent and chops to spare and I hope she goes as far as she can, with or without Idol.
At the risk of showing my age, I was not familiar with this song at all. In any case she sang really well tonight, this one included. Was it enough to get to next week? Vocally I would say “hell, yeah!” but I’m not sure she has enough of a fan base to pull it off. That is, unless she gets the sympathy vote tonight for being run over by the judges (could that have been some reverse psychology on their part?). BTW, Simon’s remarks after this song were the most intelligent ones I’ve heard him utter this season. About. Damn. Time!
He HAD to do something with that song and, dang it, he did!!!! Nice upper register work and a solid, money note ending. Go figure.
Ok, I have heard this song – now I don’t feel so old. It was classic Cookie and, like Paula, I wanted to hear more of it as well. That’s the problem with songs that can’t do a beginning, middle and end in a minute thirty. No surprises but no fouls either.
I won’t pick a bottom two or a “das boot” this week because no matter which way it plays out, all three deserve kudos for what they’ve done to get this far and with any combination it is setting up to be a great finale this year. Just remember, we could end up seeing another “Melinda elimination” this year so don’t rule anything out. Either way, I’ll be buying my tickets tomorrow for the tour this year because this is a very interesting and entertaining group of contestants and I would like to see them live.
Neil Diamond night, eh? Ok, he’s not one of my favorite performers but I have liked a lot of his songs through the years and our Idols did a decent job overall with the ones they chose. Tonight’s format was a little different and I did like the fact that the judges had to wait until after the second performance before they could comment. I did keep down on the insane commentary but it left poor Paula a tad confused.
It doesn’t take much, does it?
Anyway, let’s get right to that view from my comfy red leather couch for this week, OK?
Is it me or does this boy have no stage presence whatsoever? It’s not that he’s just phoning in the performances but that there is just no “ummph” to them. Don’t get me wrong – he has a pleasant enough voice and the little tweeny girls love him to pieces but that alone does not an Idol make. On the positive side I will say that his lower register is in fine form and he should use it more often instead of just staying in his breathy head voice. It would give him more vocal colors to choose from rather than singing one dimensionally like he has been the past month or so.
Gutsy choice! I haven’t heard this one in a long while and he did great! He really tried to take the path less traveled when it comes to choosing music and it pays off for him each and every week. It sounded like even Neil was impressed with both his choices and his interpretations – it’s good to get the mentor on your side early!
He seems to have captured the spirit of Neil’s songs even though he puts his own spin on them – THAT’S the mark of a great musician! He is really making me a believer! Should be safe yet again and firmly on his way to the finale.
Ok, Mr. Cranky Brit – it was NOT a nightmare. Far from it. BUT, because she chose to hide behind her guitar, it wasn’t as good as it could have been. The song’s limited vocal range did nothing for her vocally and for the first time she may have been trying too hard to be perky. I think she is tiring of all the phoniness on the show and it’s starting to show in both her performances and in her response to whatever negatives Simon throws her way.
She did much better on this song and, it should be noted, she didn’t drop a lyric in either on this week. I thought the song’s tempo was a little faster than I like it but that could have been the producers’ doing and not hers. She should be in the bottom two this week and might be listening to Ruben’s song by the end of Wednesday’s show if Jason’s fans have anything to say about it.
He had to stay away from the ballads this week and attempt the up-tempos and he chose two of the biggest ones in the songbook in which to do just that. He sounded really good on this one and probably won every Red Sox fan’s vote in the process (the song is played during the eight inning of every home game – “whoa, whoa, whoa!”). This was the strongest vocal he’s had in the last few weeks so it looks like he’s gearing up for the finals.
Shades of Kristy Lee Cook! I was hoping this would have been the group number because I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear one of the contestants take it on. He did well but it kinda boarded on cheesy for me. It wouldn’t have matter who sang the song it would have had the same effect on me. He’s so safe he might have to end up in the bottom two just to shake up the fans.
This gal has turned things around and for the last few weeks has really come on strong – she is in it to win it, even though I think her best finish will be third. Hey – it worked for Kim Locke! She showed her sweet, controlled vocals on this song and without too much gymnastics, conveyed the empty hopefulness of this song quite well. I really liked it.
It was a great way to end the night and go out on a high note. She took on an early hit and made the audience stand up and take notice. But please, don’t keep harping on the “Broadway” bandwagon with her because that could hurt rather than help her. She should be safe but then it really could go either way with her, depending on her fan base, or lack thereof.
with “das boot” going to Brooke White even though it SHOULD go to you-know-who. With my gal Carly gone my allegiance has switched to Cookie but I’d watch out for Syesha who is the real dark horse of this season.
Top 7 – The Mariah Carey Songbook – “I’ve been waiting forever for this…” – NOT!!!!!
Well, the kid disappointed me for the first time this year and I am NOT happy about it. Not at all. This is one of my favorite Stephen Schwartz songs from the animated film THE PRINCE OF EGYPT and instead of showing off the beautiful lyrics and soaring melody, we were treated to a boat load of vocal gymnastics, most likely aimed at getting a “that was hot, dawg” from Randy. If emulation is a sincere form of flattery then Mariah should be pleased but I was not. I was looking forward to the kid using his power vocals to bring this song up to new heights but instead he opted for pleasing the PTB. He is young but that’s a hard habit to break after awhile, according to my friends in the “biz.” He’s safe no matter what he does so I wouldn’t worry about him.
She needed to come back big this week and SHE DID!!! Thank God Mariah covered this one (along with Clay Aiken – whose version I really like – and, of course, the great original rendition from Harry Nilsson) because I really couldn’t hear her singing ANYTHING else from this catalog. Of course, the judges decided to try to put the breaks on her comeback by attacking her lack of confidence – which I thought was in the best shape last night than it has been in the past few weeks — but I thought she held her head up high and let them rant. Don’t let them get into your head, girl! You keep coming out and singing like you do and you’ll be just fine. However, I did through some votes her way in case others have gotten lazy because she needs to make the Top 5 and I want to see her there.
Well, another trip into vocal gymnastics land and I was totally bored by the performance. I didn’t know the song, it didn’t thrill me much but I will say that she has a very powerful instrument and she is a decent performer. Might be a bottom feeder again this week.
I loved that she did a stripped version of the song – solo piano and voice only. Made her stand out from the others and once again showed a musical vulnerability that is very appealing for her. Yes, she is being labeled as predictable but I’d like to say that she is a reliable musician – you know what you’re going to get from her and she does it very well. However, this show is about big and loud and I’m afraid that her time may be coming to an end. Look for her in the chairs instead of the couches this week.
Another country-fied version that obviously suits her vocal style but is wearing on me more than Brooke’s perpetual innocence. I’ll give her credit for taking the bull by the horns and staging a well calculated comeback after starting so badly but her time has come to mosey on down the trail. Should be in the bottom tonight and hopefully going home.
Another week and other interesting song twist from Mr. Cook. A haunting, dark turn on this sugary pop number actually held my attention from start to finish. Gotta say that I liked it! Ok, so some are not digging the stalker quality but Sting and Clay have shown that it can work musically and this boy can as well. I think we may have found our Idol for this year, gang. Sure, it will be the battle of the Davids but this is the one that deserves to win it all. He will be safe.
From the sublime to the ridiculous – IMHO he had no business singing this song. Didn’t work for him at all. This millennium’s Alfred E. Newman is just not doing it for me but the tweenies are so over the moon about him and Archie that they are dialing their fingers off for them. He may make the bottom three but he won’t go anywhere until he makes the Top 5 – at least I hope he goes at that point.
Brooke White as our bottom feeders this week with “das boot” going to — finally, I hope — Kristy Lee Cook.
PS – Yamin, Elliott’s going to be on the results show? Groovy!!! Looking forward to hearing his smooth vocals once again.