After 7 seasons of suffering, AI got it right tonight and picked the rocker with serious potential David Cook over the Gaspy "Daddy don't beat me" eyes-wide-shut crooner The Archulator. David Archuleta has a good voice but he only does sappy ballads well and Syesha, Carly, and Michael Johns are all likely to have better careers than Mr. Could Have Been a New Kid on the Block.
So now DC gets to suffer or enjoy one year with the crown and the restricted recording contract. I just love that he went to the auditions to be moral support for his brother and not to be the next American Idol. Archuleta has thought of nothing else since he was 11 six years ago and tracked down Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini the week of the Season 1 finale and forced them to listen to his "awesome" pipes. Dream crushed, but America was due to have a true rocker Idol and maybe now we can have a third truly successful Idol (to go along with Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson). Yes I know Daughtery is good and yes he was a rocker, but the poor guy finished 6th in a season where Taylor Hicks won. Uhhh...
So Rock on the Range 2 was this past weekend. We missed it due ot moving to Cinci. STP played for the first time in 6 years, lots of good bands. Probably go back next year when looking for excuses to hang out with friends in Columbus (ROTR, Origins, OSU games, etc.). Well I don't really have time to catch everyone up on all the goings on, but we are settled into Cincinnati and I have graduated and we are surviving. Details on the end of law school are due to properly wrap up the blog I started to document law school...so those will come shortly. Also the fresh goings on as I learn how different it is to be an associate at work instead of a law clerk. Super-Fun!
But in the end, Idol got it right. Congrats America, you made my six text votes count.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
American Idol Finale: What Is Simon Doing?
Normally I completely agree with Simon Cowell, the honest and bluntest of our judges. Yet tonight he did something I can barely forgive him for. Not only did he call a three-round knockout for Archuleta, it's like he wasn't even giving DC a chance. Gaspy maybe won one round, but there's no way he won all three. I hope America can see through the ridiculous hype machine to vote DC. In fact, Kelley and I each voted 3 times by text for David Cook.
The short version of the recap since I was busy with moving to Cincinnati...
Round 1
DC - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" - solid performance, B+
DA - "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" - as good as Gaspy gets, A-
Round 2
DC - "Dream Big" - Ugh not a good song for him, but he does what he can. B-
DA - "In This Moment" - Even worse. Gaspy cannot save this song. C-
Round 3
DC - "The World I Know" - WOW! Knocks collective soul out of the park! A
DA - "Imagine" - Gaspy butches another Beatles song, he's just not made to be Idol, I hope. B-
Grand Total - David Cook should be your American Idol, but the judges will certainly have made it interesting. Go outvote the tween-tards please! Let there be Rock!
The short version of the recap since I was busy with moving to Cincinnati...
Round 1
DC - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" - solid performance, B+
DA - "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" - as good as Gaspy gets, A-
Round 2
DC - "Dream Big" - Ugh not a good song for him, but he does what he can. B-
DA - "In This Moment" - Even worse. Gaspy cannot save this song. C-
Round 3
DC - "The World I Know" - WOW! Knocks collective soul out of the park! A
DA - "Imagine" - Gaspy butches another Beatles song, he's just not made to be Idol, I hope. B-
Grand Total - David Cook should be your American Idol, but the judges will certainly have made it interesting. Go outvote the tween-tards please! Let there be Rock!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
America Idol Top 3: The David Show
Well I forgot to liveblog it, but after tonight's performances there is absolutely no doubt Syesha Mercado is going home. Idol judges have shoved Archuleta down our collective throats and Cook has too much talent to fall out now. So while Syesha could have won Season 6, there's no way she's winning this competition. It will be the Dave and Dave show next week.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
American Idol Final Four: Rock and Roll?
So we finally have come to the Idol top 4, and we can only hope for as much drama as last week when Paula-gate happened. I really hope the judges don't change next season, as Simon is of course the best and the other two are entertaining in their terribleness. Keeping with the super-contemporary themes of this season, we move to "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" week. At least we've finally reached rock week. I can only hope DC doesn't punt his genre. Let's get to it!
1. David Cook - "Hungry Like The Wolf" - I really don't know about the Duran Duran cheesiness, but DC needed something memorable to avoid the curse of going first. The rocking jacket and jeans are a great outfit for rock night. Another pretty solid DC performance, nothing out of his range and it was kind of upbeat/memorable. I think he will need a little more out of the second performance though.
GRADE - B
2. Syesha Mercado - "Proud Mary" - Oh I forgot we haven't had any Celine or Tina Turner in the past 3 weeks, so here's the payback. The sparkly reflective dress is sharp, and why not throw it in America's face that she's the only woman contestant left. She's right to say that this song has been covered 100 times, and she really should not have followed in the karaoke footsteps of millions. The song is decent to show off dance moves, not vocal talent. Mediocre at best.
GRADE - C
3. Jason Castro - "I Shot The Sheriff" - Oh my goodness, a Bob Marley song? Really? It's like watching a white Bob Marley up on stage...OK maybe NOT! I really have no idea why he is playing guitar for this song, that's so irrelevant. I could rip on the jean jacket, but this is dreads and we don't expect much out of our resident hippy. This was a super-weak performance to top it off. In a week where the new VFTW king needed to step up, he's in big trouble. Not only do you not pick this song, you don't mess it up...ugh.
GRADE - FAIL
4. David Archuleta - "Stand By Me" - Somehow I distrust that he's never sung this in public before. I think the Archulator has shown off his raspiness on every song to every person who will stop to listen. Much like the beggars on high street, this guy just will not go away. The black T-shirt with white birds looks douchy, but this is the Archulator. Icky glory notes at the end, but other than that it was the usual mediocre performance. I know he's going to bring it in the finale and really piss me off. The tween-tards will keep him safe, especially in the money slot going lost.
GRADE - C
5. David Cook - "Baba O'Reilly" - Now here's something fresh, a Who song. I'm surprised by the outfit change, but he still looks OK. Just not as good. DC kind of whiffed on the glory notes connecting the boring soft part of the song and the upbeat chorus. The only real disappointment this week is that he did not work with the arrangement more. I think this is enough to keep him safe after having the best performance in the first round (despite the judges sucking the Archulator off hardcore).
GRADE - B-
6. Syesha Mercado - "A Change Is Gonna Come" - So if the black vote doesn't get behind Syesha this week to save her, are they just not watching? Maybe they all tuned out when Chikeize went home, but this is like picking the cheesy Lee Greenwood song to appease the hick fans (KKKrsiti Lee's manuever). This song choice is boring, the only excitement is that she could show off at the beginning and the end on glory notes which she actually hit. Her dress was a little iffy, but you know how guys are about boobs. The performance was good, the song choice for the rock theme was awful.
GRADE - B
7. Jason Castro - "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Jason is definitely going home or sticking around on his crutch, the acoustic guitar. I really think Vote For The Worst should have picked him before Brooke because this is classic awfulness matching the past 3 weeks. It's as if Jason just decided to stop trying to grow musically. Maybe he feels validated by America. He's no Bob Marley, and no Bob Dylan either. The outfit was nice for him, but he's so stoned out of his mind. He also forgot lyrics and hummed through the song. Unbelievable.
GRADE - FAIL
8. David Archuleta - "Love Me Tender" - The king of rock and roll is the challenge the Archulator takes on...and he punts it. Not like he punted the last time he had the money slot (forgetting lyrics of a Beatles song), but still he changed a decent upbeat song and made it into a drab snorefest. I know this is him just appealing to his fans, but this close-up squinting in the camera is not doing it for me. This was a poor song choice and not a great performance.
GRADE - D
So that's rock week. Well at least we had a rocker left to keep it good, and a hippy to laugh at a bunch. If there's any justice, Archulator should be in the bottom 2 to wake him up. However, the judges have his balls so far down their throats that there's no way the brainless tween-tards will let him go before the finale. They are sucking his junk so much more now that he is in trouble compared to the competition. Thankfully one poor contestant was left this week.
Best of the Night - David Cook, by a smidgen
Bottom Two - Jason "Bob" Castro and Syesha "I'm the only one with boobs left" Mercado
Going Home - 3 words from Simon for Jason - "PACK YOUR SUITCASE"
1. David Cook - "Hungry Like The Wolf" - I really don't know about the Duran Duran cheesiness, but DC needed something memorable to avoid the curse of going first. The rocking jacket and jeans are a great outfit for rock night. Another pretty solid DC performance, nothing out of his range and it was kind of upbeat/memorable. I think he will need a little more out of the second performance though.
GRADE - B
2. Syesha Mercado - "Proud Mary" - Oh I forgot we haven't had any Celine or Tina Turner in the past 3 weeks, so here's the payback. The sparkly reflective dress is sharp, and why not throw it in America's face that she's the only woman contestant left. She's right to say that this song has been covered 100 times, and she really should not have followed in the karaoke footsteps of millions. The song is decent to show off dance moves, not vocal talent. Mediocre at best.
GRADE - C
3. Jason Castro - "I Shot The Sheriff" - Oh my goodness, a Bob Marley song? Really? It's like watching a white Bob Marley up on stage...OK maybe NOT! I really have no idea why he is playing guitar for this song, that's so irrelevant. I could rip on the jean jacket, but this is dreads and we don't expect much out of our resident hippy. This was a super-weak performance to top it off. In a week where the new VFTW king needed to step up, he's in big trouble. Not only do you not pick this song, you don't mess it up...ugh.
GRADE - FAIL
4. David Archuleta - "Stand By Me" - Somehow I distrust that he's never sung this in public before. I think the Archulator has shown off his raspiness on every song to every person who will stop to listen. Much like the beggars on high street, this guy just will not go away. The black T-shirt with white birds looks douchy, but this is the Archulator. Icky glory notes at the end, but other than that it was the usual mediocre performance. I know he's going to bring it in the finale and really piss me off. The tween-tards will keep him safe, especially in the money slot going lost.
GRADE - C
5. David Cook - "Baba O'Reilly" - Now here's something fresh, a Who song. I'm surprised by the outfit change, but he still looks OK. Just not as good. DC kind of whiffed on the glory notes connecting the boring soft part of the song and the upbeat chorus. The only real disappointment this week is that he did not work with the arrangement more. I think this is enough to keep him safe after having the best performance in the first round (despite the judges sucking the Archulator off hardcore).
GRADE - B-
6. Syesha Mercado - "A Change Is Gonna Come" - So if the black vote doesn't get behind Syesha this week to save her, are they just not watching? Maybe they all tuned out when Chikeize went home, but this is like picking the cheesy Lee Greenwood song to appease the hick fans (KKKrsiti Lee's manuever). This song choice is boring, the only excitement is that she could show off at the beginning and the end on glory notes which she actually hit. Her dress was a little iffy, but you know how guys are about boobs. The performance was good, the song choice for the rock theme was awful.
GRADE - B
7. Jason Castro - "Mr. Tambourine Man" - Jason is definitely going home or sticking around on his crutch, the acoustic guitar. I really think Vote For The Worst should have picked him before Brooke because this is classic awfulness matching the past 3 weeks. It's as if Jason just decided to stop trying to grow musically. Maybe he feels validated by America. He's no Bob Marley, and no Bob Dylan either. The outfit was nice for him, but he's so stoned out of his mind. He also forgot lyrics and hummed through the song. Unbelievable.
GRADE - FAIL
8. David Archuleta - "Love Me Tender" - The king of rock and roll is the challenge the Archulator takes on...and he punts it. Not like he punted the last time he had the money slot (forgetting lyrics of a Beatles song), but still he changed a decent upbeat song and made it into a drab snorefest. I know this is him just appealing to his fans, but this close-up squinting in the camera is not doing it for me. This was a poor song choice and not a great performance.
GRADE - D
So that's rock week. Well at least we had a rocker left to keep it good, and a hippy to laugh at a bunch. If there's any justice, Archulator should be in the bottom 2 to wake him up. However, the judges have his balls so far down their throats that there's no way the brainless tween-tards will let him go before the finale. They are sucking his junk so much more now that he is in trouble compared to the competition. Thankfully one poor contestant was left this week.
Best of the Night - David Cook, by a smidgen
Bottom Two - Jason "Bob" Castro and Syesha "I'm the only one with boobs left" Mercado
Going Home - 3 words from Simon for Jason - "PACK YOUR SUITCASE"
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
American Idol Top 5: A Diamond in the Rough?
The American Idol competition lost a surprising contestant last week in Carly. I just do not understand how the tween-tards could see such bad performances as Jason and Brooke last week and still don't put either in the bottom 2 (especially when Carly, Dave, Dave, and Syesha are just better singers most weeks). Well whatever, it's a crapshoot and I've hit 3 out of 6 going home...so that's worth something. This week is Neil Diamond week, which should be very interesting. How we got Dolly, Mariah, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Neil Diamond in the same season is mind-boggling. Well, each remaining contestant gets two chances to redeem themselves or mess it all up this week.
ROUND ONE
1. Jason Castro - "Forever in Blue Jeans" - And after the most uncomfortable week in Jason's run during theater week, he's back to the guitar crutch. At least he's standing. Nothing to say about the nice shirt and blue jeans, although it fits the song. This performance was pretty solid, but nothing strong vocally to show. But this was a good song choice. Kind of boring. The death slot might come back to bite him for last week's escape though.
GRADE: C
2. David Cook - "I'm Alive" - I don't know what "AC" means, but DC is pimpin it on the guitar and the jacket (half an AC/DC logo means we should think DC is missing...no it's David Cook...whatever). I love the rocking black outfit nevertheless and his guitar doesn't seem like so much of a crutch. This song was completely unrecognizable, but it seems to fit him. Nothing as stellar as last week, but a solid safe performance.
GRADE: B
3. Brooke White - "I'm A Believer" - Oh boy two different instruments tonight! Guitar is a little different for her, so I'm happy to see her show off talent after a poor showing last week. This arrangement was a lot like the Shrek version, which is a pretty good version. Boring blue outfit tonight. an improvement from usual. She's definitely playing the safe card by doing such a popular song. Still more jamming than usual for her. I think she could've done more vocally with the song, but nothing real bad or good here.
GRADE: D
4. David Archuleta - "Sweet Caroline" - I swear the Archulator has picked two of everyone's most favorite karaoke hits tonight just because he can get away with such cheesiness (and it's probably a plus to the tween-tards...sigh). All the Idols have nothing to make fun of outfit-wise this week, so sad that they are learning. This song was nothing special. Nothing bad, but wow we need these second performances to split the idols tonight.
GRADE: C
5. Syesha Mercado - "Hello Again" - Beautiful dress out of the suddenly best-dressed idol contestant. Finally a song to show off some pipes, but I guess without Carly everything is going to be toned down to normal again. No real pitch problems by my ear, and the only problem is that the song was so soft and slow that it might have bored America. At least it's a better song choice than Sweet Caroline...BAH BAH BAH!
Grade: B
Paula is so far out in left field...and clearly the comments are scripted for her as she thought each person had sung twice after just one go round. Is it really hard to pay that much attention? What a classic Idol moment for the cracked-out middle judge. As usual, Simon is the only one with sense to say...HEY EVERYONE please step up now after those mediocre performances.
ROUND TWO
1. Jason Castro - "September Morn" - What, no double crutch tonight? Wow he hit a bad note at the end of this song, you think Neil would have fixed that. This second song was even more slow and boring than the first, with no awesome show-off vocals. It appears Paula was dead-on in her criticism before it happened. What kind of excuse is "I kind of started choking before the song." No, you started choking last week and haven't stopped this week. Uh-oh again Mr. Castro.
GRADE: D
2. David Cook - "All I Really Need Is You" - We've traded the electric guitar for the acoustic now, and this does feel a little like a DC concert. He's now one week past where Daughtery went home, the most successful rocker to date (in and out of the competition combined). The faster part of this song was OK, the rest was pretty unexciting. DC playing it safe, and who knows what comes of that. This was a good pair of songs though.
GRADE: B
3. Brooke White - "I Am I Said" - Nice, now we have to write the first lyrics on our wrist and be "caught" by Seacrest to not mess up for the third time this season. This is actually a pretty tough song when you are trying to show off your voice, which I felt like she was doing. On further review, her shirt has ruffles and the reflective pants are too much to handle. Nevertheless, she did a better job for her voice than I'm A Believer.
GRADE: B
4. David Archuleta - "America" - And the karaoke battle starts again. The Archulator is clearly saving up his raspy voice for the finale when he'll be up against DC if the tween-tards don't screw us over. This is the stereotypical glory note ending patriotic BS song that somehow is popular on Idol. He did a nice job with it, but man do I hate the song choices. What a d-bag. It would be interesting to see Simon tear into him for Sweet Caroline, but I guess we'll have to live with him hating Brooke.
GRADE: B
5. Syesha Mercado - "Thank The Lord For The Nighttime" - Thank God for the end of Neil Diamond week. I think her song choice order was wise because she saved her memorable upbeat song for the money spot at the end of the show. I don't know if her bottom 2 placing was because she led the show last week or if the tween-tards are out to prove me wrong about her. Not a ton of vocal range on this one, but it was exciting and better than most other performances. Randy is spot-on in saying Syesha has found out where she shines the most just in time to perhaps compete for the finale.
GRADE: B+ (because this was the best of the night, but that's not saying much)
Well not quite a train wreck, but this season is dragging on my last bored nerve. We'll give it a shot on predictions again, but other than DC...nobody is safe. See you next week for the Final 4, because it certainly won't be the fabulous four.
Top Performer - Syesha Mercado (which means she'll be in the bottom two again)
Bottom Two - Brooke White and Jason Castro, for real this time
Going Home - Good riddance hippie. Jason goes home.
ROUND ONE
1. Jason Castro - "Forever in Blue Jeans" - And after the most uncomfortable week in Jason's run during theater week, he's back to the guitar crutch. At least he's standing. Nothing to say about the nice shirt and blue jeans, although it fits the song. This performance was pretty solid, but nothing strong vocally to show. But this was a good song choice. Kind of boring. The death slot might come back to bite him for last week's escape though.
GRADE: C
2. David Cook - "I'm Alive" - I don't know what "AC" means, but DC is pimpin it on the guitar and the jacket (half an AC/DC logo means we should think DC is missing...no it's David Cook...whatever). I love the rocking black outfit nevertheless and his guitar doesn't seem like so much of a crutch. This song was completely unrecognizable, but it seems to fit him. Nothing as stellar as last week, but a solid safe performance.
GRADE: B
3. Brooke White - "I'm A Believer" - Oh boy two different instruments tonight! Guitar is a little different for her, so I'm happy to see her show off talent after a poor showing last week. This arrangement was a lot like the Shrek version, which is a pretty good version. Boring blue outfit tonight. an improvement from usual. She's definitely playing the safe card by doing such a popular song. Still more jamming than usual for her. I think she could've done more vocally with the song, but nothing real bad or good here.
GRADE: D
4. David Archuleta - "Sweet Caroline" - I swear the Archulator has picked two of everyone's most favorite karaoke hits tonight just because he can get away with such cheesiness (and it's probably a plus to the tween-tards...sigh). All the Idols have nothing to make fun of outfit-wise this week, so sad that they are learning. This song was nothing special. Nothing bad, but wow we need these second performances to split the idols tonight.
GRADE: C
5. Syesha Mercado - "Hello Again" - Beautiful dress out of the suddenly best-dressed idol contestant. Finally a song to show off some pipes, but I guess without Carly everything is going to be toned down to normal again. No real pitch problems by my ear, and the only problem is that the song was so soft and slow that it might have bored America. At least it's a better song choice than Sweet Caroline...BAH BAH BAH!
Grade: B
Paula is so far out in left field...and clearly the comments are scripted for her as she thought each person had sung twice after just one go round. Is it really hard to pay that much attention? What a classic Idol moment for the cracked-out middle judge. As usual, Simon is the only one with sense to say...HEY EVERYONE please step up now after those mediocre performances.
ROUND TWO
1. Jason Castro - "September Morn" - What, no double crutch tonight? Wow he hit a bad note at the end of this song, you think Neil would have fixed that. This second song was even more slow and boring than the first, with no awesome show-off vocals. It appears Paula was dead-on in her criticism before it happened. What kind of excuse is "I kind of started choking before the song." No, you started choking last week and haven't stopped this week. Uh-oh again Mr. Castro.
GRADE: D
2. David Cook - "All I Really Need Is You" - We've traded the electric guitar for the acoustic now, and this does feel a little like a DC concert. He's now one week past where Daughtery went home, the most successful rocker to date (in and out of the competition combined). The faster part of this song was OK, the rest was pretty unexciting. DC playing it safe, and who knows what comes of that. This was a good pair of songs though.
GRADE: B
3. Brooke White - "I Am I Said" - Nice, now we have to write the first lyrics on our wrist and be "caught" by Seacrest to not mess up for the third time this season. This is actually a pretty tough song when you are trying to show off your voice, which I felt like she was doing. On further review, her shirt has ruffles and the reflective pants are too much to handle. Nevertheless, she did a better job for her voice than I'm A Believer.
GRADE: B
4. David Archuleta - "America" - And the karaoke battle starts again. The Archulator is clearly saving up his raspy voice for the finale when he'll be up against DC if the tween-tards don't screw us over. This is the stereotypical glory note ending patriotic BS song that somehow is popular on Idol. He did a nice job with it, but man do I hate the song choices. What a d-bag. It would be interesting to see Simon tear into him for Sweet Caroline, but I guess we'll have to live with him hating Brooke.
GRADE: B
5. Syesha Mercado - "Thank The Lord For The Nighttime" - Thank God for the end of Neil Diamond week. I think her song choice order was wise because she saved her memorable upbeat song for the money spot at the end of the show. I don't know if her bottom 2 placing was because she led the show last week or if the tween-tards are out to prove me wrong about her. Not a ton of vocal range on this one, but it was exciting and better than most other performances. Randy is spot-on in saying Syesha has found out where she shines the most just in time to perhaps compete for the finale.
GRADE: B+ (because this was the best of the night, but that's not saying much)
Well not quite a train wreck, but this season is dragging on my last bored nerve. We'll give it a shot on predictions again, but other than DC...nobody is safe. See you next week for the Final 4, because it certainly won't be the fabulous four.
Top Performer - Syesha Mercado (which means she'll be in the bottom two again)
Bottom Two - Brooke White and Jason Castro, for real this time
Going Home - Good riddance hippie. Jason goes home.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
American Idol Top 6: Let's Go To The Theatre!
Well after a week's hiatus (where I missed the bottom 3 except for picking Kristy Lee to go home again), we're back for some more Idol. We have reached the halfway point of the prime part of the season, and we'll be about one month away from crowning a new Idol after this week's eliminations.
So after doing Dolly songs and Mariah Carey songs, we come to another legendary set of songs (like the Beatles songbook) for this season's contestants to butcher. It's really too bad we're missing KKK Kristy this week or even better, imagine Amanda doing show tunes. Anyways, strike up the orchestra and let's get on with the show!
1. Syesha Mercado - "One Rock and Roll Too Many" - First let me say, absolutely the best outfit and hair of the season out of Syesha, who is probably the best dressed contestant left. This song gave her an opportunity to show off some vocal range while also being nice and upbeat (I'm betting there will not be much more of that tonight). She knocked this one out of the park, even though the song is relatively unknown. It's nice to see an Idol actually have fun on stage instead of being so tight and playing it safe. There's no way the Tween-tards can send her home after this, and she may be jumping into the fray for the top 2-3.
GRADE - A
2. Jason Castro - "Memory" - OMG, Jason wears a suit. I didn't know the hippie had it in him, but then again this week is probably his worst nightmare. When ALW is not so sure about the performance it must be bad news because the mentors ALWAYS suck up to the contestants on camera. There were a couple really rough spots and Jason slowed the song down to make it sound like "Hallelujah" from a few weeks ago instead of the powerful ballad Memory is. This song was boring and did not show anything off, the performance was pretty much a train wreck. Hurt even more by following Syesha. Uh-oh city.
GRADE - F
3. Brooke White - "You Must Love Me" - OK so maybe ALW is just the rare mentor who actually tells the Idols that they aren't quite all they think they are when they misinterpret songs. Oh my goodness, she stopped one line into the song and started over and the band actually complied. I think they should've gone on because while the judges thought that was professional last time, I call bullshit on that. If you were "professional," you wouldn't fuck up the beginning of a song (especially now that it's happened twice). At least the Archulator kept swinging with a smile when he forgot lyrics. This is just the absolute bomb that Jason needed to keep him in contention. The performance was not awesome as her voice definitely pitched wrongly through the song. At least the judges mauled her properly. Wow the elimination show is going to be a heated battle.
GRADE - F
4. David Archuleta - "Think of Me" - And here is our obligatory Phantom song, and why couldn't the frontrunner pick one of the great guy songs...I just don't know. Interesting ALW critique on the squinty or closed eyes, very distracting at times. Did we really need all those 10-13 year olds to come up and hug him...we know why he's the frontrunner and can hear the screams at home every week, but at least they are in his age group dating wise. Don't know how I feel about the outfit since everyone is dressing up for theatre week. This was nothing like what I remember from Phantom, an interesting twist. The performance was good, but I think he bent the song a little too much. Definitely safe thanks to the weaker links above.
GRADE - C
5. Carly Smithson - "All I Ask Of You...oh wait, let's audible to Jesus Christ Superstar" - This is really dressy for Carly, sleeves and all. It's nice to see that the best performances are those who decided to not change a song too much and those who did something upbeat and memorable. For once, I don't feel like she oversang the tune, but this is one of her wheelhouses where oversinging is OK. The performance was pretty spot on, one of her better ones. After being in risk of falling out the past couple weeks, Carly again looks like a prime contender.
GRADE - B
6. David Cook - "Music Of The Night" - Finally a guy picks a guy song, and DC looks good in his dressy yet rocking shirt and suit jacket. I see why ALW was saying DC needs to play up the emotion of the song better, but he's not going for Broadway. Wow did he hit the glory note in the middle of the performance. All of a sudden it appears David Cook has the best voice this season of the remaining contestants, something pretty amazing for the last rocker. I agree with Simon that this is not a good week for DC, but he made the most of it and for that, I give the elusive A.
GRADE - A-
Wow, definitely three tiers of performances this week. Syesha stole the show and it will be injustice if she or DC end up in the bottome three. This season has proven the tween-tards can be unpredictable. For the record, Carly was better than The Archulator but he's still too popular to drop into the bottom three. So...
Top 2 - Syesha Mercado, David Cook
Bottom 3 - Carly Smithson, Jason Castro, Brooke White
In a battle of VFTW's selection against everyone's favorite dredlocks...
Going Home - Brooke White
So after doing Dolly songs and Mariah Carey songs, we come to another legendary set of songs (like the Beatles songbook) for this season's contestants to butcher. It's really too bad we're missing KKK Kristy this week or even better, imagine Amanda doing show tunes. Anyways, strike up the orchestra and let's get on with the show!
1. Syesha Mercado - "One Rock and Roll Too Many" - First let me say, absolutely the best outfit and hair of the season out of Syesha, who is probably the best dressed contestant left. This song gave her an opportunity to show off some vocal range while also being nice and upbeat (I'm betting there will not be much more of that tonight). She knocked this one out of the park, even though the song is relatively unknown. It's nice to see an Idol actually have fun on stage instead of being so tight and playing it safe. There's no way the Tween-tards can send her home after this, and she may be jumping into the fray for the top 2-3.
GRADE - A
2. Jason Castro - "Memory" - OMG, Jason wears a suit. I didn't know the hippie had it in him, but then again this week is probably his worst nightmare. When ALW is not so sure about the performance it must be bad news because the mentors ALWAYS suck up to the contestants on camera. There were a couple really rough spots and Jason slowed the song down to make it sound like "Hallelujah" from a few weeks ago instead of the powerful ballad Memory is. This song was boring and did not show anything off, the performance was pretty much a train wreck. Hurt even more by following Syesha. Uh-oh city.
GRADE - F
3. Brooke White - "You Must Love Me" - OK so maybe ALW is just the rare mentor who actually tells the Idols that they aren't quite all they think they are when they misinterpret songs. Oh my goodness, she stopped one line into the song and started over and the band actually complied. I think they should've gone on because while the judges thought that was professional last time, I call bullshit on that. If you were "professional," you wouldn't fuck up the beginning of a song (especially now that it's happened twice). At least the Archulator kept swinging with a smile when he forgot lyrics. This is just the absolute bomb that Jason needed to keep him in contention. The performance was not awesome as her voice definitely pitched wrongly through the song. At least the judges mauled her properly. Wow the elimination show is going to be a heated battle.
GRADE - F
4. David Archuleta - "Think of Me" - And here is our obligatory Phantom song, and why couldn't the frontrunner pick one of the great guy songs...I just don't know. Interesting ALW critique on the squinty or closed eyes, very distracting at times. Did we really need all those 10-13 year olds to come up and hug him...we know why he's the frontrunner and can hear the screams at home every week, but at least they are in his age group dating wise. Don't know how I feel about the outfit since everyone is dressing up for theatre week. This was nothing like what I remember from Phantom, an interesting twist. The performance was good, but I think he bent the song a little too much. Definitely safe thanks to the weaker links above.
GRADE - C
5. Carly Smithson - "All I Ask Of You...oh wait, let's audible to Jesus Christ Superstar" - This is really dressy for Carly, sleeves and all. It's nice to see that the best performances are those who decided to not change a song too much and those who did something upbeat and memorable. For once, I don't feel like she oversang the tune, but this is one of her wheelhouses where oversinging is OK. The performance was pretty spot on, one of her better ones. After being in risk of falling out the past couple weeks, Carly again looks like a prime contender.
GRADE - B
6. David Cook - "Music Of The Night" - Finally a guy picks a guy song, and DC looks good in his dressy yet rocking shirt and suit jacket. I see why ALW was saying DC needs to play up the emotion of the song better, but he's not going for Broadway. Wow did he hit the glory note in the middle of the performance. All of a sudden it appears David Cook has the best voice this season of the remaining contestants, something pretty amazing for the last rocker. I agree with Simon that this is not a good week for DC, but he made the most of it and for that, I give the elusive A.
GRADE - A-
Wow, definitely three tiers of performances this week. Syesha stole the show and it will be injustice if she or DC end up in the bottome three. This season has proven the tween-tards can be unpredictable. For the record, Carly was better than The Archulator but he's still too popular to drop into the bottom three. So...
Top 2 - Syesha Mercado, David Cook
Bottom 3 - Carly Smithson, Jason Castro, Brooke White
In a battle of VFTW's selection against everyone's favorite dredlocks...
Going Home - Brooke White
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
American Idol Top 7: Skip a Week!
I missed this week, but I called KKK going home. Kristy Lee Cook is just out of her league, but she had some glorious moments for sure. We'll miss her.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
American Idol Top 8 - Inspirational Week = American Idol Sings Kelley's Mix CD Songs
The Top 8 brings us inspirational song week, which is broad as can be. Maybe we'll get some more stupid Whitney and Celine songs...oh joy. I took a risk calling Brooke out last week and I was right about her being in the bottom three; the support was too much still though and cute little Ramiele finally goes home. With the exception of Kristy, the worst four singers are probably at home now of the top 12 (RIP Stripper Dave, Amanda, Chikeize, and Ramiele)
1. Michael Johns - "Dream On" by Aerosmith - Michael pimped the Steven Tyler-esque scarf tonight. The song was a decent choice, but I thought he was a little bit off actually. The end of the song was very awkward. He's much more of a Queen singer than an Aerosmith singer, so this week was certainly not his best. And apparently, Paula's chihuahua's are about to pop on stage with Michael, whatever that means. Now's not the time to get complacent...
GRADE: D
2. Syesha Mercado - "I Believe" by Fantasia - Thank God, not Whitney again. After last week's terrible cop-out in country week, I'm happy to see a legitimate song out of Syesha. The glory note soprano was a little bit much, and I think Fantasia would make Syesha look silly on this song. Stupid big hoop earrings are distracting. I do not think singing a winner's song from another season of American Idol is a good choice, no matter if she is Syesha's idol. She actually sang it OK overall, but trouble is looming.
GRADE: C
3. Jason Castro - "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" by some Hawaiian dude named Israel - This was definitely a typical dreds song, as he's the exact kind of person I envision when Kelley's mix CD plays this version of the song. Props on changing the guitar for the ukelele on this song, but nothing outside the box (which is what inspirational week seems to bring). I thought he could have used a more melodic singing part of the song, but what he did do was excellent. Unlike the first two, this one was right in the wheelhouse in a good way.
GRADE: A
4. Kristy Lee Cook - "Anyway" by Martina McBride - No shocker here, it's country week every week when KKK Kristy gets her way. It's funny how KKK can mix slutty glitter shirt with cowboy boots, a style certainly all her own as far as American Idol goes. The country power ballad was a great choice to show off her voice (which surprisingly, she seems to have one), but just like Michael she suffered from some note problems. A nice comment from Simon might yet again keep her around, as well as the VFTW support. Still nothing special...
GRADE: C
5. David Cook - "Innocent" by Our Lady Peace - OMG, what is he wearing? The white jacket screams Michael Jackson circa 1986...but we'll let him pass as he's usually OK on the outfits. I'm a little bothered by the last two singers using the ridiculous 7 member backup group tonight. The song choice was OK and the performance was good...but the song is really not that hard. This is too ho-hum, and the judges ripped him for it. This is a complete miss based on what DC has picked in the past.
GRADE: D
6. Carly Smithson - "The Show Must Go On" by Queen - so Michael picks the Aerosmith oversing ballad and Carly picks Queen...the world is so upside-down sometimes. Another let's show off the tattoo top, but a very nice metallic belt and bracelet combo. This is a pretty good song in the chorus, and Carly does not disappoint with the usual oversinging. The backup singers kind of drowned her out in the second chorus. Song choice brings her down yet again.
GRADE: D
7. David Archuleta - "Angels" by Robbie Williams - the piano gets use from someone other than Brooke for once. This is another home run song choice, which is no surprise given the Archulator's success with broad song choices. The performance on the piano and with his voice was not overdone and quite perfect. Not his best, but compared to the lack of competition...he sails through.
GRADE: A
8. Brooke White - "You've Got A Friend" by Carol King - the only real surprise at the start was that Brooke let the band play piano. Guess the Archulator said step off Ms. White. For once, nothing distracting about the outfit (except for the big-ass ring according to Kelley). Another absolute punting of the final note of the night, but the rest of the song was OK. Just a little safe number after her tumble into the bottom three last week. It's enough to keep on.
GRADE: C
Well lots of crap this week thanks to Idol inviting the contestants to pick their wank-wank songs, which always leads to them thinking they sing a song better than they actually do. Zero Whitney and Celine though, so that appeases me a little. Still highly disappointing for many good singers and this will be a tough week to predict...how will the Tween-tards go?
Top 2: Jason Castro, David Archuleta
Bottom 3: Kristy Lee Cook, Carly Smithson, David Cook
Going Home: Kristy Lee Cook
1. Michael Johns - "Dream On" by Aerosmith - Michael pimped the Steven Tyler-esque scarf tonight. The song was a decent choice, but I thought he was a little bit off actually. The end of the song was very awkward. He's much more of a Queen singer than an Aerosmith singer, so this week was certainly not his best. And apparently, Paula's chihuahua's are about to pop on stage with Michael, whatever that means. Now's not the time to get complacent...
GRADE: D
2. Syesha Mercado - "I Believe" by Fantasia - Thank God, not Whitney again. After last week's terrible cop-out in country week, I'm happy to see a legitimate song out of Syesha. The glory note soprano was a little bit much, and I think Fantasia would make Syesha look silly on this song. Stupid big hoop earrings are distracting. I do not think singing a winner's song from another season of American Idol is a good choice, no matter if she is Syesha's idol. She actually sang it OK overall, but trouble is looming.
GRADE: C
3. Jason Castro - "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" by some Hawaiian dude named Israel - This was definitely a typical dreds song, as he's the exact kind of person I envision when Kelley's mix CD plays this version of the song. Props on changing the guitar for the ukelele on this song, but nothing outside the box (which is what inspirational week seems to bring). I thought he could have used a more melodic singing part of the song, but what he did do was excellent. Unlike the first two, this one was right in the wheelhouse in a good way.
GRADE: A
4. Kristy Lee Cook - "Anyway" by Martina McBride - No shocker here, it's country week every week when KKK Kristy gets her way. It's funny how KKK can mix slutty glitter shirt with cowboy boots, a style certainly all her own as far as American Idol goes. The country power ballad was a great choice to show off her voice (which surprisingly, she seems to have one), but just like Michael she suffered from some note problems. A nice comment from Simon might yet again keep her around, as well as the VFTW support. Still nothing special...
GRADE: C
5. David Cook - "Innocent" by Our Lady Peace - OMG, what is he wearing? The white jacket screams Michael Jackson circa 1986...but we'll let him pass as he's usually OK on the outfits. I'm a little bothered by the last two singers using the ridiculous 7 member backup group tonight. The song choice was OK and the performance was good...but the song is really not that hard. This is too ho-hum, and the judges ripped him for it. This is a complete miss based on what DC has picked in the past.
GRADE: D
6. Carly Smithson - "The Show Must Go On" by Queen - so Michael picks the Aerosmith oversing ballad and Carly picks Queen...the world is so upside-down sometimes. Another let's show off the tattoo top, but a very nice metallic belt and bracelet combo. This is a pretty good song in the chorus, and Carly does not disappoint with the usual oversinging. The backup singers kind of drowned her out in the second chorus. Song choice brings her down yet again.
GRADE: D
7. David Archuleta - "Angels" by Robbie Williams - the piano gets use from someone other than Brooke for once. This is another home run song choice, which is no surprise given the Archulator's success with broad song choices. The performance on the piano and with his voice was not overdone and quite perfect. Not his best, but compared to the lack of competition...he sails through.
GRADE: A
8. Brooke White - "You've Got A Friend" by Carol King - the only real surprise at the start was that Brooke let the band play piano. Guess the Archulator said step off Ms. White. For once, nothing distracting about the outfit (except for the big-ass ring according to Kelley). Another absolute punting of the final note of the night, but the rest of the song was OK. Just a little safe number after her tumble into the bottom three last week. It's enough to keep on.
GRADE: C
Well lots of crap this week thanks to Idol inviting the contestants to pick their wank-wank songs, which always leads to them thinking they sing a song better than they actually do. Zero Whitney and Celine though, so that appeases me a little. Still highly disappointing for many good singers and this will be a tough week to predict...how will the Tween-tards go?
Top 2: Jason Castro, David Archuleta
Bottom 3: Kristy Lee Cook, Carly Smithson, David Cook
Going Home: Kristy Lee Cook
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
American Idol Top 9: Welcome to Dollywood (or KKK-Lee Cook has her theme week)
Well there's nothing like having the Idols "squeeze" 9 songs into one hour, and then stretch out a results show for just as long. This week's mentor (finally) is Dolly Parton, one of the most iconic country singers of all times. Should be amazing seeing these kids try to force these songs to their own needs. For those joining us late, the grade scale is self-explanatory.
1. Brooke White (Jolene) - we see another instrument out of Brooke this week, as the piano is left behind for country week. Interesting song choice, seemed a little safe and not enough to show off her voice. I think the performance was pretty solid nevertheless. Still, not going to win this competition with boring performances in the long run.
GRADE: C-
2. David Cook (Little Sparrow) - No rock versions of Dolly songs out there I'm guessing, so DC rock has to go with his own version this week. Another acoustic guitar (how many of those are we seeing tonight?), and the song was mediocre for DC. I think this showed he has a soft side to his voice and good vocal range. If the song choice were better, this could compete with his other performances...but it was not. He definitely survives Country Night.
GRADE: B
3. Ramiele Malubay (Do I Ever Cross Your Mind) - So Dolly thinks Ramiele has spunk and bounciness in her small frame...just as long as she doesn't get Dolly-sized implants she'll be fine. I'm apparently in disagreement with the tween-tards on this singer, as I see nothing great. Just a cute little "bouncy" person with a decent voice. The song choice was her usual, the performance was kind of boring in all honesty. Outfit was terrible as usual, and Simon dropped the Cruise Ship comment again (rightfully so).
GRADE: D
4. Jason Castro (Travelin' Through) - Surprise, surprise...acoustic guitar. Jason actually makes this sound more like him than country, so I'll give him credit for that. The song choice was a nice fun number, and the performance was best so far tonight...but no vocal range showoff possibilities. Another ho-hum performance (where did all the awesome performances disappear to this season?)
GRADE: C
5. Carly Smithson (Here You Come Again) - Carly cannot play guitar, so she has the band transplant one in front of her on stage to make her fit in. This song was a stretch for Dolly, but it fits right in Carly's wheelhouse. Actually did a nice job and did not oversing as much as usual. I cannot imagine why the tween-tards put her in the bottom three a couple weeks ago, but they will not be making that mistake again. As far as outfit, her outfits are definitely getting worse with time and Simon is dead-on...it's dropping her from the top line of competition.
GRADE: B
6. David Archuleta (Smoky Mountain Memories) - Classic Archulator gear tonight, nothing special to talk about there. This song was a good choice for him after last week's 1990's disaster. It seems like the Archulator swings back and forth from terrible mistakes (missed lyrics, atrocious song choice) to best singer in the competition. This was a good week, nearly perfect performance from the Wonder Boy.
GRADE: A
7. KKK Kristy Lee Cook (Coat of Many Colors) - Now if this is not a week designed for Kristy to move on, I don't know what is. I really wish we could've seen Amanda try to relate to Dolly, but alas we're stuck with terribleness. Kristy did a little makeover this week, looking far more professional. Worked for Syesha, maybe it will work here. Kristy picks a typical country twang song, and actually puts a decent performance out there. Randy pretty much said the obvious by saying it is Kristy Lee Cook week. And she went barefoot...thanks for that nugget of knowledge Secrest (it doesn't get more hick-ish than that).
GRADE: C
8. Syesha Mercado (I Will Always Love You) - Lovely, now we're mixing Dolly with the most awful of overdone Idol singers, Whitney. The contrast of the black piano and bright yellow dress was an interesting choice, but whatever. Man I HATE this version of the song, and the extended glory note at the end makes it worse. Syesha gave a great vocal, but this song was way too much for her. I'll actually agree with the tween-tards recent movements of her into the bottom 3, this was bad Whitney.
GRADE: D
9. Michael Johns (It's All Wrong but It's All Right) - Hallelujah, an electric guitar instead of acoustic on country night. I love the black suit look with the piano, looks much better than a yellow dress. The song choice was a little iffy, but his vocal was spot on. Michael Johns may be displacing Carly in the contenders list. There's not a ton to say here, it was just a good performance.
GRADE: A
I'll give a little more credit to the Idols...no failing grades and a couple A's mean country night was better than expected. This is actually a very tough call on who goes home, unlike the clear Stripper Dave and Chikeize picks. But we'll try our best to keep the good luck going, c'mon tween-tards hook me up.
Top Three: David Archuleta, Michael Johns, David Cook
Bottom Three: Syesha Mercado, Ramiele Malubay, Brooke White
Going Home: Brooke White (in a real shocker!)
1. Brooke White (Jolene) - we see another instrument out of Brooke this week, as the piano is left behind for country week. Interesting song choice, seemed a little safe and not enough to show off her voice. I think the performance was pretty solid nevertheless. Still, not going to win this competition with boring performances in the long run.
GRADE: C-
2. David Cook (Little Sparrow) - No rock versions of Dolly songs out there I'm guessing, so DC rock has to go with his own version this week. Another acoustic guitar (how many of those are we seeing tonight?), and the song was mediocre for DC. I think this showed he has a soft side to his voice and good vocal range. If the song choice were better, this could compete with his other performances...but it was not. He definitely survives Country Night.
GRADE: B
3. Ramiele Malubay (Do I Ever Cross Your Mind) - So Dolly thinks Ramiele has spunk and bounciness in her small frame...just as long as she doesn't get Dolly-sized implants she'll be fine. I'm apparently in disagreement with the tween-tards on this singer, as I see nothing great. Just a cute little "bouncy" person with a decent voice. The song choice was her usual, the performance was kind of boring in all honesty. Outfit was terrible as usual, and Simon dropped the Cruise Ship comment again (rightfully so).
GRADE: D
4. Jason Castro (Travelin' Through) - Surprise, surprise...acoustic guitar. Jason actually makes this sound more like him than country, so I'll give him credit for that. The song choice was a nice fun number, and the performance was best so far tonight...but no vocal range showoff possibilities. Another ho-hum performance (where did all the awesome performances disappear to this season?)
GRADE: C
5. Carly Smithson (Here You Come Again) - Carly cannot play guitar, so she has the band transplant one in front of her on stage to make her fit in. This song was a stretch for Dolly, but it fits right in Carly's wheelhouse. Actually did a nice job and did not oversing as much as usual. I cannot imagine why the tween-tards put her in the bottom three a couple weeks ago, but they will not be making that mistake again. As far as outfit, her outfits are definitely getting worse with time and Simon is dead-on...it's dropping her from the top line of competition.
GRADE: B
6. David Archuleta (Smoky Mountain Memories) - Classic Archulator gear tonight, nothing special to talk about there. This song was a good choice for him after last week's 1990's disaster. It seems like the Archulator swings back and forth from terrible mistakes (missed lyrics, atrocious song choice) to best singer in the competition. This was a good week, nearly perfect performance from the Wonder Boy.
GRADE: A
7. KKK Kristy Lee Cook (Coat of Many Colors) - Now if this is not a week designed for Kristy to move on, I don't know what is. I really wish we could've seen Amanda try to relate to Dolly, but alas we're stuck with terribleness. Kristy did a little makeover this week, looking far more professional. Worked for Syesha, maybe it will work here. Kristy picks a typical country twang song, and actually puts a decent performance out there. Randy pretty much said the obvious by saying it is Kristy Lee Cook week. And she went barefoot...thanks for that nugget of knowledge Secrest (it doesn't get more hick-ish than that).
GRADE: C
8. Syesha Mercado (I Will Always Love You) - Lovely, now we're mixing Dolly with the most awful of overdone Idol singers, Whitney. The contrast of the black piano and bright yellow dress was an interesting choice, but whatever. Man I HATE this version of the song, and the extended glory note at the end makes it worse. Syesha gave a great vocal, but this song was way too much for her. I'll actually agree with the tween-tards recent movements of her into the bottom 3, this was bad Whitney.
GRADE: D
9. Michael Johns (It's All Wrong but It's All Right) - Hallelujah, an electric guitar instead of acoustic on country night. I love the black suit look with the piano, looks much better than a yellow dress. The song choice was a little iffy, but his vocal was spot on. Michael Johns may be displacing Carly in the contenders list. There's not a ton to say here, it was just a good performance.
GRADE: A
I'll give a little more credit to the Idols...no failing grades and a couple A's mean country night was better than expected. This is actually a very tough call on who goes home, unlike the clear Stripper Dave and Chikeize picks. But we'll try our best to keep the good luck going, c'mon tween-tards hook me up.
Top Three: David Archuleta, Michael Johns, David Cook
Bottom Three: Syesha Mercado, Ramiele Malubay, Brooke White
Going Home: Brooke White (in a real shocker!)
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
American Idol Top 10: The Genius Theme
Well now we're back, and Amanda-less. So sad. But we have to move on. This week's theme is "the year you were born," which means lots of terrible songs we grew up with. At least they will not kill Beatles songs. Grade scale remains standard - A, B, C, D, F.
1. Ramiele Malubay (1988 - Alone) - Oh my god, what is she wearing? Tina Turner couldn't make that late 80's gear look good. All she needs is a neon colored fanny pack. As for the singing, lots of glory notes in the power ballad and Ramiele as usual just doesn't hit them well. Her start was kind of raspy too. Randy is right on, the song was way too big for her. I don't care if she was sick, you have to overcome in this competition. She's cute enough to probably survive this week, but not much longer.
GRADE: D
2. Jason Castro (1987 - Fragile) - And we're right back to the crutch of Mr. Acoustic Idol. At least Castro didn't bring back the electric toy guitar or the 80's clothes to the stage. The performance was solid, but very soft and possibly too boring. The song choice was definitely right up his alley. The guitar playing was not fantastic, just basic strumming by the sounds of it. We'll say he passes.
GRADE: C
3. Syesha Mercado (1987 - If I Were Your Woman) - I swear, if she does the baby cry or KKK does Britney one more time...they should truly be co-VFTW. Happy to see the "high-class" dress and flat hair went away after one week, back to the fuzziness. Kelley thought she missed on the glory notes, but I disagree. It sounded great to me, and she may actually get off my chopping block this week. Classic moment 1 of the week: Paula calling the only black girl in the competition a Dark Horse. Nice. No doubt about it, she's back next week.
GRADE: A
4. Chikeize (1985 - If Only For One Night) - So Chikeize throws caution to the wind and goes back to what got him on the trouble a month ago. At least the harmonica stayed home this week, as too much of a quirky thing would be bad. I hate the pattern on the bottom of his suit jacket, it's too over the top for this song. His song choice was mediocre and the performance was solid yet forgettable. We know what Chikeize can do, and maybe he should find a way to mesh a ballad with some of his sparkling personality. Just did not do it tonight.
GRADE: D+
5. Brooke White (1983 - Every Breath You Take) - Missed the second note and started over, HUGE MISSTEP for this competition despite what Randy says. What a wank-wank story about being so gifted at music that she plays piano by ear. Good for you, Ms. Nothing Special. The song choice was interesting, her outfit was great considering the sunshine goodwill dress from last week, and the performance was typical Brooke. That song did not show off her vocal range at all, which makes me question my comparison earlier to Alicia Keys. The judges saying it was better than last week is no surprise since she punted like many last week.
GRADE: C
6. Michael Johns (1978 - We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions) - For the guy who did Bohemian Rhapsody to make the Top 24, this song choice is no surprise. He's actually lucky that he is so old and can pick from one of the greatest Queen albums of all time. Definitely not Freddie Mercury material here, but a pretty good rock performance. I don't think the song choice could get better than that honestly, and the performance was good enough to warrant top marks.
GRADE: A
7. Carly Smithson (1983 - Eclipse of the Heart) - First, I really like the black dress this week, as it fits Carly much better than some of her other outfits. Perfect song choice for someone who likes to belt out and oversing, and her performance was good except for the ridiculous glory note at the end. And before I forget, WTF is Paula Abdul wearing on her forearms? Biker gloves with jewelry accents? But anyways, the performance was good for that song. She needs to do a little better than that in the final weeks, but despite a bottom 3 appearance last week, Carly should be here well into May.
GRADE: B
8. David Archuleta (1990 - You're The Voice) - And now for the New Kids on the Block era, it's the Archulator. Nothing special about his outfit tonight, except for the little Mexican dance number with his sister clip. The song choice was mediocre and the judges as usual loved him despite not knowing the song. The performance was cruise ship worthy, despite his good singing. No way the tone-deaf tween tards are going to let him go, but it's really hit or miss. Of course, I will say the Archulator was at a huge disadvantage picking from the bare cupboard that was 1990. Cheesy.
GRADE: D
9. KKK Kristy Lee Cook (1984 - God Bless The U.S.A.) - Ahh, the queen of suckiness has garnered the crown of VFTW, rightfully so. No surprise that country-girl grabs the biggest Lee Greenwood ballad in history as a song choice. Between VFTW votes and silly patriotic votes, she might survive the week. The performance actually was not terrible, which hurts me fingers severely to type. She and Ramiele just are still outclassed by the rest of them. I thought The Archulator was cheesy, but I cannot believe this cheesiness. Wow. I just don't have words for it.
GRADE: C [which really is as good as it's going to get for her]
10. David Cook (1982 - Billie Jean) - My new top favorite picks a song from the greatest pop album of the 1980's, and does the Chris Cornell version (no surprise). He finally sheds the absolute punting of the final spot on the show from the past 3 weeks with a solid performance. There's just enough big notes in the song to show off vocally while doing a relatively safe performance. His song choices are unexpected and top notch, and perhaps this favorite will stick around longer than Amanda did. I could do without the scruffy soul patch, but whatever.
GRADE: A
Top 3: Syesha Mercado, Michael Johns, David Cook
Bottom 3: KKK Kristy Lee Cook, Chikeize, Ramiele Malubay
Going Home: Chikeize
No FAIL grade this week, although I probably could have given one out. This just seemed so much better on the whole than the raping of Beatles songs from last week. We'll see tomorrow if I reclaim my good picking of two weeks ago.
1. Ramiele Malubay (1988 - Alone) - Oh my god, what is she wearing? Tina Turner couldn't make that late 80's gear look good. All she needs is a neon colored fanny pack. As for the singing, lots of glory notes in the power ballad and Ramiele as usual just doesn't hit them well. Her start was kind of raspy too. Randy is right on, the song was way too big for her. I don't care if she was sick, you have to overcome in this competition. She's cute enough to probably survive this week, but not much longer.
GRADE: D
2. Jason Castro (1987 - Fragile) - And we're right back to the crutch of Mr. Acoustic Idol. At least Castro didn't bring back the electric toy guitar or the 80's clothes to the stage. The performance was solid, but very soft and possibly too boring. The song choice was definitely right up his alley. The guitar playing was not fantastic, just basic strumming by the sounds of it. We'll say he passes.
GRADE: C
3. Syesha Mercado (1987 - If I Were Your Woman) - I swear, if she does the baby cry or KKK does Britney one more time...they should truly be co-VFTW. Happy to see the "high-class" dress and flat hair went away after one week, back to the fuzziness. Kelley thought she missed on the glory notes, but I disagree. It sounded great to me, and she may actually get off my chopping block this week. Classic moment 1 of the week: Paula calling the only black girl in the competition a Dark Horse. Nice. No doubt about it, she's back next week.
GRADE: A
4. Chikeize (1985 - If Only For One Night) - So Chikeize throws caution to the wind and goes back to what got him on the trouble a month ago. At least the harmonica stayed home this week, as too much of a quirky thing would be bad. I hate the pattern on the bottom of his suit jacket, it's too over the top for this song. His song choice was mediocre and the performance was solid yet forgettable. We know what Chikeize can do, and maybe he should find a way to mesh a ballad with some of his sparkling personality. Just did not do it tonight.
GRADE: D+
5. Brooke White (1983 - Every Breath You Take) - Missed the second note and started over, HUGE MISSTEP for this competition despite what Randy says. What a wank-wank story about being so gifted at music that she plays piano by ear. Good for you, Ms. Nothing Special. The song choice was interesting, her outfit was great considering the sunshine goodwill dress from last week, and the performance was typical Brooke. That song did not show off her vocal range at all, which makes me question my comparison earlier to Alicia Keys. The judges saying it was better than last week is no surprise since she punted like many last week.
GRADE: C
6. Michael Johns (1978 - We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions) - For the guy who did Bohemian Rhapsody to make the Top 24, this song choice is no surprise. He's actually lucky that he is so old and can pick from one of the greatest Queen albums of all time. Definitely not Freddie Mercury material here, but a pretty good rock performance. I don't think the song choice could get better than that honestly, and the performance was good enough to warrant top marks.
GRADE: A
7. Carly Smithson (1983 - Eclipse of the Heart) - First, I really like the black dress this week, as it fits Carly much better than some of her other outfits. Perfect song choice for someone who likes to belt out and oversing, and her performance was good except for the ridiculous glory note at the end. And before I forget, WTF is Paula Abdul wearing on her forearms? Biker gloves with jewelry accents? But anyways, the performance was good for that song. She needs to do a little better than that in the final weeks, but despite a bottom 3 appearance last week, Carly should be here well into May.
GRADE: B
8. David Archuleta (1990 - You're The Voice) - And now for the New Kids on the Block era, it's the Archulator. Nothing special about his outfit tonight, except for the little Mexican dance number with his sister clip. The song choice was mediocre and the judges as usual loved him despite not knowing the song. The performance was cruise ship worthy, despite his good singing. No way the tone-deaf tween tards are going to let him go, but it's really hit or miss. Of course, I will say the Archulator was at a huge disadvantage picking from the bare cupboard that was 1990. Cheesy.
GRADE: D
9. KKK Kristy Lee Cook (1984 - God Bless The U.S.A.) - Ahh, the queen of suckiness has garnered the crown of VFTW, rightfully so. No surprise that country-girl grabs the biggest Lee Greenwood ballad in history as a song choice. Between VFTW votes and silly patriotic votes, she might survive the week. The performance actually was not terrible, which hurts me fingers severely to type. She and Ramiele just are still outclassed by the rest of them. I thought The Archulator was cheesy, but I cannot believe this cheesiness. Wow. I just don't have words for it.
GRADE: C [which really is as good as it's going to get for her]
10. David Cook (1982 - Billie Jean) - My new top favorite picks a song from the greatest pop album of the 1980's, and does the Chris Cornell version (no surprise). He finally sheds the absolute punting of the final spot on the show from the past 3 weeks with a solid performance. There's just enough big notes in the song to show off vocally while doing a relatively safe performance. His song choices are unexpected and top notch, and perhaps this favorite will stick around longer than Amanda did. I could do without the scruffy soul patch, but whatever.
GRADE: A
Top 3: Syesha Mercado, Michael Johns, David Cook
Bottom 3: KKK Kristy Lee Cook, Chikeize, Ramiele Malubay
Going Home: Chikeize
No FAIL grade this week, although I probably could have given one out. This just seemed so much better on the whole than the raping of Beatles songs from last week. We'll see tomorrow if I reclaim my good picking of two weeks ago.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
American Idol Top 11: or How Not To Play Harmonica or Speak French
American Idol – The Top 11
Well I nailed the first week, except for having Syesha in my Top 3. I still think Ramiele was much worse, but the Tween-tards of America got it mostly right. Stripper Dave is gone, and we are down to 11 this week, week 2 of the Lennon/McCartney Songbook. I think maybe they should have waited a couple weeks to revisit this theme, but the songs are great source material so hopefully the Idols do better than last week. Grade scale is changing this week to a normalized A, B, C, D, and FAIL.
On a side note, thanks to this being my spring break and a four-day all-expenses paid trip to lovely Marietta Ohio for March Madness weekend (or shall I say Easter weekend), I'm doing this without internet from Cincy and then uploading Wednesday morning. But still, the insights should be good. At least when I'm not flipped between this and the second half of OSU's first round game in the NIT against UNCA and their 7'7" center…yes he wears 26 size shoes, the biggest in the world. It's amazing. Anyways, back to idol…
1. Amanda Overmyer, "Back In The USSR" – This was actually the exact song I thought she would pick. Good stage presence and outfit tonight (for her), but the performance was not great at the beginning. Solid vocals once she got going, and did not have to bend the song too much to make it Southern Rock. Judges were right on, and I think she had the perfect response to Simon's critique. If she drops out of Southern Rock, she will fail. Overall not impressive, so…
GRADE: C
2. KK-Kristy Lee Cook, "You Got To Hide Your Love Away" – Yeehaw, picking songs based solely on titles, uh-oh city. She needed a big performance to get off the chopping block. At least she really did not go out of her way to countrify a Lennon song for the second straight week. Still a little country in the black cowboy boots to match the normal-looking dress. Nice song for showing off vocal range, which I think she actually tried to do. The judges say she was too safe, but honestly she needed to play it safe after last week. I wish they'd stop encouraging the damn glory notes at the end of songs…I know they can sing a strong note, I want to see their vocal prowess, range, and performance style. Careful does not win Idol.
GRADE: D
3. David (I'm so good I can pimp the fact that I miss lyrics in a singing contest) Archuleta, "The Long and Winding Road" – Ahh, now we're back in Archuleta's wheel-house. I'm all for pimping the colored jackets with T-shirts, but I don't know about maroon jacket plus jeans. His performance needs to be better, as in move around the stage without fucking up the lyrics. He did not commit the cardinal sin this week, and actually did a nice job with the song. Of course the judges get on their knees and worship the holy Archuleta, just in case the Tween-Tards of America forget who they scream endlessly for. Tonight is the first time his voice has not completely annoyed me…a nice rebound.
GRADE: A
4. Michael Johns, "A Day In The Life" – I'm going all Randy here, but I didn't like what Michael did with the pitch of the notes early on. The outfit was fantastic…it screams don't pay attention to anything but the singing, except it would fit in nicely at a funeral. His haunting voice did not work for the slower parts of this song, and he couldn't show off during the fast part. Another Idol slayed by picking his most favorite song ever. Judges were spot on, and Michael may not leave this week but is headed in the wrong direction. Dedicating the song to your passed friend is cute one time…but don't pull it again.
GRADE: D
5. Brooke White, "Here Comes The Sun" – Surprisingly, it sounded like KKKristi during the opening, but Brooke sounded more like herself during the rest of the song. I know the yellow dress was supposed to be with the song, but it looks like something pulled out of a Goodwill dumpster. A huge drop off vocally from Let It Be last week, and will be OK thanks to prior performances. Judges continue the spot-on analysis, the song choice was the worst of the night. Brooke at the end telegraphed that she will go back to her wheelhouse and be stuck on the piano for many weeks to come. I think she'll succeed eventually, but only as a poor Alicia Keys knock-off and not in this competition. You are allowed to bring instruments, but not as a crutch (listen up Dreds).
GRADE: FAIL
6. David Cook, "Daytripper" (the White Snake version) – I love the crappy emo rock band who cried foul that DC stole their cover of Eleanor Rigby last week, when DC did it better. The outfit is totally cheesy Bon-Jovi style rock, but it fits the version of the song he did. This was a case where the instrument came out and did a good job because he doesn't rely on it like a crutch (and when he becomes a rock star, he will be playing it every night). The voicebox solo was incredible in all honesty, have to disagree with Simon there. It was different, it was rocking, and it was a quality performance. Misses the A grade just barely.
GRADE: B
7. Carly Smithson, "Blackbird" – Has there been a week where Carly has not shown off her tattoo with the shirt/dress she wears? I don't think so. This was a solid song choice, seems safe at first but opened up enough for Carly to show her usual vocal prowess. The outfit was a little loud for the song, but it's better than Brooke by a mile. Simon is rough on the contestants tonight, and perhaps he needs a nap. On a night where everybody outside the Daves are sort of stinking it up, this performance is more than good enough. On a final note, does anybody doubt when looking at Carly's guests and her new finger tattoos that before the end of her careers, her body will become a nasty pallet covered by tatts? Her friends scare me. I only bring it up because she draws attention to it…
GRADE: B
8. Jason Castro, "Michelle" – I think Ryan ruined the whole romance of the song by speaking French in the lead-in that way. On the bright side, nobody can tell when you mess up those lyrics (the pronunciation was merely OK on the French). The outfit was typical Jason, nothing fancy but not too hippy either. The performance was a little too happy for the song, as Jason's cheesy smile doesn’t sell the vibe at all. When Paula said Jason gets uncomfortable without the guitar, she couldn't have been speaking the truth more…but encouraging him to lean on the crutch is totally against my theory. As for tonight, the performance was not great but I liked his different song choice.
GRADE: C
9. Syesha Mercado, "Yesterday" – Ricky Minor (and his guitarist Paul) has the best gig in the world, playing cheesy favorites for American Idol and Don't Forget The Lyrics, and Paul looked good beside Syesha on this song playing acoustic guitar. Syesha's timing was a hair off I thought, but she played it very safe by picking this song. Beautiful dress for her as well. Not up to the performance last week, but apparently I'm in the minority there. This was good enough, not much else to say because it was pretty boring.
GRADE: C
10. Chikeize, "I've Just Seen A Face" – Anybody remember when Easy Chikeize wore that terrible gangsta-style outfit and almost got voted out? Nothing but sweater vests and muted colors since then, which is good because the focus should be on his singing. Playing the harmonica either made him nervous or out of breath, because he had some voice issues right after that. I love me some Blues Traveler though, so good risk with the harmonica (and not played terrible for just picking it up). Not as good as last week, but we can tell these are definitely the leftover song choices from last week. Simon says gimmicky, but I think it's still good enough to stick around.
GRADE: C
11. Ramiele Malubay, "I Should've Known Better" – More harmonica, this time from a professional in the band. There's a lot of voice in that little cute kid-sized body, but she did not have enough high points to show it in the song. This song and the outfit with the silly hat made me think of Blake Lewis, not a positive connotation in my mind. Ramiele is just outclassed by the other competitors, and is probably down with Stripper Dave as far as Top 12 talent. Two weeks in a row the final competitor has really punted the money-spot closing the show. If you can make Ryan Secrest look tall, wow you are small. I'd like to see her stand next to Kevin George from UNCA, the 7'7" beast that just lost to the Buckeyes. That would be funny. Pretty ordinary performance, which is bad news…
GRADE: D
FINAL THOUGHTS – Overall a very poor week on American Idol. This just proves you should not do two theme weeks with the same song set right in a row. The contestants are lucky if they can find one good match of a song (even in the legendary Lennon-McCartney songbook), so asking for magic two weeks in a row is not going to happen. Don't know what they will turn to next week, but we still have such diverse contestants that 1-2 will be in their comfort zone no matter the genre. So…
TOP THREE – David Archuleta, David Cook, Carly Smithson (the frontrunners return…)
BOTTOM THREE – Kristy Lee Cook, Ramiele Malubay, Michael Johns
GOING HOME – Kristy Lee Cook
Well I nailed the first week, except for having Syesha in my Top 3. I still think Ramiele was much worse, but the Tween-tards of America got it mostly right. Stripper Dave is gone, and we are down to 11 this week, week 2 of the Lennon/McCartney Songbook. I think maybe they should have waited a couple weeks to revisit this theme, but the songs are great source material so hopefully the Idols do better than last week. Grade scale is changing this week to a normalized A, B, C, D, and FAIL.
On a side note, thanks to this being my spring break and a four-day all-expenses paid trip to lovely Marietta Ohio for March Madness weekend (or shall I say Easter weekend), I'm doing this without internet from Cincy and then uploading Wednesday morning. But still, the insights should be good. At least when I'm not flipped between this and the second half of OSU's first round game in the NIT against UNCA and their 7'7" center…yes he wears 26 size shoes, the biggest in the world. It's amazing. Anyways, back to idol…
1. Amanda Overmyer, "Back In The USSR" – This was actually the exact song I thought she would pick. Good stage presence and outfit tonight (for her), but the performance was not great at the beginning. Solid vocals once she got going, and did not have to bend the song too much to make it Southern Rock. Judges were right on, and I think she had the perfect response to Simon's critique. If she drops out of Southern Rock, she will fail. Overall not impressive, so…
GRADE: C
2. KK-Kristy Lee Cook, "You Got To Hide Your Love Away" – Yeehaw, picking songs based solely on titles, uh-oh city. She needed a big performance to get off the chopping block. At least she really did not go out of her way to countrify a Lennon song for the second straight week. Still a little country in the black cowboy boots to match the normal-looking dress. Nice song for showing off vocal range, which I think she actually tried to do. The judges say she was too safe, but honestly she needed to play it safe after last week. I wish they'd stop encouraging the damn glory notes at the end of songs…I know they can sing a strong note, I want to see their vocal prowess, range, and performance style. Careful does not win Idol.
GRADE: D
3. David (I'm so good I can pimp the fact that I miss lyrics in a singing contest) Archuleta, "The Long and Winding Road" – Ahh, now we're back in Archuleta's wheel-house. I'm all for pimping the colored jackets with T-shirts, but I don't know about maroon jacket plus jeans. His performance needs to be better, as in move around the stage without fucking up the lyrics. He did not commit the cardinal sin this week, and actually did a nice job with the song. Of course the judges get on their knees and worship the holy Archuleta, just in case the Tween-Tards of America forget who they scream endlessly for. Tonight is the first time his voice has not completely annoyed me…a nice rebound.
GRADE: A
4. Michael Johns, "A Day In The Life" – I'm going all Randy here, but I didn't like what Michael did with the pitch of the notes early on. The outfit was fantastic…it screams don't pay attention to anything but the singing, except it would fit in nicely at a funeral. His haunting voice did not work for the slower parts of this song, and he couldn't show off during the fast part. Another Idol slayed by picking his most favorite song ever. Judges were spot on, and Michael may not leave this week but is headed in the wrong direction. Dedicating the song to your passed friend is cute one time…but don't pull it again.
GRADE: D
5. Brooke White, "Here Comes The Sun" – Surprisingly, it sounded like KKKristi during the opening, but Brooke sounded more like herself during the rest of the song. I know the yellow dress was supposed to be with the song, but it looks like something pulled out of a Goodwill dumpster. A huge drop off vocally from Let It Be last week, and will be OK thanks to prior performances. Judges continue the spot-on analysis, the song choice was the worst of the night. Brooke at the end telegraphed that she will go back to her wheelhouse and be stuck on the piano for many weeks to come. I think she'll succeed eventually, but only as a poor Alicia Keys knock-off and not in this competition. You are allowed to bring instruments, but not as a crutch (listen up Dreds).
GRADE: FAIL
6. David Cook, "Daytripper" (the White Snake version) – I love the crappy emo rock band who cried foul that DC stole their cover of Eleanor Rigby last week, when DC did it better. The outfit is totally cheesy Bon-Jovi style rock, but it fits the version of the song he did. This was a case where the instrument came out and did a good job because he doesn't rely on it like a crutch (and when he becomes a rock star, he will be playing it every night). The voicebox solo was incredible in all honesty, have to disagree with Simon there. It was different, it was rocking, and it was a quality performance. Misses the A grade just barely.
GRADE: B
7. Carly Smithson, "Blackbird" – Has there been a week where Carly has not shown off her tattoo with the shirt/dress she wears? I don't think so. This was a solid song choice, seems safe at first but opened up enough for Carly to show her usual vocal prowess. The outfit was a little loud for the song, but it's better than Brooke by a mile. Simon is rough on the contestants tonight, and perhaps he needs a nap. On a night where everybody outside the Daves are sort of stinking it up, this performance is more than good enough. On a final note, does anybody doubt when looking at Carly's guests and her new finger tattoos that before the end of her careers, her body will become a nasty pallet covered by tatts? Her friends scare me. I only bring it up because she draws attention to it…
GRADE: B
8. Jason Castro, "Michelle" – I think Ryan ruined the whole romance of the song by speaking French in the lead-in that way. On the bright side, nobody can tell when you mess up those lyrics (the pronunciation was merely OK on the French). The outfit was typical Jason, nothing fancy but not too hippy either. The performance was a little too happy for the song, as Jason's cheesy smile doesn’t sell the vibe at all. When Paula said Jason gets uncomfortable without the guitar, she couldn't have been speaking the truth more…but encouraging him to lean on the crutch is totally against my theory. As for tonight, the performance was not great but I liked his different song choice.
GRADE: C
9. Syesha Mercado, "Yesterday" – Ricky Minor (and his guitarist Paul) has the best gig in the world, playing cheesy favorites for American Idol and Don't Forget The Lyrics, and Paul looked good beside Syesha on this song playing acoustic guitar. Syesha's timing was a hair off I thought, but she played it very safe by picking this song. Beautiful dress for her as well. Not up to the performance last week, but apparently I'm in the minority there. This was good enough, not much else to say because it was pretty boring.
GRADE: C
10. Chikeize, "I've Just Seen A Face" – Anybody remember when Easy Chikeize wore that terrible gangsta-style outfit and almost got voted out? Nothing but sweater vests and muted colors since then, which is good because the focus should be on his singing. Playing the harmonica either made him nervous or out of breath, because he had some voice issues right after that. I love me some Blues Traveler though, so good risk with the harmonica (and not played terrible for just picking it up). Not as good as last week, but we can tell these are definitely the leftover song choices from last week. Simon says gimmicky, but I think it's still good enough to stick around.
GRADE: C
11. Ramiele Malubay, "I Should've Known Better" – More harmonica, this time from a professional in the band. There's a lot of voice in that little cute kid-sized body, but she did not have enough high points to show it in the song. This song and the outfit with the silly hat made me think of Blake Lewis, not a positive connotation in my mind. Ramiele is just outclassed by the other competitors, and is probably down with Stripper Dave as far as Top 12 talent. Two weeks in a row the final competitor has really punted the money-spot closing the show. If you can make Ryan Secrest look tall, wow you are small. I'd like to see her stand next to Kevin George from UNCA, the 7'7" beast that just lost to the Buckeyes. That would be funny. Pretty ordinary performance, which is bad news…
GRADE: D
FINAL THOUGHTS – Overall a very poor week on American Idol. This just proves you should not do two theme weeks with the same song set right in a row. The contestants are lucky if they can find one good match of a song (even in the legendary Lennon-McCartney songbook), so asking for magic two weeks in a row is not going to happen. Don't know what they will turn to next week, but we still have such diverse contestants that 1-2 will be in their comfort zone no matter the genre. So…
TOP THREE – David Archuleta, David Cook, Carly Smithson (the frontrunners return…)
BOTTOM THREE – Kristy Lee Cook, Ramiele Malubay, Michael Johns
GOING HOME – Kristy Lee Cook
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
American Idol Blog
American Idol in the eyes of the tone-deaf Fitzy...
This week is Top 12 week, so now we are down to the cream of the crap...or crop. The Lennon McCartney week Idol has been wanting to do for years is finally here, and maybe they will not suck it up. My grading scale will be as follows: Awesome, Super, Average, Bogus, and Zzzzz.
1. Syesha - (Got to get you into my life) This was a strong start to the Top 12 show, which is good since the first few singers can be forgotten if the latter half of the show is strong. The new stage looks sharp for the performances, but getting back to Syesha...she's definitely done the song justice tonight. Grade: Super.
2. Chikeze - (She's A Woman) Overall I was not thrilled with this performance, which apparently makes me in contrast with Kelley and all the judges. I thought the arrangement was brilliant, but perhaps a little above what Chikeze can do vocally. I love that he took a slow fiddle-picking start and finished up rocking. This will keep him safe in all likelihood. Grade: Average.
3. Ramiele - (In My Life) Oh my goodness, slow down a slow emotional song and make it worse. This was bad news all around because the performance bored everyone in the house to tears. There's nothing else to say about this one. No good comments from the judges either, so she may be joining her B.F.F. Danny by going home this week. GRADE: Zzzzz.
4. Jason - (If I Fell) Wow dreds needs to lose the damn guitar. It bothers me that he will not just show us he can sing. He could win acoustic idol in Columbus for sure, but that's not the competition. Again, the judges were pretty much right on...they must have sobered up this week. This performance only looks good thanks to what it directly followed. GRADE: Bogus.
5. Carly - (Come Together) If this girl oversang these songs anymore, we wouldn't be able to hear the band. I think Carly is one of the better contestants overall, but I'd really like to see her back off and do something like a normal singer. I think this was a poor song choice, but the judges are correct that she doesn't miss a note. GRADE: Average.
6. David Cook - (Eleanor Rigby) So the lesser David of Season 7 thinks playing his own guitar wouldn't add to Eleanor Rigby...no shit. The rolled up jacket collar is distracting. As for the performance, it was too plain jane for the song. It's OK to rock out and get points from me, but that will not sell America's mass of Teen-tards who will vote endlessly on Mommy and Daddy's phones. Surprised at the judge's love on this one. GRADE: Average.
7. Brooke - (Let It Be) The piano thing 2 weeks in a row is a bit much, but she could be parlaying her Alicia Keys skills for the future. Definitely uncomfortable playing the piano and trying to look into the camera and at the audience. OK verse, but the chorus was weak when she could have shown off her vocal range. Please stop crying when the judges give positive feedback. Still, the solid piano play and song choice is enough to save her. GRADE: Average.
8. David Hernandez - (I Saw Her Standing There) If the singing thing doesn't work out, don't believe for a second stripper David would interview people for a living, unless by "interviewing" you mean "shaking his junk and working the stage" at the strip club. But onto the singing, the vocal was OK. In the words of Simon, that's a cruise ship vocal (something you could see in any Cruise Ship show). The judges say he was overdoing it, which is a nice way to say the performance sucked. They obviously weren't listening to Carly carefully enough. Still, highlight of the night is him saying "I'm just going to work the stage" and me snickering because I know how he works the stage back home. GRADE: Bogus.
9. Amanda - (You Can't Do That) Amanda's my girl, but she's got to avoid falling into a trap whenever she has to pick a non-Southern Rock song. She did some neat tricks with the vocals on this song, but it really shows how poor her harmony voice is when the backup singers jump in. The arrangement was good because she has to move things into Southern Rock. I really don't know other than the scratchy voice why she is the pick for VFTW (Vote For The Worst) or why she was in the bottom 3 girls two weeks ago, but whatever. Solid this week. GRADE: Super
10. Michael - (Across the Universe) This guy picked a good song for showing off your voice, which is indeed important in this competition. The performance was pretty forgettable, and Randy is right on with his "sleepy" comment. On a side note, I'm pretty sure Simon is sleeping with Carly and David Archuleta. Michael could be in trouble this week, as this was nothing special. GRADE: Bogus
11. Kristy Lee Cook - (Eight Days A Week) General Lee or KKKristy, depending on your favorite nickname, really put her Southern country all over this song. She definitely could pull a Carrie Underwood and stick around, but countrify-ing this song was a big mistake. The judges are wrong in some respect because doing runs is what country singers do. They are correct though in saying it was not a good performance. GRADE: Bogus
12. David Archuleta - (We Can Work It Out) Here comes the lovefest...I DESPISE how everybody cheers when he goes all diva every single week. Don't get me wrong, the kid has serious talent, but he's not the best thing since sliced bread. The clip of him singing for Kelly Clarkson six years ago when he was 11 just solidifed his D-Bag status in my book....on to the song, HE WHIFFED ON TWO LYRICS IN THE VERSE! Oh my God, he's mortal. This performance is the worst he's done on Idol, which is still better than many of the remaining contestants. Yay to the judges actually speaking truth. GRADE: Bogus [but to be fair, his fan base bumps up any grade I give him by one]
Well they did better on the Beatles songs than expected. I hope this isn't the "rock" show of the season, as the Beatles transcend all genres. The vote could go a number of ways next week and I don't have a great read on it. I think Ramiele is bottom 3 for sure, and David Hernandez is probably in big trouble. KKKristy Lee Cook may go also. If there were any justice, Archuleta would be Bottom 3 for committing the cardinal sin of forgetting lyrics...twice. But that won't happen.
TOP 3 - Syesha, Amanda, Brooke
BOTTOM 3 - Ramiele, Stripper David Hernandez, KKKristy Lee Cook
GOING HOME - Stripper Dave
This week is Top 12 week, so now we are down to the cream of the crap...or crop. The Lennon McCartney week Idol has been wanting to do for years is finally here, and maybe they will not suck it up. My grading scale will be as follows: Awesome, Super, Average, Bogus, and Zzzzz.
1. Syesha - (Got to get you into my life) This was a strong start to the Top 12 show, which is good since the first few singers can be forgotten if the latter half of the show is strong. The new stage looks sharp for the performances, but getting back to Syesha...she's definitely done the song justice tonight. Grade: Super.
2. Chikeze - (She's A Woman) Overall I was not thrilled with this performance, which apparently makes me in contrast with Kelley and all the judges. I thought the arrangement was brilliant, but perhaps a little above what Chikeze can do vocally. I love that he took a slow fiddle-picking start and finished up rocking. This will keep him safe in all likelihood. Grade: Average.
3. Ramiele - (In My Life) Oh my goodness, slow down a slow emotional song and make it worse. This was bad news all around because the performance bored everyone in the house to tears. There's nothing else to say about this one. No good comments from the judges either, so she may be joining her B.F.F. Danny by going home this week. GRADE: Zzzzz.
4. Jason - (If I Fell) Wow dreds needs to lose the damn guitar. It bothers me that he will not just show us he can sing. He could win acoustic idol in Columbus for sure, but that's not the competition. Again, the judges were pretty much right on...they must have sobered up this week. This performance only looks good thanks to what it directly followed. GRADE: Bogus.
5. Carly - (Come Together) If this girl oversang these songs anymore, we wouldn't be able to hear the band. I think Carly is one of the better contestants overall, but I'd really like to see her back off and do something like a normal singer. I think this was a poor song choice, but the judges are correct that she doesn't miss a note. GRADE: Average.
6. David Cook - (Eleanor Rigby) So the lesser David of Season 7 thinks playing his own guitar wouldn't add to Eleanor Rigby...no shit. The rolled up jacket collar is distracting. As for the performance, it was too plain jane for the song. It's OK to rock out and get points from me, but that will not sell America's mass of Teen-tards who will vote endlessly on Mommy and Daddy's phones. Surprised at the judge's love on this one. GRADE: Average.
7. Brooke - (Let It Be) The piano thing 2 weeks in a row is a bit much, but she could be parlaying her Alicia Keys skills for the future. Definitely uncomfortable playing the piano and trying to look into the camera and at the audience. OK verse, but the chorus was weak when she could have shown off her vocal range. Please stop crying when the judges give positive feedback. Still, the solid piano play and song choice is enough to save her. GRADE: Average.
8. David Hernandez - (I Saw Her Standing There) If the singing thing doesn't work out, don't believe for a second stripper David would interview people for a living, unless by "interviewing" you mean "shaking his junk and working the stage" at the strip club. But onto the singing, the vocal was OK. In the words of Simon, that's a cruise ship vocal (something you could see in any Cruise Ship show). The judges say he was overdoing it, which is a nice way to say the performance sucked. They obviously weren't listening to Carly carefully enough. Still, highlight of the night is him saying "I'm just going to work the stage" and me snickering because I know how he works the stage back home. GRADE: Bogus.
9. Amanda - (You Can't Do That) Amanda's my girl, but she's got to avoid falling into a trap whenever she has to pick a non-Southern Rock song. She did some neat tricks with the vocals on this song, but it really shows how poor her harmony voice is when the backup singers jump in. The arrangement was good because she has to move things into Southern Rock. I really don't know other than the scratchy voice why she is the pick for VFTW (Vote For The Worst) or why she was in the bottom 3 girls two weeks ago, but whatever. Solid this week. GRADE: Super
10. Michael - (Across the Universe) This guy picked a good song for showing off your voice, which is indeed important in this competition. The performance was pretty forgettable, and Randy is right on with his "sleepy" comment. On a side note, I'm pretty sure Simon is sleeping with Carly and David Archuleta. Michael could be in trouble this week, as this was nothing special. GRADE: Bogus
11. Kristy Lee Cook - (Eight Days A Week) General Lee or KKKristy, depending on your favorite nickname, really put her Southern country all over this song. She definitely could pull a Carrie Underwood and stick around, but countrify-ing this song was a big mistake. The judges are wrong in some respect because doing runs is what country singers do. They are correct though in saying it was not a good performance. GRADE: Bogus
12. David Archuleta - (We Can Work It Out) Here comes the lovefest...I DESPISE how everybody cheers when he goes all diva every single week. Don't get me wrong, the kid has serious talent, but he's not the best thing since sliced bread. The clip of him singing for Kelly Clarkson six years ago when he was 11 just solidifed his D-Bag status in my book....on to the song, HE WHIFFED ON TWO LYRICS IN THE VERSE! Oh my God, he's mortal. This performance is the worst he's done on Idol, which is still better than many of the remaining contestants. Yay to the judges actually speaking truth. GRADE: Bogus [but to be fair, his fan base bumps up any grade I give him by one]
Well they did better on the Beatles songs than expected. I hope this isn't the "rock" show of the season, as the Beatles transcend all genres. The vote could go a number of ways next week and I don't have a great read on it. I think Ramiele is bottom 3 for sure, and David Hernandez is probably in big trouble. KKKristy Lee Cook may go also. If there were any justice, Archuleta would be Bottom 3 for committing the cardinal sin of forgetting lyrics...twice. But that won't happen.
TOP 3 - Syesha, Amanda, Brooke
BOTTOM 3 - Ramiele, Stripper David Hernandez, KKKristy Lee Cook
GOING HOME - Stripper Dave
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